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that the skipper hired at the gate of the mainland city, and the pleasant country-palms and figs and cedars
all about. It was like a garden-clematis, honeysuckle, and jasmine clung about the olive and mulberry
trees, and there were tulips and gladiolus, and clumps of mandrake, which has bell-flowers that look as
though they were cut out of dark blue jewels. In the distance were the mountains of Lebanon. The house
they came to at last was rather like a bungalow-long and low, with pillars all along the front. Cedars and
sycamores grew near it and sheltered it pleasantly.
Everyone dismounted, and the donkeys were led away.
'Why is this like Rosherville? whispered Robert, and instantly supplied the answer.
'Because it's the place to spend a happy day.'
'It's jolly decent of the skipper to have brought us to such a ripping place, said Cyril.
'Do you know, said Anthea, this feels more real than anything else we've seen? It's like a holiday in the
country at home.'
The children were left alone in a large hall. The floor was mosaic, done with wonderful pictures of ships
and sea-beasts and fishes. Through an open doorway they could see a pleasant courtyard with flowers.
'I should like to spend a week here, said Jane, and donkey ride every day.'
Everyone was feeling very jolly. Even the Egyptian looked pleasanter than usual. And then, quite
suddenly, the skipper came back with a joyous smile. With him came the master of the house. He looked
steadily at the children and nodded twice.
'Yes, he said, my steward will pay you the price. But I shall not pay at that high rate for the Egyptian
dog.'
The two passed on.
'This, said the Egyptian, is a pretty kettle of fish.'
'What is? asked all the children at once.
'Our present position, said Rekh-mara. Our seafaring friend, he added, has sold us all for slaves!'
A hasty council succeeded the shock of this announcement. The Priest was allowed to take part in it. His
advice was stay', because they were in no danger, and the Amulet in its completeness must be
somewhere near, or, of course, they could not have come to that place at all. And after some discussion
they agreed to this.
The children were treated more as guests than as slaves, but the Egyptian was sent to the kitchen and
made to work.
Pheles, the master of the house, went off that very evening, by the King's orders, to start on another
voyage. And when he was gone his wife found the children amusing company, and kept them talking and
singing and dancing till quite late. To distract my mind from my sorrows, she said.
'I do like being a slave, remarked Jane cheerfully, as they curled up on the big, soft cushions that were to
be their beds.
It was black night when they were awakened, each by a hand passed softly over its face, and a low
voice that whispered
'Be quiet, or all is lost.'
So they were quiet.
'It's me, Rekh-mara, the Priest of Amen, said the whisperer. The man who brought us has gone to sea
again, and he has taken my Amulet from me by force, and I know no magic to get it back. Is there magic
for that in the Amulet you bear?'
Everyone was instantly awake by now.
'We can go after him, said Cyril, leaping up; but he might take OURS as well; or he might be angry with
us for following him.'
'I'll see to THAT, said the Egyptian in the dark. Hide your Amulet well.'
There in the deep blackness of that room in the Tyrian country house the Amulet was once more held up
and the word spoken.
All passed through on to a ship that tossed and tumbled on a wind-blown sea. They crouched together
there till morning, and Jane and Cyril were not at all well. When the dawn showed, dove-coloured,
across the steely waves, they stood up as well as they could for the tumbling of the ship. Pheles, that
hardy sailor and adventurer, turned quite pale when he turned round suddenly and saw them.
'Well! he said, well, I never did!'
'Master, said the Egyptian, bowing low, and that was even more difficult than standing up, we are here
by the magic of the sacred Amulet that hangs round your neck.'
'I never did! repeated Pheles. Well, well!'
'What port is the ship bound for? asked Robert, with a nautical air.
But Pheles said, Are you a navigator? Robert had to own that he was not.
'Then, said Pheles, I don't mind telling you that we're bound for the Tin Isles. Tyre alone knows where
the Tin Isles are. It is a splendid secret we keep from all the world. It is as great a thing to us as your
magic to you.'
He spoke in quite a new voice, and seemed to respect both the children and the Amulet a good deal
more than he had done before.
'The King sent you, didn't he? said Jane.
'Yes, answered Pheles, he bade me set sail with half a score brave gentlemen and this crew. You shall
go with us, and see many wonders. He bowed and left them.
'What are we going to do now? said Robert, when Pheles had caused them to be left along with a
breakfast of dried fruits and a sort of hard biscuit.
'Wait till he lands in the Tin Isles, said Rekh-mara, then we can get the barbarians to help us. We will
attack him by night and tear the sacred Amulet from his accursed heathen neck, he added, grinding his
teeth.
'When shall we get to the Tin Isles? asked Jane.
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