When the Gods Judged

Chapter Six

Her tense arms dropped slowly; her lovely face grew still.

“For a time,” she said, “we lay in darkness, Zarpanit and I together—and Alusar far away. Great had been the sin of those two, and in it I had shared. Not quickly was our punishment to be decided. I comforted her as best I might, loving her, caring naught for myself—for her heart was close to breaking, knowing not what they were doing with him she loved.

“There fell another night when the priests came to us. They drew us from our cell and bore us in silence to the portal of the Du-azzaga, the Brilliant Chamber, the Council Room of the Gods. There stood other priests with Alusar. They opened the portal, fearfully, and they thrust us three in.

“Now, indeed, my spirit shrank and was afraid, wailing out within me; and beside me I felt the shuddering soul of Zarpanit!

“For the Du-azzaga was filled with light and in the places of the Gods sat not their priests, but—the Gods themselves! Hidden each behind a sparkling cloud the Gods sat and watched us through their veils. In the place of Nergal was a fiery darkness.

“Through the blue shining mist before the shrine of Nabu came the voice of the Lord of Wisdom.

“‘So great is thy sin, O Zarpanit, and thine, O Alusar,’ it said, ‘that it has troubled even us, the Gods! Now what have ye to say before we punish?’

“The voice of Nabu was cold and clear as the light of the far-flung stars, passionless as the wind that streams between the worlds—yet in it was understanding.

“And suddenly my love for Zarpanit soared up like a flame and I held fast to it and it gave me strength. And beside me I felt her soul stand erect, defiant, her love flinging itself around it like a flaming garment. She answered not—only held out her arms to Alusar. I looked at him and his love, too, stood forth unafraid even as hers. He sprang to her, clasped her in his arms.

“Their lips met, and the judging gods were forgotten!

“Then the God Nabu, peering out through his blue, shining mist, spoke again.

“‘These two bear a flame that even we may not destroy!’

“At this the Lady Zarpanit drew from her lover’s arms; came close to the pulsing glory that shrouded Ishtar; did homage; clear-eyed, unafraid, addressed her:

“‘You, O mother, are you not the mother of that fire we call love? Did you not create it and set it as a torch above Chaos? And, having made it, did you not know how mighty was the thing you made? It was that love of which you are the mother, O Holy Ishtar, that entered me—that came unsought into this temple of my body which was yours and still is yours though you have abandoned it. Is it my sin that so strong was love that it opened the doors of your temple; that its light blinded me to all save him on whom it shone? You are the creator of love. Why made you it so mighty? And if love be grown stronger than you who made it, O Ishtar, can we—a woman and a man—be blamed that we could not conquer it? And if love be not stronger than you, still did you make it stronger than man. Therefore punish love, your child, O Mother—not us!’

“She ceased; and Alusar drew her to him, saying:

“‘Man may not accuse the gods, who gave him being—yet the flame you made to forge on life’s anvil gods and man is a strong flame, O Mother Ishtar! Also it comes to me who stands here to be judged that there is a justice which even the gods must heed—or in time cease to be. Now in the name of that justice I speak! To that justice I appeal! I ask no mercy—if we have sinned we must suffer. If you, O Ishtar, could destroy in Zarpanit that flame of love for me, wipe out all memory of me from her, I would pray that on me alone be set the burden of suffering. But that even you cannot do—and so each single arrow point of my agony would be tenscore thrust in her! Nay—if we have sinned we have sinned together, and together we must pay. And that in the name of the eternal justice which rules even you, I demand, O Ishtar.’

“It was the Lord Nabu who broke the silence of the gods.

“‘They who are to be judged, accuse,’ he said. ‘And truth is in what they say. They carry a flame, I tell you, which even we may not destroy. The fire they bear is one whose ways, O Ishtar, you know better than do I. Also it is you who are the accuser and you who are the accused. Therefore, Ishtar, it is for you to speak.’

“From the glory veiling the goddess a voice came; sweet but small with bitter anger.

“‘There is truth in what you say, Zarpanit, whom once I called daughter! Now because of that truth I will temper my anger. You have asked me whether love is stronger than Ishtar, its mother. We shall learn! This is your doom: that you and the man Alusar dwell in a certain place that shall be opened to you. Ever together shall you be—even as he has demanded. You shall look upon each other, yet never shall you touch hands or lips. You may speak each to the other, but not of this fire of love! For when that flame leaps and draws you together then I, Ishtar, will come to you, Zarpanit, and fight with love. It will not be the Ishtar you have known who shall come. Nay, that Sister-Self of mine whom men call the Destroyer, the Wrathful—she shall possess you. And so it shall be until the flame within you conquers her, or that flame perishes for weariness!’

“The voice of Ishtar was still; the gods were silent. Then out of the blackness of the shrine of Nergal bellowed the voice of the Lord of Death.

“‘So say you, Ishtar! Then I, Nergal, tell you this. I stand with this man who is my priest; nor am I so much displeased with him, since it was by him that I looked so closely into your eyes, O Mother of the Heavens!’ The dark cloud shook with a hideous laughter. ‘I shall be with him, and I will meet you, Ishtar the Destroyer! Yea, with craft to match yours and might to grapple with you—until I, not you, have destroyed this woman and the flame she boasts, as well as that within this priest of mine. For in my abode there are no such flames—and I would quench it in him that my darkness be not affrighted when my priest at last comes to me!’

“And again the laughter shook the ebon cloud, while the glory that covered Ishtar quivered with wrath. But the three of us listened with despair—for ill as it was with us, far, far more ill was it to hear this jesting with the Dark Hornless One with the Mother of the Heavens!

“Came the goddess’s voice—bitter, smaller still:

“‘Be it so, O Nergal!’

“There was silence for a little time among the gods; and I thought that behind their veils they looked at each other askance. Came at last the passionless voice of Nabu:

“‘What of this woman Sharane—’

“The voice of Ishtar, impatient:

“‘Let her fate be bound with Zarpanit’s. Let Zarpanit have her retinue in that place to which she goes.’

“Then Nabu, again:

“‘And the priest Klaneth—is he to go free?’

“‘What! Shall not my priest have his retinue, too?’ mocked Nergal. ‘Set Klaneth beside my priest Alusar with others to minister to him.’

“Again I thought that the gods looked askance at each other. Then Nabu asked:

“‘Shall it be so, Queen of the Heavens?’

“And Ishtar answered:

“‘Let it be so!’

“The Du-azzaga faded; I was one with the nothingness.”