登陆注册
15401800000042

第42章

Then further back, higher than the candelabrum, and much higher than the altar, rose the Moloch, all of iron, and with gaping apertures in his human breast.His outspread wings were stretched upon the wall, his tapering hands reached down to the ground; three black stones bordered by yellow circles represented three eyeballs on his brow, and his bull's head was raised with a terrible effort as if in order to bellow.

Ebony stools were ranged round the apartment.Behind each of them was a bronze shaft resting on three claws and supporting a torch.All these lights were reflected in the mother-of-pearl lozenges which formed the pavement of the hall.So lofty was the latter that the red colour of the walls grew black as it rose towards the vaulted roof, and the three eyes of the idol appeared far above like stars half lost in the night.

The Ancients sat down on the ebony stools after putting the trains of their robes over their heads.They remained motionless with their hands crossed inside their broad sleeves, and the mother-of-pearl pavement seemed like a luminous river streaming from the altar to the door and flowing beneath their naked feet.

The four pontiffs had their places in the centre, sitting back to back on four ivory seats which formed a cross, the high-priest of Eschmoun in a hyacinth robe, the high-priest of Tanith in a white linen robe, the high-priest of Khamon in a tawny woollen robe, and the high-priest of Moloch in a purple robe.

Hamilcar advanced towards the candelabrum.He walked all round it, looking at the burning wicks; then he threw a scented powder upon them, and violet flames appeared at the extremities of the branches.

Then a shrill voice rose; another replied to it, and the hundred Ancients, the four pontiffs, and Hamilcar, who remained standing, simultaneously intoned a hymn, and their voices--ever repeating the same syllables and strengthening the sounds--rose, grew loud, became terrible, and then suddenly were still.

There was a pause for some time.At last Hamilcar drew from his breast a little three-headed statuette, as blue as sapphire, and placed it before him.It was the image of Truth, the very genius of his speech.

Then he replaced it in his bosom, and all, as if seized with sudden wrath, cried out:

"They are good friends of yours, are the Barbarians! Infamous traitor!

You come back to see us perish, do you not? Let him speak!--No! no!"They were taking their revenge for the constraint to which political ceremonial had just obliged them; and even though they had wished for Hamilcar's return, they were now indignant that he had not anticipated their disasters, or rather that he had not endured them as well as they.

When the tumult had subsided, the pontiff of Moloch rose:

"We ask you why you did not return to Carthage?""What is that to you?" replied the Suffet disdainfully.

Their shouts were redoubled.

"Of what do you accuse me? I managed the war badly, perhaps! You have seen how I order my battles, you who conveniently allow Barbarians--""Enough! enough!"

He went on in a low voice so as to make himself the better listened to:

"Oh! that is true! I am wrong, lights of the Baals; there are intrepid men among you! Gisco, rise!" And surveying the step of the altar with half-closed eyelids, as if he sought for some one, he repeated:

"Rise, Gisco! You can accuse me; they will protect you! But where is he?" Then, as if he remembered himself: "Ah! in his house, no doubt!

surrounded by his sons, commanding his slaves, happy, and counting on the wall the necklaces of honour which his country has given to him!"They moved about raising their shoulders as if they were being scourged with thongs."You do not even know whether he is living or dead!" And without giving any heed to their clamours he said that in deserting the Suffet they had deserted the Republic.So, too, the peace with Rome, however advantageous it might appear to them, was more fatal than twenty battles.A few--those who were the least rich of the Council and were suspected of perpetual leanings towards the people or towards tyranny--applauded.Their opponents, chiefs of the Syssitia and administrators, triumphed over them in point of numbers;and the more eminent of them had ranged themselves close to Hanno, who was sitting at the other end of the hall before the lofty door, which was closed by a hanging of hyacinth colour.

He had covered the ulcers on his face with paint.But the gold dust in his hair had fallen upon his shoulders, where it formed two brilliant sheets, so that his hair appeared whitish, fine, and frizzled like wool.His hands were enveloped in linen soaked in a greasy perfume, which dripped upon the pavement, and his disease had no doubt considerably increased, for his eyes were hidden beneath the folds of his eyelids.He had thrown back his head in order to see.His partisans urged him to speak.At last in a hoarse and hideous voice he said:

"Less arrogance, Barca! We have all been vanquished! Each one supports his own misfortune! Be resigned!""Tell us rather," said Hamilcar, smiling, "how it was that you steered your galleys into the Roman fleet?""I was driven by the wind," replied Hanno.

"You are like a rhinoceros trampling on his dung: you are displaying your own folly! be silent!" And they began to indulge in recriminations respecting the battle of the Aegatian islands.

Hanno accused him of not having come to meet him.

"But that would have left Eryx undefended.You ought to have stood out from the coast; what prevented you? Ah! I forgot! all elephants are afraid of the sea!"Hamilcar's followers thought this jest so good that they burst out into loud laughter.The vault rang with it like the beating of tympanums.

Hanno denounced the unworthiness of such an insult; the disease had come upon him from a cold taken at the siege of Hecatompylos, and tears flowed down his face like winter rain on a ruined wall.

Hamilcar resumed:

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 十方魔主

    十方魔主

    堂堂苍岩界第一高手!竟然遭挚友暗算,被打落天一台。逃到红尘天后,只得躲在名不见经传的小世家里苟延残喘!嘿,很好,老天你带我不薄啊!若我公子枭有朝一日恢复修为,定要踏平三界!万魔雌伏!
  • 牧民政要

    牧民政要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 境异

    境异

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 霸气农二代

    霸气农二代

    有人问:“你是谁...”他说:“我只是一个种地的...”林丰无意间得到一个神奇空间,拿来做什么的?当然是种农作物的,什么变异水晶南瓜,百年野山参,随随便便就能种出来,而且价值不菲...既然这么厉害,那林丰岂不是叼炸天了?你想知道?进来看看吧...
  • 乱世纨绔

    乱世纨绔

    一个豪门少爷,一个纨绔子弟,因何走上血的道路,为何敢与天相争。
  • 一只球队,一座城

    一只球队,一座城

    一个即将降级,甚至解散的球队,未来何去何从,让故事一一揭晓。
  • 原来是你一直是我

    原来是你一直是我

    “你这‘丑B’,老子是不可能跟你在一起的,以后离老子远点!”“同学,你是谁啊?我们认识吗?我认识的人中,貌似没有长你这么‘搞笑’的额”夜月的一句‘怒骂’,竟让他多了一份三年无处发泄的歉意,终于‘偶遇’她,得以道歉时,却换来了她一句‘嘲讽’。他心灰意冷,她却无可奈何。夜月没想到自己会喜欢上一个‘丑B’,更没想到自己也会成为小丑,如果不是那场迎新晚会….原来这都是‘阴谋’,原来并不是‘偶遇’,原来他早就爱过她,原来她一直爱着他!
  • 斗破苍穹续雷霆劫

    斗破苍穹续雷霆劫

    石中兽雷霆震怒,不死身额生三目。展双翼遮天蔽日,现真身神魔皆怖。天才斗王沐寒,自小被父亲赶出家门,而后更是遭受了接二连三的打击。突破斗皇失败,斗气诡异流失,就连自己的生命也危在旦夕,家族被灭,父亲被杀,少年终于明白了上一辈们苦苦坚持的究竟是什么。神秘的组织,离奇的身世,奇异的生命……炎帝萧炎飞升以后,一个新的传说开始了。
  • 实录阴阳道

    实录阴阳道

    诡事实录记述了一些真实发生的灵异事件,很多不为人知的奇闻异事,这些都是真真实实发生的事............
  • 剑神星辰

    剑神星辰

    一剑平四海,二剑荡河山,三剑落星辰,四剑动乾坤。小帝国、大宗门。昔日懒散天才少年,为了宗门之恨、家门之仇、心爱之人踏上艰苦修炼之途。妖魔虽狠,不及人心诡诈,区区凡间,唯我称雄。手中执剑,心中执念。一剑成神,一念成仙。