Then, as they ceased, the doors were opened wide,
But, ere tall Ammarac with brawny arms
Could reach his chosen one, although he clove
The brows of twenty eaten up by lust,
Who yearned to pick the fairest in the place,
He was forestalled by Tammac, who had dropped
A bit of gold in wondering Alca's lap,
Saying: “Mylitta prosper thee, sweet maid!”
And every one had seen the deed performed,
And forty priests protected Tammac there,
Crying: “It is the law! The maid is his!
The man was hiding in the temple, true,
The deed is fraud, but sacred must remain;
The woman for the rite to him belongs.”
They spake, yet as they spake the priests knew not
That grave Kalastan, the superior priest,
Had taken bribes of ninety golden bricks
To let hot Tammac enter unperceived,
And Ammarac was hooted from the place.
Then, like a bustard darting on a dove,
Tammac seized Alca in his virile arms,
And he was fain to drag her to a vault,
When, lo! shrill trumpets sounded, and a voice
Rang through the temple: “Lo! our beauteous king,
The heavenly king, Bel-shar-uzzúr, is here!”
And it was true, because the king appeared,
Asking the reasons of such tumult there.
Then Alca tore herself from Tammac's hold,
And kneeling to the king cried out: “Oh King!
Thou once didst gaze upon me in the street,
And that one glance is treasured in my loins!
Save me! This thing is fraudulent and false!
This man was couchant in the temple ere
The doors were opened! Save me, gentle king!
For I would rather soil my bed with toads
Than yield my body to his scented touch!”
And the king gazed upon her and said naught,
Watching the undulations of her breast,
Gazed till the blushes scarleted her face,
Then, waving back the hordes of angry priests,
He bade four eunuchs bear the girl away,
And take her to his palace, there to live
Until the matter had been legalized.
And all the people shouted with delight,
O'erjoyed to see the grave intolerant priests
Bearded at last by the all-holy king!

Bel-shar-uzzúr, within his sacred room,
Held Alca dazzled by his regal glance;
Speechless she saw the scintillating flame
Of furious passion in his god-blest eyes!
Yet he, the king, the glory of the earth,
Dared not to press her beauty to his lips.
He, lord of myriads, at that very hour
Was powerless to break the laws of gods,
And for an empire he could kiss her not,
And this he knew, and cried aloud: “Poor king!
Even I am limited, the son of gods!”
And, as he mused, there came a noise of brass
Stricken by brass unto his idle ear,
And from the window he could see below
A thousand priests, who by the sign of Bel
Had paralyzed the watchman of the courts,
And called upon the monarch to appear,
For the priests' vengeance is a fearful thing.

And he came forth, knowing the rigid laws,
And cried: “Ye driveling fools and dogs, be still!
Bel doth protect you, and I know his wish!
I, the great king, I, the beloved of Bel,
Will bow before his will, but not at yours!
This girl shall go unto her righteous lord,
Young Tammac, for an hour. The king has said!
So get ye hence! Within a hurried hour
She, guarded by my spears, shall go to you!”
And, turning to the trembling maid, he cried:
“Sweet maiden, for the gods thou must obey,
And be the toy of Tammac for an hour;
But I shall wipe thy stain away in blood!”
And, summoning a host of archers near,
He bade them march as escort to the maid,
And in his chariot of war he rode
Unto the temple.
And it came to pass
That Alca; led into a rosy bower
By priests commissioned for this very task,
Was given up to Tammac, while in bands
The monarch's archers guarded the retreat,
Cautioned to stand all deaf to Alca's cries.
Tammac, made beautiful by his desire,
Thanking the gods and blessing justice there,
Reveled with Alca's body, and made sweet
The hour allotted to him, though she spurned
In vain his hot caresses, and was still
Obedient to the law, and nothing more.
And then Bel-shar-uzzur appeared and spake
To Ellac, Chief of Archers, who went forth
And led the panting Alca to the king;
And as he frowned and bade her no more weep,
Now that the gods were satisfied, a shriek
Was heard within the soiléd bower, and lo!
An archer drew the curtain folds aside
And, with a shout exultant to the king,
Threw Tammac's severed head at Alca's feet,
Such being the will of King Bel-shar-uzzur.
And Alca, free to be his kingly prey,
Was borne in triumph to his perfumed couch,
And blushed not when he crushed her to his arms,
For all her soul went forth in love for him.

Now Ammarac had heard from laughing crowds
The story of the trustless one he loved,
And knew that at that very hour she lay
Throbbing upon the bosom of the king,
And sudden rage stormed at his open heart,
For he desired her with a soldier's love,
A love that had been purely held for her,
A love untainted by a harlot's touch.
And in his grief he knew not what to do.
For many days he dwelt in unconcern,
Haunted by visions of the king's delight,
Haunted by the white roundness of her limbs,
And, reckless, he arose one starry night
To hurl himself upon his rusting lance,
And, for this end, he sought the shrine of Bel,
Begging forgiveness for his coming sin,
And then far from the city's ways he went
To choose a death-spot in the outer ditch,
While, far above, upon the walls, he heard
His soldier-comrades singing in the night: