"The wife? Doubtless from what I have heard of you, Kaku, there would be
other wives to share these honours."

"No other wife--upon the oath, none, Merytra."

She thought a moment, looking at the wizened but powerful-faced old
magician, then answered:

"I will take the oath and keep my share of it. See that you keep yours,
Kaku, or it will be the worse for you, for women have their own evil
power."

"I know it, Merytra, and from the beginning the wise have held that the
spirit dwells, not in the heart or brain or liver, but in the female
tongue. Now stand up."

She obeyed, and from some hidden place in the wall Kaku produced a book,
or rather a roll of magical writings, that was encased in iron, the
metal of the evil god, Typhon.

"There is no other such book as this," he said, "for it was written by
the greatest of wizards who lived before Mena, when the god-kings ruled
in Egypt, and I, myself, took it from among his bones, a terrible task
for his Ka rose up in the grave and threatened me. He who can read in
that book, as I can, has much strength, and let him beware who breaks an
oath taken on that book. Now press it to your heart, Merytra, and swear
after me."

Then he repeated a very terrible oath, for should it be violated it
consigned the swearer to shame, sickness and misfortune in this world,