"To the north; through the desert--three hundred and twenty-five parasangs--then through the mountains eastward, straight on Susa and Ecbatana...." The Persian pointed to the horizon. "Over there, over there," he repeated, fixing his eyes on Julian. "Cæsar," said Hormizdas to the Emperor, "take care!... I don't like this man's face! He's a sorcerer--a brigand, or perhaps much worse?... Sometimes queer things happen in these latitudes. Get rid of him!... Don't listen to him...." Julian paid no heed to the words of Hormizdas. He felt the strange fascination of the Persian's supplicating eyes. "Do you know every step of the road which leads to Ecbatana?" "Oh yes! yes!" exclaimed the Persian with a contented laugh. "How should I not know it? Every grain of sand in that desert ... every roadside well.... Artaban knows the meaning of the birds' song, hears the grass growing, and the waters flowing under the earth. He will run before thine army, nosing the scent, tracing the road. Believe me, in twenty days all Persia, as far as the Indies and the ocean, shall be thine!" The heart of the Emperor began beating violently. "Can this be the miracle I was waiting for?" he mused. "In twenty days, Persia shall be mine!" He could scarcely breathe at the thought. The monster, kneeling before him, murmured. "Hound me not away from thee! Like a hound shall I remain lying crouched at thy feet! From the moment I saw thee, I loved thee, Lord of the Universe, because thou art the proudest of men! Oh, that thou wouldst walk over my body, that thou wouldst trample on me, and I would lick the dust from thy feet, chanting: 'Glory, glory to the son of the Sun, to the king of the East and of the West, Julian!" He kissed the Emperor's feet; and the two slaves prostrating themselves also, repeated after him, "Glory, glory, glory!" "But what to do with the ships?" thought Julian aloud to himself. "Leave them unarmed in the hands of the enemy or keep them?" "Burn them," breathed Artaban. The words thrilled Julian, who looked strangely at the Persian. "Burn them? What sayest thou?" Artaban raised his head and looked steadfastly into the Emperor's eyes. "Hast thou _fear_? Thou!... No, no. Men alone are fearful, but not the gods! Burn the ships, and thou shalt be free as the wind. Thy ships shall not fall into the power of the enemy and thine army be swelled by the soldiers that work the fleet. Be great and bold to the very end! Burn them, and in ten days thou shalt be under the walls of Ecbatana. In twenty days all Persia shall be thine! Thou shall be greater than the son of Philip, who conquered Darius. Only ... burn thy ships and follow me!..." "And if these are but lies--if I can read in your heart that you are lying!" exclaimed the Emperor seizing the Persian with one hand by the throat and with the other menacing him with a dagger. Hormizdas uttered a sigh of relief.