But I knew very well who lay before me.

The strong old body in the middle of the table was the corpse of the Superior of the temple of Hatasu, and beyond, close by each other, were laid a stone-mason of the Necropolis, and a poor girl from the strangers' quarter, who had died of consumption--two miserable wasted figures.

I had known the Prophet well, for I had met him a hundred times in his gilt litter, and we always called him Rui, the rich.

I did my duty by all three, I was driven away with the usual stoning, and then I arranged the inward parts of the bodies with my mates.

Those of the Prophet are to be preserved later in an alabaster canopus, [This vase was called canopus at a later date.