As for the reason, listen to the end of my tale and you shall learn." I reflected that it was a marvellous thing that this queen who claimed supernatural powers should need our help in a war, but thinking it wiser to keep my meditations to myself, said nothing.

As a matter of fact I might just as well have spoken, since as usual she read my thoughts.
"You are thinking that it is strange, Allan, that I, the Mighty and Undying, should seek your aid in some petty tribal battle, and so it would be were my foes but common savages.

But they are more; they are men protected by the ancient god of this immemorial city of Kor, a great god in his day whose spirit still haunts these ruins and whose strength still protects the worshippers who cling to him and practise his unholy rites of human sacrifice." "How was this god named ?" I asked.
"_Rezu_ was his name, and from him came the Egyptian Re or Ra, since in the beginning Kor was the mother of Egypt and the conquering people of Kor took their god with them when they burst into the valley of the Nile and subdued its peoples long before the first Pharaoh, Menes, wore Egypt's crown." "Ra was the sun, was he not ?" I asked.
"Aye, and Rezu also was a sun-god whom from his throne in the fires of the Lord of Day, gave life to men, or slew them if he willed with his thunderbolts of drought and pestilence and storm.

He was no gentle king of heaven, but one who demanded blood-sacrifice from his worshippers, yes, even that of maids and children.

So it came about that the people of Kor, who saw their virgins slain and eaten by the priests of Rezu, and their infants burned to ashes in the fires that his rays lit, turned themselves to the worship of the gentle moon, the goddess whom they named _Lulala_, while some of them chose Truth for their queen, since Truth, they said, was greater and more to be desired than the fierce Sun-King or even the sweet Moon-Lady, Truth, who sat above them both throned in the furthest stars of Heaven.