This man, with his giant stature, who was master of the zaimph, ruled Rabbetna as much as did Baal, and seemed to her to be surrounded by the same fulgurations; and then the souls of the gods sometimes visited the bodies of men.

Did not Schahabarim in speaking of him say that she was to vanquish Moloch?
They were mingled with each other; she confused them together; both of them were pursuing her.
She wished to learn the future, and approached the serpent, for auguries were drawn from the attitudes of serpents.

But the basket was empty; Salammbo was disturbed.
She found him with his tail rolled round one of the silver balustrades beside the hanging bed, which he was rubbing in order to free himself from his old yellowish skin, while his body stretched forth gleaming and clear like a sword half out of the sheath.
Then on the days following, in proportion as she allowed herself to be convinced, and was more disposed to succour Tanith, the python recovered and grew; he seemed to be reviving.
The certainty that Salammbo was giving expression to the will of the gods then became established in her conscience.

One morning she awoke resolved, and she asked what was necessary to make Matho restore the veil.
"To claim it," said Schahabarim.
"But if he refuses ?" she rejoined.
The priest scanned her fixedly with a smile such as she had never seen.
"Yes, what is to be done ?" repeated Salammbo.
He rolled between his fingers the extremities of the bands which fell from his tiara upon his shoulders, standing motionless with eyes cast down.

At last seeing that she did not understand: "You will be alone with him." "Well ?" she said.
"Alone in his tent." "What then ?" Schahabarim bit his lips.