| “The poet sang a marvellous song, full of all the flowery flatteries of the East, praising the princess” (page 82) | Frontispiece |
| FACING PAGE | |
| “Darius had proved his title, ‘King of the Bow’” | 24 |
| “Isaiah plucked him roughly by the robe. ‘Make your feet wings, or I will aid you’” | 104 |
| “All the Persian’s skill could not save his horse” | 150 |
| “They did not know the lion spirit within the king, that made him as steeled against fear as against mercy” | 272 |
| “The starlight touched something that glittered—a soldier’s helmet” | 318 |
| “‘Here is only the king; within your father waits’” | 348 |
| “They saw terror flash across the king’s face as he looked upward” | 386 |
About This Book
A historical tale set in ancient Babylon follows the court's splendor and moral decline as royal pageantry, priestly rivalries, and personal loyalties collide. It follows a Persian envoy escorting a princess into a politically arranged union, while temple officials, royal advisers, and seers maneuver for influence. Political betrayal, religious conflict, and military pressure from an outside power converge, and prophetic warnings and counsel presage a final confrontation that brings about the collapse of the city's power.