Then the Soldaness gave her great feast, and while they sat at the
table, her soldiers came in and killed the Soldan and all the lords who
were friendly to him, and slaughtered so many that the banquet hall
swam ankle deep in blood.
But they did not slay Constance. Instead, they bore her to the sea and
put her on board her ship all alone, with provisions for a long
journey, and then set her adrift on the wide waters.
So she sailed on, drifting past many shores, out into the limitless
ocean, borne on by the billows, seeing the day dawn and the sun set,
and never meeting living creature. All alone on a wide ocean! drifting
down into soft southern seas where the warm winds always blew, then
driving up into frozen waters where green, glittering icebergs sailed
solemnly past the ship, so near, it seemed as if they would crush the
frail bark to atoms.
So for three long years, day and night, winter and summer, this lonely
ship went on, till at length the winds cast it on the English shores.
As soon as the ship stranded, the governor of the town, with his wife
and a great crowd of people, came to see this strange vessel.
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