Part 30 (1/2)
”Enough, ye know the ancient tale that is fulfilled this day Noe pass on towards our city, there to sojourn with you awhile and to proclai, and we pass alone There, in our city, let a place be h to the teht to the place, that ates of the city also let
Let none spy upon us, lest an evil fate attend you all; and let none be disobedient, lest we pass from you back to the land of Death and Drea, perchance we coain Therefore hasten to do our bidding, and do it all For this ti spoken thus with nity, accompanied by Otter, whose hand she held as before, Juanna withdrew herself, stepping backwards very slowly towards the circle of rocks, and singing as she went
CHAPTER XXI
THE FOLLY OF OTTER
Juanna and Otter gained the circle of rocks where the little band lay watching and wonder-struck; that is, all except Soa, who sat apart brooding, her ars had befallen as she expected, as they et her lesson or show fear, and that the dwarf did nothing foolish
But Soa kneell enough that this was but the beginning of the struggle, and that, though it ht be comparatively easy for Juanna and Otter to enter the city, and impose themselves upon its superstition-haunted people as the incarnations of their fabled Gods, the maintenance of the imposture was a very different matter Moreover, she knew, should they be discovered, that escape would be impossible, or at the best, that it must be most difficult Therefore she sat apart and brooded, for, notwithstanding their present triumph, her heart foreboded evil
But with the others it was different: they had heard the singing, they had seen the regireathad come to their ears like thunder; but of the why and wherefore of it all they could only guess
”What has happened?” said Leonard eagerly; ”your initiation seems to have come off well”
”Bid the men fall back and I will tell you,” Juanna answered
Leonard did so, but instead of speaking she broke into hysterical laughter Her nerves had been over-strained, and now they sought relief thus
”You must all be very respectful to Otter and th, ”for we really are Gods--don't look shocked, Francisco, I begin to believe in it myself We have only just found it out, but I assure you it is a fact; they accepted us fully, and that after not more than five minutes' cross-examination Listen!” And she told theier in a square, but in a formation of co the earth with its footsteps, and as each section went by it tossed its spears into the air as a salute, crying: ”Glory to the Mother! glory to the Snake!” and fled on towards the city
At length the story was done and the regiood Juanna, you are the bravest and cleverest girl in the whole world Most young woone into hysterics at the critical point”
”I kept the brave and clever, I only repeated what Soa taught me like a parrot; you see I knew that I should be killed if I e sharpens the memory All I have to say is, if the Snake they talk solike those which are tattooed upon the old priests' breasts, I have no wish to make a nearer acquaintance with it I hate snakes There, don't say anyout into fresh protestations of gratitude and admiration; ”if you want to thank anybody, thank Soa!”
”And so I do,” said Leonard heartily, for his spirits had risen in a most wonderful ed well and I thank you”
”Did you then take loomy eyes upon Leonard's face ”I told you the truth, Deliverer, when I said thatof yours as their Gods But did I not tell you also that the death of the rest of us lies in the matter? If not, I say so now _You_ have not been named a God, Deliverer, nor has yonder Bald-pate”--the natives called Francisco thus because of his tonsure--”and your black dog will betray you by his yapping When you look down the jaws of the Snake, remember then that Soa told you the truth, Deliverer Perchance you shall find the red stones you seek hidden in his belly, White Man”
”Be silent,” said Juanna indignantly, and Soa slunk back like a whipped hound
”Confound the old woman!” put in Leonard with a shi+ver ”She is a black Jonah, and if I have to go inside this snake I hope that it will be a case of ladies first, that is all”
”I am sure I don't knohat has happened to Soa,” said Juanna ”Her native air has a very bad effect upon her temper”
”Well, the future must look after itself,” answered Leonard, ”snake or no snake At present we must follow our luck Otter, listen to me Do you understand that you are a God, the God of this people?”
”The God, Baas? What is a God?”
”Have I not told you, thickhead? You are not a man any more, you are a spirit Once, so it seems, you ruled this people in the past, and now you will rule theain You and the Shepherdess are both Gods She is your mother and you are her child”
”Yes, Baas, no doubt; but once I had another lier one”