Part 40 (2/2)
”Then you would give all the others to death, daughter?”
”Nay, I would save the Deliverer alive, for a while at least”
”And wherefore? You are too subtle for me”
”For this reason, father; he loves her who is na to the custoiven to another”
”To another! To who, who also loves her”
Now Nahter, be plain, I pray of you, for I cannot understand your counsels Were it not better to give to these people the red stones which they desire, and send the that they had vanished into the earth again, for so it seems to me we should be rid of much shame and trouble?”
”Listen, my father, and I will tell you Were she whom I love to leave this land, I should see her face no more, and this ht of her Also, how can these people escape the dangers of the road? But four of them are left alive, and even were they without our borders, they must journey for three months before they coh swamps and deserts and tribes of wild men This they could hardly do with arms such as those whereby the Deliverer slew the priests, and now their arone, you alone knohere, my father”
”The instruments of which you speak lie in the deep waters of the tehter, for there I caused theone,” said Soa, ”they are alone, here they ive to death, and the fourth I wouldbetter can be done for her Let her be hidden awhile, and then let Olfan take her As for the tale that we shall tell of the matter to the ears of the people, doubtless time will show it I say that Olfan loves her and will buy her with a great price, and the price which you ”
”The sche h were it not for my oath, either I should kill them all or set them free Yet who can say that it shall succeed? It is in the hands of fate, let it go as fate wills And now follow me, that I may place you where you shall dwell in comfort, then after we have eaten I will speak with these Gods who passed heavily enough to the four wretched prisoners in the palace For soether in the throne-room almost silent, for they were crushed byon theer to save themselves
Francisco knelt and prayed, Leonard and Juanna sat hand in hand listening to him, while Otter wandered to and fro like an unquiet spirit, cursing Soa, Saga, and all woour that struck his hearers as unparalleled At length he vanished through the curtains, to get drunk probably, Leonard reflected
However, the dwarf sought not drink, but vengeance A fewscreams in the courtyard, Leonard ran out to find hiround, surrounded by a group of other wo at her discoa, bride of the Snake Over her stood her lord andhair, while with his right, in which he grasped a leather thong, despite her screams and entreaties, he administered to her one of the soundest and, be it added, best deserved thrashi+ngs that ever fell to the lot of erring wo?” said Leonard
”I a a God, Baas,” gasped Otter; then added with a final and one, witch, and let ly face no , while the dwarf followed Leonard back into the throne-room
”You have done it now, Otter,” said Leonard ”Well, it does not ood, any way”
”Yes, Baas, she has gone, and she has gone sore,” replied Otter with a faint grin
At thatthat Na for an audience
”Let hih, and seated herself on one of the thrones, Otter cla into the other
They had scarcely taken their places when the curtains were thrown back and the ancient priest entered, attended by about a score of his fellows He bowed himself humbly before Juanna and the dwarf and then spoke
”Oh! ye Gods,” he said, ”I come in the name of the People of the Mist to take counsel with you Why it is we do not know, but things have gone amiss in the land: the sun does not shi+ne as in past years before you ca Therefore your people are threatened with a famine, and they pray that you may comfort them out of the store of your wisdoive, Nam?”
”Then, Queen, the people ask that you will be pleased to meet theht is one hour old, that they h the mouth of me, your servant”
”And if eary of your temple and will not come, Nam?” asked Juanna