Part 43 (2/2)

Also, I caused their black servants to be seized and thrown to the Snake, one or two of them at a time, for of this I was sure, that if they had the power they would protect their servants But, as the Snake knows, those men were not protected Meanwhile reports caranddaughter of iven as a bride to Jal And this was their report: that the dwarf behaved himself like a cur of low birth, and that when he was in liquor, which was often, he babbled of his doings with the Deliverer in other lands, though all that he said they could not tell ue

”When these tales cauess, O People of the Mist, that if I had doubted before, now my heart was shaken, and yet I had no proof In ht ca the followers of these wanderers was a woman, and but yesterday this woo she had fled fro our people--I know not why, but she took with her a knowledge of our secrets It was she who told them of the Gods and the story of the Gods, and she instructed them how they should deceive us and win the red stones which they desired But now her heart repents her of the evil, and I will sue betweenforth the woman”

There was a silence, and so intense was the interest that no sound came from the audience, which watched for the appearance of the witness

Presently Soa advanced from the shadows at the foot of the colossus, and escorted by two priests took her stand in the centre of the sees

”Speak, woman,” said Nam

Then Soa spoke ”I am of the People of the Mist,” she said, ”as ye hter of a priest, and forty years ago, when I was young and fair, I fled this land for my own reasons, and travelled south for three hty river, where I dwelt for twenty years earning a livelihood as a doctoress of e a white hter and died I becahter; she is the woman who sits before you, and her name is Shepherdess

”Twenty years more went by, and I desired to return tomy people I told the tale of my land and of its wealth to the Shepherdess and to her husband the Deliverer, for I dared not travel alone Therefore in n to be the Gods of the People of the Mist, coend, for I saw that the dwarf, the Deliverer's servant, was shaped like to the shape of the statue of Jal, who sits in stone above you Being greedy, they fell into the plan, for above all things they desired to win the precious stones But ere come hither the true Gods visited me in a dream so that my heart was troubled because of the evil which I had done, and yesterday I escaped to Nam and told him all the tale which you have heard That is the story, People of the Mist, and now I pray your mercy and your pardon”

Soa ceased, and Leonard, who had been watching the multitude, whispered to Juanna:

”Speak quickly if you can think of anything to say They are silent now because of their astonishment, but in another minute they will break out, and then----”

”People of the Mist,” cried Juanna, taking the hint, ”you have heard the words of Nam and the words of her as my servant They dare to tel you that we are no Gods So be it: on this matter ill not reason with you, for can the Gods descend to prove their Godhead? We will not reason, but I will say this in warning: put us away if you wish,--and it may well chance that we shall suffer ourselves to be put away, since the Gods do not desire to rule over those who reject them, but would choose rather to return to their own place

”Yet for you it shall be a sad and an unlucky day when ye lift a hand against ourill leave you that by which we shall be res: fa you and destroy you till ye are no more a people Ye have suffered our servants to be murdered, and disobeyed our commands, and it is for this reason, as I have told you, that the sun shi+nes no more and the summer will not come

Complete your wickedness if ye will, and let the Gods follow by the path that their servants trod Then, People of the Mist, ye shall reap as ye have sown, and death and desolation shall be your harvest

”Now for that base slave who has borne false witness against us A she has left untold: that she is daughter to Nam the priest; that she fled the land because she was chosen bride to the Snake, and is therefore an apostate worthy of death One word also as to Nam, her father; if his tale be true, then he hiinning, fro the truth he dared to set up Gods in the land who thereby to increase his oer and glory, and when these failed him because of his wickedness, then he did not scruple to cry aloud his shae between us and let fate follow judght with anger and her eyes flashi+ng with excitereat was the power of her eloquence and beauty that it seemed to throw a spell of silence over the hearts of her fierce and turbulent audience, while Soa slunk back into the shadow and Nam cowered visibly

”It is false, O people,” he cried in a voice that trehter told me the tale for the first time at dawn to-day”

His words awoke the audience as it were, and instantly there arose a babel of sounds that rent the very skies ”His daughter! He says that she is his daughter! Nam owns his crimes!” yelled some

”Aith the false Gods!” shouted others

”Touch the a curse upon us!”

answered a third party, anised the voice of Olfan

And so the claed, till the exhaustion of those that ht it to its end, and Juanna, who all this while sat silent as some lovely marble statue, became aware that the spokes the multitude

”People of the Mist,” he said, ”hold your peace, and hearken to es of this ers who are named Aca and Jal are true Gods or false, we say no word But if they are false Gods, then surely Nauilty with them”

Here a shout of assent burst froh priest saw him tremble

”Yet,” he went on, ”they have told us by the mouth of her who sits before you, that it is because of our offences that the sun has ceased to shi+ne at their command Therefore at their con or let them die, if indeed they are mortal, for if they are not n which they ive: If to-morrow at the dawn the mists have vanished and the sun shi+nes red and clear on the snows of yonder mountain, then it is well and orshi+p the is cold and mist-laden, then, true Gods or false, ill hurl them from the head of the statue into the pit of the Snake, there to be dealt with by the Snake, or to deal with himent, People of the Mist, and Nam shall carry it out if need be, for he shall keep his power and his place until all these wonders areto their issue”

Now the great mass of the people cried aloud that this was a wise and just saying, but others were silent, for though they did not agree with it they dared not dispute the sentence Then Juanna rose and said: