porters to bear her gift back
to my own country, since it is too heavy for me and my servant to carry
alone."

At these words the priest smiled a little, then said that the Asika
desired to see the white lord and to receive from him Little Bonsa in
return for the gold, and that he could proffer his request to her.

"Good," replied Alan, "lead me to the Asika."

Then they started, Alan bearing the box containing Little Bonsa, and
Jeekie following after him. They went down passages and through sundry
doors till at length they came to a long and narrow hall that seemed to
be lined with plates of gold. At the end of this hall was a large chair
of black wood and ivory placed upon a dais, and sitting in this chair
with the light pouring on her from some opening above, was the woman of
Alan's dream, beautiful to look on in her crown and glittering
garments. Upon a stool at the foot of the dais sat a man, a handsome
and melancholy man. His hair was tied behind his head in a pigtail and
gilded, his face was painted red, white and yellow; he wore ropes of
bright-coloured stones about his neck, middle, arms and ankles, and held
a kind of sceptre in his hand.

"Who is that creature?" asked Alan over his shoulder to Jeekie. "The
Court fool?"

"That husband of Asika, Major. He not fool, very big gun, but look a
little low now because his time soon up. Come on, Major, Asika beckon
us. Get on stomach and crawl; that custom here," he added, going down on
to his hands and knees, as did all the priests who followed them.

"I'll see her hanged first," answered Alan in English.

Then accompanied by the creeping Jeekie and the train of prostrate
priests, he marched up the long hall to the edge of the dais and there
stood still and bowed to the woman in the chair.

"Greeting, white man," she said in a low voice when she had studied him
for a while. "Do you understand my tongue?"

"A little," he answered in Asiki, "moreover, my servant here knows it
well and can translate."

"I am glad," she said. "Tell me then, in your country do not people
go on to their knees before their queen, and if not, how do they greet
her?"

"No," answered Alan with the help of Jeekie. "They greet her by raising
their head-dress or kissing her hand."

"Ah!" she said. "Well, you have no head-dress, so kiss _my_ hand," and
she stretched it out towards him, at the same time prodding the man whom
Jackie had said was her husband, in the back with her foot,