who is named Aca, and trusts to
marry her, to marry her fully according to the custom of his people:
therefore I would that he should see her given to another."

"To another! To whom then?"

"To Olfan the king, who also loves her."

Now Nam held up his hands in perplexity, saying:

"Oh! my daughter, 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 them secretly from the land, saying 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 madness has come
upon me that I cannot live without the sight 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 come to any place where white men live, passing
through 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 arms are gone, you alone know where, my father."

"The instruments of which you speak lie in the deep waters of the temple
pool, daughter, for there I caused them to be cast."

"Their arms are gone," said Soa, "they are alone, here they must live or
die. Three of them I will give to death, and the fourth I would make the
wife of the King, seeing that nothing better 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 must ask shall be that henceforth he
obeys you in everything."

"The scheme is good, daughter; at the least, bearing my oath in mind, I
have none better, though 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 whom you have let loose upon us."

That morning passed heavily enough to the four wretched prisoners in
the palace. For some hours they sat together in the throne-room almost
silent, for t