mething of the suddenest.
Till an hour ago, when you demanded audience, I had thought to rule on
longer; and even now I do not know for what cause I am deposed."

"The proclamation said: 'We relieve our well-beloved Deucalion of his
present service, because we have great need of his powers at home in our
kingdom of Atlantis.'"

"A mere formality."

Tatho looked uneasily round the hangings of the chamber, and drew me
with him to its centre, and lowered his voice.

"I do not think so," he whispered. "I believe she has need of you. There
are troublous times on hand, and Phorenice wants the ablest men in the
kingdom ready to her call."

"You may speak openly," I said, "and without fear of eavesdroppers.
We are in the heart of the pyramid here, built in every way by a man's
length of solid stone. Myself, I oversaw the laying of every course.
And besides, here in Yucatan, we have not the niceties of your old world
diplomacy, and do not listen, because we count it shame to do so."

Tatho shrugged his shoulders. "I acted only according to mine education.
At home, a loose tongue makes a loose head, and there are those whose
trade it is to carry tales. Still, what I say is this: The throne
shakes, and Phorenice sees the need of sturdy props. So she has sent
this proclamation."

"But why come to me? It is twenty years since I sailed to this colony,
and from that day I have not returned to Atlantis once. I know little of
the old country's politics. What small parcel of news drifts out to us
across the ocean, reads with slender interest here. Yucatan is another
world, my dear Tatho, as you in the course of your government will
learn, with new interests, new people, new everything. To us here,
Atlantis is only a figment, a shadow, far away across the waters. It
is for this new world of Yucatan that I have striven through all these
years."

"If Deucalion has small time to spare from his government for brooding
over his fatherland, Atlantis, at least, has found leisure to admire
the deeds of her brilliant son. Why, sir, over yonder at home, your name
carries magic with it. When you and I were lads together, it was the
custom in the colleges to teach that the men of the past were the
greatest this world has ever seen; but to-day this teaching is changed.
It is Deucalion who is held up as the model and example. Mothers name
their sons Deucalion, as the most valuable birth-gift they can make.
Deucalion is a household word. Indee