ed it on the finger from which it had been withdrawn when
she gave it to me many months before.

There, then, that matter ended.

Now an officer cried:

"Walda Nagasta speaks!" whereon every one repeated, "Walda Nagasta
speaks," and was silent.

Then Maqueda began to address us in her soft and pleasant voice.

"Strangers from the Western country called England," she said, "be
pleased to hear me. You know our case with the Fung--that they surround
us and would destroy us. You know that in our extremity I took advantage
of the wandering hither of one of you a year ago to beg him to go to his
own land and there obtain firestuffs and those who understand them, with
which to destroy the great and ancient idol of the Fung. For that people
declare that if this idol is destroyed they will leave the land they
dwell in for another, such being their ancient prophecy."

"Pardon, O Child of Kings," interrupted Orme, "but you will remember
that only the other day Barung, Sultan of the Fung, said that in this
event his nation would still live on to avenge their god, Harmac. Also
he said that of all the Abati he would leave you alive alone."

Now at these ill-omened words a shiver and a murmur went through the
Council. But Maqueda only shrugged her shoulders, causing the silver
trimmings on her dress to tinkle.

"I have told you the ancient prophecy," she answered, "and for the rest
words are not deeds. If the foul fiend, Harmac, goes I think that
the Fung will follow him. Otherwise, why do they make sacrifice to
Earthquake as the evil god they have to fear? And when some five
centuries ago, such an earthquake shook down part of the secret city in
the bowels of the mountains that I will show to you afterwards, why did
they fly from Mur and take up their abode in the plain, as they said, to
protect the god?"

"I do not know," answered Oliver. "If our brother were here, he whom
the Fung have captured, he might know, being learned in the ways of
idol-worshipping, savage peoples."

"Alas! O Son of Orme," she said, "thanks to that traitor whom but now we
have condemned, he is not here and, perhaps, could tell us nothing if
he were. At least, the saying runs as I have spoken it, and for many
generations, because of it, we Abati have desired to destroy the idol of
the Fung to which so many of us have been offered in sacrifice through
the jaws of their sacred lions. Now I ask," and she leaned forward,
looking at Oliver, "will you d