ther and to all those who have plotted with him, that since they
cannot bribe Ithobal with my beauty, they will do well to be men, and to
fight him with their swords."

Then she turned and left them, vanishing into the darkness of the tomb.

Great indeed was the dismay of the councillors of Zimboe and of the
priests who had plotted with them when, an hour later, Mesa came, not to
deliver Elissa into their hands, but to repeat to them her threats and
message. In vain did they appeal to Sakon, who only shook his head and
answered:--

"Of this I am sure, that what my daughter has threatened that she will
certainly do if you force her to the choice. But if you will not believe
me, go ask her and satisfy yourselves. I know well what she will answer
you, and I hold that this is a judgment upon us, who first made her
Baaltis against her will, then threatened her with death because of
the prince Aziel, and now would do sacrilege to her sacred office and
violence to herself by tearing her from her consecrated throne, breaking
her bond of marriage and delivering her to Ithobal."

So the leaders of the councillors visited the holy tomb and reasoned
with Elissa through the bars. But they got no comfort from her, for she
spoke to them with the phial of poison in her bosom and the naked dagger
in her hand, telling them what she had told Mesa--that they had best
give up their plottings and fight Ithobal like men, seeing that even if
she surrendered herself to him, when he grew weary of her the war must
come at last.

"For a hundred years," she added, "this storm has gathered, and now it
must burst. When it has rolled away it will be known who is master of
the land--the ancient city of Zimboe, or Ithobal king of the Tribes."

So they went back as they had come, and next day at the dawn, with a
bold face but heavy hearts, received the messengers of king Ithobal, and
told them their tale. The messengers heard and laughed.

"We are glad," they answered, "since we, who are not in love with the
daughter of Sakon, desire war and not peace, holding as we do that
the time has come when you upstart white men--you outlanders--who have
usurped our country to suck away its wealth should be set beneath our
heel. Nor do we think that the task will be difficult for surely we have
little to fear from a city of low money seekers whose councillors cannot
even conquer the will of a single maid."

Then in their despair the elders offered other gir