t yet their beauty is an
indestructible memory.

Ludibras: [Aside to Ichtharion]

The prophet is coming this way.

Ichtharion:

Your Majesty, the prophet walks about in the palace, and the
executioner is close behind him. If the Queen saw him and the
executioner would it not trouble her? Were it not better that he should
be killed at once? Shall I whistle for the executioner?

King Karnos:

Not now. I said at sunset.

Ichtharion:

Your Majesty, it is merciful to kill a man before the set of the sun.
For it is natural in a man to love the sun. But to see it set and to
know that it will not come again is even a second death. It would be
merciful to kill him now.

King Karnos:

I have said--at sunset. It were unjust to kill him before his prophecy
is proven false.

Ichtharion:

But, your Majesty, we know that it is false. He also knows it.

King Karnos:

He shall die at sunset.

Ludibras:

Your Majesty, the prophet will pray for life if he is not killed now.
It would be pity to grant it.

King Karnos:

Is not a King's word death? I have said he shall die at sunset.

[Enter Prophet. The Executioner creeps along close behind him.]

Voice-of-the-Gods:

O the gods are about to have lied. The gods will have lied. I have
prophesied falsely and the gods will have lied. My death cannot atone
for it nor the punishment of others.

[Ichtharion and Ludibras start.]

Ichtharion:

He will betray us yet.

Voice-of-the-Gods:

O why did you let your voice come through my lips? O why did you allow
your voice to lie? For centuries it has been said from city to city,
"The gods cannot lie." The nomads have known it out upon the plains.
The mountaineers have known it near the dawn. That is all over now. O
King, let me die at once. For I have prophesied falsely and at sunset
the gods will lie.

King Karnos:

It is not sunset yet. No doubt you have spoken truly.

[Enter Queen.]

How well the Queen looks. Her maidens are quite excellent.

Ludibras: [To Ichtharion]

There is something a little dreadful in seeing the Queen so calm. She
is like a windless sunset in the Winter before a hurricane comes and
the snow swirls up before it over the world.

Ichtharion:

I do not like calm sunsets; they make me think that something is going
to happen. Yes, the Queen is very quiet; she will sleep to-night.

Queen:

I am not frightened any longer. All the wild fancies of my brain have
left it. I