nted. But I might ask, do you each of you fully recognize
the position you stand in? Do you know that your conduct menaces the
throne of the gods itself? I can understand the violence of love for a
human soul in the breast of the goddess, but what of her renunciation
of Harikar?"

"If not already convinced," I said, "I think her holiness will soon
see that all this monstrous system of hopeless love is tottering on
its throne. It is an artificial society, that must in time, of its own
accord, crumble to pieces."

"His majesty," said the high priest, "has departed with his retinue to
Calnogor, and has called a council of the government to consider the
situation. He held that the rank of the individuals who have offended
against the sacred code of Atvatabar, and the monstrous impiety of the
offence itself, constitutes a subject worthy of the most serious
consideration of the government. His majesty was extremely angry on
hearing the report of Koshnili. He characterized your excellency's
conduct as unworthy of the hospitality you had received, and as
involving the ruin of both the supreme goddess and yourself."

"What did Koshnili say when presenting the report?" I inquired.

"Koshnili said that the affections of their beloved goddess had been
withdrawn from their only legitimate object, Harikar himself, and had
been appropriated not even by a holy priest of the temple, not even by
an ordinary citizen, but worse than all, by an infidel, a heathen, an
adventurer and a stranger, emanating from some _terra incognita_ that
might, owing to the fatal discovery of Atvatabar, one day send its
hordes to ravage the country with fire and sword. The council," he
continued, "knew the penalty for such treachery and abuse of
hospitality on the part of a desperate and fanatical stranger, as well
as such apostasy on the part of the goddess. He demanded the immediate
arrest of the guilty parties. The king had sufficient evidence to
convict and execute both individuals by reason of their high treason
against both the government and faith of Atvatabar."

"Did the king approve of Koshnili's demand?" I inquired.

"His majesty," said Hushnoly, "said that a matter of such importance
required the greatest circumspection. Her holiness was known to be the
most pious and popular supreme goddess that had ever sat on the throne
of the gods, and although it was evident she had insulted Harikar,
still if the quiet expulsion of the strangers from Atv