"Come, get up! I have already discovered two very significant things
this morning."

"What are they?" he asked wearily between yawns.

"Two-spot and the Earth!" I exclaimed. "The former crossed my path in
the courtyard, and the latter is just now crossing the Sun. Where is the
telescope? quick!"

The doctor was not long in propping it up by the east window, and I went
to look for a servant. By repeating the word "Zaphnath" several times, I
made him understand that we wished the attendance of the young ruler,
and he started for him.

By this time the notch was almost a complete circle of dark shadow
within the lower edge of the Sun. The smaller spot, one-fourth the
diameter, was forging ahead like a herald to clear the way. Zaphnath
soon arrived, for he lived in another part of the Palace. He quietly
pressed his cheek to mine, but in my excitement I had seized his hand,
and with a pressure which must have hurt his shrinking flesh, I
exclaimed,--

"This is the day of thy greatness, O Zaphnath, for, behold, the Blue
Star is already upon the face of the Day-Giver!" I led him hastily to
the telescope, and explained to him that the smaller forward spot was
caused by a moon like Phobos, and that the Earth was really a round
ball, like the Sun. He looked intently for a long time, and then turning
about to me he said,--

"It is well ye left just when ye did, for the fire of the Day-Giver hath
by this time burned every living thing upon your star! See how she
hastens through his hot flames."

I attempted to explain that the Earth was more than twice as far from
the Sun as she was from us; but he believed the evidence of his eyes,
and I had to give it up in despair.

"I pray thee, bring this Larger Eye to the Council Chamber. I must
summon all the wise men at once to behold this wonder. How long will it
continue?"

The doctor told me it might last almost two hours; but I found it
impossible to convey any idea of this period of time to Zaphnath, until
I told him that it would continue half the time of the crossing of
Phobos, who had just risen dimly in the west.

We made a quick breakfast on fruit like grapes and a wheaten gruel, and
hastened to the chamber where we had been received the day before.
Zaphnath was already there, and so were eleven of the grey-beards. We
did not wait for the twelfth, but Zaphnath led the doctor to the place
at the centre of their oval table, which thus filled all the seats. Then
the youn