you defeat. Whom do you desire that I
should serve, you or them?"

"I desire that you should serve me," he replied with eagerness. "Do
so and all the wealth of this land shall be yours, with the rule of my
armies under me. You shall have palaces and fields and gold and silver,
and the fairest of its daughters for wives, and be worshipped as a
god, and for aught I know, be king after me, not only of my country but
mayhap of another that is even greater."

"It is a good offer, King, but not enough. Give me your daughter,
Quilla, and you may keep all the rest."

"White Lord, I cannot, since to do so I must break my word."

"Then, King, I cannot serve you, and unless you kill me first--if you
are able--I will be, not your friend, but your enemy."

"Can a god be killed, and if so can a guest be killed? Lord, you know
that he cannot. Yet he can remain a guest. To my country you have come,
Lord, and in my country you shall stay, unless you have wings beneath
that silver coat. Quilla goes hence but here you bide, my lord Hurachi."

"Perchance I shall find the wings," I answered.

"Aye, Lord, for it is said that the dead fly, and if I may not kill you,
others may. Therefore my counsel to you is to stay here, taking such
things as my poor country can give you, and not to try to follow the
moon (by this he meant Quilla) to the golden city of Cuzco, which
henceforth must be her home."

Now having no more to say, since war had been declared between us, as
it were, I rose to bid this king farewell. He also rose, then, as
though struck by a sudden thought, said that he desired to speak with my
servant, Zapana, he whom the lady Quilla had found with me in the island
of the sea. I replied that he could not since Zapana had vanished, I
knew not where.

At this intelligence he appeared to be disturbed and was beginning to
question me somewhat sternly as to who Zapana might be and how I had
first come into his company, when the door of the room opened and
through it Quilla entered even more gorgeously robed and looking
lovelier than ever I had seen her. She bowed, first to the King and then
to me, saying:

"Lord and Father, I come to tell you that the Inca Upanqui draws near
with his princes and captains."

"Is it so, Daughter?" he answered. "Then make your farewell here and now
to this White-Son-of-the-Sea, since it is my will that you depart with
Upanqui who comes to escort you to Cuzco, the City of the Sun, there to
be gi