l for him to rise up and to do another thing, while the timorous
man starves.

ULF Also it were well not to anger the gods.

AGMAR Is not all life a beggary to the gods? Do they not see all men
always begging of them and asking alms with incense, and bells, and
subtle devices?

OOGNO Yes, all men indeed are beggars before the gods.

AGMAR Does not the mighty Soldan often sit by the agate altar in his
royal temple as we sit at a street corner or by a palace gate?

ULF It is even so.

AGMAR Then will the gods be glad when we follow the holy calling with
new devices and with subtlety, as they are glad when the priests sing
a new song.

ULF Yet I have a fear.

AGMAR (to Slag) Go you into the city before us, and let there be a
prophecy there which saith that the gods who are carven from green
rock in the mountain shall one day arise in Marma and come here in the
guise of men.

SLAG Yes, Master. Shall I make the prophecy myself? Or shall it be
found in some old document?

AGMAR Let someone have seen it once in some rare document. Let it be
spoken of in the market-place.

SLAG It shall be spoken of, Master. (Slag lingers. Enter thief and
Thahn)

OOGNO This is our thief.

AGMAR (encouragingly) Ah, he is a quick thief.

THIEF I could only procure you three green raiments, Master. The city
is not now well supplied with them; moreover it is a very suspicious
city, and without shame for the baseness of its suspicions.

SLAG (to a beggar) This is not thieving.

THIEF I could do no more, Master. I have not practised thieving all my
life.

AGMAR You have got something: it may serve our purpose. How long have
you been thieving?

THIEF I stole first when I was ten.

SLAG When he was ten!

AGMAR We must tear them up and divide them amongst the seven. (to
Thahn) Bring me another beggar.

SLAG When my Master was ten he had already had to slip by night out of
two cities.

OOGNO (admiringly) Out of two cities!

SLAG (nodding his head) In his native city they do not now know what
became of the golden cup that stood in the Lunar Temple.

AGMAR Yes, into seven pieces.

ULF We will each wear a piece of it over our rags.

OOGNO Yes, yes, we shall look fine.

AGMAR That is not the way that we shall disguise ourselves.

OOGNO Not cover our rags?

AGMAR No, no. The first who looked closely would say 'These are only
beggars. They have disguised themselves.'

ULF What shall we do?

AGMAR Each of the seven s