ound of flutes; they said they would come with
music.

OOGNO What heavy boots they have, they sound like feet of stone.

THAHN I do not like to hear their heavy tread; those that would dance
to _us_ must be light of foot.

AGMAR I shall not smile at them if they are not airy.

MLAN They are coming very slowly. They should come nimbly to us.

THAHN They should dance as they come. But the footfall is like the
footfall of heavy crabs.

ULF (in a loud voice, almost chaunting) I have a fear, an old fear and
a boding. We have done ill in the sight of the seven gods; beggars we
were and beggars we should have remained; we have given up our calling
and come in sight of our doom: I will no longer let my fear be silent:
it shall run about and cry: it shall go from me crying, like a dog
from out of a doomed city; for my fear has seen calamity and has known
an evil thing.

SLAG (hoarsely) Master!

AGMAR (rising) Come, come! (They listen. No one speaks. The stony
boots come on. Enter in single file a procession of seven green men,
even hands and faces are green; they wear greenstone sandals, they
walk with knees extremely wide apart, as having sat cross-legged for
centuries, their right arms and right forefingers point upwards, right
elbows resting on left hands: they stoop grotesquely: halfway to the
footlights they wheel left. They pass in front of the seven beggars,
now in terrified attitudes and six of them sit down in the attitude
described, with their backs to the audience. The leader stands, still
stooping. Just as they wheel left, OOGNO cries out.) The gods of the
mountain!

AGMAR (hoarsely) Be still. They are dazzled by the light, they may not
see us. (The leading green thing points his forefinger at the lantern,
the flame turns green. When the six are seated the leader points one
by one at each of the seven beggars, shooting out his forefinger at
them. As he does this each beggar in his turn gathers himself back on
to his throne and crosses his legs, his right arm goes stiffly upwards
with forefinger erect, and a staring look of horror comes into his
eyes. In this attitude the beggars sit motionless while a green light
falls upon their faces. The gods go out.

Presently enter the Citizens, some with victuals and fruit. One
touches a beggar's arm and then another's.)

CITIZEN They are cold; they have turned to stone. (All abase
themselves foreheads to the floor.)

ONE We have doubted them. We have doubted th