erseer.)

THE KING'S OVERSEER So you have been praying.

KING ARGIMENES (kneeling) No, Master.

THE KING'S OVERSEER The slave-guard saw you. (Strikes him) It is not
lawful for a slave to pray.

KING ARGIMENES I did but pray to Illuriel to make me a good slave, to
teach me to dig well and to pull the rounded stone, and to make me not
to die when the food is scarce, but to be a good slave to my master,
the great King.

THE KING'S OVERSEER Who art thou to pray to Illuriel? Dogs may not
pray to an immortal god. (Exit. Zarb comes back, digging.)

KING ARGIMENES (digging) Zarb.

ZARB (also digging) Do not look at me when you speak. The guards are
watching us. Look at your digging.

KING ARGIMENES How do the guards know we are speaking because we look
at one another?

ZARB You are very witless. Of course they know.

KING ARGIMENES Zarb.

ZARB What is it?

KING ARGIMENES How many guards are there in sight?

ZARB There are six of them over there. They are watching us.

KING ARGIMENES Are there other guards in sight of these six guards?

ZARB No.

KING ARGIMENES How do you know?

ZARB Because whenever their officer leaves them they sit upon the
ground and play with dice.

KING ARGIMENES How does that show that there are not another six in
sight of them?

ZARB How witless you are, Argimenes. Of course it shows there are
not. Because, if there were, another officer would see them, and their
thumbs would be cut off.

KING ARGIMENES Ah. (a pause.) Zarb. (a pause) Would the slaves follow
me if I tried to kill the guards?

ZARB No, Argimenes.

KING ARGIMENES Why would they not follow me?

ZARB Because you look like a slave. They will never follow a slave,
because they are slaves themselves, and know how mean a creature is a
slave. If you looked like a king they would follow you.

KING ARGIMENES But I am a king. They know that I am a king.

ZARB It is better to look like a king. It is looks that they would go
by.

KING ARGIMENES If I had a sword would they follow me? A beautiful huge
sword of bronze.

ZARB I wish I could think of things like that. It is because you were
once a king that you can think of a sword of bronze. I tried to hope
once that I should some day fight the guards, but I couldn't picture a
sword, I couldn't imagine it; I could only picture whips.

KING ARGIMENES Dig a little nearer, Zarb. (They both edge closer.) I
have found a very old sword in the earth. It is not a sword such a