The People of the Mist Part 41

"Then this is the command of the people, O Aca: that we bring you thither, and it is a command that may not be disobeyed," answered the high priest slowly.

"Beware, Nam," replied Juanna; "strange things happen here that call for vengeance. Our servants pa.s.s away like shadows, and in their place we find such weapons as you carry," and she pointed to the priests' knives.

"We will come to-morrow night at the rising of the moon, but again I say to you, beware, for now our mercy is but as a frayed rope, and it were well for you all that the cord should not break."

"Ye know best whither your servants have wandered, O Aca," said the priest, stretching out his hands in deprecation, and speaking in a tone of which the humility did not veil the insolence, "for true G.o.ds such as ye are can guard their servants. We thank you for your words, O ye G.o.ds, and we pray you to be merciful to us, for the threats of true G.o.ds are very terrible. And now one little word. I ask justice of you, O ye G.o.ds.

She who was given to be bride of the Snake, my niece who is named Saga, has been cruelly beaten by some evil-doer here in the palace, as I know, for but now I met her bruised and weeping. I ask of you then that ye search out this evil-doer and punish him with death or stripes.

Farewell, O ye high G.o.ds."

Leonard looked at the priest as he bowed humbly before the thrones, and a desire to take Otter's advice and kill him entered his heart, for he knew that he had come to drag them to their trial and perhaps to doom.

He still had his revolver, and it would have been easy to shoot him, for Nam's broad breast was a target that few could miss. And yet, what could it help them to shed his blood? There were many to fill his place if he died, and violence would certainly be answered with violence. No, he would let him be, and they must bide their fate.

CHAPTER XXVIII

JUANNA PREVARICATES

The morrow drew towards its evening. Like those that had gone before it, this day had been misty and miserable, only distinguished from its predecessors by the fall of some sharp showers of sleet. Now, as the afternoon waned, the sky began to clear in its accustomed fas.h.i.+on; but the bitter wind sweeping down the mountains, though it drove away the fog, gave no promise of any break in the weather. At sunset Leonard went to the palace gates and looked towards the temple, about the walls of which a number of people were already gathering, as though in antic.i.p.ation of some great event. They caught sight of him, and drew as near to the gates of the palace as they dared, howling curses and shaking their fists.

"This is a foretaste of what we must expect to-night, I suppose," said Leonard to Francisco, who had followed him, as they retreated across the courtyard. "We are in trouble now, friend. I do not so much care for my own sake, but it breaks my heart to think of Juanna. What will be the end of it, I wonder?"

"For me, Outram, the end will be death, of that I am sure; well, I have long expected it, and I am ready to die. What your fate will be I cannot say; but as to the Senora, comfort yourself; for many weeks I have had a presentiment that she will escape safely."

"In that case I am ready enough to go," answered Leonard. "Life is as dear to me as to other men; but I tell you, Francisco, that I would pay mine down gladly to-night as the price of her deliverance."

"I know it, Outram; we are both of one mind there, and perhaps before many hours are over we shall be called upon to practise what we preach."

By now they had reached the throne-room, where Otter, who for the last twenty hours had been quite sober, was squatted on the floor at the foot of his throne, a picture of repentant misery, while Juanna walked swiftly up and down the long room, lost in reflection.

"Any news, Leonard?" she said as they came in.

"None, except that there are great preparations going on yonder," and he nodded towards the temple; "also a mob is howling at the gates."

"Oh!" groaned Otter, addressing Juanna, "cannot you, who are named Shepherdess of the Heavens, prophesy to these people that the weather will break, and so save us from the Snake?"

"I can prophesy," she answered; "but it will not change to-night, nor, I think, to-morrow. However, I will try."

Then came a silence: n.o.body seemed to have anything to say. It was broken by the entrance of Olfan, whose face showed the disturbance of his mind.

"What pa.s.ses, Olfan?" asked Juanna.

"Queen," he answered sadly, "there is great trouble at hand. The people rave for the blood of you, their G.o.ds. Nam told you that ye are summoned this night to confer with the people. Alas! I must tell you otherwise.

This night ye will be put upon your trial before the Council of the Elders."

"That we guessed, Olfan, and if the verdict goes against us, what then?"

"Alas that I must say it! Then, Queen, you will be hurled, all of you, into the pool of the Snake, to be food for the Snake."

"Cannot you protect us, Olfan?"

"I cannot, O Queen, except with my own life. The soldiers are under my command indeed; but in this matter they will not obey me, for the priests have whispered in their ears, and if the sun does not s.h.i.+ne they too must starve next winter. Pardon me, Queen, but if you are G.o.ds, how is it that you need help from me who am but a man? Cannot the G.o.ds then protect themselves and be avenged upon their enemies?"

Juanna looked despairingly at Leonard, who sat by her side pulling at his beard, as was his fas.h.i.+on when perplexed.

"I think that you had better tell him," he said in English. "Our situation is desperate. Probably in a few hours he will know us to be impostors; indeed, he guesses it already. It is better that he should learn the truth from our own lips. The man is honest; moreover, he owes his life to us, though it is true that were it not for us he would never have been in danger of his life. Now we must trust him and take our chance; if we make a mistake, it does not greatly matter--we have made so many already."

Juanna bowed her head and thought awhile, then she lifted it and spoke.

"Olfan," she said, "are we alone? That which I have to say must be overheard by none."

"We are alone, Queen," he answered, glancing round, "but these walls have ears."

"Olfan, draw near."

He obeyed, and leaning forward she spoke to him almost in a whisper, while the others cl.u.s.tered round to hear her words.

"You must call me Queen no more," she said in a voice broken with humiliation. "I am no G.o.ddess, I am but a mortal woman, and this man,"

and she pointed to Otter, "is no G.o.d, he is only a black dwarf."

She paused, watching the effect of her words. An expression of astonishment swept across the king's face, but it was her boldness rather than the purport of her speech that caused it. Then he smiled.

"Perhaps I have guessed as much," he answered. "And yet I must still call you by that name, seeing that you are the queen of all women, for say, where is there another so lovely, so brave, or so great? Here at least there are none," and he bowed before her with a stately courtesy that would have become any European gentleman.

Now it was Leonard's turn to look astonished. There was nothing in the king's words to which he could take objection, and yet he did not like their tone; it was too full of admiration. Moreover it seemed to him that Olfan was not in the least disappointed to discover as a fact that Juanna was only a woman--a supposition which was fully established by his next speech.

"I am glad to learn from your own lips, Queen, that you are no G.o.ddess, but a mortal lady, seeing that G.o.ddesses are far away and we men must wors.h.i.+p them from afar, whereas women--we may love," and again he bowed.

"My word!" said Leonard to himself, "this king is setting himself up as my rival. I almost wish I had put things on a more satisfactory footing; but of course it is absurd. Poor Juanna!"

As for Juanna herself, she started and blushed; here was a new trouble, but however disagreeable it might prove to be, now was no time to show displeasure.

"Listen, Olfan," she said, "this is not an hour for pretty speeches which mean nothing, for it seems that before the light dawns again I may well be dead and far beyond all love and wors.h.i.+p. This is our tale: we came to your land to seek adventures, and also to win those red stones that you name the blood of Aca, which among the white people are much prized as ornaments for their women. That is why I, who am a woman, urged the Deliverer to undertake this journey, and it is because of my folly that now we stand in danger of our lives."

"Your pardon, Queen," said Olfan bluntly, "but I would ask you one question before you tell me the end of your tale. What is this white man to you?"

Now Juanna was "in a cleft stick"; if she said that Leonard was nothing to her, it might possibly be better for him, though it was doubtful whether Olfan would believe her. If, on the other hand, she said that he was her husband, it might be better for herself, and protect her from the advances of this dignified savage; but against this course her pride revolted. Had she not always indignantly repudiated the validity of that hateful marriage, and though she loved him, were not she and Leonard in a sense at daggers drawn? Still she must decide, and quickly; her common-sense told her that under the circ.u.mstances it was her pride which must give way.

"He is my husband," she said boldly.

Olfan's face fell; then a look of doubt came into it, for Juanna's mode of life, every detail of which was known to him, seemed to contradict her statement.

Seeing that he did not believe her, Juanna plunged still deeper into the mire.

"He is my husband," she said again. "This man," and she pointed to Francisco, "who is a priest among us, married us according to our customs some six moons since, and Otter yonder was witness to the marriage."

"Is this so?" asked Olfan.

"It is so, King," replied Francisco. "I married them, and they are man and wife."