The People of the Mist Part 52

"Maybe," answered Juanna, catching at a straw in her despair, "but must I, who shall be set over this people as queen, be married thus in secret? At the least I will have witnesses. Let some of the captains whom you trust, Olfan, be brought here to see us wed, otherwise the time may come when I shall be held to be no true wife, and there are none to establish my honour by their words."

"There is little fear of such a thing, Queen," answered Olfan with a faint smile, "yet your demands are just. I will bring three of my captains here, men who will not betray us, and they shall be witness to this rite," and he turned as though he would go to seek them.

"Do not leave me," said Juanna, catching him by the wrist. "I trust you, but these two I do not trust. I fear to be left alone."

"There is no need for witnesses," exclaimed Nam in a threatening voice.

"The Shepherdess has asked for witnesses, and she shall have them,"

answered Olfan fiercely. "Old man, you have played with me long enough; hitherto I have been your servant, now I will be your master. Some hours ago your life was forfeit to me, for the white dawn had turned to red, and I meant to take it, but you bribed me with this bait," and he pointed to Juanna. "Nay, do not lay your hand upon your knife; you forget I have my spear. Your priests are without, I know it, but so are my captains, and I have told them where I am; if I vanish as many vanish here, my life will be required at your hands, for, Nam, your power is broken.

"Now, obey me. Bid that woman summon him who guards without. No, you do not stir," and he lifted the spear till its keen blue point quivered over the high priest's naked breast. "Bid her go to the door and summon the guard. I said to the door, but not beyond it, or beware!"

Nam was cowed: his tool had become his master.

"Obey," he said to Soa.

"Obey, but no more," echoed Olfan.

Snarling like a wolf, the woman slipped past them to the door, and opening it a little way, she whistled through the crack.

"Hide yourself, Lady," said Olfan.

Juanna retreated into the shadow behind the candle, and at that moment a voice spoke through the open door, saying, "I am here, father."

"Now, speak," said Olfan, advancing the spear an inch nearer Nam's heart.

"My son," said the priest, "go to the entrance by which the king entered, where you will find three captains, generals of the king. Lead them hither."

"And see that you speak to no one on the way," whispered Olfan in Nam's ear.

"And see that you speak to no one on the way," repeated Nam.

"I hear you, father," replied the priest, and went.

Some ten minutes pa.s.sed and the door opened again. "The captains are here," whispered a voice.

"Let them enter," said Nam.

The order was obeyed, and three great men armed with spears stalked into the narrow chamber. One of them was brother to the king, and the two others were his chosen friends. Then the door closed.

"My brethren," said Olfan, "I have sent for you to acquaint you with a mystery and to ask you to witness a rite. The G.o.ddess Aca, who this day was hurled into the pool of the Snake, has returned to earth as a woman, and is about to become my wife,"--here the captains started--"nay, brethren, ask no questions; these things are so, it is enough. Now, priest, play your part."

After that, for a while all seemed a dream to Juanna, a dream of which she was never able to recover any exact memory. She could recollect standing side by side with Olfan, while Nam muttered prayers and invocations over them, administering to them terrible oaths, which they took, calling upon the names of Aca and of Jal, and swearing by the symbol of the Snake. Beyond that everything went blank. Indeed, her mind flew back to another marriage ceremony, when she stood beside Leonard in the slave camp, and the priest, Francisco, prayed over them and blessed them. It was that scene which she saw, and not the one enacting before her eyes, and with its visions were mixed up strange impersonal reflections on the irony of fate, which had brought it about that she should figure as the chief actor in two such dramas, the first of which Leonard had gone through to save her, and the second of which she must go through to save him.

At last it was done, and once more Olfan was bowing before her and kissing her hand.

"Greeting, Shepherdess. Hail! Queen of the People of the Mist," he said, and the captains repeated his words.

Juanna awoke from her stupor. What was to be done now? she wondered.

What could be done? Everything seemed lost. Then of a sudden an inspiration took her.

"It is true that I am a queen, is it not, Olfan?"

"It is true, Lady."

"And as Queen of the People of the Mist I have power, have I not, Olfan."

"Even to life and death," he answered gravely; "though if you kill, you must answer to the Council of the Elders and to me. All in this land are your servants, Lady, and none dare to disobey you except on matters of religion."

"Good," said Juanna. Then addressing the captains in a tone of command, she added, "Seize that priest who is named Nam, and the woman with him."

Olfan looked astonished and the captains hesitated. As for Nam, he did not hesitate, but made a bound towards the door.

"Stay awhile, Nam," said the king, making a barrier before him with his spear; "doubtless the Queen has reasons, and you would wish to hear them. Hold them, my captains, since the Queen commands it."

Then the three men sprang upon them. Once Nam tried to draw his knife, but failing in his attempt he submitted without further struggle. With Soa it was different. She bit and tore like a wild-cat, and Juanna saw that she was striving to reach the panel and to speak through it.

"On your lives do not suffer her to come to that door," she said; "presently you shall know why."

Then the brother of the king dragged Soa to the couch, and throwing her down upon it stood over her, his spear-point at her throat.

"Now, Queen," said Olfan, "your will is done, and perhaps it may please you to explain."

"Listen, King, and listen, you, captains," she answered. "These liars told you that the Deliverer was dead, was it not so? He is not dead, he lies bound in yonder cell, but had I spoken a word to you, then he would have died. Olfan, do you know how my consent was won to be your wife?

A shutter within that door was opened, and he, my husband, was shown to me, gagged and bound, and being held over the mouth of a hideous pit in the floor of his prison, that leads I know not whither.

"'Consent, or he dies,' they said, and for my love's sake I consented.

This was the plot, Olfan: to marry me to you, partly because the woman yonder, who was my nurse, did not desire my death, and partly that Nam might use me to save himself from the anger of the people. But do not think that you would have kept me long, Olfan; for this was in the plot also, that when you had served their purpose you should die by secret means, as one who knew too much."

"It is a lie," said Nam.

"Silence!" answered Juanna. "Let that door be opened, and you shall see if I have lied."

"Wait awhile, Queen," said Olfan, who appeared utterly overcome. "If I understand you right, your husband lives, and therefore you say that the words which we have spoken and the oaths that we have sworn mean nothing, for you are not my wife."

"That is so, Olfan."

"Then now I am minded to turn wicked and let him die," said the king slowly, "for know this, Lady, I cannot give you up."

Juanna grew pale as death, understanding that this man's pa.s.sions, now that once he had given them way, had pa.s.sed beyond his control.

"I cannot give you up," he repeated. "Have I not dealt well with you?

Did I not say to you, 'Consent or refuse, as it shall please you, but having once consented you must not go back upon your words'? What have I to do with the reasons that prompted them? My heart heard them and believed them. Queen, you are wed to me; those oaths that you have sworn may not be broken. It is too late; now you are mine, nor can I suffer you to pa.s.s from me back to another man, even though he was your husband before me."

"But the Deliverer! must I then become my husband's murderer?"

"Nay, I will protect him, and, if it may be, find means to send him from the land."

Juanna stood silent and despairing, and at this moment Soa, lying on the couch, broke into a shrill and mocking laugh that stung her like a whip and roused her from her lethargy.