t have anything to do with it or know anything about it. Then, if we
do anything wrong against your laws, he will be perfectly safe in stopping
and punishing us."

Miela nodded, and began swiftly telling this to the king. As she spoke I
saw his eyes twinkle and a swift little series of nods from the aged men
about the table made me know that I had carried my point. During the
latter part of this talk I had noticed the growing murmur of voices
outside the castle. The old man who had left the room at the king's order
came back.

"The people now are gathering," Miela said. "In a moment we shall go up
into the tower."

The king's councilors now rose and withdrew, and a few moments later the
king, without formality, led the four of us through the castle and up into
the tower.

We climbed a little stone staircase in the tower and came into a circular
room some sixty feet above the ground. A small doorway from this room gave
access to the narrow balcony which girdled the tower. The sounds of the
gathering crowd came up plainly from the gardens below. We waited for a
time, and then, at a sign from the king, stepped together upon the
balcony.

The gardens below were full of people--gathered among the palms and moving
about for points of vantage from which to obtain a view of the balcony.
Most of them were men and older women. The girls were, nearly all of them,
in the air, flying about the tower and hovering near the balcony, staring
at us curiously. The women were, for the most part, dressed as I have
described Lua.

The men wore knee-length trousers of fabric or leather, and sometimes a
shirt or leather jacket, although a difference of costume that made
evident the rank of the wearer was noticeable in both sexes. All were
bareheaded, with the exception of the king's guards, who were thus plainly
distinguishable, standing idly about among the crowd.

As we stepped out into view of the people a louder murmur arose, mingled
with a ripple of applause. Three or four girls, hovering only a few feet
in front of us, clapped their hands and laughed. The king placed Mercer
and me on either side of him, and, standing with his hands on our
shoulders, leaned over the balcony rail and began to speak.

A silence fell over the crowd; they listened quietly, but with none of
that respect and awe with which a people usually faces its king.

Miela whispered to me. "He is telling them about your earth, and that you
came here to visit us