AMBASSADOR: One is a wine scarcely less rare, scarcely less jubilant in
the wits of man, than that which alas is lost.

[_He glances towards the spot where he threw the other._

KING: And the other?

AMBASSADOR: Who may say? It is the most treasured secret that the
Emperor's poisoners guard.

KING: I will send for my butlers that are wise in wine and they shall
smell the cups.

AMBASSADOR: Alas, but the Emperor's poisoners have added so wine-like a
flavour to their most secret draught, that no man may tell by this means
which is their work and which that inestimable wine.

KING: I will send for my tasters and they shall taste of the cups.

AMBASSADOR: Alas, so great a risk may not be run.

KING: Risks are the duty of a king's tasters.

AMBASSADOR: If they chanced to taste of the treasure of the Emperor's
poisoners--well. But if they, or _any_ man of common birth, were to
taste of the wine that the Emperor sends only to kings, and even to
kings but rarely, that were an affront to the Emperor's ancient wine
that could not be permitted.

KING: It is surely permitted that I send for my priests, who tell by
divination, having burnt strange herbs to the gods that guard the Golden
Isles.

AMBASSADOR: It is permitted.

KING: Send for the priests.

KING (_mainly to himself_): They shall discern. The priests shall make
for me this dreadful choice. They shall burn herbs and discern it. (_To_
AMBASSADOR.) My priests are very subtle. They worship the gods that
guard the Golden Isles.

AMBASSADOR: The Emperor has other gods.

[_Enter L. two priests of the Order of the Sun. Two acolytes follow. One
carries a tripod and the other a gong._

[_The priests abase themselves and the acolytes bow. The_ AMBASSADOR
_stands with almost Mongolian calm by the door from which he has not
moved since he entered._

[_The impassive_ NUBIAN _stands motionless near the_ KING, _holding up
the cups on a tray._

KING: The Emperor has honoured me with these two cups of wine that I may
drink one of them to the grandeur of his throne. I bid you importune the
gods that they may surely tell me which it were well to drink.

FIRST PRIEST: We will importune the gods with the savour of rarest
spices. We will send up to them the odour of herbs they love. We will
commune with them in silence and they shall answer our thoughts, when
they snuff the savour of the smoke of the burning on the tripod that is
sacred to the Sun.

[_The calm of th