e choicest of the herd and the freshest of the fruits of the
earth."

And Darvan said, "Thou speakest as becomes the servant of the stars. But
will the people help to build the pile? For they are a warlike race and
they love not toil."

And Morven answered, "Doubtless the stars will ordain the work to be
done. Fear not."

"In truth thou art a wondrous man; thy words ever come to pass,"
answered Darvan; "and I wish thou wouldest teach me, friend, the
language of the stars."

"Assuredly if thou servest me, thou shalt know," answered the proud
Morven; and Darvan was secretly wroth that the son of the herdsman
should command the service of an elder and a chief.

And when Morven returned to his wife he found her weeping much. Now she
loved the son of Osslah with an exceeding love, for he was not savage
and fierce as the men she had known, and she was proud of his fame among
the tribe; and he took her in his arms and kissed her, and asked her why
she wept. Then she told him that her brother the king had visited her,
and had spoken bitter words of Morven: "He taketh from me the affection
of my people," said Siror, "and blindeth them with lies. And since he
hath made me king, what if he take my kingdom from me? Verily a new tale
of the stars might undo the old." And the king had ordered her to keep
watch on Morven's secrecy, and to see whether truth was in him when he
boasted of his commune with the Powers of night.

But Orna loved Morven better than Siror, therefore she told her husband
all.

And Morven resented the king's ingratitude, and was troubled much, for
a king is a powerful foe; but he comforted Orna, and bade her dissemble,
and complain also of him to her brother, so that he might confide to her
unsuspectingly whatsoever he might design against Morven.

There was a cave by Morven's house in which he kept the sacred hawk,
and wherein he secretly trained and nurtured other birds against future
need; and the door of the cave was always barred. And one day he was
thus engaged when he beheld a chink in the wall that he had never noted
before, and the sun came playfully in; and while he looked he perceived
the sunbeam was darkened, and presently he saw a human face peering in
through the chink. And Morven trembled, for he knew he had been watched.
He ran hastily from the cave; but the spy had disappeared among the
trees, and Morven went straight to the chamber of Darvan and sat himself
down. And Darvan did not re