iests who were left for the defence, I turned and made
my farewells. "You will have what I shall miss, my brothers," I said. "I
envy you that fight. But, though I am King of Atlantis, still I am only
one of the Seven, and so am the servant of the Three and must obey their
order. They speak in words the will of the most High Gods, and we must
do as they command. You will stand behind the stars before I come, and
I ask of you that you will commend me to Those you meet there. It is not
my own will that I shall not appear there by your side."

They heard my words with smiles, and very courteously saluted me with
their weapons, and there we parted. I did not see the fight, but I know
it was good, from the time which passed before Phorenice's hordes broke
out on to the crest of the Mountain. They died hard, that last remnant
of the lesser Priests of Atlantis.

With a sour enough feeling I went up to the head of the pass, and then
through the groves, and between the temples and colleges and houses
which stood on the upper slopes of the Sacred Mountain, till I reached
that boundary, beyond which in milder days it was death for any but the
privileged few to pass. But the time, it appeared to me, was past for
conventions, and, moreover, my own temper was hot; and it is likely
that I should have strode on with little scruple if I had not been
interrupted. But in the temple which marked the boundary, there was old
Zaemon waiting; and he, with due solemnity of words, and with the whole
of some ancient ritual ordained for that purpose, sought dispensation
from the High Gods for my trespass, and would not give me way till he
was through with his ceremony.

Already Phorenice's tower and bridge were in position, for the clash and
yelling of a fight told that the small handful of Priests on the rampart
of the last gate were bartering their lives for the highest return in
dead that they could earn. They were trained fighting men all, but old
and feeble, and the odds against them were too enormous to be stemmed
for over long. In a very short time the place would be put to the storm,
and the roof of the Sacred Mountain would be at the open mercy of the
invader. If there was any further thing to be done, it was well that it
should be set about quickly whilst peace remained. It seemed to me
that the moment for prompt action, and the time for lengthy pompous
ceremonial was done for good.

But Zaemon was minded otherwise. He led me up to the