e, where an escort waited with their horses.

CHAPTER XIV

HOW PHARAOH MET SHADRACH

When the ambassadors had gone, at first there was silence, a very heavy
silence, since even the frivolous Abati felt that the hour was big with
fate. Of a sudden, however, the members of the Council began to chatter
like so many monkeys, each talking without listening to what his
neighbour said, till at length a gorgeously dressed person, I understood
that he was a priest, stepped forward, and shouted down the others.

Then he spoke in an excited and venomous fashion. He pointed out that we
Gentiles had brought all this trouble upon Mur, since before we came the
Abati, although threatened, had lived in peace and glory--he actually
used the word glory!--for generations. But now we had stung the Fung, as
a hornet stings a bull, and made them mad, so that they wished to toss
the Abati. He proposed, therefore, that we should at once be ejected
from Mur.

At this point I saw Joshua whisper into the ear of a man, who called
out:--

"No, no, for then they would go to their friend, Barung, a savage like
themselves, and having learned our secrets, would doubtless use them
against us. I say that they must be killed instantly," and he drew a
sword, and waved it.

Quick walked up to the fellow and clapped a pistol to his head.

"Drop that sword," he said, "or _you_'ll never hear the end of the
story," and he obeyed, whereupon Quick came back.

Now Maqueda began to speak, quietly enough, although I could see that
she was quaking with passion.

"These men are our guests," she said, "come hither to serve us. Do you
desire to murder our guests? Moreover, of what use would that be? One
thing alone can save us, the destruction of the god of the Fung,
since, according to the ancient saying of that people, when the idol is
destroyed the Fung will leave their city of Harmac. Moreover, as to this
new prophecy of the priests of the idol, that before the gathering in
of the harvest his head shall sleep above the plain of Mur, how can
that happen if it is destroyed, unless indeed it means that Harmac shall
sleep in the heavens. Therefore what have you to fear from threats built
upon that which cannot happen?

"But can _you_ destroy this false god Harmac, or dare _you_ fight the
Fung? You know that it is not so, for had it been so what need was there
for me to send for these Westerns? And if you murder them, will Barung
thereby be appeased? Nay