"I
have but found you; I cannot bear to let you go so soon."

The smile came back to Tharn's face. "As you will," he conceded. "But
when Dyta comes again, I must leave you."

So it was decided, and the four went down to the lower floor to join the
others.

* * * * *

That night, in the great dininghall of Sephar's palace, a happy throng
sat about a long, wide table laden to its edges with an abundance of
foods. At the head sat Katon; at his right hand was Tharn, the elder;
and, on his left, was Tharn, the younger, his mother beside him.

Earlier that afternoon the former prisoners and those nobles who had not
fallen in defense of Pryak's government, had assembled in the great
central hallway to elect a new king. Tharn, to his honest surprise, had
been their instant and unanimous choice. But he had declined the honor,
saying:

"There is one among you who has every right to rule over you. He,
himself, is the son of a king--one who understands all those things
expected of a ruler. That man is Katon of Huxla!"

The roar of approval which followed his words reached far beyond
Sephar's walls. Katon would have protested but he had no chance of
making himself heard, and he accepted--hiding his pleasure as best he
could. He did not dream what a pang that speech had cost his Cro-Magnard
friend, for with those words Tharn had relinquished his hope of taking
the Sepharian back with him to the caves of his father.

Later in the day an armed force had entered the temple of Sephar's God;
and while the feet of those faint-hearted members in the group had
dragged somewhat, none had turned back.

However, no resistance had materialized; instead, a horde of priests,
arms held high, hands empty, had welled up from the subterranean maze
below the temple and begged the new ruler to accept them as his own
loyal followers.

Among them was the Council of Priests, intact to a man--except for one.
But that one was he whom Katon--and Vulcar!--had desired most to see:
Pryak, high priest and Sephar's former king.

It was then that the new king displayed his ability to make sensible
decisions. Before leaving the temple he had appointed Cardon as high
priest to the God-Whose-Name-May-Not-Be-Spoken. Nor could he have made a
wiser choice; for Cardon was possessor of a rugged honesty as well as a
lack of ambition beyond his position. The long-standing feud between
Church and State was ended.

Once these mat