Then
going on to describe his sensations upon awaking that morning, he
completed his story by relating in detail everything he had done, and
the thoughts and suspicions that had occurred to him subsequent to his
discovery of his master's absence.

"Yes," agreed Umu, when Arima had brought his story to a conclusion,
"the whole thing seems reasonably clear, up to a certain point. I have
not a shadow of doubt that certain disaffected persons have adopted the
extreme, and altogether unprecedented, step of seizing the person of our
Lord the Inca; and they caused you, my friend, to be drugged in order
that you might not interfere with their plans. The question which we
now have to decide is: who are those persons, and what is their object
in seizing the Inca? They must be individuals of very great power and
influence, otherwise they would never dare--"

At this point Maia, who had been betraying rapidly increasing signs of
anxiety and impatience, cut in with:

"My father, to me it seems of the utmost importance that not a moment
should be lost in discovering what has become of the Inca, whose life
may at this moment be in the utmost jeopardy; for those who were
desperate enough to carry him off would probably not hesitate to kill
him, if need were: indeed that may be their purpose. Your task,
therefore, must be to rescue him without an instant's unnecessary delay,
which you should be easily able to do with the aid of your troops.
Probably if the officials of the palace were carefully questioned they
could be persuaded to tell you what has become of the Inca, for
doubtless they know, since he could not have been carried off without
their knowledge and acquiescence."

"Yes, you are right, Maia. I see exactly what you mean, and I have no
doubt that I can devise a method of making the palace people tell what
they know," answered Umu. "I will ride to the barracks at once, and
order the guard to turn out in readiness to proceed wherever required;
after which I will proceed to the palace with a squadron, and it will be
strange if I do not find means to make somebody tell me what I require
to know. You, Arima, had better go to the barracks and await my return
there from the palace, when you can ride with us. And now I will go;
for, as Maia has said, even moments may now be of importance."

Some twenty minutes later a troop of the Inca's mounted bodyguard, led
by Umu, dashed at a gallop in through the gates of the palace