scend--if you have no fear."

"Fear!" cried Amory. "But these men, what of them? They are in the
employ of the State. How do you know they will take us?"

Jarvo dropped his eyes.

"I and Akko," he said quietly, "we are two of these six carriers,
adon."

Then Amory leaped up, scattering the ashes of his pipe over the
tiles. This, then, was what was the matter with the feet of the two
men, about which they had all speculated on the deck of _The Aloha_,
the feet trained from birth to make the ascent of the steep trail,
feet become long, tenuous, almost prehensile--

"It's miracles, that's what it is," declared Amory solemnly. "How on
earth did they come to take you to New York?" he could not forbear
asking.

"The prince knew nothing of your country, adon," answered Jarvo
simply. "He might have needed us to enter it."

"To climb the custom-house," said Amory abstractedly, and laughed
out suddenly in sheer light-heartedness. Here was come to them an
undertaking to which St. George himself must warm as he had warmed
at the prospect of the voyage. To go up the mountain to the
threshold of the king's palace, where lived the daughter of the
king.

Amory bent himself with a will to mastering each detail of the
little man's proposals. Rollo, they decided, was at once to make
ready a few belongings in the oil-skins. Immediately after the
banquet St. George and Amory were to mingle with the throng and
leave the palace--no difficult matter in the press of the
departures--and, on the side of the courtyard beneath the windows of
the banquet room, Jarvo, already joined by Rollo, would be awaiting
them in the motor bound for Melita.

"It sounds as if it couldn't be done," said Amory in intense
enjoyment. "It's bully."

He paced up and down the room, talking it over. He folded his arms,
and looked at the matter from all sides and wondered, as touching a
story being "covered" for Chillingworth, whether he were leaving
anything unthought.

"Chillingworth!" he said to himself in ecstasy. "Wouldn't
Chillingworth dote to idolatry upon this sight?"

Then Amory stood still, facing something that he had not seen
before. He had come, in his walk, upon a little table set near the
room's entrance, and bearing a decanter and some cups.

"Hello," he said, "Rollo, where did this come from?"

Rollo came forward, velvet steps, velvet pressing together of his
hands, face expressionless as velvet too.

"A servant of 'is 'ighness, sir,