her to seek liberty, to love the soul of her choice.

"She resigns her seat on the throne of the gods, as goddess,
having discovered her counterpart soul.

"She hopes that reform and not destruction will guide the
king and his ministers in dealing with Egyplosis at this
crisis.

"Given at her palace of Tanje in this, the eleventh year of
her deification as supreme goddess.

LYONE."

This memorial fell upon the people like a shell of terrorite. No one
had ever suspected the crisis was so real. The king had lulled himself
with the belief that, as my sailors had already departed to embark on
the _Polar King_, I would possibly quietly follow them, and leave the
country without his having the trouble of even asking me to go. The
message of the goddess, however, opened his eyes to the true state of
things, and I forthwith received the following decree from his
majesty, at the hands of Jolar, admiral of the royal fleet:

"ALDEMEGRY BHOOLMAKAR, _King of Atvatabar, to His Excellency
Lexington White, Commander of the ship Polar King, etc.,
etc., greeting_:

"It having come to our knowledge that you, the said
Lexington White, have conceived an affection for the sacred
person of our illustrious supreme goddess, Lyone, spouse of
Harikar, holy ruler of Egyplosis, mother of sorcerers, etc.,
in defiance of our holy faith and laws of this our realm,
and furthermore it having come to our knowledge that the
said supreme goddess has so far forgotten her holy duty as
to reciprocate your affection, be it known to you that the
penalty prescribed by the laws of this our realm for your
heinous offence (which is sacrilegious treason) is death by
magnicity, for both guilty persons.

"To inform you of the law and the penalty for your crime,
and to give you an opportunity of renouncing your affection
for our supreme goddess, and for your immediate departure
from the soil of Atvatabar, we send you this our decree,
commanding you as follows: That you forthwith renounce your
treasonable affection, love and interest in the personality
of said supreme goddess. That you embark, together with your
officers and seamen, on board your ship, the _Polar King_,
within one week from date hereof, and forever leave our
realm of Atvatab