A MESSAGE FROM THE PRIEST.
The moment was a critical one and the three men realized it fully; what
could they do? They were powerless against such a mob; their only hope
seemed to lay in Onrai, but he had said that the men would no longer
listen to him. Onrai stood with arms crossed and head bowed and it could
be seen that he was fearfully agitated. But he made no move to stop the
men, who were now entering the villa to take the women. But the thought
of these men, laying their hands on Enola, on that poor bruised body,
finally overcame Onrai, and rushing madly into the villa, he grabbed the
two men who were about to enter the sick chamber and pushed them
forcibly from the house.
“What would you do?” said he, beside himself with anguish. “Would you
war against poor defenseless women, or worse, sick women? Men, have you
forgotten your manhood; have you no longer any self-respect? Has your
pride and honor all been killed by this horrible suspicion?”
The men stood quietly by as they had at the lake, listening, but not
seeming to heed their King. Those who had laid hands on Mr. Bruce, Mr.
Graham and Harry still stood guarding them, waiting for those who had
been sent for the women to come from the villa, when they would carry
out the rest of the miserable programme.
“Why do you look at me in that strange way?” continued Onrai, “do you
not know that it is the King who is talking to you, that it is he who
implores you, that it is Onrai who commands you; have you forgotten that
it is I, Onrai, whom you yourselves chose for King, and whom you have
sworn to love and obey, that now entreats you? How are you keeping that
oath? Oh, that I should ever be chosen ruler of such cowards.”
The men did not move, but when Onrai ceased speaking the leader walked
up, and again bowing to the King, that King, whom he still respected,
but did not obey, said:
“King, we know of the great goodness of your heart; we know that that
great goodness of heart would still be influenced by the love; no, not
love, but unholy infatuation, which this woman has thrown about you, and
we know that because of this, you will forget yourself, your future,
your people, the holy laws and all, and would plead for the lives of
these people. We knew this and we hardened our hearts against such
pleadings before we came to you. It was decided that we would not be
influenced by these pleadings, for we knew that it would not be our
King, our great, noble Onrai, who would ask pardon for these people, but
the evil one, which the woman Enola had possessed him with. We believe
this with all our hearts and consequently we cannot listen to you. We
are chosen by all the citizens of On to carry out this mission and we
must do it or go back to our people traitors.”
“Traitors, traitors, did you say? The word is well-chosen, but one which
heretofore has never been used in the Land of On. Traitors to those who
sent you! Would you then rather be traitors to the King than to the
people? Which is the greater sin, if you would call obedience to your
King a sin, which is the greater sin to be traitor to the people or to
the King, which you have sworn to love, cherish and obey? Come, man, can
you answer?”
“Quickly,” said the leader, “for as I have said, it is not now the King
which commands us, but that evil one within. If it were the King, he
would say, ‘Take these people who have made your King sin; take these
people who have called the great God’s vengeance down on us, because we
harbored them; take them and show them no mercy, for they stole upon us
like thieves in the night; and when we clothed and fed them, when we
made them honored guests, giving them every comfort and luxury which the
Land of On knows, even taking them into the most sacred sanctuary,
making them special guests of the King, thinking that he alone was
fitted to entertain them, when we did all this for them, they repaid us
by making our King sin, and bringing God’s wrath upon us. Take these and
kill them, for they have betrayed our confidence.’ This is what the
true, noble King, the great Onrai would say to his people if it were he
talking to us. Oh King, we pity you, for we do believe that even now you
suffer, when you see the people, whom you have learned to love through
their machinations, going to their death. But the people have settled
the matter, having first given it just consideration and they know that
it is best that the cause of your sin and the land’s suffering should be
put out of the way, for if they remain, even if you no longer fell under
their spell, the land or people would no longer be safe. We know that
you are suffering for these strangers; these traitors are making you
suffer, because they would have you intercede for them, but when the
spell is broken, when you are no longer in the power of this subtle
Circe, you will thank your people for thus delivering you.”
“I look at you now and wonder if this be the happy, care and
superstition-free people, whom I have known for so long and I am almost
persuaded to believe that you are not; that I have been transported in
some unknown way in my sleeping to another world, where the people have
never known what happiness, contentment and lack of all superstition is;
where the people are governed by the most imaginative fantasies of the
brain; where common sense and reason play no part in their decisions or
judgment. No, you are not the strong, mighty people that I once knew,
and yet you are the same. I know you all, every face is familiar to me,
but that is all. The solid mind has wandered, leaving in its place
nothing, or worse than nothing—superstition. That you believe in your
own ignorance that you are now right and that you are following the
dictates of sensible minds can easily be seen and your decision is as
much as could be expected from such miserable beings, as would be swayed
by superstition. Oh, where are the noble minds which once dominated over
those bodies? Have they gone beyond recall? Have they been so outraged
by these miserable superstitions that they have gone forever? Will not
sense, and reason and justice break the flimsy wall of these
superstitions and place the right mind again in possession? Oh, men of
little brain, why will you insult me by still calling me King?” And as
Onrai finished he turned his back on them as if their presence was
hateful to him; as if their stolid gaze would contaminate him.
The leader stepped forward again and motioned the men back. Mr. Graham
and his companions watched these proceedings with renewed hope, but
Onrai did not even turn to see what they were doing. His strong nature
and nobleness of mind would no longer allow of his suing for mercy, even
for the sick girl, whose life meant so much to him.
He had first plead; then he called on them as men; then he had commanded
them as King, and all had been useless; they had still stared at him
with that set look which would indicate that their decision was so
irrevocable that nothing, not even positive proof of this decision being
wrong, would make them change it. Then he had used contempt, he had
belittled their manhood, their intellect, and unwittingly he had made an
impression; an impression surely, but whether a good or bad one could
not yet be said, for the men had taken a position at the edge of the
park and were now in conference.
Mr. Bruce had slipped into the sick chamber and had looked at Enola. She
was now resting quietly; her breathing being regular, her temperature
being almost normal. Mrs. Graham and Nellie were sitting near her, and
the women attendants were gathered in a group in one end of the
apartment, conversing in low whispers.
“Mr. Bruce,” asked Nellie, “what is that great body of men doing
outside; are they here to congratulate the King and his party upon their
escape from the storm?”
“Exactly,” said Mr. Bruce, and he tried to smile. “They came as a
delegation from the people of the city to express their heartfelt
thankfulness for our escape; and also sympathy for Enola’s suffering.”
“But they were here last night,” said Nellie, “and still remain. I
cannot see why they should do so.”
“They are waiting for further news of Enola’s condition, and when this
is learned they will depart for the upper part of the country, where
they are bound to repair the devastations of the storm;” answered Mr.
Bruce; but as he spoke, Mrs. Graham had walked to the curtained arch and
parting the hangings, said:
“See, Mr. Bruce, they are returning; their movements are very strange;
can anything be wrong?”
“Nothing, I assure you, Mrs. Graham,” said Mr. Bruce, “I will see what
it is,” and saying this he again went on to the terrace.
The leader was just pulling up his zebra, and raising his voice, said:
“Oh King, we cannot heed your command or words. Our duty is plain and we
must do it. Men do your duty.” Again the men placed their hands on the
shoulders of the three men and two again entered the villa for the
women. Onrai stood motionless as if turned to stone. The men came from
the house, one leading Mrs. Graham and Nellie, and the other with the
still sleeping figure of Enola in his arms.
A zebra’s gallop was heard on the hard pavement of the avenue. Whoever
it was, was keeping up a most fearful pace, for the sound of falling
hoofs came and quick. The men turned to see who this rapid rider could
be and just then Sedai hove in sight, his zebra fairly flying over the
ground. He turned into the park and the body of men parted to allow his
panting zebra to pass between them.
“Hold!” he cried. “A message from the high priest!”