Janees is giving judgment, or
rather his councillor is, for he prompts him all the time. Can you not
hear his whispers? As for Janees himself, his thoughts are here, I feel
his eyes burn me through this wooden screen. He is about to rise. Why!
Who comes? Awake, Nurse, and look."
Asti obeyed. There in the gate of the court she saw a tall man,
white-bearded, yellow-faced, horny-eyed, ancient, who, clad in a
tattered robe, leaned upon his staff of thornwood, and stared about him
blindly as though the sun bewildered him. The guards came to thrust
him away, but he waved his staff, and they fell back from him as though
there were power in that staff. Now his slow, tortoise-like eyes seemed
to catch sight of the glittering throne, and of him who sat upon it,
and with long strides he walked to the throne and halted in front of it,
again leaning on his staff.
"Who is this fellow," asked Janees in an angry voice, "who stands here
and makes no obeisance to the King?"
"Are you a king?" asked Kepher.
Pages:
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367