Копи царя Соломона
We Give a Sign
Theothersgaveadecidedassent,andIturnedinperplexitytoSirHenryandGood,andexplainedthesituation.
"IthinkthatIhaveit,"saidGoodexultingly;"askthemtogiveusamomenttothink."
Ididso,andthechiefswithdrew. SosoonastheyhadgoneGoodwenttothelittleboxwherehekepthismedicines,unlockedit,andtookoutanote-book,inthefly-leavesofwhichwasanalmanack. "Nowlookhere,youfellows,isn’ttomorrowthe4thofJune?"hesaid.
Wehadkeptacarefulnoteofthedays,sowereabletoanswerthatitwas.
"Verygood;thenherewehaveit—‘4June,totaleclipseofthemooncommencesat8.15Greenwichtime, visibleinTeneriffe—SouthAfrica,etc.’There’sasignforyou. Tellthemwewilldarkenthemoontomorrownight."
Theideawasasplendidone;indeed,theonlyweakspotaboutitwasafearlestGood’salmanackmightbeincorrect. Ifwemadeafalseprophecyonsuchasubject,ourprestigewouldbegoneforever,andsowouldIgnosi’schanceofthethroneoftheKukuanas.
"Supposethatthealmanackiswrong,"suggestedSirHenrytoGood,whowasbusilyemployedinworkingoutsomethingonablankpageofthebook.
"Iseenoreasontosupposeanythingofthesort,"washisanswer."Eclipsesalwayscomeuptotime;atleastthatismyexperienceofthem, anditespeciallystatesthatthisonewillbevisibleinSouthAfrica.
