Копи царя Соломона
Twala the King
Threetimesthiswasrepeated,andeachtimetheearthshookwiththenoise,thatcanonlybecomparedtothedeepestnotesofthunder.
"Behumble,Opeople,"pipedoutathinvoicewhichseemedtocomefromthemonkeyintheshade,"itistheking."
"Itistheking,"boomedouttheeightthousandthroatsinanswer."Behumble,Opeople,itistheking."
Thentherewassilenceagain—deadsilence. Presently,however,itwasbroken.Asoldieronourleftdroppedhisshield,whichfellwithaclatterontothelimestoneflooring.
Twalaturnedhisonecoldeyeinthedirectionofthenoise.
"Comehither,thou,"hesaid,inacoldvoice.
Afineyoungmansteppedoutoftheranks,andstoodbeforehim.
"Itwasthyshieldthatfell,thouawkwarddog.WiltthoumakemeareproachintheeyesofthesestrangersfromtheStars?Whathastthoutosayforthyself?"
Wesawthepoorfellowturnpaleunderhisduskyskin.
"Itwasbychance,OCalfoftheBlackCow,"hemurmured.
"Thenitisachanceforwhichthoumustpay.Thouhastmademefoolish;preparefordeath."
"Iamtheking’sox,"wasthelowanswer.
"Scragga,"roaredtheking,"letmeseehowthoucanstusethyspear.Killmethisblunderingfool."
Scraggasteppedforwardwithanill-favouredgrin,andliftedhisspear.Thepoorvictimcoveredhiseyeswithhishandandstoodstill.Asforus,wewerepetrifiedwithhorror.
"Once,twice,"hewavedthespear,andthenstruck,ah!righthome—thespearstoodoutafootbehindthesoldier’sback.
