Копи царя Соломона
The Witch-Hunt
"Itseems,"Isaidtotheothers,"thatwearegoingtoassistatagladiatorialshowarrangedregardlessofexpense."
SirHenryshivered,andGoodsaidhewishedthatwecouldgetoutofit.
"Tellme,"IaskedInfadoos,"areweindanger?"
"Iknownot,mylords,Itrustnot;butdonotseemafraid. Ifyelivethroughthenightallmaygowellwithyou. Thesoldiersmurmuragainsttheking."
Allthiswhilewehadbeenadvancingsteadilytowardsthecentreoftheopenspace,inthemidstofwhichwereplacedsomestools. Asweproceededweperceivedanothersmallpartycomingfromthedirectionoftheroyalhut.
"ItisthekingTwala,Scraggahisson,andGagooltheold;andsee,withthemarethosewhoslay,"saidInfadoos, pointingtoalittlegroupofaboutadozengiganticandsavage-lookingmen,armedwithspearsinonehandandheavykerriesintheother.
Thekingseatedhimselfuponthecentrestool,Gagoolcrouchedathisfeet,andtheothersstoodbehindhim.
"Greeting,whitelords,"Twalacried,aswecameup; "beseated,wastenotprecioustime—thenightisalltooshortforthedeedsthatmustbedone. Yecomeinagoodhour,andshallseeagloriousshow. Lookround,whitelords;lookround,"andherolledhisonewickedeyefromregimenttoregiment. "CantheStarsshowyousuchasightasthis?Seehowtheyshakeintheirwickedness,allthosewhohaveevilintheirheartsandfearthejudgmentof‘Heavenabove.’"
