Копи царя Соломона
Before the Battle
These,aftersilencehadbeenproclaimed,Infadoosproceededtoaddress. Henarratedtotheminvigorousandgracefullanguage—for,likemostKukuanasofhighrank,hewasabornorator—thehistoryofIgnosi’sfather,andofhowhehadbeenbaselymurderedbyTwalatheking,andhiswifeandchilddrivenouttostarve. ThenhepointedoutthatthepeoplesufferedandgroanedunderTwala’scruelrule,instancingtheproceedingsofthepreviousnight,when,underpretenceoftheirbeingevil-doers,manyofthenoblestinthelandhadbeendraggedforthandwickedlydonetodeath. NexthewentontosaythatthewhitelordsfromtheStars,lookingdownupontheircountry,hadperceiveditstrouble,anddetermined,atgreatpersonalinconvenience,toalleviateitslot: ThattheyhadaccordinglytakentherealkingoftheKukuanas,Ignosi,whowaslanguishinginexile,bythehand,andledhimoverthemountains: ThattheyhadseenthewickednessofTwala’sdoings,andforasigntothewavering,andtosavethelifeofthegirlFoulata,actually,bytheexerciseoftheirhighmagic,hadputoutthemoonandslaintheyoungfiendScragga; andthattheywerepreparedtostandbythem,andassistthemtooverthrowTwala,andsetuptherightfulking,Ignosi,inhisplace.
Hefinishedhisdiscourseamidstamurmurofapprobation. ThenIgnosisteppedforwardandbegantospeak. HavingreiteratedallthatInfadooshisunclehadsaid,heconcludedapowerfulspeechinthesewords:—
