"The most beauteous maiden in the House of Women ?" I shook my head.

"Not so, O King, for then I must marry who would remain single." "There is no need, you might sell her to your friend, Peroa.

A satrapy ?" "Not so, O King, for then I must govern it, which would keep me from my hunting, until it pleased the King to take my head." "By the name of the holy ones I worship what then do you ask added to the pearls and the pure gold ?" Now I tried to bethink me of something that the King could not grant, since I had no wish for this match which my heart warned me would end in trouble.

As no thought came to me I looked at Bes and saw that he was rolling his eyes towards the six doomed hunters who were being led away, also in pretence of driving off a fly, pointing to them with one of the lion tails.

Then I remembered that a decree once uttered by the King of the East could not be altered, and saw a road of escape.
"O King," I said, "together with the pearls and the gold I ask that the lives of those six hunters be added to the wager, to be spared if by chance I should win." "Why ?" asked the King amazed.
"Because they are brave men, O King, and I would not see the bones of such cracked by tame beasts in a cage." "Is my judgment registered ?" asked the King.
"Not yet, O King," answered the head scribe.
"Then it has no weight and can be suspended without the breaking of the law.