Now she saw that they understood her words and were terror-stricken by them.
For another moment there was silence, then suddenly the three priests or medicine-men, who had drawn near together, passed through the ranks and stood before her, accompanied by the warrior-chief.
Then one of them, the most aged, a man who must have numbered ninety years, spoke in the midst of an intense silence.

To Juanna's joy, as they had understood her, so she understood him, for his language was the same that Soa taught her many years before, and in which, for the sake of practice, they had always conversed together for the last two months.
"Art thou woman, or spirit ?" asked the ancient priest.
"I am both woman and spirit," she answered.
"And he with thee, he whom we know of"-- went on the priest, pointing tremblingly to Otter--"is he god or man ?" "He is both god and man," she answered.
"And those yonder; who are they ?" "They are our ministers and servants, white for the white, and black for the black, the companions of our wanderings, men and not spirits." The three priests consulted together, while the chief looked on Juanna's beauty with wondering eyes.

Then the oldest of them spoke again: "Thou tellest us in our own tongue of things that have long been hidden, though perchance they are remembered.

Either, O Beautiful, thou hast learned these things and liest to us, and then food are ye all for the Snake against whom thou dost blaspheme, or ye are gods indeed, and as gods ye shall be worshipped.

Tell us now thy name, and the name of yonder dwarf, of whom we know." "I am named the Shepherdess of Heaven among men.