About five minutes later they appeared again and others, who listened earnestly and after renewed consultation signified assent by holding up the right hand.

Now one of the priests walked to where we were and, bowing, begged us to advance to the altar.
This we did, and were stood in a line in front of it, Hans being set in the middle place, while the priests ranged themselves on either side.
Next Harut, having once more opened the door of the sanctuary, took his stand a little to the right of it and addressed us, not in English but in his own language, pausing at the end of each sentence that I might translate to Ragnall.
"Lords Macumazana and Igeza, and yellow man who is named Light-in-Darkness," he said, "we, the head priests of the Child, speaking on behalf of the White Kendah people with full authority so to do, have taken counsel together and of the wisdom of the Child as to the demands which you make of us.

Those demands are: First, that after you have killed Jana and defeated the Black Kendah we should give over to you the white lady who was born in a far land to fill the office of Guardian of the Child, as is shown by the mark of the new moon upon her breast, but who, because for the second time we could not take her, became the wife of you, the Lord Igeza.

Secondly, that we should conduct you and her safely out of our land to some place whence you can return to your own country.

Both of these things we will do, because we know from of old that if once Jana is dead we shall have no cause to fear the Black Kendah any more, since we believe that then they will leave their home and go elsewhere, and therefore that we shall no longer need an Oracle to declare to us in what way Heaven will protect us from Jana and from them.