Come hither--you, and you," and she pointed at hazard to the two priests who knelt nearest to her, "and do you bid the executioner bring his axe," she went on to a third.
The dark faces of the men turned ashen, but they made no effort to escape their doom.

One of them crept up the steps and laid his neck upon the edge of gold, while the other, uttering no word, threw himself on his face at the foot of them, waiting his turn.

Then a door opened and there appeared a great and brutal-looking fellow, naked except for a loin cloth, who bore in his hand a huge weapon, half knife and half axe.
First he looked at the Asika, who nodded almost imperceptibly, then sprang on to a prolongation of the golden steps, bowed to Little Bonsa on her column behind and heaved up his knife.
Now for the first time Alan really understood what was about to happen, and that what he had imagined a stage rehearsal, was to become a hideous murder.
"Stop!" he shouted in English, being unable to remember the native word.
The executioner paused with his axe poised in mid-air; the victim turned his head and looked, as though surprised; the second victim and the priests their companions looked also.

Jeekie fell on to his knees and burst into fervent prayer addressed apparently to Little Bonsa.

The Asika smiled and did nothing.
Again the weapon was lifted and as he felt that words were no longer of any use, even if he could find them, Alan took refuge in action.
Springing on to the other side of the little platform, he hit out with all his strength across the kneeling man.