Ichtharion: 

I think we can make him do it.

Harpagas: 

The King is more highly civilised even than we are.  He will not care for the gods.

Ichtharion: 

He cannot ignore them; the gods crowned his forefather and if there are no gods who made him King?

Ludibras: 

Why, that is true.  He must obey a prophecy.

Ichtharion: 

If the King disobeys the gods the people will tear him asunder, whether the gods created the people or the people created the gods.

    [Harpagas slips out after the Prophet.]

Ludibras: 

If the King discovers this we shall be painfully tortured.

Ichtharion: 

How can the King discover it?

Ludibras: 

He knows that there are no gods.

Ichtharion: 

No man knows that of a certainty.

Ludibras: 

But if there are——!

    [Enter Prophet with Harpagas.  Ichtharion quickly sends Ludibras and
    Harpagas away.]

Ichtharion: 

There is a delicate matter concerning the King.

Voice-of-the-Gods: 

Then I can help you little for I only serve the gods.

Ichtharion: 

It also concerns the gods.

Voice-of-the-Gods: 

Ah.  Then I hearken.

Ichtharion: 

This city is for the King, whose body is fragile, a very unhealthy city.  Moreover, there is no work here that a King can profitably do.  Also it is dangerous for Barbul-el-Sharnak to be long without a King, lest——­

Voice-of-the-Gods: 

Does this concern the gods?

Ichtharion: 

In this respect it does concern the gods—­that if the gods knew this they would warn the King by inspiring you to make a prophecy.  As they do not know this——­

Voice-of-the-Gods: 

The gods know all things.

Ichtharion: 

The gods do not know things that are not true.  This is not strictly true——­

Voice-of-the-Gods: 

It is written and hath been said that the gods cannot lie.

Ichtharion: 

The gods of course cannot lie, but a prophet may sometimes utter a prophecy that is a good prophecy and helpful to men, thereby pleasing the gods, although the prophecy is not a true one.

Voice-of-the-Gods: 

The gods speak through my mouth; my breath is my own breath, I am human and mortal, but my voice is from the gods and the gods cannot lie.

Ichtharion: 

Is it wise in an age when the gods have lost their power to anger powerful men for the sake of the gods?

Voice-of-the-Gods: 

It is wise.

Ichtharion: 

We are three men and you are alone with us.  Will the gods save you if we want to put you to death and slip away with your body into the jungle?