“As you deserve to starve,” I answered.  “Now—­will you let us go?”

Simba stared at me doubtfully, then began to whisper into the ear of the lamed diviner.  I could not catch what they said, so I watched their faces.  That of the diviner whose head I was glad to see had been cut by a hailstone so that both ends of him were now injured, told me a good deal.  His mask had been ugly, but now that it was off the countenance beneath was far uglier.  Of a negroid type, pendulous-lipped, sensuous and loose-eyed, he was indeed a hideous fellow, yet very cunning and cruel-looking, as men of his class are apt to be.  Humbled as he was for the moment, I felt sure that he was still plotting evil against us, somewhat against the will of his master.  The issue showed that I was right.  At length Simba spoke, saying: 

“We had intended, Lord, to keep you and the priest of the Child here as hostages against mischief that might be worked on us by the followers of the Child, who have always been our bitter enemies and done us much undeserved wrong, although on our part we have faithfully kept the pact concluded in the days of our grandfathers.  It seems, however, that fate, or your magic, is too strong for us, and therefore I have determined to let you go.  To-night at sundown we will set you on the road which leads to the ford of the River Tava, which divides our territory from that of the White Kendah, and you may depart where you will, since our wish is that never again may we see your ill-omened faces.”

At this intelligence my heart leapt in joy that was altogether premature.  But, preserving my indignant air, I exclaimed: 

“To-night!  Why to-night?  Why not at once?  It is hard for us to cross unknown rivers in the dark.”

“The water is low, Lord, and the ford easy.  Moreover, if you started now you would reach it in the dark; whereas if you start at sundown, you will reach it in the morning.  Lastly, we cannot conduct you hence until we have buried our dead.”

Then, without giving me time to answer, he turned and left the place, followed by the others.  Only at the gateway the diviner wheeled round on his crutches and glared at us both, muttering something with his thick lips; probably it was curses.

“At any rate they are going to set us free,” I said to Marut, not without exultation, when they had all vanished.

“Yes, Lord,” he replied, “but where are they going to set us free?  The demon Jana lives in the forests and the swamps by the banks of the Tava River, and it is said that he ravages at night.”

I did not pursue the subject, but reflected to myself cheerfully that this mystic rogue-elephant was a long way off and might be circumvented, whereas that altar of sacrifice was extremely near and very difficult to avoid.