“The mission with which I am charged,” he resumed presently,—­“is to thee, Chief Laureate of the realm, and runs as followeth:  Whereas thou hast of late avoided many days of public service in the Temple, so that those among the people who admire thee follow thine ill example, and absent themselves also with equal readiness,—­the Priestess Undefiled, the noble Lysia, doth to-night command thy presence as a duty not to be foregone.  Therefore come thou and take thy part in the Great Sacrifice, for these late tumults and disaster in the city, notably the perplexing downfall of the Obelisk, have caused all hearts to fail and sink for very fear.  The river darkens in its crimson hue each hour by passing hour,—­strange noises have been heard athwart the sky and in the deeper underground, . . and all these drear unwonted things are so many cogent reasons why we should in solemn unison implore the favor of Nagaya and the gods whereby further catastrophes may be perchance averted.  Moreover for motives of most urgent state-policy it is advisable that all who hold place, dignity, and renown within the city should this night be seen as fervent supplicants before the Sacred Shrine,—­so may much threatening rebellion be appeased, and order be restored out of impending confusion.  Such is the message I am bidden to convey to thee,—­ furthermore I am required to bear back again to the High Priestess thy faithful promise that her orders shall be surely and entirely obeyed.  Thou art not wont".. and a pale sneer flitted over his features.. “to set her mandate at defiance.”

Sah-luma bit his lips angrily, and folded his arms above his head with a lazy yet impatient movement.

“Assuredly I shall be present at the Service,” he said curtly..  “There needed no such weighty summoning!  ’Twas my intention to join the ranks of worshippers to-night, though for myself I have no faith in worship, . . the gods I ween are deaf, and care not a jot whether we mortals weep or sing.  Nevertheless I shall look on with fitting gravity, and deport myself with due decorum throughout the ceremonious Ritual, though verily I tell thee, reverend Zel, ’tis tedious and monotonous at best, . . and concerning the poor maiden-sacrifice, it is a shuddering horror we could well dispense with.”

“I think not so,".. replied the Priest calmly.  “Thou, who art well instructed in the capricious humors of men, must surely know how dearly the majority of them love the shedding of blood,—­’tis a clamorous brute-instinct in them which must be satisfied.  Better therefore that we, the anointed Priests, should slay one willing victim for the purposes of religion, than that they, the ignorant mob, should kill a thousand to gratify their lust of murder.  An unresentful, all-loving Deity would be impossible of comprehension to a mutually hating and malignant race of beings,—­all creeds must be accommodated to the dispositions of the million.”