The Zu-Vendi are a very curious and sociable people, and great as was their sense of the enormity that we had committed in shooting the sacred hippopotami, they did not like the idea of the only real live strangers they had seen or heard of being consigned to a fiery furnace, thereby putting an end for ever to their chance of extracting knowledge and information from, and gossiping about us.

Agon saw this and hesitated, and then for the first time Nyleptha spoke in her soft sweet voice.
'Bethink thee, Agon,' she said, 'as my sister Queen has said, these men may also be servants of the Sun.

For themselves they cannot speak, for their tongues are tied.

Let the matter be adjourned till such time as they have learnt our language.

Who can be condemned without a hearing?
When these men can plead for themselves, then it will be time to put them to the proof.' Here was a clever loophole of escape, and the vindictive old priest took it, little as he liked it.
'So be it, oh Queens,' he said.