"Here, in A-lur, lives Ko-tan, the king, ruler over all Pal-ul-don,"
said Ta-den.

"And here in these gorges live the Waz-don," exclaimed Om-at, "who
do not acknowledge that Ko-tan is the ruler over all the Land-of-man."

Ta-den smiled and shrugged. "We will not quarrel, you and I," he said
to Om-at, "over that which all the ages have not proved sufficient
time in which to reconcile the Ho-don and Waz-don; but let me
whisper to you a secret, Om-at. The Ho-don live together in greater
or less peace under one ruler so that when danger threatens them
they face the enemy with many warriors, for every fighting Ho-don
of Pal-ul-don is there. But you Waz-don, how is it with you? You
have a dozen kings who fight not only with the Ho-don but with
one another. When one of your tribes goes forth upon the fighting
trail, even against the Ho-don, it must leave behind sufficient
warriors to protect its women and its children from the neighbors
upon either hand. When we want eunuchs for the temples or servants
for the fields or the homes we march forth in great numbers upon
one of your villages. You cannot even flee, for upon either side
of you are enemies and though you fight bravely we come back with
those who will presently be eunuchs in the temples and servants in
our fields and homes. So long as the Waz-don are thus foolish the
Ho-don will dominate and their king will be king of Pal-ul-don."

"Perhaps you are right," admitted Om-at. "It is because our neighbors
are fools, each thinking that his tribe is the greatest and should
rule among the Waz-don. They will not admit that the warriors of
my tribe are the bravest and our shes the most beautiful."