immediate superior in this cure. It was his turn yesterday to
celebrate the weekly sacrifice to our Lord the Sun with the circle
of His great stones. Faugh! Deucalion, you should have seen how
he was mangled when they brought him back to me here."

"Did the people rise on him? Has it come to that?"

"The people stayed passive," said Ro bitterly, "what few of
them had interest to attend; but our Lord the Sun saw fit to try
His minister somewhat harshly. The wood was laid; the sacrifice
was disposed upon it according to the prescribed rites; the
procession had been formed round the altar, and the drums and the
trumpets were speaking forth, to let all men know that presently
the smoke of their prayer would be wafted up towards Those that sit
in the great places in the heavens. But then, above the noise of
the ceremonial, there came the rushing sound of wings, and from out
of the sky there flew one of those great featherless man-eating
birds, of a bigness such as seldom before has been seen."

"An arrow shot in the eye, or a long-shafted spear receives
them best."

"Oh, all men know what they were taught as children,
Deucalion; but these priests were unarmed, according to the rubric,
which ordains that they shall intrust themselves completely to the
guardianship of the High Gods during the hours of sacrifice. The
great bird swooped down, settling on the wood pyre, and attacked
the sacrifice with beak and talon. My poor superior here, still
strong in his faith, called loudly on our Lord the Sun to lend
power to his arm, and sprang up on the altar with naught but his