know them, those names of the beginning? For if ye know them not, O
Beautiful, ye lie and ye blaspheme, and ye are food for the Snake."

"Seldom through all the years have those holy names been spoken save in
utter darkness and with covered heads," Juanna answered boldly; "but now
is the new hour, the hour of the coming, and now they shall be called
aloud in the light of day from open lips and with uplifted eyes.
Hearken, Children of the Snake, these are the names by which we were
known in the beginning: _Aca_ is my name, the Mother of the Snake. _Jal_
is he named, who is the Snake. Say, do ye know us now?"

As these words rang on her lips a groan of terror burst from every man
who heard them. Then the aged priest cried aloud: "Down upon your faces,
ye Children of the Snake; Worship, all ye People of the Spear, Dwellers
in the Mist! Aca, the Queen immortal, has come home again: Jal, the god,
has put on the flesh of men. Olfan, lay down thy kingship, it is his: ye
priests, throw wide the temples, they are theirs. Worship the Mother, do
honour to the god!"

The multitude heard and prostrated themselves like a single man, every
one of them crying in a shout of thunder:

"Aca, the Queen of life, has come; Jal, the doom-god, has put on flesh.
Worship the Mother, do honour to the god!"

It was as though the army had suddenly been smitten with death, and of
the hundreds there, Juanna and Otter alone were left standing. There
was one exception, however, and that was Olfan, the warrior chief, who
remained upon his feet, not seeming to relish the command to abdicate
his authority thus brusquely in favour of a dwarf, were he god or man.