Thereat in the city of Zoon in the land of Alatta, under his golden
eaves, died King Karnith, and his soul went whither had gone the souls
of his sires the elder Kings, and the souls of their slaves.

Then Karnith Zo, the new King, took the iron crown of Alatta and
afterwards went down to the plains that encircle Zoon and found his
three strong armies clamouring to be led against Zeenar, over the river
Eidis.

But the new King came back from his armies, and all one night in the
great palace alone with his iron crown, pondered long upon war; and a
little before dawn he saw dimly through his palace window, facing east
over the city of Zoon and across the fields of Alatta, to far off where
a valley opened on Istahn. There, as he pondered, he saw the smoke
arising tall and straight over small houses in the plain and the fields
where the sheep fed. Later the sun rose shining over Alatta as it shone
over Istahn, and there arose a stir about the houses both in Alatta and
Istahn, and cocks crowded in the city and men went out into the fields
among the bleating sheep; and the King wondered if men did otherwise in
Istahn. And men and women met as they went out to work and the sound of
laughter arose from streets and fields; the King's eyes gazed into the
distance toward Istahn and still the smoke went upward tall and
straight from the small houses. And the sun rose higher that shone upon
Alatta and Istahn, causing the flowers to open wide in each, and the
birds to sing and the voices of men and women to arise. And in the
market place of Zoon caravans were astir that set out to carry
merchandise to Istahn, and afterwards passed camels coming to Alatta
with many tinkling bells. All this the King saw as he pondered much,
who had not pondered before. Westward the Agnid mountains frowned in