“I’ve thought the same thing as you, Pilescu,” said Captain Arnold, in excitement. “If you used this paint you would pass for one of the Secret Mountain people! You and Ranni both have the bright red hair and beards of Baronian men — if you paint your skin yellow, you will look very like the Folk of the Mountain — and maybe our way of escape lies through you!”
Immediately all was excitement. Everyone talked at once. Everyone thought it was a simply marvellous idea. In the end Captain Arnold silenced the party and spoke seriously to them all.
“We must lose no further time in talk,” he said. “I propose that both Ranni and Pilescu paint their faces with this yellow pigment and try to escape with the guards when they come. If only they can find their way back to where our planes are, they may be able to find some way of rescuing us all. It’s the only chance that I can see.”
“There are some robes in the temple with the rugs!” cried Mike. “I tried them on this morning. They would fit Ranni and Pilescu. Come and try them!”
In the greatest excitement the little company went to the temple. Ranni and Pilescu tried on the coloured robes and they fitted well enough. The flowing garments looked strange on the two big men, and everyone laughed.
Captain Arnold carefully rubbed the curious yellow pigment into the skin of the Baronians’ faces, necks and hands. With the flowing robes, yellow skin and flaming beards they looked exactly like the Folk of the Secret Mountain! Poor Mafumu, unused to extraordinary happenings of this sort, could hardly believe that it was still Ranni and Pilescu, and he shrank away from them in fear.
“It is getting near the time when sun-worshippers come to pray to the sun at sunset,” said Captain Arnold looking over the mountains to where the sun was swinging down towards the edge of the world. “Maybe many of the Mountain Folk will come, and then you can mix with them easily enough when they go!”
It was decided that Ranni and Pilescu should hide behind two great pillars near the sliding door. If they were not discovered they could mix with the Mountain Folk as they went down the stairs again, and might escape unseen in that way.
The sun swung lower — and suddenly, from behind the great golden door came the sound of chanting. It was the Mountain Folk coming to sing their prayers to the sun! The door slid to one side, and up the shining stairway came scores of the curious Folk, their beards gleaming red in the setting sun.
The leader went to the tower of the temple. All the rest spread themselves out on the flat courtyard, and flung themselves down on their faces when the man in the temple sounded a loud and echoing bell. They chanted a sad and doleful dirge for about ten minutes, whilst Captain Arnold and the rest looked on.