Queen Olive evidently expected this, for, with flashing eyes, she exclaimed:
“Silence! I am the ruler of this land, and my word is law.”
Then motioning to Dick to step forward, she went on:
“This is the man I have chosen for my husband; he loves me and I love him.”
Nothing abashed, Dick took his place beside the beautiful creature.
But that the girls were anything but satisfied was plainly apparent. They thought that in a case of this kind the queen should place herself upon an equal footing with them, and take her chances.
But Queen Olive thought differently, and that settled it, for the time being, anyhow.
As soon as her majesty ceased speaking, Azurma pushed her way through the crowd and made an eloquent address, relating how she had saved Leo from a death of starvation, winding up with a strong argument that he should be given to her.
But the Hez beauties would not listen to this, and so Azurma’s appeal was ruled down.
At Queen Olive’s order, a small, square box was brought forth, which contained a number of small pieces of coal-like substance, and one small bit of crystal of the same size and weight.