[A] A tal is about one second, and a zode approximately two and one-half hours, Earth time.
“Watch then the temple carefully until I return,” shouted the warrior and we heard him and his men moving on up the spiral.
Now we heard the priests conversing as they moved slowly past the statue.
“What could have caused the noise that first attracted our attention?” asked one.
“Perhaps the fugitives tried the door,” suggested the other.
“It must have been that, but they did not enter or we should have seen them when they emerged from behind the Great Tur, for we were facing him at the time, nor have once turned our eyes from this end of the temple.”
“Then at least they are not within the temple.”
“And where else they may be is no concern of ours.”
“No, nor if they reached Xaxa’s apartment, if they did not pass through the temple.”