After him came others running like madmen, and repeating his words. One of these asked, “Where is the king?” Another, “Where is the high priest?”
An islander who had been in the court when the priests and handmaids hastened from the temple, answered:
“Atlano and Oltis sit in the inner holy place behind the statue of Amen, frozen in body, burning in torment of mind. There they will stay until the end, for no one hath power to move them.”
A cry of horror went up.
“How knowest thou this?” asked another of the newcomers, as he wiped the ashes from his lips.
“I heard the chief priest and Priest Hafoe tell of it after they had fled the temple.”
“Who fled from the temple?”
“The priests, handmaids, and serving men. None are left save those two frozen ones. Good company are they for each other!”
Unanimous were the angry outcries of agreement.
“Well is it that the queen hath gone,” remarked another newcomer. “We saw her off. May she have sailed too far to get back to this. The sea doeth its best to keep her away.”