The King himself seemed the picture of comfort and informality; not so his guards. On each side of him stood a guard in plate armor, with stiff metal pieces over the arms, stomach, thighs, and legs. At the waist they wore short, straight swords ready for action at a second’s notice. These two men were as motionless as statues. About the room stood knights in different kinds of armor, some in light chain with long skirtlike coats, some in mail jackets that resembled checkerboards in pattern and extended only from shoulder to thigh, some in heavy armor and metal shoes armed with spurs.
In front of the King were two pages carrying scepters. They, too, stood motionless as he spoke.
“What is this?” he asked, as Jan Kanty came forward to kiss his hand, which ceremony the King did not allow. “Have we here some poor city dwellers driven forth by last night’s fire?”
“Yea,” answered Jan Kanty, “that is true, though we come not on business of that sort. We are here upon some matter that may be of deeper interest than one would suppose. These are Pan Andrew and his son Joseph, by family name Charnetski, dwellers of the Ukraine driven forth by violence and come here to have audience with your Majesty.”
“So,” said the King with quick interest. “Stand, if you please, and tell me the circumstances of your trouble for it greatly interests me at this present time. I have much news from the Ukraine, and not so pleasant, either. How came you by your misfortunes?”
“If your Majesty please,” began Pan Andrew, rising and taking out the crystal from beneath his coat, “I wish to deliver to your Highness the Great Tarnov Crystal.”
The sunlight touched it as he held it up, and the room and its splendid company were suddenly agleam with wavy flecks of light, red and orange and blue and yellow; there was a dazzling brilliance to it that struck each eye with almost the force of lightning. The King literally sprang forward to take the wondrous thing from Pan Andrew’s hands.
“What a marvel! What a thing of beauty!” he exclaimed, while a very murmur of astonishment ran through the circle of his attendants. “Where in the world is to be found any jewel one-half so miraculous as this?”
“I know not,” answered Pan Andrew, “but it has been in the keeping of my family for many years.”
“Then why do you deliver it up to me?” demanded the King. “It is worth a quarter at least of all the treasures in this palace.”