“Who are they?”
“Use thine eyes and find out,” replied Ildiko. “We have only one marking of the sun-dial for beauty sleep. Then we must array ourselves becomingly for the sake of Orondo, Alcamayn, Hanabusa and Ben Hu Barabe who arrive at the dinner hour.”
The high-priestess had arisen in the meantime.
“Not a wink of sleep to put a little rose in thy cheeks and add diamond sparkles to thine eyes?” chattered Ildiko.
“Not this time,” declared Kerœcia. “I must away at once as I have promised early audience to one of our friends.”
“May the assurances he brings thee be good and comforting,” murmured Ildiko, already half-asleep.
“May the Lord of the Lapse of Time enfold thee completely,” answered Kerœcia, with a careless nod, as she passed out of the chamber.
Orondo usually stood with his right foot forward, as if on guard, his broad, powerful shoulders thrown back, and his chest well out. In civilian’s dress, he wore an agate-headed serpent of scarlet leather around his head. On his neck was a gorget of leather set with gold bosses, from which hung a long, black cloak, bordered with fur. He had on a short apron-like skirt of leather, with a triple row of gold bosses around the bottom, and edged with a heavy leather fringe.
Wrinkled leather buckskins and gold-bossed sandals completed his costume.
Wearing no beard, his straight black hair fell well down over his shoulders. He was a patient, faithful worker, self-reliant, reserved, proud, firm in friendship, but an unrelenting foe. Slow to anger, he was like a bull when aroused.