'The commands of the Son of the Sun are obeyed. All are here, and the door is shut.'
Before I answered him, I called Francis Hartness to me and said,—
'Come here and stand by me, my friend, for I shall need your counsel.'
He came and stood by me on my right hand, saying as he looked still wonderingly at me,—
'This means treachery, I suppose, and after that, tragedy. Is that why you left Ruth and Golden Star in the Fortress? I am afraid you had only too much reason to, but I hope, for Ruth's sake, you will do justice with as much mercy as you can.'
'You shall see,' I answered. 'But if it were not for her you would see justice without mercy.'
Then I bade Anahuac rise, and told him and Tupac to unbind the eyes of Djama and the professor and bring them before me.
As Djama's eyes opened to the light, he stared about him in silence for a moment. His face was very pale, and his lips were twitching and trembling. The professor, too, looked about him, also wondering greatly at what he saw; but neither of them spoke till they had been led forward and stood before me. Then, while Djama still kept silence, the professor, looking from me to Hartness, said in a voice that had much wonder, but no fear or sign of guilt, in it,—
'What is this? What does all this mean? What are all these soldiers here for, Vilcaroya? I thought it was so important that all this should be kept secret? Surely no one has betrayed you already? But no, that can't be. Hartness, what does it all mean?'
'It means—first,' I said, speaking very slowly, and not in a loud voice, 'that you have been brought here with Laurens Djama to take the oath which you agreed to take—never to reveal the secrets of the things that you have learned. I ask your pardon for the rude way in which my people have brought you, but it was necessary.'