The King examined it for a moment and then lifted it slowly to his ear.
‘Oh!’ he said at once. ‘There are so many, many voices. All talking at once. “The King this and the King that.” But I can hardly make anything out plainly. It is all so confused and mixed up. Like a crowd chattering.’
‘Indeed, Sir, that is what it really is: the crowd all about you here whispering and speaking of your escape from accident when I scared your horse. If you will command the people to be silent you will likely hear more clearly. But you will find a better time to listen about midnight, when most folk are abed and only few are talking, even of the King.’
His Majesty seemed now to be quite excited about his new possession and he gave orders to one of the noblemen to bid the crowd be strictly silent. And in the solemn hush that promptly followed he held the shell again to his ear.
‘It is still quite noisy and mixed up,’ Giles heard him mutter . . . ‘Oh, wait now . . . Yes . . . Now I get it . . . Single voices—quite clearly . . .’
Of all the people gathered about the royal party, Giles, standing with his shoulder against the muzzle of the white horse, had the best view of the King’s face. For a long time the slim figure in grey with head bent down to listen was very still. Almost the only sound that could be heard was a gentle pawing on the cobbles—the beautiful Africa was impatient to go a-hunting.
At the beginning, the King’s face had only shown eager smiling interest, almost like a boy trying a new toy to see if it would work. But, as Giles watched, he saw many new expressions pass across it: first a sudden puzzled frown; then, more slowly, a look of horror that changed to anger; next a great sadness, a bereft, almost lonely disappointment; and at last a strange ageing, a hardening, as though in a few moments this gay, handsome youth had grown much, much older.
And Giles knew that the Whispering Shell had brought very serious and important news to the ruler of the land.
But when the King ceased to listen, and raised his head, the crowd saw nothing in his face but proud and calm command. He paused a moment as though thinking out a plan of action. Then he turned and called one of the noblemen to him out of the group behind.
‘Godfrey,’ he said to the young man when he had gained his side, ‘how many have you in this party altogether?’