“Thou art for the sacrifice. I may not touch thee to help thee. The god has said it.”
“O Earth! This love that a god can make to be put off and on like a garment!”
“Unless a king were god, he could not help—”
“And would he then?... O my goddess, hear me!”
“The god’s word is over every goddess.... Lindane that diest, live if thou canst!”
“The grey rock town upon the grey mountains—”
“I that thought it was sweet, find it bitter to be king—”
“O my goddess! Back to me comes every sin.... The cock is crowing!”
The door was opened by the men without. King Sandanis hid head and face in his mantle and went from the rock chamber, hallowed to the sacrifice. The cock crew again, the dawn opened slowly, like a red flower.
The processions formed in the town, in the countryside, before the king’s high house. The participants carried a sacred torch, they carried images of the god, they carried baskets of flowers and burning incense. Music went with them. The priests and King Sandanis walked at the head, and behind them walked the Amazon. “Now the god will smile upon us!” sang the people. “For here is the king’s latest prey!”