"Elephant—now—to her palace," he answered.
"They're not her elephants."
"So much the better! She'll think the Maharajah knows all about us. She'll have to accord us protection after that."
He asked a dozen more questions, and finally struggled to his feet.
"My friend," he said then to the chief mahout, "if you propose to take us two sahibs to her palace, and be back at your master's stables in time to get ready for the Bibi-kana, you'll have to hurry!"
"But I did not propose it!" the mahout answered.
"Nay, the gods proposed it. Which is your fastest elephant?"
"That great one yonder—Akbar. But who is giving orders? We are a maharajah's servants."
"The gods are ordering all this business!" King assured him. "I wish to ride to her palace."
"By her leave?"