“It was slipping along the top of the valley wall, near the Face.”
The king’s perturbation increased, but he found no wavering of my eyes under his sharp gaze.
“More than that, Sire; my brother and I went into the river passage through the wall. We saw the red fire and barely missed a great explosion.”
The king’s astonishment brought him to his feet.
“Tell me more!” he demanded.
I gave him an account of all that we had seen and endured, including the flaming waterfall, the boiling cauldron, and the earthquake.
“You dared that passage!” he exclaimed, looking from one to the other of us in amazement. “It was the white blood. Not another man in the kingdom would do it. Gato could not make any of his men go; yet I was anxious to know.”
He was saying this partly to himself, as he aimlessly walked the floor.
“Why did you go?” he abruptly asked.
“We had heard that no one else was willing, and we wished to serve your Majesty.”