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Page 28
Seeing his guest was obstinate the king ceased further argument and said:
"Very well; go if you wish. But I shall hope to see you return to us
this evening."
The prince paid no heed to this peculiar speech, but left the hall and
hurried to the courtyard of the castle, where Nerle was holding the
horses in readiness for their journey.
Standing around were many rows and files of the Gray Men, and when
they reached the marble roadway they found it lined with motionless
forms of the huge giants. But no one interfered with them in any way,
although both Prince Marvel and Nerle knew that every eye followed
them as they rode forward.
Curiously enough, they had both forgotten from what direction they had
approached the castle; for, whereas they had at that time noticed but
one marble roadway leading to the entrance, they now saw that there were
several of these, each one connecting with a path through the mountains.
"It really doesn't matter which way we go, so long as we get away from
the Kingdom of Spor," said Prince Marvel; so he selected a path by
chance, and soon they were riding through a mountain pass.
The pleased, expectant look on Nerle's face had gradually turned to
one of gloom.
"I hoped we should have a fight to get away," he said, sadly; "and in
that case I might have suffered considerable injury and pain. But no
one has injured us in any way, and perhaps King Terribus is really
glad to be rid of us."
"With good reason, too, if such is the case," laughed Marvel; "for,
mark you, Nerle, the king has discovered we are more powerful than he
is, and had he continued to oppose us, we might have destroyed his
entire army."
On they rode through the rough hill paths, winding this way and that,
until they lost all sense of the direction in which they were going.
"Never mind," said the prince; "so long as we get farther and farther
away from the ugly Terribus I shall be satisfied."
"Perhaps we are getting into more serious danger than ever," answered
Nerle, brightening; "one of the giants told me the other day that near
the foot of these mountains is the Kingdom of the High Ki of Twi."
"Who is the High Ki of Twi?" asked Prince Marvel.
"No one knows," answered Nerle.
"And what is the Kingdom of Twi like?"
"No one knows that," answered Nerle.
"Then," returned the prince, with a smile, "if by chance we visit the
place we shall know more than any one else."
At noon they ate luncheon by the wayside, Nerle having filled his
pouch by stealth at the breakfast table. There were great fragments
of rock lying all about them, and the sun beat down so fiercely that
the heat reflected from the rocks was hard to bear. So the travelers
did not linger over their meal, but remounted and rode away as soon as
possible. When the sun began to get lower in the sky the rocks beside
the path threw the riders into shadow, so that their journey became
more pleasant. They rode along, paying little attention to the way,
but talking and laughing merrily together, until it began to grow dark.
"Does this path never end?" asked Prince Marvel, suddenly. "We ought
to reach some place where men dwell before long, else we shall be
obliged to spend the night among these rocks."
"And then perhaps the wolves will attack us," said Nerle, cheerfully,
"and tear us into pieces with their sharp teeth and claws."
But even as he spoke they rode around a turn in the path and saw a
sight that made them pause in astonishment. For just before them rose
the castle of King Terribus, and along both sides of the marble walk
leading up to it were ranged the lines of giants, exactly as they had
stood in the morning.
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