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Page 34
"We are two strangers who have strayed into your country. But I do
not understand why our appearance should so terrify you."
"Why--you are singular! There is only half of each of you!" exclaimed
the two men, together.
"Not so," said the prince, trying hard not to laugh in their faces.
"We may be single, while you appear to be double; but each of us is
perfect, nevertheless."
"Perfect! And only half of you!" cried the men. And again the two
women, who were looking over their husbands' shoulders, screamed at
sight of the strangers; and again the two boys, who were clinging to
their mothers' dresses in the same positions, began to cry.
"We did not know such strange people existed!" said the two men, both
staring at the strangers and then wiping the beads of perspiration
from their two brows with two faded yellow handkerchiefs.
"Nor did we!" retorted the prince. "I assure you we are as much
surprised as you are."
Nerle laughed again at this, and to hear only one of the strangers
speak and the other only laugh seemed to terrify the double people
anew. So Prince Marvel quickly asked:
"Please tell us what country this is?"
"The Land of Twi," answered both men, together.
"Oh! the Land of Twi. And why is the light here so dim?"
continued the prince.
"Dim?" repeated the men, as if surprised; "why, this is twilight,
of course."
"Of course," said Nerle. "I hadn't thought of that. We are in the
long hidden Land of Twi, which all men have heard of, but no man has
found before."
"And who may you be?" questioned the prince, looking from one man
to the other, curiously.
"We are Twis," they answered.
"Twice?"
"Twis--inhabitants of Twi."
"It's the same thing," laughed Nerle. "You see everything twice in
this land."
"Are none of your people single?" asked Prince Marvel.
"Single," returned the men, as if perplexed. "We don't understand."
"Are you all double?--or are some of you just one?" said the prince,
who found it difficult to put his question plainly.
"What does 'one' mean?" asked the men. "There is no such word as
'one' in our language."
"They have no need of such a word," declared Nerle.
"We are only poor laborers," explained the men. "But over the hills
lie the cities of Twi, where the Ki and the Ki-Ki dwell, and also the
High Ki."
"Ah!" said Marvel, "I've heard of your High Ki. Who is he?"
The men shook their heads, together and with the same motion.
"We have never seen the glorious High Ki," they answered. "The sight
of their faces is forbidden. None but the Ki and the Ki-Ki has seen
the Supreme Rulers and High Ki."
"I'm getting mixed," said Nerle. "All this about the Ki and the Ki-Ki
and the High Ki makes me dizzy. Let's go on to the city and explore it."
"That is a good suggestion," replied the prince. "Good by, my
friends," he added, addressing the men.
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