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Page 37
"Nonsense!" retorted the old Ki, angrily. "You are getting more and
more bloodthirsty every day, our sweet and gentle Ki-Ki! But we are
the Ki--and we say the prisoners shall not die!"
"We say they shall!" answered the youthful Ki-Ki, nodding their two
heads at the same time, with a positive motion. "You may be the Ki,
but we are the Ki-Ki, and your superior."
"Not in this case," declared the old men. "Where life and death are
concerned we have equal powers with you."
"And if we disagree?" asked the players, gently.
"Great Kika-koo! If we disagree the High Ki must judge between us!"
roared the twin Ki, excitedly.
"Quite so," answered the Ki-Ki. "The strangers shall die."
"They shall not die!" stormed the old men, with fierce gestures toward
the others, while both pairs of black eyes flashed angrily.
"Then we disagree, and they must be taken to the High Ki," returned
the blond musicians, beginning to play another tune.
The two Ki rose from their thrones, paced two steps to the right and
three steps to the left, and then sat down again.
"Very well!" they said to the captains, who had listened unmoved to
the quarrel of the rulers; "keep these half-men safe prisoners until
to-morrow morning, and then the Ki-Ki and we ourselves will conduct
them to the mighty High Ki."
At this command the twin captains bowed again to both pairs of
rulers and led Prince Marvel and Nerle from the room. Then they
were escorted along the streets to the twin houses of the captains,
and here the officers paused and scratched their left ears with
uncertain gestures.
"There being only half of each of you," they said, "we do not know how
to lock each of you in double rooms."
"Oh, let us both occupy the same room," said Prince Marvel. "We
prefer it."
"Very well," answered the captains; "we must transgress our usual
customs in any event, so you may as well be lodged as you wish."
So Nerle and the prince were thrust into a large and pleasant room of
one of the twin houses, the double doors were locked upon them by twin
soldiers, and they were left to their own thoughts.
15. The High Ki of Twi
"Tell me, Prince, are we awake or asleep?" asked Nerle, as soon as
they were alone.
"There is no question of our being awake," replied the prince, with
a laugh. "But what a curious country it is--and what a funny people!"
"We can't call them odd or singular," said the esquire, "for
everything is even in numbers and double in appearance. It makes me
giddy to look at them, and I keep feeling of myself to make sure there
is still only one of me."
"You are but half a boy!" laughed the prince--"at least so long as
you remain in the Land of Twi."
"I'd like to get out of it in double-quick time," answered Nerle;
"and we should even now be on the other side of the hedge were it
not for that wicked pair of Ki-Ki, who are determined to kill us."
"It is strange," said the prince, thoughtfully, "that the
fierce-looking old Ki should be our friends and the gentle Ki-Ki our
enemies. How little one can tell from appearances what sort of heart
beats in a person's body!"
Before Nerle could answer the two doors opened and two pairs of
soldiers entered. They drew two small tables before the prince and
two before Nerle, and then other pairs of twin soldiers came and
spread cloths on the tables and set twin platters of meat and bread
and fruit on each of the tables. When the meal had been arranged the
prisoners saw that there was enough for four people instead of two;
and the soldiers realized this also, for they turned puzzled looks
first on the tables and then on the prisoners. Then they shook all their
twin heads gravely and went away, locking the twin doors behind them.
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