What?

AGMAR

My little sister.

SLAG

Our little sister the moon. She comes to us at evenings away in the mountains of Marma. She trips over the mountains when she is young.

When she is young and slender she comes and dances before us, and when she is old and unshapely she hobbles away from the hills.

AGMAR

Yet is she young again and forever nimble with youth; yet she comes dancing back. The years are not able to curb her nor to bring gray hairs to her brethren.

OORANDER

This is not wonted.

ILLANAUN

It is not in accordance with custom.

AKMOS

Prophecy hath not thought it.

SLAG

She comes to us new and nimble, remembering olden loves.

OORANDER

It were well that prophets should come and speak to us.

ILLANAUN

This hath not been in the past. Let prophets come. Let prophets speak to us of future things.

[_The beggars seat themselves upon the floor in the att.i.tude of the seven G.o.ds of Marma._

CITIZEN

I heard men speak to-day in the market place. They speak of a prophecy read somewhere of old. It says the seven G.o.ds shall come from Marma in the guise of men.

ILLANAUN

Is this a true prophecy?

OORANDER

It is all the prophecy we have. Man without prophecy is like a sailor going by night over uncharted seas. He knows not where are the rocks nor where the havens. To the man on watch all things ahead are black and the stars guide him not, for he knows not what they are.

ILLANAUN

Should we not investigate this prophecy?

OORANDER

Let us accept it. It is as the small, uncertain light of a lantern, carried it may be by a drunkard, but along the sh.o.r.e of some haven. Let us be guided.

AKMOS

It may be that they are but benevolent G.o.ds.

AGMAR

There is no benevolence greater than our benevolence.

ILLANAUN

Then we need do little: they portend no danger to us.

AGMAR

There is no anger greater than our anger.

OORANDER

Let us make sacrifice to them if they be G.o.ds.

AKMOS

We humbly worship you, if ye be G.o.ds.

ILLANAUN (_kneeling too_)

You are mightier than all men and hold high rank among other G.o.ds and are lords of this our city, and have the thunder as your plaything and the whirlwind and the eclipse and all the destinies of human tribes--if ye be G.o.ds.

AGMAR

Let the pestilence not fall at once upon this city, as it had indeed designed to; let not the earthquake swallow it all immediately up amid the howls of the thunder; let not infuriated armies overwhelm those that escape--if we be G.o.ds--

POPULACE (_in horror_)

If we be G.o.ds!

OORANDER