The professor replied that he did mean it, and went on to tell how the unexpected result had been accomplished. Before he had fairly finished, the king, clad in his robes of state and accompanied by a dozen members of his household, could be seen approaching across the square. Attendants followed the royal party, bearing basins of food, a chair on which his majesty could repose himself and a canopy to shield his august person from the reflected rays of the sun. "The first thing you do, Quinn," said Meigs, while the royal party was making itself comfortable, "tell the king I’ve got to have my clothes." "Have patience, Mr. Meigs," answered the professor. "Patience?" spluttered Meigs. "Merciful powers, man! How can I be patient and cut such a figure as this?" "Attend his majesty!" came from a word-box among the king’s suite. "Our gracious sovereign is about to speak." Our close attention being secured, the king remarked: "Now that these colossi have been spared they will need food. See that it is given them." This command was very satisfactory to me, for I was little short of famished. Presently our paddles were flying over the basins, and we were breaking our fast in a way that made the king open his eyes. The lord of the exchequer—a most important officer of state—drew near his majesty and said that if the kingdom was going to board us for any length of time it would behoove them to till all the crown lands and get every available acre into produce. The king made answer that the little man with the beady eyes was a wonder-worker; he had taken care of the executioner-general with a mere wave of the hand, and no doubt he could, with a stamp of the foot, materialize as much food as he wanted and whenever he wanted. The lord of the exchequer thereupon retired in much confusion. In the midst of our repast we were startled by a voice behind us. "Gentlemen, gentlemen! Out of your abundant store will you not have the goodness to give me a few mouthfuls of food? I’m starving, literally starving!" "Markham!" cried Meigs, whirling around. "Mr. Markham!" exclaimed the professor. The food-trust magnate was fully clad, although his clothing showed signs of much hard usage. His cheeks were sunken and pale, while his eyes were round and abnormally bright. In his left hand was a metal plate, and in his right a small paddle. Both Meigs and Quinn started toward Markham with the food that still remained in their basins. The zet-ring, however, reared its intangible barrier between so that Markham could not so much as touch the receptacles extended toward him.