If you sacrifice your crown which is your pride, and if the stars accept it, perhaps the god that they sent may avert the doom and you may still reign in your kingdom though humbled and uncrowned. KING Shall I burn my crown with spices and with incense or cast it into the sea? CHIEF PROPHET Let it be laid here by the iron door where the god came who wrote the golden doom. When he comes again by night to shrivel up the city or to pour an enemy in through the iron door, he will see your cast-off pride and perhaps accept it and take it away to the neglected stars. KING (_to the Chamberlain_) Go after my spies and say that I make no sacrifice. (_Exit the Chamberlain to the right; the King takes off his crown_) Good-bye, my brittle glory; kings have sought you; the stars have envied you. (_The stage grows darker_) CHIEF PROPHET Even now the sun has set who denies the stars, and the day is departed wherein no gods walk abroad. It is near the hour when spirits roam the earth and all things that go unseen, and the faces of the abiding stars will be soon revealed to the fields. Lay your crown there and let us come away. KING _(lays his crown before the iron door; then to the Sentries_) Go! And let no man come near the door all night. THE SENTRIES (_kneeling_) Yes, Majesty. [_They remain kneeling until after the King has gone. King and the Chief Prophet walk away._ CHIEF PROPHET It was your pride. Let it be forgotten. May the stars accept it. (_Exeunt left_) [_The Sentries rise._ FIRST SENTRY The stars have envied him! SECOND SENTRY It is an ancient crown. He wore it well. FIRST SENTRY May the stars accept it. SECOND SENTRY If they do not accept it what doom will overtake him? FIRST SENTRY It will suddenly be as though there were never any city of Zericon nor two sentries like you and me standing before the door. SECOND SENTRY Why! How do you know? FIRST SENTRY That is ever the way of the gods. SECOND SENTRY But it is unjust. FIRST SENTRY How should the gods know that? SECOND SENTRY Will it happen to-night? FIRST SENTRY Come! we must march away. (_Exeunt right_) [_The stage grows increasingly darker. Reënter the Chamberlain from the right. He walks across the Stage and goes out to the left. Reënter Spies from the right. They cross the stage, which is now nearly dark._ BOY (_enters from the right, dressed in white, his hands out a little, crying_) King's door, King's door, I want my little hoop. (_He goes up to the King's door. When he sees the King's crown there, he utters a satisfied_) O-oh! (_He takes it up, puts it on the ground, and, beating it before him with the sceptre, goes out by the way that he entered_) [_The great door opens; there is light within; a furtive Spy slips out and sees that the crown is gone. Another Spy slips out. Their crouching heads come close together._ FIRST SPY (_hoarse whisper_) The gods have come!