Argimenes has found a terrible sword and has gone to slay the slave-guard. It is not a common sword, it is some king's sword. AN OLD SLAVE Argimenes will be dreadfully flogged. We shall hear him cry all night. His cries will frighten us, and we shall not sleep. ZARB No, no! The guards flog poor slaves, but Argimenes had an angry look. The guards will be afraid when they see him look so angry and see his terrible sword. It was a huge sword, and he looked very angry. He will bring us the swords of the slave-guard. We must prostrate ourselves before him and kiss his feet or he will be angry with us too. OLD SLAVE Will Argimenes give me a sword? ZARB He will have swords for six of us if he slays the slave-guard. Yes, he will give you a sword. SLAVE A sword! No, no, I must not; the King would kill me if he found that I had a sword. SECOND SLAVE (_slowly, as one who develops an idea_) If the King found that I had a sword, why, then it would be an evil day for the King. [_They all look off left._ ZARB I think that they are playing at dice again. FIRST SLAVE I do not see Argimenes. ZARB No, because he was crouching as he walked. The slave-guard is on the sky-line. SECOND SLAVE What is that dark shadow behind the slave-guard? ZARB It is too still to be Argimenes. SECOND SLAVE Look! It moves. ZARB The evening is too dark, I cannot see. [_They continue to gaze into the gathering darkness. They raise themselves on their knees and crane their necks. Nobody speaks. Then from their lips and from others farther off goes up a long, deep "Oh!" It is like the sound that goes up from the grandstand when a horse falls at a fence, or, in England, like the first exclamation of the crowd at a great cricket match when a man is caught in the slips._ CURTAIN THE SECOND ACT _The Throne Hall of King Darniak. The King is seated on his throne in the centre at the back of the stage; a little to his left, but standing out from the wall, a dark-green seated idol is set up. His Queens are seated about him on the ground, two on his right and two between him and the idol. All wear crowns. Beside the dark-green idol a soldier with a pike is kneeling upon one knee. The tear-song, the chant of the low-born, drifts faintly up from the slave-fields._ FIRST QUEEN Do show us the new prophet, Majesty; it would be very interesting to see another prophet. THE KING Ah, yes. [_He strikes upon a gong, and an Attendant enters, walks straight past the King and bows before the idol; he then walks back to the centre of the stage and bows before the King._ THE KING Bring the new prophet hither. [_Exit Attendant. Enter the King's Overseer holding a roll of paper. He passes the King, bows to the idol, returns to the front of the King, kneels, and remains kneeling with bended head._ THE KING (_speaking in the meanwhile to the Second Queen on his immediate right_)