[_Agmar transfers the thick handle of his long staff to his left armpit, he droops on to it and it supports his weight; he is upright no longer. His right arm hangs limp and useless. He hobbles up to the citizens imploring alms._ ILLANAUN I am sorry. I cannot help you. There have been too many beggars here and we must decline alms for the good of the town. AGMAR (_sitting down and weeping_) I have come from far. [_Illanaun presently returns and gives Agmar a coin. Exit Illanaun. Agmar, erect again, walks back to the others._ AGMAR We shall need fine raiment; let the thief start at once. Let it rather be green raiment. BEGGAR I will go and fetch the thief. (_Exit_) ULF We will dress ourselves as lords and impose upon the city. OOGNO Yes, yes; we will say we are ambassadors from a far land. ULF And there will be good eating. SLAG (_in an undertone to Ulf_) But you do not know my master. Now that you have suggested that we shall go as lords, he will make a better suggestion. He will suggest that we should go as kings. ULF Beggars as kings! SLAG Ay. You do not know my master. ULF (_to Agmar_) What do you bid us do? AGMAR You shall first come by the fine raiment in the manner I have mentioned. ULF And what then, master? AGMAR Why, then we shall go as gods. BEGGARS As gods! AGMAR As gods. Know you the land through which I have lately come in my wanderings? Marma, where the gods are carved from green stone in the mountains. They sit all seven of them against the hills. They sit there motionless and travellers worship them. ULF Yes, yes, we know those gods. They are much reverenced here, but they are drowsy and send us nothing beautiful. AGMAR They are of green jade. They sit cross-legged with their right elbows resting on their left hands, the right forefinger pointing upward. We will come into the city disguised, from the direction of Marma, and will claim to be these gods. We must be seven as they are. And when we sit we must sit cross-legged as they do, with the right hand uplifted. ULF This is a bad city in which to fall into the hands of oppressors, for the judges lack amiability here as the merchants lack benevolence, ever since the gods forgot them. AGMAR In our ancient calling a man may sit at one street corner for fifty years doing the one thing, and yet a day may come when it is well for him to rise up and do another thing while the timorous man starves. ULF Also it were well not to anger the gods. AGMAR Is not all life a beggary to the gods? Do they not see all men always begging of them and asking alms with incense, and bells, and subtle devices? OOGNO Yes, all men indeed are beggars before the gods. AGMAR Does not the mighty Soldan often sit by the agate altar in his royal temple as we sit at a street corner or by a palace gate? ULF It is even so. AGMAR