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 attitude of the seven gods 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 gods 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 shore of some haven. Let us be guided. AKMOS It may be that they are but benevolent gods. 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 gods. AKMOS We humbly worship you, if ye be gods. ILLANAUN (_kneeling too_) You are mightier than all men and hold high rank among other gods 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 gods. 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 gods-- POPULACE (_in horror_) If we be gods! OORANDER Come, let us sacrifice. ILLANAUN Bring lambs. AKMOS Quick! Quick! (_Exeunt some_) SLAG (_with solemn air_) This god is a very divine god. THAHN He is no common god. MLAN Indeed he has made us. CITIZEN (_to Slag_) He will not punish us, master? None of the gods will punish us? We will make a sacrifice, a good sacrifice. ANOTHER We will sacrifice a lamb that the priests have blessed. FIRST CITIZEN Master, you are not wroth with us? SLAG