Naia nodded. Her tone became one of musing. "Bandhor and Kalamita, his sister, on whose beauty he mounted to his position as general of all Zollaria's armies, rather than by any ability of his own, and the court of Zollaria at Berla, have planned before." "Aye," said Kalamita quickly, "we planned, and had won, save for the undreamed weapons this Mouthpiece of yours brought against us--weapons against which no army might stand. Yet before he reclaims Naia of Aphur and her suckling--the secrets of those weapons shall be known. The Zollarian and the Tamarizian armies shall stand on equal footing again. Your Mouthpiece and your nation shall go down through Naia of Aphur--and what then of Jason's son?" Once more I caught my breath. Once more Naia of Aphur went pale as the full scope of Zollaria's scheming was revealed with its undoubted future crop of bloody war, wherein Zollaria would indeed take the field on equal footing with the Tamarizian forces, should Naia's welfare compel the Mouthpiece of Zitu to yield to the demands for ransom the Zollarian woman so confidently proposed. I saw the astral form beside me clench its shadowy hands, sensed something of Jason's emotion, and then Naia of Aphur made answer. "Yet not so surely on equal terms, Zollaria, since he who made the weapons of which you desire the secret may have others still in mind. 'Tis a poor plan to purchase or barter with unlaid eggs." Croft's presence beside me breathed an exclamation softly. "By Zitu--woman of gold." But Kalamita stretched her rosy arms and limbs with a tinkle of little bells, and remained upon the couch. A glint of something like amusement waked in her narrowed eyes. "Your position is worth considering, Aphur," she said slowly. "It may even be put in the agreement that he shall refrain from attempting what you suggest--or that, should he attempt it, the act be an excuse for war." "In which, were the excuse used against her, Zollaria would perchance again be foiled?" "And Naia of Aphur, and Jason, Son of Jason, be emptied of the spirit." "Nay--that is with Zitu," Naia made answer. "Ere this my lord has saved me from the embrace of Zilla. I trust him wholly." And all at once she smiled. Kalamita frowned. "By Bel, at least you have spirit," she said in almost wondering fashion. "Which will not break before you, Priestess of Adita." Naia began a slow rocking of the infant Jason in her arms. The act seemed to drive Kalamita to fury. Once more she lifted herself to a half-sitting posture. She threw out a jewel-banded arm and pointed. Her voice came shrilly--the voice of the termagant robbed of all pretense of control, or poise. "Go--hide yourself in one of the rooms yonder--get out of my sight."