It was then Robur led Croft to the dais and mounted the steps as one who knew beforehand his place assigned. Croft hung back, and his companion laughed. "Up," he cried. "Tonight you are honored of Aphur above most men." * * * * * Tingling at the knowledge, Croft mounted and seated himself at a wave from Robur's hand. The prince gazed on the brilliant scene with a smile of something like pride. "A goodly company," he said. Croft, too, gazed around before he replied. Surely Robur had spoken aright he thought as he swept the body of the guests where colors blended in endless harmony of shades, and the white arms and shoulders of matron and maid gleamed in the play of the lights. Lights! He cast his eyes about the myriad of flaming lamps and suddenly he smiled. "Yet would it be even more brilliant were the oil lamps removed and in their place we were to put small globes of glass which would emit a radiance not due to oil, but to a glowing filament shut within them, so that they would need no filling, but would burn when a small knob were turned." "Zitu!" Robur gave him a glance. "Are you at it again--with your wonderful dreams?" "Yes." Once more Croft smiled and grew serious as it recurred to his mind that before long he must again return to earth. "Call them dreams, Rob," he said. "Dreams they may be--yet shall you see them come true. And--listen, my loyal friend; it may be that before long I shall dream again as I dreamed before--that my body shall lie as Jasor's body lay in Scira--shall seem to die." "What mean you?" Robur cried. "This you have said before." Croft shook his head. "I may not tell you more; yet I would exact your promise that when the time comes, as I know it will, you shall set a guard about my body and forbid that it be disturbed until I shall again awake with a full knowledge of what more shall be done for Aphur's good." "You mean this--you do not jest?" Robur's voice had grown little better than a whisper, and his eyes burned the question into Croft's brain. "Yes. Will you promise, Rob?" "I will promise, and what I promise I fulfill," said Robur. "Yet--you arouse fancies within me, Jasor. One would think Zitu himself spoke to you in that sleep." "No--yet what I do, I do by His grace," Croft replied. "And from each sleep I am assured shall come good to the Tamarizian race." And suddenly as trumpets announced the arrival of Kyphallos and the King, he felt light, relieved, free. He had arranged for those periods of unconsciousness for Jasor's body, and need not trouble more about it with the promise he had won from Jadgor's son.