A few days later I was again talking with Kamlot in my cabin when we were interrupted by a whistle at the door; and when I bade him do so, one of the Vepajan prisoners that we had rescued from the _Sovong_ entered. He was not from Kooaad but from another city of Vepaja, and therefore none of the other Vepajans aboard knew anything concerning him. His name was Vilor, and he appeared to be a decent sort of fellow, though rather inclined to taciturnity. He had manifested considerable interest in the klangans and was with them often, but had explained this idiosyncrasy on the grounds that he was a scholar and wished to study the birdmen, specimens of which he had never before seen. “I have come,” he explained in response to my inquiry, “to ask you to appoint me an officer. I should like to join your company and share in the work and responsibilities of the expedition.” “We are well officered now,” I explained, “and have all the men we need. Furthermore,” I added frankly, “I do not know you well enough to be sure of your qualifications. By the time we reach Vepaja, we shall be better acquainted; and if I need you then, I will tell you.” “Well, I should like to do something,” he insisted. “May I guard the janjong until we reach Vepaja?” He referred to Duare, whose title, compounded of the two words daughter and king, is synonymous to princess. I thought that I noticed just a trace of excitement in his voice as he made the request. “She is well guarded now,” I explained. “But I should like to do it,” he insisted. “It would be a service of love and loyalty for my jong. I could stand the night guard; no one likes that detail ordinarily.” “It will not be necessary,” I said shortly; “the guard is already sufficient.” “She is in the after cabins of the second deck house, is she not?” he asked. I told him that she was. “And she has a special guard?” “A man is always before her door at night,” I assured him. “Only one?” he demanded, as though he thought the guard insufficient. “In addition to the regular watch, we consider one man enough; she has no enemies aboard the _Sofal_.” These people were certainly solicitous of the welfare and safety of their royalty, I thought; and, it seemed to me, unnecessarily so. But finally Vilor gave up and departed, after begging me to give his request further thought. “He seems even more concerned about the welfare of Duare than you,” I remarked to Kamlot after Vilor had gone. “Yes, I noticed that,” replied my lieutenant thoughtfully. “There is no one more concerned about her than I,” I said, “but I cannot see that any further precautions are necessary.” “Nor I,” agreed Kamlot; “she is quite well protected now.”