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 infuriate 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. (Exit 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 (A WOMAN) (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 Who may say what cloudy dooms are rolling up in the mind of the eldest of the gods. He is no common god like us. Once a shepherd went by him in the mountains and doubted as he went. He sent a doom after that shepherd. CITIZEN Master, we have not doubted. SLAG _And the doom found him on the hills at evening._ SECOND CITIZEN It shall be a good sacrifice, Master. (Re-enter with a dead lamb and fruits. They offer the lamb on an altar where there is fire, and fruits before the altar.) THAHN (stretching out a hand to a lamb upon an altar.) That leg is not being cooked at all. ILLANAUN It is strange that gods should be thus anxious about the cooking of a leg of lamb. OORANDER It is strange certainly. ILLANAUN Almost I had said that it was a man spoke then.