“Ye have asked me, and I have answered: but now scarce will ye believe the foe that I have provoked against me; and by the heavens themselves I swear, that if my death would satisfy their fury, nor bring down upon yourselves, and your children’s children, the anger of the throned stars, gladly would I give my bosom to the knife. Yes,” he cried, lifting up his voice, and pointing his shadowy arm towards the hall where the king sat by the pine-fire--“yes, thou whom by my voice the stars chose above thy brother--yes, Siror, the guilty one! take thy sword, and come hither--strike, if thou hast the heart to strike, the Prophet of the Gods!” The king started to his feet, and the crowd were hushed in a shuddering silence. Morven resumed: “Know then, O men of Oestrich, that Siror and Voltoch, his brother, and Darvan, the elder of the wise men, have purposed to slay your prophet, even at such hour as when alone he seeks the shade of the forest to devise new benefits for you. Let the king deny it, if he can!” Then Voltoch, of the giant limbs, strode forth from the hall, and his spear quivered in his hand. “Rightly hast thou spoken, base son of my father’s herdsman! and for thy sins shalt thou surely die; for thou liest when thou speakest of thy power with the stars, and thou laughest at the folly of them who hear thee: wherefore put him to death.” Then the chiefs in the hall clashed their arms, and rushed forth to slay the son of Osslah. But he, stretching his unarmed hands on high, exclaimed: “Hear him, O dread ones of the night--hark how he blasphemeth.” Then the crowd took up the word, and cried: “He blasphemeth--he blasphemeth against the prophet!” But the king and the chiefs who hated Morven, because of his power with the people, rushed into the crowd; and the crowd were irresolute, nor knew they how to act, for never yet had they rebelled against their chiefs, and they feared alike the prophet and the king. And Siror cried: “Summon Darvan to us, for he bath watched the steps of Morven, and he shall lift the veil from my people’s eyes.” Then three of the swift of foot started forth to the house of Darvan. And Morven cried out with a loud voice: “Hark! thus saith the star who, now riding through yonder cloud breaks forth upon my eyes--‘For the lie that the elder hath uttered against my servant, the curse of the stars shall fall upon him.’ Seek, and as ye find him, so may ye find ever the foes of Morven and the gods.” A chill and an icy fear fell over the crowd, and even the cheek of Siror grew pale; and Morven, erect and dark above the waving torches, stood motionless with folded arms. And hark--far and fast came on the war-steeds of the wave--the people heard them marching to the land, and tossing their white manes in the roaring wind. “Lo, as ye listen,” said Morven, calmly, “the river sweeps on. Haste, for the gods will have a victim, be it your prophet or your king.”