It was not until some time afterward that I learned the reason for this covering of the clipped wings. The wing joints were severed just above the waist line. The feathers on the remaining upper portions were clipped, but through disuse these feathers gradually dropped out entirely. The flesh and muscle underneath was repulsive in appearance--for which reason it was always kept covered. Lua showed me her wings once--mere shrunken stumps of what had once been her most glorious possession. I did not wonder then that the women were ready to fight, almost, rather than part with them. Difficulties of language made our conversation during the meal somewhat halting, although Miela acted as interpreter. Lua and Anina both expressed their immediate determination to learn English, and, with the same persistence that Miela had shown, they set aside nearly everything else to accomplish it. We decided that we should see the king and arrange our future course of action. Whatever was to be done should be done at once--that we all agreed--for Tao's men were steadily gaining favor with a portion of the people, and we had no means of knowing what they would attempt to do. "What will your people think of me?" I suddenly asked Miela. "We have sent our king word that you are here," she answered, "and we have asked that he send a guard to take you to the castle this morning." "A guard?" She smiled. "It is better that the people see you first as a man of importance. You will go to the king under guard. Few will notice you. Then will he, our ruler, arrange that you are shown to the people as a great man--one who has come here to help us--one who is trusted and respected by our king. You see, my husband, the difference?" I did, indeed, though I wondered a little how I should justify this exalted position which was being thrust upon me. After breakfast Lua and Anina busied themselves about the house, while Miela and I went to the rooftop to wait for the king's summons. From here I had my first really good view of the city at close range. Miela's home sat upon a terrace, leveled off on the steep hillside; all the houses in the vicinity were similarly situated. Behind us the mountain rose steeply; in front it dropped away, affording an extended view of the level, palm-dotted country below. The slope of hillside rising abruptly behind us held another house just above the level of the rooftop we were on. As I sat there looking idly about I thought I saw a figure lurking near this higher building. I called Miela's attention to it--the obscure figure of a man standing against a huge palm trunk. As we watched the figure stepped into plainer view. I saw then it _was_ a man, evidently looking down at us. I stood up. There was no one else in sight except a woman on the roof of the other house holding an infant. Something about the man's figure seemed vaguely familiar; my heart leaped suddenly. "Miela," I whispered, "surely that--that is no one of your world."