'Nothing,' said Poyning. 'At least for the present. I've ruined you, Mirlees, and if I'm not careful I shall ruin Philipson too--without bettering my own prospects one scrap. What he told us of his position here is more than confirmed by what I have learned from Helene. Our coming to the city has given rise to dissension and intrigues which had never been known in its history before. The Kalliphanes faction, who deny Philipson's claim to the throne, are desperately afraid our discovery of the valley will eventually lead to its being invaded by the outer world at large, and they will stick at nothing to prevent this. They are using the fear of it as a lever to win over the Nine, urging that if Philipson were the true Alexander he would not have brought danger--meaning us two--into the state from without. It is no pretended fear of theirs, either, nor confined to their faction. It was strong enough, as I believe, to cause Kalliboas to murder my father on the mere suspicion that he was trying to escape from the valley.' 'Pretty ghastly outlook for us if _we_ try to escape,' I said. Poyning was staring straight ahead of him, as if into the far future. 'For me there will be no escape from this valley, Mirlees,' he said. 'I shall not attempt it.' 'D'you mean you'll be content to stay here always?' 'Here, or anywhere else Helene may be. I never loved a woman before, but I love one now. I love her more than my life, more than my honour. I shall never go back to the world to clear my father's name now. Even if it were possible for me to get out of the valley alive--which I don't think it is--I would not go. I shall stay here and see the business through. They may kill me for resisting the Nine, but till they do I shall demand and continue to demand that my father's murderer be punished. They may kill me on the score of Helene. She is looked upon by these people as little short of divine. God knows what is to happen to the stray foreigner who has dared to love her. And you, Mirlees, what will you think of me? If you try to escape you will be left to do it alone.' 'It won't be the first time in my life I've been in that situation,' I said. 'As for you, and Philipson too for that matter, it seems to me circumstances have been too strong for the both of you. Philipson may have known more than he chose to tell me, but he can hardly have guessed that if he brought me into this valley I should be unable to get out. And you weren't to know you would meet your fate here.' Poyning's face brightened immeasurably. 'Then you don't think the worse of me for it?' he cried.