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〃 'For the last time of answering； I will；' said Dravot； and he went away
through the pine…trees looking like a big red devil； the sun being on his
crown and beard and all。
〃But getting a wife was not as easy as Dan thought。 He put it before
the Council； and there was no answer till Billy Fish said that he'd better
ask the girls。 Dravot damned them all round。 'What's wrong with me？' he
shouts； standing by the idol Imbra。 'Am I a dog； or am I not enough of a
man for your wenches？ Haven't I put the shadow of my hand over this
country？ Who stopped the last Afghan raid？' It was me really； but Dravot
was too angry to remember。 'Who bought your guns？ Who repaired the
bridges？ Who's the Grand Master of the sign cut in the stone？' says he； and
he thumped his hand on the block that he used to sit on in Lodge； and at
Council； which opened like Lodge always。 Billy Fish said nothing； and no
more did the others。 'Keep your hair on； Dan；' said I； 'and ask the girls。
That's how it's done at Home； and these people are quite English。'
〃 'The marriage of the King is a matter of State；' says Dan； in a white…
hot rage； for he could feel； I hope； that he was going against his better
mind。 He walked out of the Council…room； and the others sat still； looking
at the ground。
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〃 'Billy Fish；' says I to the Chief of Bashkai； 'what's the difficulty here？
A straight answer to a true friend。'
〃 'You know；' says Billy Fish。 'How should a man tell you who knows
everything？ How can daughters of men marry Gods or Devils？ It's not
proper。'
〃I remembered something like that in the Bible； but； if after seeing us
as long as they had； they still believed we were Gods； it wasn't for me to
undeceive them。
〃 'A God can do anything；' says I。 'If the King is fond of a girl he'll not
let her die。' 'She'll have to；' said Billy Fish。 'There are all sorts of Gods and
Devils in these mountains； and now and again a girl marries one of them
and isn't seen any more。 Besides； you two know the Mark cut in the stone。
Only the Gods know that。 We thought you were men till you showed the
sign of the Master。'
〃I wished then that we had explained about the loss of the genuine
secrets of a Master Mason at the first go…off； but I said nothing。 All that
night there was a blowing of horns in a little dark temple half… way down
the hill； and I heard the girl crying fit to die。 One of the priests told us that
she was being prepared to marry the King。
〃 'I'll have no nonsense of that kind；' says Dan。 'I don't want to interfere
with your customs； but I'll take my own wife。' 'The girl's a little bit afraid；'
says the priest。 'She thinks she's going to die； and they are a…heartening of
her up down in the temple。'
〃 'Hearten her very tender； then；' says Dravot； 'or I'll hearten you with
the butt of a gun so you'll never want to be heartened again。' He licked his
lips； did Dan； and stayed up walking about more than half the night；
thinking of the wife that he was going to get in the morning。 I wasn't any
means comfortable； for I knew that dealings with a woman in foreign parts；
though you was a crowned King twenty times over； could not but be risky。
I got up very early in the morning while Dravot was asleep； and I saw the
priests talking together in whispers； and the Chiefs talking together too；
and they looked at me out of the corners of their eyes。
〃 'What is up； Fish？' I say to the Bashkai man； who was wrapped up in
his furs and looking splendid to behold。
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〃 'I can't rightly say；' says he； 'but if you can make the King drop all
this nonsense about marriage； you'll be doing him and me and yourself a
great service。'
〃 'That I do believe；' says I。 'But sure； you know； Billy； as well as me；
having fought against and for us； that the King and me are nothing more
than two of the finest men that God Almighty ever made。 Nothing more； I
do assure you。'
〃 'That may be；' says Billy Fish； 'and yet I should be sorry if it was。' He
sinks his head upon his great fur cloak for a minute and thinks。 'King；' says
he； 'be you man or God or Devil； I'll stick by you to…day。 I have twenty of
my men with me； and they will follow me。 We'll go to Bashkai until the
storm blows over。'
〃 A little snow had fallen in the night； and everything was white except
the greasy fat clouds that blew down and down from the north。 Dravot
came out with his crown on his head； swinging his arms and stamping his
feet； and looking more pleased than Punch。
〃 'For the last time； drop it； Dan；' says I； in a whisper； 'Billy Fish here
says that there will be a row。'
〃 'A row among my people！' says Dravot。 'Not much。 Peachey； you're a
fool not to get a wife too。 Where's the girl？' says he； with a voice as loud
as the braying of a jackass。 'Call up all the Chiefs and priests； and let the
Emperor see if his wife suits him。'
〃There was no need to call any one。 They were all there leaning on
their guns and spears round the clearing in the centre of the pine wood。 A
lot of priests went down to the little temple to bring up the girl； and the
horns blew fit to wake the dead。 Billy Fish saunters round and gets as
close to Daniel as he could； and behind him stood his twenty men with
matchlocksnot a man of them under six feet。 I was next to Dravot； and
behind me was twenty men of the regular Army。 Up comes the girl； and a
strapping wench she was； covered with silver and turquoises； but white as
death； and looking back every minute at the priests。
〃 'She'll do；' said Dan； looking her over。 'What's to be afraid of； lass？
Come and kiss me。' He puts his arm round her。 She shuts her eyes； gives a
bit of a squeak； and down goes her face in the side of Dan's flaming…red
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beard。
〃 'The slut's bitten me！' says he； clapping his hand to his neck； and；
sure enough； his hand was red with blood。 Billy Fish and two of his
matchlock men catches hold of Dan by the shoulders and drags him into
the Bashkai lot； while the priests howls in their lingo； 'Neither God nor
Devil； but a man！' I was all taken aback； for a priest cut at me in front； and
the Army behind began firing into the Bashkai men。
〃 'God A'mighty！' says Dan； 'what is the meaning o' this？'
〃 'Come back！ Come away！' says Billy Fish。 'Ruin and Mutiny is the
matter。 We'll break for Bashkai if we can。'
〃I tried to give some sort of orders to my men；the men o' the regular
Army；but it was no use； so I fired into the brown of 'em with an English
Martini and drilled three beggars in a line。 The valley was full of shouting；
howling creatures； and every soul was shrieking； 'Not a God nor a Devil；
but only a man！' The Bashkai troops stuck to Billy Fish all they were
worth； but their matchlocks wasn't half as good as the Kabul breech…
loaders； and four of them dropped。 Dan was bellowing like a bull； for he
was very wrathy； and Billy Fish had a hard job to prevent him running out
at the crowd。
〃 'We can't stand；' says Billy Fish。 'Make a run for it down the valley！
The whole place is against us。' The matchlock…men ran； and we went down
the valley in spite of Dravot。 He was swearing horrible and crying out that
he was a King。 The priests rolled great stones on us； and the regular Army
fired hard； and there wasn't more than six men； not counting Dan； Billy
Fish； and Me； that came down to the bottom of the valley alive。
〃Then they stopped firing； and the horns in the temple blew again。
'Come awayfor Gord's sake come away！' says Billy Fish。 'They'll send
runners out to all the villages before ever we get to Bashkai。 I can protect
you there； but I can't do anything now。〃
〃My own notion is that Dan began to go mad in his head from that
hour。 He stared up and down like a stuck pig。 Then he was all for walking
back alone and killing the priests with his bare hands； which he could have
done。 'An Emperor am I；' says Daniel； 'and next year I shall be a Knight of
the Queen。'