He sent me away to fight
with the men of the village of Dak-at, who had refused to pay his
tribute to the king, thinking that I would be killed, for Dak-at is
famous for his many fine warriors. And I was not killed. Instead
I returned victorious with the tribute and with Dak-at himself my
prisoner; but Ko-tan was not pleased because he saw that O-lo-a
loved me even more than before, her love being strengthened and
fortified by pride in my achievement.
"Powerful is my father, Ja-don, the Lion-man, chief of the largest
village outside of A-lur. Him Ko-tan hesitated to affront and so
he could not but praise me for my success, though he did it with
half a smile. But you do not understand! It is what we call a smile
that moves only the muscles of the face and affects not the light
of the eyes--it means hypocrisy and duplicity. I must be praised
and rewarded. What better than that he reward me with the hand of
O-lo-a, his daughter? But no, he saves O-lo-a for Bu-lot, son of
Mo-sar, the chief whose great-grandfather was king and who thinks
that he should be king. Thus would Ko-tan appease the wrath of
Mo-sar and win the friendship of those who think with Mo-sar that
Mo-sar should be king.
"But what reward shall repay the faithful Ta-den? Greatly do we
honor our priests. Within the temples even the chiefs and the king
himself bow down to them.
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