A messenger had been dispatched by Ko-tan to announce
the coming visit of the son of Jad-ben-Otho with the result that
they were accompanied through the temple by a considerable procession
of priests whose distinguishing mark of profession seemed to consist
in grotesque headdresses; sometimes hideous faces carved from wood
and entirely concealing the countenances of their wearers, or again,
the head of a wild beast cunningly fitted over the head of a man.
The high priest alone wore no such head-dress. He was an old man
with close-set, cunning eyes and a cruel, thin-lipped mouth.
At first sight of him Tarzan realized that here lay the greatest danger
to his ruse, for he saw at a glance that the man was antagonistic
toward him and his pretensions, and he knew too that doubtless of
all the people of Pal-ul-don the high priest was most likely to
harbor the truest estimate of Jad-ben-Otho, and, therefore, would
look with suspicion on one who claimed to be the son of a fabulous
god.
No matter what suspicion lurked within his crafty mind, Lu-don,
the high priest of A-lur, did not openly question Tarzan's right
to the title of Dor-ul-Otho, and it may be that he was restrained
by the same doubts which had originally restrained Ko-tan and
his warriors--the doubt that is at the bottom of the minds of all
blasphemers even and which is based upon the fear that after all
there may be a god.
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