This would have been his chance but for you.
Tell me, woman, why you warned me. Are we not all equally your
jailers and your enemies?"
"None could be more horrible than Lu-don," she replied; "and you
have the appearance of a brave and honorable warrior. I could not
hope, for hope has died and yet there is the possibility that among
so many fighting men, even though they be of another race than mine,
there is one who would accord honorable treatment to a stranger
within his gates--even though she be a woman."
Ja-don looked at her for a long minute. "Ko-tan would make you
his queen," he said. "That he told me himself and surely that were
honorable treatment from one who might make you a slave."
"Why, then, would he make me queen?" she asked.
Ja-don came closer as though in fear his words might be overheard.
"He believes, although he did not tell me so in fact, that you
are of the race of gods. And why not? Jad-ben-Otho is tailless,
therefore it is not strange that Ko-tan should suspect that only
the gods are thus. His queen is dead leaving only a single daughter.
He craves a son and what more desirable than that he should found
a line of rulers for Pal-ul-don descended from the gods?"
"But I am already wed," cried Jane. "I cannot wed another. I do
not want him or his throne."
"Ko-tan is king," replied Ja-don simply as though that explained
and simplified everything.
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