"It is a marvel that you escaped, for already they were preparing the
awful sacrifice. The chief priest was amazed when an interposition was
made on your behalf. Such a thing had never been known, and, as I have
said, it was only by acting upon his superstition that I succeeded, with
Ala's assistance, in obtaining a reprieve. As the case stands, we find
ourselves occupying a dangerous eminence, which it may be difficult for
us to maintain. I must beseech you to be on your guard, and to act only
under my direction. It is all the more serious for us because I am
convinced that Ingra has no faith whatever in the legend which protects
us. He persists in believing that we are simply interlopers from the dark
hemisphere, and the opposition between him and Ala has now become so
sharp that he would gladly witness our destruction. I am sure that he
will do his utmost to unmask us, and thus send us to our death."
"But--" I began.
"Wait a moment," said Edmund, "I have not yet finished. I must now tell
you who Ingra is. _He is the destined consort of Ala._ That explains his
influence over her. From what I can make out, it appears that he is of
the royal blood, and that the marriage of the queen is arranged, not by
her preference, but by an unwritten law, administered by the chief
priest.
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