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Updated: June 23, 2025
"Who are these strangers?" asked the pretty High Ki, speaking together as all the twins of Twi did; "and why are they not mates, but only half of each other?" "These questions, your Supreme Highnesses," said the blond-haired pair of Ki-Ki, "we are unable to answer."
"That is by no means certain," replied Marvel, cutting a piece from one of the twin birds on a platter before him to the extreme surprise of the captains, who had always before seen both birds carved alike at the same time. "Your gray-bearded old Ki say we shall not die." "True," answered the captains. "But the Ki-Ki have declared you shall."
And she has gone to ask the Ki-Ki to assist her, for war is declared between us. And hereafter her color is to be the green and mine the yellow, and we intend to fight until one of us conquers and overthrows the other." This announcement was interesting to Marvel and Nerle, but greatly shocked the aged Ki, who asked: "What is to become of our kingdom? Half of a High Ki can not rule it.
But when the Ki and the Ki-Ki had blown a shrill signal upon two pairs of whistles, they all beheld two flights of silver steps begin to descend from the top of the wall, and these came nearer and nearer the ground until at last they rested at the feet of the Ki. Then the old men began ascending the steps carefully and slowly, and the captains motioned to the prisoners to follow.
"Let the executioners come forward!" cried the Ki-Ki, gleefully, and in answer to the command the twin executioners stepped up to the prisoners. They were big men, these executioners, each having a squint in one eye and a scar on the left cheek.
"There is no such word as 'one' in our language." "They have no need of such a word," declared Nerle. "We are only poor laborers," explained the men. "But over the hills lie the cities of Twi, where the Ki and the Ki-Ki dwell, and also the High Ki." "Ah!" said Marvel, "I've heard of your High Ki. Who is he?" The men shook their heads, together and with the same motion.
"Why, of course! The world is there," returned the prince, laughing. The old men looked puzzled, and glanced sharply from their little black eyes at their prisoners. "We thought nothing existed outside the hedge of Twi," they answered, simply. "But your presence here proves we were wrong. Eh! Ki-Ki?"
This last was again directed toward the pair of musicians, who continued to play and only nodded quietly, as before. "Now that you are here," said the twin Ki, stroking their two gray beards with their two left hands in a nervous way, "it must be evident to you that you do not belong here. Therefore you must go back through the hedge again and stay on the other side. Eh, Ki-Ki?"
"Very well!" they said to the captains, who had listened unmoved to the quarrel of the rulers; "keep these half-men safe prisoners until to-morrow morning, and then the Ki-Ki and we ourselves will conduct them to the mighty High Ki." At this command the twin captains bowed again to both pairs of rulers and led Prince Marvel and Nerle from the room.
Then, turning to the Ki, they asked: "Why have you brought these strangers here?" "To ask your Supreme Highnesses to permit them to return again to the world from whence they came," answered the Ki, both of them regarding their supreme rulers earnestly. But here the Ki-Ki spoke up quickly in their mild voices, saying: "That is not our idea, your Highnesses.
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