“It’s a special sacrifice,” he said; “usually it’s only done on the justice days every five years and six years alternately. And then they drink the cup of wine with some of the bull’s blood in it, and swear to judge truly. And they wear the sacred blue robe, and put out all the Temple fires. But this today is because the City’s so upset by the odd noises from the sea, and the god inside the big mountain speaking with his thunder-voice. But all that’s happened so often before. If anything could make ME uneasy it wouldn’t be _that_.”
“They’re a sort of rat; and every year they come swimming over from the country that no man knows, and stay here awhile, and then swim away. This year they haven’t come. You know rats won’t stay on a ship that’s going to be wrecked. If anything horrible were going to happen to us, it’s my belief those Lemmings would know; and that may be why they’ve fought shy of us.”
“What do you call this country?” asked the Psammead, suddenly putting its head out of its bag.
“Then I advise you to get on to the highest ground you can find. I remember hearing something about a flood here. Look here, you”—it turned to Anthea; “let’s get home. The prospect’s too wet for my whiskers.”
The girls obediently went to find their brothers, who were leaning on the balcony railings.
“Where’s the learned gentleman?” asked Anthea.
“There he is—below,” said the priest, who had come with them. “Your High Ji-jimmy is with the Kings.”
The ten Kings were no longer alone. The learned gentleman—no one had noticed how he got there—stood with them on the steps of an altar, on which lay the dead body of the black bull. All the rest of the courtyard was thick with people, seemingly of all classes, and all were shouting, “The sea—the sea!”
“Be calm,” said the most kingly of the Kings, he who had lassoed the bull. “Our town is strong against the thunders of the sea and of the sky!”
“I want to go home,” whined the Psammead.
“We can’t go without _him_,” said Anthea firmly.
“Jimmy,” she called, “Jimmy!” and waved to him. He heard her, and began to come towards her through the crowd.
They could see from the balcony the sea-captain edging his way out from among the people. And his face was dead white, like paper.