"Ah!" exclaimed Kalfastoban, "my good slave, Caraftap; the best in the quarry. Why is he brought here?"
"He says that he has information of great value," replied one of the guard; "but he will divulge it to none but you. He has staked his life against the worth of his information and the Novand of the guard ordered him brought hither."
"What information have you?" demanded Kalfastoban.
"It is of great moment," cried Caraftap. "Noble Zoanthrohago, and even the king, will be grateful for it; but were I to give it and have to return to the quarries the other slaves would kill me. You were always good to me, Kalfastoban Vental, and so I asked to be brought to you, for I know that if you promise that I shall be rewarded with the white tunic, if my service is considered worthy of it, I shall be safe."
"You know that I cannot do that," replied Kalfastoban.
"But the king can, and if you intercede with him he will not refuse."
"I can promise to intercede with the king in your behalf if the information you bring is of value; but that is all I can do."
"That is enough--if you promise," said Caraftap.
"Very well, I promise. What do you know that the king would like to know?"
"News travels fast in Veltopismakus," said Caraftap, "and so it was that we in the quarry heard of the death of the two slaves, Aoponato and Zuanthrol, within a short time after their bodies were discovered. As both had been slaves of Zoanthrohago we were all confined together in one chamber and thus I knew them both well. Imagine then my surprise when, while crossing one of the main spirals with a crew of other slaves, I beheld both Zuanthrol and Aoponato, in the habiliments of warriors, ascending toward the surface."
"What is the appearance of these two?" suddenly demanded one of the warriors who had accompanied Caraftap from the quarry.
The slave described them as fully as he could.
"The same!" cried the warrior. "These very two stopped me upon the spiral and inquired the whereabouts of Kalfastoban."
A crowd of women and men had gathered in the doorway of Kalfastoban's chamber, having been attracted by the presence of a green slave accompanied by members of the quarry guard. One of them was a young slave girl.
"I, too, was questioned by these very men," she exclaimed, "only a short time since, and they asked me the same question."