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as you did before: poison each other until there are no chemists left, and no civilization. You will then begin all over again as half-starved ignorant savages, and fight with boomerangs and poisoned arrows until you work up to the poison gases and high explosives once more, with the same result. That is, unless we have sense enough to make an end of this ridiculous game by destroying you. The Envoy Aghast. Destroying us! The Elderly Gentleman I told you, Ambrose. I warned you. The Envoy But⁠— Zoo Impatiently. I wonder what Zozim is doing. He ought to be here to receive you. The Elderly Gentleman Do you mean that rather insufferable young man whom you found boring me on the pier? Zoo Yes. He has to dress-up in a Druid’s robe, and put on a wig and a long false beard, to impress you silly people. I have to put on a purple mantle. I have no patience with such mummery; but you expect it from us; so I suppose it must be kept up. Will you wait here until Zozim comes, please. She turns to enter the temple. The Envoy My good lady, is it worth while dressing-up and putting on false beards for us if you tell us beforehand that it is all humbug? Zoo One would not think so; but if you won’t believe in anyone who is not dressed-up, why, we must dress-up for you. It was you who invented all this nonsense, not we. The Elderly Gentleman But do you expect us to be impressed after this? Zoo I don’t expect anything. I know, as a matter of experience, that you will be impressed. The oracle will frighten you out of your wits. She goes into the temple. The Wife These people treat us as if we were dirt beneath their feet. I wonder at you putting up with it, Amby. It would serve them right if we went home at once: wouldn’t it, Eth? The Daughter Yes, mamma. But perhaps they wouldn’t mind. The Envoy No use talking like that, Molly. I’ve got to see this oracle. The folks at home won’t know how we have been treated: all they’ll know is that I’ve stood face to face with the oracle and had the straight tip from her. I hope this Zozim chap is not going to keep us waiting much longer; for I feel far from comfortable about the approaching interview; and that’s the honest truth. The Elderly Gentleman I never thought I should want to see that man again; but now I wish he would take charge of us instead of Zoo. She was charming at first: quite charming; but she turned into a fiend because I had a few words with her. You would not believe: she very nearly killed me. You heard what she said just now. She belongs to a party here which wants to have us all killed. The Wife Terrified. Us! But we have done nothing: we have been as nice to them as nice could be. Oh, Amby, come away, come away: there is something dreadful about this place and these people. The Envoy There is, and no mistake. But you’re safe with me: you ought to have sense enough to know that. The Elderly Gentleman I am sorry to say, Molly, that it is not merely us four poor weak creatures they want to kill, but the entire race of Man, except themselves. The Envoy Not so poor neither, Poppa. Nor so weak, if you are going to take in all the Powers. If it comes to killing, two can play at that game, long-lived or short-lived. The Elderly Gentleman No, Ambrose: we should have no chance. We are worms beside these fearful people: mere worms. Zozim comes from the temple, robed majestically, and wearing a wreath of mistletoe in his flowing white wig. His false beard reaches almost to his waist. He carries a staff with a curiously carved top. Zozim In the doorway, impressively. Hail, strangers! All Reverently. Hail! Zozim Are ye prepared? The Envoy We are. Zozim Unexpectedly becoming conversational, and strolling down carelessly to the middle of the group between the two ladies. Well, I’m sorry to say the oracle is not. She was delayed by some member of your party who got loose; and as the show takes a bit of arranging, you will have to wait a few minutes. The ladies can go inside and look round the entrance hall and get pictures and things if they want them. Together. The Wife Thank you. The Daughter I should like to very much. They go into the temple. The Elderly Gentleman In dignified rebuke of Zozim’s levity. Taken in this spirit, sir, the show, as you call it, becomes almost an insult to our common sense. Zozim Quite, I should say. You need not keep it up with me. The Envoy Suddenly making himself very agreeable. Just so: just so. We can wait as long as you please. And now, if I may be allowed to seize the opportunity of a few minutes’ friendly chat⁠—? Zozim By all means, if only you will talk about things I can understand. The Envoy Well, about this colonizing plan of yours. My father-in-law here has been telling me something about it; and he has just now let out that you want not only to colonize us, but to⁠—to⁠—to⁠—well, shall we say to supersede us? Now why supersede us? Why not live and let live? Theres not a scrap of ill-feeling on our side. We should welcome a colony of immortals⁠—we may almost call you that⁠—in the British Middle East. No doubt the Turanian Empire, with its Muhammadan traditions, overshadows us now. We have had to bring the Emperor with us on this expedition, though of course you know as well as I do that he has imposed himself on my party just to spy on me. I don’t deny that he has the whip hand of us to some extent, because if it came to a war