The heads of the others
were bare, but this man wore a round cap entirely covered with
gold embroidery, from which we judged that he was a person of
great importance; and indeed we afterwards discovered that he
was Agon, the High Priest of the country. As we approached,
all these men, including the priests, rose and bowed to us with
the greatest courtesy, at the same time placing the two fingers
across the lips in salutation. Then soft-footed attendants advanced
from between the pillars, bearing seats, which were placed in
a line in front of the thrones. We three sat down, Alphonse
and Umslopogaas standing behind us. Scarcely had we done so
when there came a blare of trumpets from some passage to the
right, and a similar blare from the left. Next a man with a
long white wand of ivory appeared just in front of the right-hand
throne, and cried out something in a loud voice, ending with
the word _Nyleptha_, repeated three times; and another man, similarly
attired, called out a similar sentence before the other throne,
but ending with the word _Sorais_, also repeated thrice. Then
came the tramp of armed men from each side entrance, and in filed
about a score of picked and magnificently accoutred guards, who
formed up on each side of the thrones, and let their heavy iron-handled
spears fall simultaneously with a clash upon the black marble
flooring.
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