"There are twelve of them, and here is the spot chosen for the
thirteenth, which was to have been mine."
To change the subject I asked another question, namely: If there were
more such orchids growing in the country?
"No," she replied, "or at least I never heard of any. Indeed, I have
always been told that this one was brought from far away generations
ago. Also, under an ancient law, it is never allowed to increase. Any
shoots it sends up beyond this ring must be cut off by me and
destroyed with certain ceremonies. You see that seed-pod which has
been left to grow on the stalk of one of last year's blooms. It is now
ripe, and on the night of the next new moon, when the Kalubi comes to
visit me, I must with much ritual burn it in his presence, unless it
has burst before he arrives, in which case I must burn any seedlings
that may spring up with almost the same ritual."
"I don't think the Kalubi will come any more; at least, not while you
are here. Indeed, I am sure of it," I said.
As we were leaving the place, acting on my general principle of making
sure of anything of value when I get the chance, I broke off that ripe
seed-pod, which was of the size of an orange.
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