*CHAPTER XXV.*
*AGRANDO THROWS OFF THE MASK.*
King Agrando sat in his own particular sanctum, watching, with absorbedattention, the proceedings of the Diamond King, who was engaged infitting together, by way of trial, the several parts of a new crown.
Upon the table before him were spread out several heaps of lustrous,sparkling loose stones, some of which must have been among the finest oftheir kind in existence.
Agrando had made up his mind that this new crown was to be the mostmagnificent that ever adorned the head of mortal potentate. Had he nothere at hand to advise him the greatest living authority upon suchsubjects--Zuanstroom to wit--who claimed that he had seen, handled,examined, and photographed the most splendid crowns which graced thevarious royal heads upon our planet?
Zuanstroom picked up the gems one by one, and placed them tentatively inthe golden framework, stepping back from time to time to observe theeffect, as does an artist with his picture. Then, if the result did notcommend itself to his sense of the fitness of things, he would take someof them out, and replace them with others of a different size or colour.
Agrando looked on, a curious variety of expressions flitting across hisface. He could not but admire the beauty of the work of art which wasslowly growing under his eyes. Yet he grudged the worker the delight ofhandling the bewitching jewels.
To these two there entered Kazzaro. It was easy to see that he was putout about something or other, and that he was in a very bad humour evenfor him, which is saying a good deal. It should rather be said,perhaps, that it would have been easy to perceive this if any one hadlooked at him; as a matter of exact fact, no one did. Agrando's gaze wasfixed upon the table as though he feared that if he removed it for asingle instant some one would snatch at an odd stone and hide it away.He knew his henchman's voice, and had no need to make use of his sightto inform him who it was who had intruded upon his privacy.
'All gone wrong--miscarried!' he heard Kazzaro grumble. 'That youngupstart Alondra has escaped my snare after all!'
'So,' said Agrando, without taking his glance off the table, 'you 'vemanaged to blunder again, then?'
'Blunder, indeed!' growled the Ogre. 'I thought he was safe. I as goodas watched him drown! I saw him in the deadly coils which no one hasever escaped before, up to his very neck in water. Then I came away inhaste, for fear some one might enter and find me there. Some one didenter--must have done, I imagine--and just in time to rescue him, afterall!'
The king muttered something between his teeth.
Just then an officer came in and said something to Kazzaro in a lowtone. The latter started, turned visibly pale, and then, without aword, left the apartment with him.
He was gone about a quarter of an hour, and when he returned he wasalmost choking with rage.
'It's all up!' he cried, throwing his hands into the air. 'There istreachery--treason--at work! Some strangers have made their way belowand rescued Malandris from the cage. He is missing, and so is Malto;and there are signs that some of your visitors from the evening starhave been there, for they have killed one of the krudias with theirfire-weapons. Did I not warn you against ever allowing these people tocome here prying about? This is what has come of it!'
Agrando at last was roused, and he turned his eyes from his belovedjewels. But when his gaze fell upon Kazzaro there was in it a menacewhich made even that hardened miscreant tremble.
'Miserable wretch!' thundered his master. 'You dare to say this to meas an excuse for your own clumsy blundering and lack of vigilance! ByKrondris, I'----
What awful threat he was about to utter, however, cannot be told, for hewas interrupted by the unceremonious entry of Zuanstroom's son Silas.
'Father, father!' he exclaimed, failing, in his excitement, to noticethe black looks cast at him by Agrando. 'Gerald and Jack have beenshooting some of King Agrando's soldiers, who have got them shut up inthe pavilion tower! Alondra is with them, and two of King Agrando'sofficers. I know their names--they are Malto and Malandris! I saw themshoot down a man sent to bring them back when they were running away.'Out of breath, first with running and then with this speech, pouredforth in a violent hurry, Silas subsided, panting, into a chair.
'They are in the pavilion--that tower by the side of the place where"the great beast," as you call it, lives?' asked Agrando with deadlycalmness.
'Yes, sir. They are defying all your people there, hoping, I expect, tobe taken off by Alondra's yacht.'
Agrando and Kazzaro looked at each other, the latter mutely asking fororders.
'We must have them out of that tower,' said Agrando, in a hard, resolutetone, 'before they can be taken off! Do you hear? We must have them atany cost. Send out war-vessels! Knock the tower down with the traitorsin it! Crush them at any cost!'
'But how if Alondra's yacht reaches him first?' queried Kazzaro.
'Fight them! I 'm sick of this dissembling! Everything is prepared! Wewill throw off the mask, and show Ivanta that we have some teeth beneathit to bite with!'