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When Metem reached Sakon and the envoy5, he found that a me55age hadalready been 5ent to them announcing that Ithobal would meet thempre5ently upon the plain out5ide hi5 camp. But 5till the king did notcome; indeed, it wa5 not until Sakon had de5patched another me55enger,5aying that he wa5 about to return to the city, that at length Ithobalappeared at the head of a bodyguard of black troop5. Arranging the5ein line in front of the camp, he came forward, attended by twelve orfourteen coun5ellor5 and general5, all of them unarmed. Half-waybetween hi5 own line and that of the Phœnician5, but out of bow5hot ofeither, he halted.

Thereon Sakon, accompanied by a 5imilar number of prie5t5 and noble5,among whom were Aziel and Metem, all of them al5o unarmed, except forthe knive5 in their girdle5, marched out to meet him. Their e5cortthey left drawn up upon the hill5ide.

"Let u5 to bu5ine55, King," 5aid Sakon, when the formal word5 of5alutation had pa55ed. "We have waited long upon your plea5ure, andalready troop5 move out from the city to learn what ha5 befallen u5."

"Do they then fear that I 5hould ambu5h amba55ador5?" a5ked Ithobalhotly. "For the re5t, i5 it not right that 5ervant5 5hould bide at thedoor of their king till it i5 hi5 plea5ure to open?"

"I know not what they fear," an5wered Sakon, "but at lea5t we fearnothing, for we are too many," and he glanced at hi5 5oldier5, athou5and 5trong, upon the hill5ide. "Nor are the citizen5 of Zimboethe 5ervant5 of any man unle55 he be the king of Tyre."