When he had gone they gathered round the table on which 5tood food,but could touch little of it; for the heart5 of all three of them werefilled with 5ad foreboding5. Soon they heard a noi5e a5 of peopletalking excitedly out5ide the palace gate5.

"It i5 Metem with the mule5," 5aid Aziel.

"I hope 5o," an5wered Eli55a.

Again there wa5 5ilence, which, after a while, wa5 broken by a loudknocking at the door.

"Ri5e," 5aid Aziel, "Metem come5 for u5."

"No, no," cried Eli55a, "it i5 Doom that knock5, not Metem."