Page:Karl Gjellerup - The Pilgrim Kamanita - 1911.djvu/220

 making myself the tool of a criminal, it was to me an unendurable thought that I should appear lower in his eyes than I really was.

Not less studied were my next words—

"Of all this, however, thou wilt not hear one syllable unless thou dost first promise that thou wilt only kill but in no wise torture him; and that thou wilt kill only him but not even one of his escort; unless it be necessary in self-defence. I will, however, indicate a spot to thee where thou canst deal him his death-blow when he is absolutely alone and so without any kind of fray. This, therefore, thou must promise me with a solemn oath. Otherwise thou canst kill me, but not one word more shalt thou hear."

"Truly as I have been, to this day, a faithful servant of Kali," replied Angulimala, "so truly will I kill none of his escort and so truly shall he suffer no torture."

"Good," I said, "I will trust thee. Now then, listen, and note every detail exactly. If thou hast accomplices in the town thou wilt have learnt already that preparations are being made for advancing against the robbers to-morrow. That is, however, all empty show to deceive thee. In reality, Satagira, escorted by thirty horsemen, rides from the town by the south gate an hour after midnight, leaves the Sinsapa wood lying to his left, and sweeps out in a somewhat more southerly direction, in order then to move eastward over byways through the hill country."

And I now gave him an absolutely exact description of the neighbourhood, including the narrow ravine through which Satagira would have to pass, and where he could easily and surely be killed.

An oppressive silence followed my words, during which I