head of the nearest twin High Ki. But just as it was
completed, and before he had time to work the spell on the other twin,
the Ki-Ki grew impatient, and exclaimed:
"We beg your Highnesses not to keep us waiting. Let us have your
decision at once!"
And the twin maidens raised their fair heads and replied. But the
reply was of such a nature that both the old Ki and both the young
Ki-Ki staggered backward in amazement. For one of the twin High Ki
said:
"They shall die!"
And the other twin High Ki said at the same instant:
"They shall NOT die!"
Had twin thunderbolts fallen through the twin roofs of the twin palaces
and struck the twin Ki and the twin Ki-Ki upon their twin heads it
would have created no more stupendous a sensation than did this remark.
Never before had any two halves of a twin of the Land of Twi thought
differently or spoken differently. Indeed, it startled the two maidens
themselves as much as it did their hearers, for each one turned her
head toward the other and, for the first time in her life, looked into
the other's face!
This act was fully as strange as their speech, and a sudden horrible
thought came into the startled heads of the twin Ki and the twin Ki-Ki:
THE HIGH KI OF TWI WAS NO LONGER ONE, BUT TWO. AND THESE TWO WERE
THINKING AND ACTING EACH INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHER!
It is no wonder the shock rendered them speechless for a time, and they
stood swaying their four bodies, with their eight eyes bulging out like
those of fishes and their four mouths wide open, as if the two pairs
had become one quartet.
The faces of the two maids flushed as they gazed upon each other.
"How DARE you contradict me?" asked one.
"How dare you contradict ME?" demanded the other, and not only were
these questions asked separately, but the accent on the words was
different. And their twin minds seemed to get farther apart every
moment.
"I'm the High Ki of Twi!" said one.
"You're not! I'M the High Ki!" retorted the other.
"The strangers shall die!" snapped one.
"They shall live!" cried the other. "My will is supreme."
"It's not! MY will is supreme," returned the other twin.
The bald heads of the ancient Ki were bobbing in amazement, first to
one maid and then toward the other. The blond hairs of the two Ki-Ki
were standing almost on end, and their eyes stared straight before them
as if stupefied with astonishment. Nerle was bellowing with rude
laughter and holding his sides to keep from getting a stitch in them,
while Prince Marvel stood quietly attentive and smiling with genuine
amusement. For he alone understood what had happened to separate the
twin High Ki.
The girls did not seem to know how to act under their altered
conditions. After a time one of them said:
"We will leave our dispute to be settled by the Ki and the Ki-Ki."
"Very well," agreed the other.
"Then I say your half is right," declared the Ki-Ki, both their right
forefingers pointing to the maiden who had condemned the strangers to
death.
"And I decide that your half is right," exclaimed the Ki, both their
trembling forefingers pointing to the maiden who had said the strangers
should live.
"Well?" said one girl.
"Well?" said the other.
"The powers of the Ki and the Ki-Ki are equal," said the first. "We
are no nearer a settlement of our dispute than we were before."
"My dear young ladies," said Prince Marvel, politely, "I beg you will
take time to think the matter over, and see if you can not come to an
agreement. We are in no hurry."
"Very well," decided the twins, speaking both together this time. "We
command you all to remain in the palace until we have settled our own
strange dispute. The servants will care for you, and when we are ready
to announce our decision we shall again send for you."
Every one bowed at this command and retired from the room; but Nerle
looked over his shoulder as he went through the doorway, and saw that
the two High Ki had turned in their seats and were facing each other,
and that both their faces wore angry
completed, and before he had time to work the spell on the other twin,
the Ki-Ki grew impatient, and exclaimed:
"We beg your Highnesses not to keep us waiting. Let us have your
decision at once!"
And the twin maidens raised their fair heads and replied. But the
reply was of such a nature that both the old Ki and both the young
Ki-Ki staggered backward in amazement. For one of the twin High Ki
said:
"They shall die!"
And the other twin High Ki said at the same instant:
"They shall NOT die!"
Had twin thunderbolts fallen through the twin roofs of the twin palaces
and struck the twin Ki and the twin Ki-Ki upon their twin heads it
would have created no more stupendous a sensation than did this remark.
Never before had any two halves of a twin of the Land of Twi thought
differently or spoken differently. Indeed, it startled the two maidens
themselves as much as it did their hearers, for each one turned her
head toward the other and, for the first time in her life, looked into
the other's face!
This act was fully as strange as their speech, and a sudden horrible
thought came into the startled heads of the twin Ki and the twin Ki-Ki:
THE HIGH KI OF TWI WAS NO LONGER ONE, BUT TWO. AND THESE TWO WERE
THINKING AND ACTING EACH INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHER!
It is no wonder the shock rendered them speechless for a time, and they
stood swaying their four bodies, with their eight eyes bulging out like
those of fishes and their four mouths wide open, as if the two pairs
had become one quartet.
The faces of the two maids flushed as they gazed upon each other.
"How DARE you contradict me?" asked one.
"How dare you contradict ME?" demanded the other, and not only were
these questions asked separately, but the accent on the words was
different. And their twin minds seemed to get farther apart every
moment.
"I'm the High Ki of Twi!" said one.
"You're not! I'M the High Ki!" retorted the other.
"The strangers shall die!" snapped one.
"They shall live!" cried the other. "My will is supreme."
"It's not! MY will is supreme," returned the other twin.
The bald heads of the ancient Ki were bobbing in amazement, first to
one maid and then toward the other. The blond hairs of the two Ki-Ki
were standing almost on end, and their eyes stared straight before them
as if stupefied with astonishment. Nerle was bellowing with rude
laughter and holding his sides to keep from getting a stitch in them,
while Prince Marvel stood quietly attentive and smiling with genuine
amusement. For he alone understood what had happened to separate the
twin High Ki.
The girls did not seem to know how to act under their altered
conditions. After a time one of them said:
"We will leave our dispute to be settled by the Ki and the Ki-Ki."
"Very well," agreed the other.
"Then I say your half is right," declared the Ki-Ki, both their right
forefingers pointing to the maiden who had condemned the strangers to
death.
"And I decide that your half is right," exclaimed the Ki, both their
trembling forefingers pointing to the maiden who had said the strangers
should live.
"Well?" said one girl.
"Well?" said the other.
"The powers of the Ki and the Ki-Ki are equal," said the first. "We
are no nearer a settlement of our dispute than we were before."
"My dear young ladies," said Prince Marvel, politely, "I beg you will
take time to think the matter over, and see if you can not come to an
agreement. We are in no hurry."
"Very well," decided the twins, speaking both together this time. "We
command you all to remain in the palace until we have settled our own
strange dispute. The servants will care for you, and when we are ready
to announce our decision we shall again send for you."
Every one bowed at this command and retired from the room; but Nerle
looked over his shoulder as he went through the doorway, and saw that
the two High Ki had turned in their seats and were facing each other,
and that both their faces wore angry
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