1B: "Ye hath no portion with the holy kindred of the gods! Therefore doth Azul pronounce thy life forfeit unto any willing hand that shall take it from thee.” And a voice in the crowd was heard to cry: “How darest thou arrogate unto thyself the authority to pronounce doom upon a subject of His Majesty Kar Melchizedek?” And Malphas answered, “I dare more than this, overweening maid; for I come in the name of my father, even Emperor Rimmon himself, and I utter the words spoken unto him by the mouth of the Red Dragon.” And the same voice answered and said: “Yet thou camest not in deputation before the sovereign of this city, according unto the custom of kings, neither art thou known unto any in Shalem by sight, save only unto this company of sycophants who compass thee about. And nothing testifieth that thou art a prince indeed of Adan, save this weather-worn banner which any pretender might have had wrought in secret by his mother’s hand!” And the people laughed openly, for the speech of the wan was bold.