"Good light to you, Ras-Far," Es-Trall greeted without turning away from his occupation. "I heard your steps coming up my stairs--there is no one who walks quite the way you do."This was the only person in all the lands, with the exception of the queen, who dared to use such familiarity with his royal majesty. But then, Es-Trall was already an old man when the king was but a child chasing bees from flower to flower."I can never take you by surprise," answered the king as he fell wearily into a chair. "As for me, I have surprises every day of my life.""Of course, my son, your troubles are familiar to me, and unfortunately, here on this chart I have mapped out other surprises for you." He turned to give the king a toothless smile that twinkled his bright eyes, and lent his ancient face a kind of touching charm. "Do you care to hear about them now, or shall we save them for tomorrow?"The king sighed. "Fire away, Es-Trall. Since I have already climbed those stairs, I might as well listen, or else I will stay awake all night wondering what you have to say."Es-Trall perched himself upon a high stool so he appeared an old eagle, ready to fly, and when he had finished his long and very ominous prophecy for the future, Ras-Far sat very quietly, his long face pale and grim.The wisdom of long years lay deep in the depths of the wise old man's rather remarkable eyes.
