The College of them was established by the
conquerors, who subdued all the land. Or rather, it took the place of
another College of those who fashioned the Sanctuary and the Temple,
whose god was the fire in the Mountain, as it is that of the people of
Kaloon to-day."
"Then who is worshipped there now?"
"The goddess Hes, it is said; but we know little of the matter, for
between us and the Mountain folk there has been enmity for ages. They
kill us and we kill them, for they are jealous of their shrine, which
none may visit save by permission, to consult the Oracle and to make
prayer or offering in times of calamity, when a Khan dies, or the waters
of the river sink and the crops fail, or when ashes fall and earthquakes
shake the land, or great sickness comes. Otherwise, unless they attack
us, we leave them alone, for though every man is trained to arms, and
can fight if need be, we are a peaceful folk, who cultivate the soil
from generation to generation, and thus grow rich. Look round you. Is it
not a scene of peace?"
We stood up in the boat and gazed about us at the pastoral prospect.
Everywhere appeared herds of cattle feeding upon meadow lands, or troops
of mules and horses, or square fields sown with corn and outlined by
trees. Village folk, also, clad in long, grey gowns, were labouring on
the land, or, their day's toil finished, driving their beasts homewards
along roads built upon the banks of the irrigation dykes, towards the
hamlets that were placed on rising knolls amidst tall poplar groves.
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