"Mohi, what you?" asked the philosopher.

"And what would the company do?" added Mohi.

"Now, though these evils pose us all," said Babbalanja, "there lately
died in Verdanna, one, who set about curing them in a humane and
peaceable way, waving war and bloodshed. That man was Konno. Under a
huge caldron, he kept a roaring fire."

"Well, Azzageddi, how could that answer his purpose?" asked Media.

"Nothing better, my lord. His fire boiled his bread-fruit; and so
convinced were his countrymen, that he was well employed, that they
almost stripped their scanty orchards to fill his caldron."

"Konno was a knave," said Mohi.

"Your pardon, old man, but that is only known to his ghost, not to us.
At any rate he was a great man; for even assuming he cajoled his
country, no common man could have done it."

"Babbalanja," said Mohi, "my lord has been pleased to pronounce
Verdanna crazy; now, may not her craziness arise from the irritating,
tantalizing practices of Dominora?"

"Doubtless, Braid-Beard, many of the extravagances of Verdanna, are in
good part to be ascribed to the cause you mention; but, to be
impartial, none the less does Verdanna essay to taunt and provoke
Dominora; yet not with the like result. Perceive you, Braid-Beard,
that the trade-wind blows dead across this strait from Dominora, and