The Boy Fortune Hunters in the South Seas by L. Frank Baum

The Pearl Temple was also the Royal Palace, for as the king was the sole priest of the Pearl God it was fitting that his abode should be in this sacred place. Seldom has a nation placed the supreme power, both religious and political, in the hands of one person. It is concrete autocracy and usually a priesthood protects a country from its king while the king protects it from the priests. But here was decidedly a one-man rule -- and the man was a boy. If we could win the boy's friendship there were no complications to thwart his will, and therein lay our sole chance of salvation.

Joe and I talked it over in our prison, a fine big room in the rear portion of the temple, with windows opening on the square. There were no guards, nor were we bound or otherwise restrained except by the command of the king to remain in the room until sent for. We might easily have dropped from one of the windows to the crowded streets; but that would have availed us nothing. We might have walked out by way of the corridors, and met the guards at the other end. Really, we were safe enough, and our captors knew it.

Our unfortunate mishap caused us considerable uneasiness. It was not so much on account of our personal safety, although of that we had ample cause to fear; but I worried lest my father or Uncle Naboth, suspecting we were captured, should send out a party to attempt to rescue us. From my present information I knew that would mean death to them all; only while in the ship fort, with ample supplies of guns and ammunition, could they successfully oppose these numerous and powerful Faytans.

At noon we were given ample rations of excellent food; fish, turtle and lobster forming the chief dishes. The drinking water, almost ice-cold from earthen jars, was the finest I ever tasted. Women waited upon us, but when I spoke to them in their native tongue they refused to answer.

After the meal the king came in, unannounced and alone. The youth walked with great dignity and his face was very sad. Sitting upon a bench beside us he said:

"You will tell me of the world beyond the sea, and I will listen. But first tell me your names, and what island you come from."

We introduced ourselves and said we were Americans, but of course that meant nothing to him.

"I am Attero, the twentieth of that name who has ruled in Faytan," said he proudly. Then he began to examine our clothing and to feel the texture of the cloth, asking us how it was made and of what use the various garments might be.

Joe is not much of a talker, so I spent several hours giving the king the most primitive sort of information, taking care to so explain our machinery and inventions as to set him wondering at our cleverness. He was more interested at first in "the weapon that stings" than in any other mechanical contrivance, and you may be sure I explained the death-dealing character of our guns in a most impressive manner.

"Your people are many, oh King," said I; "but our rifles and revolvers have more stings in them than you have people, although our own numbers are so few."

He pondered this a moment.

"I thought that might be so," he returned. "That is a reason why I did not sooner send my people to capture you. My chief Medicine Man, Kuru, has been studying this matter, and Kuru has found that while the metal stings enter human flesh, and pass through it, they do not go far into the bark of the trees. For when my father and some of his people were stung, many other stings flew over their heads and reached the forest, where we found the marks they made. This is the first time such weapons have been used by invaders into Faytan. All others have had spears and arrows like our own. Also you are the only pale-skins who have come to Faytan."

"The pale-skins have more wisdom than the dark-skins," I asserted. "They have conquered all the known world. The reason Faytan has not yet been conquered by us is that until the storm drove us upon your coast we did not know such an island existed."

He bowed gravely.

"That proves how wise my forefathers were in making our laws," said he. "We have been left in peace because the restless pale-skins, who love to conquer what does not belong to them, did not know where to find Faytan. Had we permitted any to leave our shores alive you would then have heard of us. Also my forefathers declared that other nations would want our pearls, which have brought good luck to us for many years. Is that also true?"

"It is," I replied frankly. "My people like all pretty things, and you must know that pearls are found not alone in Faytan, but in many other parts of the world."

He seemed surprised.

"As many as we have? " he asked.

"Perhaps not. But pearls are not unknown to us. See," and I showed him my watch fob, which was set with a large diamond surrounded by small pearls. He paid no attention to the diamond but examined the pearls carefully. Then he smiled.

"Have you seen any so small, so dull and colorless in my kingdom? " he asked.