_Bitiou, Sokiti, and Nourm appear behind the wall. Bitiou comes in._
STEWARD. Whither go you? Whence come you?
BITIOU. I came back with the others, Sokiti and Nourm.
SATNI [_going to the door_] Sokiti, Nourm, come.
NOURM. We do not hide from you, but from the Lybian soldiers.
STEWARD [_to the others_] You know it, you.
NOURM. Perhaps they took us for the servants of the neighboring master.
STEWARD. They have done mischief, then, the servants of the neighboring master? [_Pause_] Answer--you!
NOURM [_to Satni_] They did that at his house, that you made us do at yours.
NOURM. No, but the master sent for the soldiers.
SATNI. Had there been nothing else, he would not have sent for the Lybian soldiers. He knew our projects--he is with us. There is something else, eh!--
NOURM. They were angered with the master. He was bad, the master.
STEWARD. He is hard, but he gives much to those who have nothing.
SOKITI. He gave here, that he might receive hereafter.
BITIOU. Nothing--and so, all stomachs empty, very much. [_He laughs_].
NOURM. He gives only blows of the stick now.
SOKITI [_with conviction_] One cannot live on that alone.
NOURM. And so his servants asked him for corn?
BITIOU. No good--only blows of the stick.
STEWARD. They _took_ the corn that was refused them?
BITIOU [_laughing_] Hunger! [_A gesture_].
SATNI. You knew they were going to do that?
SATNI. It was for that you went to join them?
NOURM. It came into our heads like this: better not take corn from the good master, but take it from the bad one.
BITIOU [_to the Steward_] You content. You still got all your corn.
_He laughs, his comrades laugh with him._
BITIOU [_collecting two ideas_] Wait: neighboring master bad. They bad. [_To the others_] Heh?--Heh?--you see--Heh? Heh? [_All three draw themselves up proudly and laugh_] And the steward he bad, he dead--well done!
SOKITI [_laughing_] They took the steward and then--[_Chokes with laughter_].
NOURM. They gave him back all the blows of the stick they had had from him.
BITIOU. I laugh very much--because--because--Steward, very big, strong, and then when very much beaten, fell down--fell on the ground--like me! like me! He, big, he fell down just the same--he like Bitiou--I very glad. [_During what follows he plays with his foot_].