AGMAR In our ancient calling a man may sit at one street corner for fifty years doing the one thing, and yet a day may come when it is well for him to rise up and to do another thing, while the timorous man starves.
ULF Also it were well not to anger the gods.
AGMAR Is not all life a beggary to the gods? Do they not see all men always begging of them and asking alms with incense, and bells, and subtle devices?
OOGNO Yes, all men indeed are beggars before the gods.
AGMAR Does not the mighty Soldan often sit by the agate altar in his royal temple as we sit at a street corner or by a palace gate?
AGMAR Then will the gods be glad when we follow the holy calling with new devices and with subtlety, as they are glad when the priests sing a new song.
AGMAR (to Slag) Go you into the city before us, and let there be a prophecy there which saith that the gods who are carven from green rock in the mountain shall one day arise in Marma and come here in the guise of men.
SLAG Yes, Master. Shall I make the prophecy myself? Or shall it be found in some old document?
AGMAR Let someone have seen it once in some rare document. Let it be spoken of in the market-place.
SLAG It shall be spoken of, Master. (Slag lingers. Enter thief and Thahn)
AGMAR (encouragingly) Ah, he is a quick thief.
THIEF I could only procure you three green raiments, Master. The city is not now well supplied with them; moreover it is a very suspicious city, and without shame for the baseness of its suspicions.
THIEF I could do no more, Master. I have not practised thieving all my life.
AGMAR You have got something: it may serve our purpose. How long have you been thieving?
AGMAR We must tear them up and divide them amongst the seven. (to Thahn) Bring me another beggar.
SLAG When my Master was ten he had already had to slip by night out of two cities.
SLAG (nodding his head) In his native city they do not now know what became of the golden cup that stood in the Lunar Temple.
ULF We will each wear a piece of it over our rags.
AGMAR That is not the way that we shall disguise ourselves.
AGMAR No, no. The first who looked closely would say 'These are only beggars. They have disguised themselves.'
AGMAR Each of the seven shall wear a piece of the green raiment underneath his rags. And peradventure here and there a little shall show through; and men shall say 'These seven have disguised themselves as beggars. But we know not what they be.'