“Every night there comes an hour when my mind is most orribly changed and， after my mind， my body. For first I ecome furious and wild and would rush upon my dearest iends to kill them， if I were not bound. And soon after hat， I turn into the likeness of a great serpent， hungry， erce， and deadly. （Sir， be pleased to take another breast of igeon， I entreat you.） So they tell me， and they certainly peak truth， for my Lady says the same. I myself know othing of it， for when my hour is past I awake forgetful of l that vile fit and in my proper shape and sound mind. aving that I am somewhat wearied. （Little lady， eat one of hese honey cakes， which are brought for me from some arbarous land in the far south of the world.）Now the Queen‘s majesty knows by her art that I shall be eed from this enchantment when once she has made me ing of a land in the Overworld and set its crown upon my ead. The land is already chosen and the very place of our reaking out. Her Earthmen have worked day and night igging a way beneath it， and have now gone so far and sohigh that they tunnel not a score of feet beneath the very grass on which the Updwellers of that country walk. It will be very soon now that those Uplanders’ fate will come upon them. She herself is at the diggings tonight， and I expect a message to go to her. Then the thin roof of earth which still keeps me from my kingdom will be broken through， and with her to guide me and a thousand Earthmen at my back， I shall ride forth in arms， fall suddenly on our enemies， slay their chief men， cast down their strong places， and doubtless be their crowned king within four and twenty hours.”
