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Dismissing his retinue, Totsagan approaches Nang Seeda, his heart tortured afresh at the sight of her. Seating himself close to her, trying to speak in a calm voice, the demon king tells her of the pain he is suffering on her behalf. Having summoned before her the picture of his torments, he pleads with her to pity him and give him peace. Nothing that lies within his realm shall be denied her, he promises; let her ask for pearls from the bottom of the sea, or jewels from the center of the mountains, costly cloths from remote lands and scents from the deep forest, human beings as her servants, fabulous animals to draw her chariot, all these things shall be hers the moment she expresses a wish for them. And more, far more than this shall be hers if she will only look upon him with the warm glance of compassion. She shall be the queen of Longka, his first wife and joint ruler, with power equal to his. There is nothing greater than this, except his life itself, that he can lay at her feet. During this impassioned speech, Seeda has drawn herself away from the demon, filled with an unspeakable loathing and dread of the creature. Now she masters her revulsion, and answers him briefly, calmly, "I am the wife of Phra Ram. Either he will rescue me, or I shall die. But a goddess shall never become the wife of a demon. For a moment Totsagan continues to sit silently, like a man stunned. Then he gets up and walks away. He mounts his chariot and looks back at Seeda. "If you do not come to me soon of your own will," he says, "I shall come here with soldiers and take you by force." With this newest image of her beauty an unwavering courage still before his eyes, the demon king drives back to his palace. |
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