Now Garrofat winced at this question, but instantly recovering himself replied, "Has thy stay in Parrabang, O Brahman, made thee so lost to politeness as to cast suspicion on thy host? Has this been the teaching of Brahma? But fear not. Bright-Wits may do his own selecting; only as he is so very clever I would insist that he do it by rule. Fifteen of these soldiers are his own people; with an equal number of my guards he will have thirty to select from. This he must do by arranging the thirty men in a circle, and counting out every tenth man. Now if he is but as clever as usual it should not be difficult for Bright-Wits to take with him none but his own soldiers."