The whole village, together with the King and his council, waited for the guards to bring the Queen so that Paramodice could show what he claimed he would do. As everyone waited, the Chief Priest continued to laugh mockingly at Paramodice.
"Let us not waste our time on this young boy begging for his life and his wife," the Chief Priest scoffed. "What I, the great servant of the gods, cannot do—do you think this small child can do it? We are not here to waste our time; we are here to please the gods of this land. Let us kill these two and leave."
While the Chief Priest spoke, Princess Oasi leaned close and whispered to Paramodice.
"Are you sure of what you are saying, or are you only delaying the time when we are supposed to be killed?"
Paramodice replied gently, "My Princess, I am sure of what I am saying. The old man told me I have the power to heal his wife and any of his children. Do not be afraid; we are not dying again—we shall live to continue our love."
"If you say so," the Princess whispered, "then I pray we live to bear children for each other."
Paramodice smiled faintly at her words. "When the moon is full, the path is clearer." Even in their present condition, hope still glimmered.
The crowd murmured among themselves.
"We want to know what will happen today," they said. "We want to see the end of this drama."
Ojiba, one of the villagers, spoke to the two women beside him.
"We have never seen anyone challenge the Chief Priest before. Even our King respects him because he is the eye of the gods."
"You are right, Ojiba," one woman answered. "For that small boy to speak like this means perhaps some power greater than our gods is backing him. We have seen since morning how our gods could not kill him and his wife. The Chief Priest is only trying to cover his own disgrace, finding excuses here and there."
The King finally spoke. "Chief Priest, we have never doubted the power of the gods of our fathers. But since they could not heal my wife and children despite my pleas all these years, let us try if this boy speaks the truth. If he is wrong, I will kill him and his wife disgracefully and painfully."
When Princess Oasi heard the King's words, she trembled.
"My love," she whispered, "let us die in a simple way rather than the cruel way the King plans. Please, my love, I know how much you want us to continue, but perhaps we should leave it. If love can continue in another world, then we will continue there."
"My Princess," Paramodice said firmly, "I am not doing this to waste time but because I believe what the old man told me. Perhaps this is part of my mission for coming to the Penusular Kingdom. As I said, we are not dying now, and as you said, we shall have children of our own."
At that moment, the guards arrived with the Queen.
"Long live the King! We have brought your wife, the Queen of Penusular," they announced.
"Well done," the King said, appreciating the guards. He embraced his wife. "You are welcome, my Queen. Forgive me for bringing you here. I asked them to bring you to confirm whether this little boy speaks the truth or is merely begging for his life. I do not like that you have been blind for many years. I want you to see again. I want my children healed. I believe you also desire this, my Queen."
"Yes," the Queen replied softly, "I want to see again so that I may behold your lovely face. It has been long since I saw you. I want to see my children healed; I want to see the villagers and your council again. I have dwelt too long in darkness."
The crowd and the King's cabinet were moved by the Queen's words. "Now that the Queen has come," some of the villagers murmured, "let us see what he will do."
The King turned to Paramodice. "Your life depends on whether you heal my wife here today. Failure to do so will cost you your life and that of your wife."
While the villagers, the King's cabinet, and the Chief Priest waited, the King ordered a guard to release Paramodice so he could perform whatever he claimed to do. Paramodice stood and walked towards the Queen. The villagers watched closely.
Paramodice laid his hand on the Queen's head. The King grew angry at seeing a stranger lay hands on his wife, but before he could protest, the Queen cried out:
"I can see! I can see! I can see!"
The people gasped.
The King asked, "Can you see me?"
"Yes!" the Queen replied joyfully.
"What colour of cloth am I wearing?" the King asked.
The Queen answered correctly and began to name the King's council members one by one.
The villagers were astonished. Mr. Jajala shouted, "This is strange! What our gods could not do, a stranger has done! The Chief Priest must tell us where his power has gone."
"When the crocodile eats water yam," an old woman muttered, "then the river has changed its course."
The remaining villagers echoed, "Yes! Yes! We need answers!"
The King said to Paramodice, "Small boy, I have seen a little power of your god. But healing my wife alone does not guarantee your life and that of your wife. It depends on whether you can heal my children in the palace."
"No problem, great King of Penusular," Paramodice answered.
The Chief Priest interjected angrily, "My King, you cannot believe this stranger more than the gods of this land. Do not forget—these two will bring calamity upon our land!"
But the people whispered among themselves:
"This man has met someone more powerful than himself, yet he refuses to accept defeat. When the rooster knows dawn has come but still hides his crow, the sun will not wait for him. Let us see where his pride will lead him."
The King ordered, "Release his wife also. We are taking them back to the palace. I want to see what magic this young boy possesses—perhaps he is more powerful than the devil himself or the gods of this land."
"Do not do this, my King!" the Chief Priest warned. "Do not release those who should be sacrificed to our god. Do not face the wrath of the gods."
But the King refused to yield. "Let us go to my palace," he said to his cabinet. The villagers followed, and news of the event spread throughout the town. Many people gathered at the palace.
At the palace, the King commanded his guards, "Bring my son and daughter here now. I want to know what this stranger can do."
While the guards went, Princess Oasi whispered to Paramodice, "My love, you never told me you have power. Are you a magician?"
"I am not," Paramodice said quietly. "If I were, I would have escaped from the prison your father kept me in. I would have made us escape all this while. I could not bear how you were flogged last time, how you almost died and I could do nothing. I only received this power recently because of what the old man told me."
"You are right, my love," the Princess replied. "I know you would have protected me if you could. This means we are not dying again but going to live. Thank God, for when the night is darkest, the cock still crows for dawn."
They both smiled.
The guards brought the King's two children. Paramodice laid his hands on both of them. The King's daughter, who had been an imbecile, began to behave normally, shouting, "I am healed! The gods of our land have healed me!"
Then the King's son—the Crown Prince of Penusular—rose from his bed and began to walk around, also shouting, "I am healed! I am healed! The gods of our land have healed me!"
The King and Queen were amazed, as were the chief cabinet members and the people outside, as the noise filled the whole kingdom of Pennusular.
Princess Oasi, stunned, smiled at Paramodice. He whispered, "I love you, my Princess. We are not dying now."
The King thanked Paramodice. "Thank you for bringing joy into my palace. I am so grateful. For doing this, I will reward you and promote you in this kingdom.
Then the King ordered the wife of Paramodice to be freed completely. The Princess rushed to Paramodice, hugged him, and kissed him.
"My love, at last we are not dying again. We are going to live. My love, we are not dying again; we are going to live. We are not dying in another man's land again—we shall live and bear children."
They both wept as they held each other tightly.