noon
If she were refused then he would send a great army under pretext of taking her , and lay the land waste as far as Thebes . And if she were granted some new quarrel would be picked and in the person of the royal Amada all of them be for ever shamed . Next he showed the seal , telling them that I -- who was known to many of them , at least by repute -- had brought it from the East , and repeating to them the plan that I had proposed upon the previous night . After this he asked their counsel , saying that before noon he must send an answer to Idernes , the King 's Satrap at Sais . Then I was called upon to speak and , in answer to questions , answered frankly that I had stolen the ancient White Seal from the King 's servant who carried it as a warrant for the King 's private vengeance on one who had bested him . How I did not mention . I told them also of the state of the Great King 's empire and that I had heard that he was about to enter upon a war with the Greeks which would need all its strength , and that therefore if they wished to strike for liberty the time was at hand .