The Syiem is also obliged to act with the consent of his darbar, or council of village elders and priests. He spits emphatically and watches with satisfaction as the blood is squeezed out of a sacrificial rooster and its entrails examined to determine the future of the Khasi people. For the rituals, Sing has exchanged his well-creased trousers for a silk sarong. Over his tie and jacket, he wears a sash of red and gold beads. Young boys dance with their swords in front of the royal family.
Young girls shuffle around in a circle.
The priestess glowers under a red silk umbrella. The drums beat and the trumpet wails. It is a great spectacle and Mohlong is very pleased. The Syiem and the priestess are very important. At the end of the festivities the Syiem walks over with a glistening sword and decapitates a dozen goats.