Part 10 (1/2)
”Stop!” he cried, ”ould dare touch the sacred person of the er of Jad-ben-Otho? Only as a special mark of favor from Jad-ben-Otho may even Ko-tan himself receive this honor fro! What manner of reception the Ho-don of A-lur would extend to the son of my father!”
At first Tarzan had been inclined to adopt the role of Jad-ben-Otho hiht prove e and considerable of a bore to be compelled constantly to portray the character of a God, but with the growing success of his scheme it had suddenly occurred to hireater than that of an ordinaryhim some leeway in thethat a young God would not be held so strictly accountable in the reater God
This time the effect of his words was immediately and painfully noticeable upon all those near him With one accord they shrank back, the spokesies, when finally the paralysis of his fear would permit him to voice them, were so abject that the ape-man could scarce repress a smile of amused contempt
”Have mercy, O Dor-ul-Otho,” he pleaded, ”on poor old Dak-lot Precede , awaits you, tre his warriors to right and left for the purpose of for an avenue for Tarzan
”Come!” cried the ape-man peremptorily, ”lead the way, and let these others follow”
The now thoroughly frightened Dak-lot did as he was bid, and Tarzan of the Apes was ushered into the palace of Kotan, King of Pal-ul-don
9
Blood-Stained Altars
The entrance through which he caught his first glieons, and within the walls were sih as he proceeded froures of ani the ures of the mural decorator's art Stone vessels were old and the skins of many animals, but nowhere did he see an indication of any woven fabric, indicating that in that respect at least the Ho-don were still low in the scale of evolution, and yet the proportions and syree of civilization
The way led through several aparthts of stone stairs and finally out upon a ledge upon the western side of the building overlooking the blue lake Along this ledge, or arcade, his guide led him for a hundred yards, to stop at last before a wide entrance-way leading into another apartment of the palace
Here Tarzan beheld a considerable concourse of warriors in an enor of which was fully fifty feet above the floor Al in broad steps well up under the dome in which were a nuht The steps of the pyramid were occupied by warriors to the very pinnacle, upon which sat a large, ihtly in the light of the afternoon sun, a shaft of which poured through one of the tiny apertures of the do the resplendent figure at the pinnacle of the pyramid ”Ko-tan and warriors of Pal-ul-don! Behold the honor that Jad-ben-Otho has done you in sending as hisaside, indicated Tarzan with a dramatic sweep of his hand
Ko-tan rose to his feet and every warrior within sight craned his neck to have a better view of the newcomer Those upon the opposite side of the pyramid crowded to the front as the words of the old warrior reached them Skeptical were the expressions on most of the faces; but theirs was a skepticism marked with caution No ht side of the fence For a radually they drifted to Ko-tan, for from his attitude would they receive the cue that would determine theirs But Ko-tan was evidently in the same quandary as they-the very attitude of his body indicated it-it was one of indecision and of doubt
The ape-man stood erect, his arhty disdain upon his handsome face; but to Dak-lot there seeer The situation was becolances at Tarzan and appealing ones at Ko-tan The silence of the toreat chamber of the throneroom of Pal-ul-don
At last Ko-tan spoke ”Who says that he is Dor-ul-Otho?” he asked, casting a terrible look at Dak-lot
”He does!” almost shouted that terrified noble
”And so it must be true?” queried Ko-tan
Could it be that there was a trace of irony in the chief's tone? Otho forbid! Dak-lot cast a side glance at Tarzan-a glance that he intended should carry the assurance of his own faith; but that succeeded only in i the ape-man with the other's pitiable terror
”O Ko-tan!” pleaded Dak-lot, ”your own eyes must convince you that indeed he is the son of Otho Behold his Godlike figure, his hands, and his feet, that are not as ours, and that he is entirely tailless as is histhese facts for the first time and there was an indication that his skepticis warrior who had pushed his way forward from the opposite side of the pyraood look at Tarzan raised his voice
”Ko-tan,” he cried, ”it must be even as Dak-lot says, for I am sure now that I have seen Dor-ul-Otho before Yesterday as ere returning with the Kor-ul-lul prisoners we beheld hireat GRYF We hid in the woods before he cah to reat beast was none other than the er who stands here now”
This evidence seeh to convince the majority of the warriors that they indeed stood in the presence of deity-their faces showed it only too plainly, and a sudden hbors As their neighbors were atte away of those who stood nearest the ape-man, until the steps of the pyramid directly before him lay vacant to the very apex and to Ko-tan The latter, possibly influenced as much by the fearful attitude of his followers as by the evidence adduced, now altered his tone and his ht coer was indeed the Dor-ul-Otho while leaving his dignity a loophole of escape should it appear that he had entertained an impostor
”If indeed you are the Dor-ul-Otho,” he said, addressing Tarzan, ”you will know that our doubts were but natural since we have received no sign froreatly, nor how could we know, even, that the Great God had a son? If you are he, all Pal-ul-don rejoices to honor you; if you are not he, swift and terrible shall be the punish of Pal-ul-don, have spoken”
”And spoken well, as a king should speak,” said Tarzan, breaking his long silence, ”who fears and honors the God of his people It is well that you insist that I indeed be the Dor-ul-Otho before you accord ed me specially to ascertain if you were fit to rule his people My first experience of you indicates that Jad-ben-Otho chose hen he breathed the spirit of a king into the babe at your mother's breast”