Part 11 (1/2)

He blew a s...o...b..ry kiss in the air.67.

”I know lords in Shem who would trade the secret of the Elephant Tower for her,” he said, returning to his ale.

A touch on his tunic sleeve made him turn his head, scowling at the interruption. He saw a tall, strongly made youth standing beside him. This person was as much out of place in that den as a gray wolf among mangy rats of the gutters. His cheap tunic could not conceal the hard, rangy lines of his powerful frame, the broad heavy shoulders, the ma.s.sive chest, lean waist, and heavy arms. His skin was brown from outland suns, his eyes blue and smoldering; a shock of tousled black hair crowned his broad forehead. From his girdle hung a sword in a worn leather scabbard.

The Kothian involuntarily drew back; for the man was not one of any civilized race he knew.

”You spoke of the Elephant Tower,” said the stranger, speaking Zamorian with an alien accent.

”I've heard much of this tower; what is its secret?”

The fellow's att.i.tude did not seem threatening, and the Kothian's courage was bolstered up by the ale, and the evident approval of his audience. He swelled with self-importance.

”The secret of the Elephant Tower?” he exclaimed. ”Why, any fool knows that Yara the priest dwells there with the great jewel men call the Elephant's Heart, that is the secret of his magic.”

The barbarian digested this for a s.p.a.ce.

”I have seen this tower,” he said. ”It is set in a great garden above the level of the city, surrounded by high walls. I have seen no guards. The walls would be easy to climb. Why has not somebody stolen this secret gem?”

The Kothian stared wide-mouthed at the other's simplicity, then burst into a roar of derisive mirth, in which the others joined.

”Harken to this heathen!” he bellowed. ”He would steal the jewel of Yara! Harken, fellow,”

he said, turning portentously to the other, ”I suppose you are some sort of a northern barbarian ”.

”I am a Cimmerian,” the outlander answered, in no friendly tone. The reply and the manner of it meant little to the Kothian; of a kingdom that lay far to the south, on the borders of Shem, he knew only vaguely of the northern races.68.

”Then give ear and learn wisdom, fellow,” said he, pointing his drinking-jack at the discomfited youth. ”Know that in Zamora, and more especially in this city, there are more bold thieves than anywhere else in the world, even Koth. If mortal man could have stolen the gem, be sure it would have been filched long ago. You speak of climbing the walls, but once having climbed, you would quickly wish yourself back again. There are no guards in the gardens at night for a very good reason that is, no human guards. But in the watch-chamber, in the lower part of the tower, are armed men, and even if you pa.s.sed those who roam the gardens by night, you must still pa.s.s through the soldiers, for the gem is kept somewhere in the tower above.”

”But if a man could pa.s.s through the gardens,” argued the Cimmerian, ”why could he not come at the gem through the upper part of the tower and thus avoid the soldiers?”

Again the Kothian gaped at him.

”Listen to him!” he shouted jeeringly. ”The barbarian is an eagle who would fly to the jeweled rim of the tower, which is only a hundred and fifty feet above the earth, with rounded sides slicker than polished gla.s.s!”

The Cimmerian glared about, embarra.s.sed at the roar of mocking laughter that greeted this remark. He saw no particular humor in it, and was too new to civilization to understand its discourtesies. Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing. He was bewildered and chagrined, and doubtless would have slunk away, abashed, but the Kothian chose to goad him further.

”Come, come!” he shouted. ”Tell these poor fellows, who have only been thieves since before you were sp.a.w.ned, tell them how you would steal the gem!”

”There is always a way, if the desire be coupled with courage,” answered the Cimmerian shortly, nettled.

The Kothian chose to take this as a personal slur. His face grew purple with anger.

”What!” he roared. ”You dare tell us our business, and intimate that we are cowards? Get along; get out of my sight!” And he pushed the Cimmerian violently.

”Will you mock me and then lay hands on me?” grated the barbarian, his quick rage leaping up; and he returned the push with an open-handed blow that knocked his tormenter back against the rude-hewn table. Ale splashed over the jack's lip, and the Kothian roared in fury, dragging at his sword.69.

”Heathen dog!” he bellowed. ”I'll have your heart for that!”

Steel flashed and the throng surged wildly back out of the way. In their flight they knocked over the single candle and the den was plunged in darkness, broken by the crash of upset benches, drum of flying feet, shouts, oaths of people tumbling over one another, and a single strident yell of agony that cut the din like a knife. When a candle was relighted, most of the guests had gone out by doors and broken windows, and the rest huddled behind stacks of wine- kegs and under tables. The barbarian was gone; the center of the room was deserted except for the gashed body of the Kothian. The Cimmerian, with the unerring instinct of the barbarian, had killed his man in the darkness and confusion.

The lurid lights and drunken revelry fell away behind the Cimmerian. He had discarded his torn tunic, and walked through the night naked except for a loin-cloth and his high-strapped sandals. He moved with the supple ease of a great tiger, his steely muscles rippling under his brown skin.