Part 5 (1/2)

As Tarzan of the Apes and Jane, his mate, hurtled through the trees leading back to their bungalow - following an exhausting march with the Waziri across the desert - the ape-man, also a peer of the British aristocracy, let his thoughts wander to the strange, almost unbelievable circ.u.mstances that had brought him into and relieved him from incredible adventure. He and his lady stopped their headlong flight along the middle terrace, and they descended to the earth.

Once there, the mighty white ape took Jane into his arms.

He held her tightly, looking over his shoulder. ”Opar is gone,” he said, wis.h.i.+ng to elaborate, yet unable to expound on his statement. ”And with it is gone the Silver Globe.”

”Yes,” answered his mate.

”Yes,” echoed Tarzan, ”the city is forever destroyed. And the tunnel to the treasure chambera that too, above all, is gone.”

And good riddance, A murmured his wife.

Good riddance? A Tarzan looked aghast.

”Yes. My darling, this has long been a sore spot with me. That this gold was so available, so easily taken; as an Englishman, you simply must start to buckle down to your responsibilities. Not,” she added hastily as she observed the look that came over her lord and master's face, ”that you have not discharged your obligations to me and to Jack, but simply that you have a certaina well, obligation to discharge as a civilized Englishman.”

The Lord of the Jungle happily heard something approach. ”Up that tree,” he ordered.

”What? ”Jane didn't understand. ”Up that tree.” Tarzan gestured with his free hand, drawing his knife with the other. ”Quickly. Someone approaches.”

Jane did as ordered, as her mate faced the brush around the small swale they had chosen in which to talk. There was an ominous crackling of brush, and a great ape strode boldly into the clearing.

”Nendat!” He announced, beating his chest, and swaggering about.

”I see you,” replied Tarzan, strutting about rather ridiculously for the benefit of Jane, happily perched on a high branch.

”My tribe killed many,” boasted the ape. ”And I, Nendat, led all the beasts. I am Lord of the Jungle.” He beat his chest again. ”I, Nendat, only Nendat!”

Tarzan glanced over his shoulder, making sure that his mate, Jane, was taking all this in. ”There is one Lord of the Jungle,” he told the strutting ape, firmly. ”One. Tarzan. I am Tarzan!”

Nendat roared his displeasure, tearing a few small shrubs from the earth to emphasize his dislike of the conversation, such as it was.

Tarzan, in the manner of the great apes, thrust out his chest and stuck out his rump, circling the other, showing his extreme displeasure at the tenure of the insulting remarks.

Despite the fact that one or the other might die because of this foolish insistence on leaders.h.i.+p, Jane could not help but chuckle at the resemblance to two small boys as Tarzan and the great ape strutted and swaggered about each other, uttering ominous threats and menacing growls. There was a small crackle of brush behind the ape-man=s mate, and she turned in time to see a she-ape climb up beside her. It was Leena, Nendat's mate. Sociably, Leena offered Jane half a squirming grub, which Lady Greystoke declined politely. Leena gave the equivalent of a shrug, settling herself beside Tarzan's mate, and watched the contest below.

Somehow, Jane felt very close to the hairy ape, and put an impulsive arm about the s.h.a.ggy body.

”Males! ”Jane exclaimed.

Leena munched contentedly on the grub, placed an arm about Tarzan's mate. She sucked a hollow fang, watching the rather ridiculous show below as the two males snarled and snapped, stomped and swaggered. The she-ape happily scratched a flea, turned a muzzle to Jane. ”Males,” she agreed, as the pair below, with frightful bellows of rage and much showing of gnas.h.i.+ng fangs rolled over and over in the dirt. ”Males. Yet for us shes, what else is there?”

”Um,” Jane said aloud. ”And your mate, Nendat, is he stern with you?”

The two males were rolling on the ground now, a squawling, tangled ma.s.s of disagreement.

Leena considered this question. She felt her jaw. ”No more than he should be, no more than is proper. I suffer his blows gladly, as is proper among shes. And you?”

”Oh,” Jane hastened to a.s.sure her, ”exactly the same.” Jane had felt not so much as a stern finger laid upon her, but knew that among the natives, the Waziri, this would mean a certain loss of face; just so must it mean a loss of face among the great apes, although heaven knew what Jane Clayton's family in Baltimore would think if they knew she was trying to save face with an ape. Jane cast an eye to the really rather nasty disagreement on the ground where the protagonists were roiling in the dirt, muttering obscure curses at each other but doing little real damage. Comfortable after her long ordeal, Jane swung her legs back and forth. ”You have children?” she asked Leena.

”Pintat,” Leena said, proudly. She tried to erase the obvious pride by picking nonchalantly at her yellowed fangs with her fingernails. ”Of little value,” she added, as an afterthought. Politely: ”You?”