Part 19 (2/2)

Byla.n.u.s the Golden Ape, only two-thousand seven hundred years old, quite young as Golden Apes went, saw the wreck of the barge from a great distance. He extended his vision through warp-s.p.a.ce and spotted the tiny figure of a man trudging away from the wreckage. Byla.n.u.s squinted, and s.h.i.+fted his b.u.t.tocks on the saddle. Byla.n.u.s was fifteen feet tall and weighed eight-hundred pounds. The steed he rode, about twice the size of an Earth elephant, looked like a blown-up cross between a Tarthian stad and an Earth horse.

Byla.n.u.s stared, then sat up very straight in his stirrups. Something gleamed on the man's arm. Byla.n.u.s gaped.

It was the bracelet of Portox-saviour.

Byla.n.u.s used his will to psychokinesthize the man. The man, still apparently trudging along, sped toward him.

Byla.n.u.s climbed down from his stallion and prepared to bow, all fifteen feet and eight hundred pounds of him, before the man.

At first Hultax could think only of fleeing. Abruptly before him stood a monster-stad and a man. No, not a man. A man-like figure pelted with soft, smooth, l.u.s.terous, golden fur. The stad--the not-quite-stad--was five times bigger than a stad had a right to be. The man, even as he unexpectedly bent before Hultax, was almost three times Hultax's height. Man? No, not a man. Hultax, rooted with fear to the spot, unable to run, opened his mouth to cry out. But his vocal chords were paralyzed.

This was no man. It was the Golden Ape of legend, the Golden Ape of the Place of the Dead....

”Portox-saviour,” said the Golden Ape quite distinctly. Then he pointed a forefinger almost the size of Hultax' forearm at the bracelet Hultax wore.

Hultax took a deep breath and could feel the strength returning to his legs. Like all military officers, he was an opportunist. He had to be, for in battle one had to seize upon opportunity as soon as it appeared, if one were to win at all....

Hultax said, his voice surprisingly steady: ”You may rise.”

The Ape did so. The stallion pawed the ground, and great clods flew.

Hultax was trembling, but the Ape, speaking in Hultax' own language, in the language of all Tarth, said: ”Are you really from Portox? It seems like only yesterday he was here although, of course, your people and mine measure time differently.”

”I am from Portox,” Hultax said. He wished he could keep his knees from trembling.

”Portox-saviour said that one day a man would come, to ask us for help even as Portox helped us in our time of troubles,” the Ape proclaimed.

”Yes,” Hultax muttered.

”What kind of help do you wish?”

Hultax stared, saying nothing. He did not know what to say. He lacked the imagination to make something up. Somehow, he knew it was terribly important. He knew without knowing how he knew that his life might depend on his answer.

”Well?” the Golden Ape asked gently.

”I ... that is....”

The Ape's eyes narrowed as he looked down at Hultax. ”You _are_ from Portox?”

”Yes, yes. Of course.”

”I see you have the bracelet.”

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