Part 10 (2/2)
Again he halted To his quick ears came sounds of footsteps from the hall he had just left With retreat cut off fro at random one of several doors on either side of the corridor, Tharn pushed it open, and still keeping an eye on the ently closing the door, he turned--to stare into the startled eyes of the princess Alurna!
Tharn's first thought was that the girl would cry out in terror at his sudden entrance Before she could recover her wits he had grasped her about the waist with one ar a hand across her lips
Alurna lay within the circle of thatno effort to free herself She was desperately afraid, more afraid than she could remember before
The cave-man found himself on the horns of a dilemma He had no wish to slay a woman; indeed he knew he could not, no matter what the provocation On the other hand, were he to free her, she could have the guards here within seconds
Their eyes met Tharn was surprised that all trace of fear was h the rapid pounding of her heart told hihtened
Revealed to hi of this girl's true nature He sensed she could be coldly calculating; that neither qual her own ends That, given the chance, she would betray hi told hiovernable hysteria alone
He removed his hand froain
”What,” whispered Alurna, ”do you want here?”
Tharn shook his head Any discussion, noould be pointless He e unbarred opening--a possible avenue of escape
Hesitating no longer he released the girl, pushed her aside and made for the
Alurna, confident now that this nocturnal prowlerwhere he had left her While awaiting his nexthim from across the room
He was the embodiment of physical perfection; certainly the most beautifully formed male she had ever seen before The sility of a cat, despite banded layers of ironbeneath an unclouded skin
The face, with its frank, grave eyes, ient There was an air of majestic nobility in his posture and the poise of his well-shaped head that would have aroused envy in the heart of any Sepharian
Aat the door startled her; but before she could respond, the Cro-Magnon slipped past her to lower the bar into place
Again came the soft, insistent knock Tharn stepped close beside the princess, pointed at the door and then to her lips, at the saainst her side Thewas clear; she must send away, unwarned, whoever was outside
”Who is there?” she called
”Forgiveyou, princess,” came a muffled reply, ”but the man you warned us of is soher chances But the cave-aze conquered the te more of him Go now, that I may sleep”
Tharn heard the ained a brief respite from discovery, he returned to the
He pinched out the fla on a wooden bracket nearby, to prevent so hiroups of warriors about the grounds--patrols, posted to prevent hi But Tharn had no intention of leaving until Dylara was free to go with him
From the floor above, and not far to his left, there jutted out a tiny balcony, its slender stone columns topped with a balustrade of the saered there, an idea popped suddenly into his rease on the floor, he tore the bracket fro wooden rods away This done, he tied one end of his grass rope to the exact center of the thick cylinder and returned to the