Part 36 (1/2)

”Quiet, you fool!” snapped Katon ”This is no ti under his breath and went back to his bone

Rotark wiped his lips with the back of his hand ”How many of us will see the end of this day?” he asked in doleful tones ”Take Gorlat, here--so careful not to soil his tunic It ain!”

The blond young ive ht a roup

What had Vulcar said yesterday about this handso a knife”

Katon said, ”It will be an hour before the Gaet under way First theythe God-Whose-Nauards will coive them arms and send thehtfully, ”I wonder if it is wise to wait until the third day before putting our plan into action After three days many of our men will have died in the arena We shall need every”True,” he aduardssh we shall lose men,” he continued, ”I believe many of the soldiers and citizens of Sephar will join us when the revolt gets under way Few, I iard Pryak with favor; they should welcome a chance to end his power and erm of an idea was implanted in Tharn's mind--an idea destined to bear fruit in the days ahead

For the better part of an hour the seven ring-leaders roups of prisoners, discussing various phases of the plan Tharn had concocted So confident did the seven seeht up by their infectious spirit and began to grow iht pass the sooner

At last the noise of sandaled feet sounded in the corridor, and a moment later the door was thrust open

Five ed in black; and another, as as different from the nondescript priests as Sadu differs from Botu, the jackal

Head and shoulders above his co and proud, and from either side of a blade-like nose, eyes of blue fire swept over the crowded roonard ”That tall one is Wotar, director of the Games He is no priest; and before Urim died, was one of Sephar'stih in Pryak's favor”

Wotar lanced sharply in Katon's direction The glittering eyes stopped at the sight of Tharn, taking in the graceful contours and swelling thews beneath the clear bronzed skin

”You,” Wotar said quietly, crooking a long forefinger at the cave-man

At first, Tharn did not fully comprehend; but when two of the priests laid hold of his arone

”Goodbye, my friend” Katon's voice was sad ”We shall watch for your return”

”I will be back,” Tharn proreat door crashi+ng shut behind hi the corridor to where it ended before a narrow door In response to Wotar's knock it opened, disclosing a small chamber almost filled with a miscellany of weapons of every type known to prehistoricinstructions from the director

”No weapons,” Wotar said briefly He turned to the cave-o directly to the arena's center and wait for whatever I send against you Make a good fight of it and the croill be for you That can e to kill your opponent, return here at once Do you understand?”

”Yes”

Wotar nodded to the attendant and the arena door was opened, flooding the rooht, stepped out on to the white sands of Sephar's Colosseu Tharn was never to forget The sandy floor was perhaps three hundred feet in length and half as many in width--a perfectly symmetrical ellipse surrounded by a sheer stone wall twelve feet in height Beyond that wall the spectator stands began, tier upon tier of stone benches sloping up and back for fifty yards to the last row