Part 38 (2/2)

A split second before the arroere released, two of the three archers turned their aiet as that selected by Maltor

I three flint-tipped shafts with incredible swiftness at a singlely spaced that a ht, was all but impossible Yet in the flicker of time required for the arrows to reach him, Tharn had acted in the only manner possible to avoid impalement

Flat on his face dropped the cave- head to shatter against the stone wall beyond As he fell, Katon and Rotark fired their first arrows

One found a mark A man screamed suddenly, horribly, and sank to the sand, a wooden shaft protruding from his abdoet been less agile there would have been two casualties

But thepoint by a sideward lunge, keeping his balance with difficulty in the shi+fting sands

Meanwhile, Tharn had not re barrage passed over him, he rose to his knees and dispatched his first arrow at the foe Katon had given hiht napping Even though he had er, he had kept an eye on the cave-man And that precaution enabled hi struck

The veteran bowasped incredulously as the stone-shod missile whined past Hean arroith such superhuht in this life

Even as Tharn released his first arrow, his right hand shot out, snatched a second froo--all within the quiver of an eye-lid Maltor, still trying to regain balance, was in no position to dodge again

Those in the stands saw the faht by an invisible hand Mouth agape, eyes staring in unco ers he had clapped to his side Then he turned in a slow half-circle, his knees buckled; and Maltor sank to the sands, dead where he fell

So savage had been the force behind Tharn's arrow that head and shaft had passed co, spellbound by the brief drama, was shocked frorasp and hurled several yards away One end struck hi

An arrow intended for Rotark's heart had, instead, crashed against the hardwood bow in his hand The impact cost Rotark two of his teeth; an inch or so either ould have cost hi, Katon's bow spoke a second time and the last enelooot unsteadily to his feet, spat out two teeth as an involuntary offering to the God-Whose-Name-May-Not-Be-Spoken-Aloud, picked up his splintered bow and started for the exit

Katon and Tharn grinned quietly to one another and followed him

And the thrilled thousands in the stands released at last the breath they unconsciously had been holding for long seconds

And so the day wore on Many tireat cell to select men for combat in the arena Some of those selected returned, others never cahed, by far, the losses The reasons were two: Every hten his chance for freedoht with deter not possible without hope to feed upon

Wotar was responsible for the second reason The director knew fro these Games that spectators thrilled more over duels between men than over those between men and beasts As a consequence he husbanded his supply of warriors, sending enough of thele creatures that the latter almost invariably succumbed before they could do much harm Only when a man proved an exceptionally able warrior were the oddsafternoon, Wotar and his eon and took Tharn, alone, with theh the doorway, in time to catch an expression in Katon's eyes that was very close to being fear It came to Tharn, then, that should he perish in action, the planned revolt ht never take place

On his leadershi+p depended the hopes of every man in that room

Once more Tharn found hily at Wotar