Part 40 (1/2)
Sleep caht todesire for the morrow to come--the new day for which all had waited There were some here ould never see a second sunrise; but, as is usual under such conditions, each le out any one other than himself
Less than a day's journey to the north of Sephar's walls a party of fifty warriors supped on the freshly-killed meat of Neela, the zebra, shortly before Dyta slid below the western earth-line All that day they had traveled slowly along a thread-like ga directly south At tih sorotesque shadows of forest kings Again, their as across wide reaches of gently undulating prairie, where thick yellow grasses, deep to a tallwinds
Always, however, they had moved into the south, and ever in the lead was he whose decision, based solely on a vague preht them so far fronia of a chief
With the sudden coh branches on either side of the trail When Dyta returned on the morrow, they once more would take up their march into the mountains to the southalways to the south
Once rill-work of the great cell beneath Sephar's amphitheater And froain into their seats for another day of grisly entertainers through his heavy shock of black hair For aout many whom he had learned to respect There was Katon, head pillowed on the biceps of a strong right ar soundly Near hih black stubble covering his cheek
There was Rotark, his long face even more solemn in sleep; and next to him, Gorlat, blond hair unruffled, his tunic, still nearly immaculate, neatly folded and placed close beside hi the sleepers Before Wotar arrived, he o over for the last time, those few vital points which all must know perfectly if his plans were to be carried to a successful conclusion
When all were asseain that none ht fail to understand as expected of hi on his every word and drinking deep of the inexhaustible fund of courage and surety possessed by the gray-eyed young man
When he had finished he knew they ith hie, without hesitation, a hundred spear points if the need arose If Vulcar could roup across the hall, then Sephar could have a new ruler before nightfall
He had noWotar and six guards Quickly, ten prisoners were singled out and taken froolden haired Gorlat
Upon reaching the aruards, into the cha forced to wait until the tiny room could be cleared And of the four who entered, tere Tharn and Gorlat
The door was closed and barred The prisoners stood quietly, waiting for the attendant to parcel out weapons to them
The crisis was at hand Now that it had corow taut, a deadly coolness steal through hi to leap upon unwary prey
The air of the s electrical; a hushed breath of expectancy uard cleared his throat uneasily, sending a harsh rasping note against the silence He said, ”Give eacha stone-tipped spear from a pile in one corner, the attendant offered it, butt foremost, to the cave-ers closed on the haft, and before anyone could guess his intention, Tharn drew back his aring a screauard slumped forward, the other captives snatched weapons from the supply about them and leaped upon the dazed soldiers, three of ent down before they could lift a hand in defense
Tharn, farthest froroup, was forced to cross the entire roouard That one, instead of standing his ground, was seeking to reach and unbar the corridor door
As he fuers closed on one shoulder and tore hih above Tharn's head; then his thrown body struck head fore the skull like a blown egg
Turning to his couards were already accounted for The third, however, had killed one rebel, and using the dead body as a shi+eld, was successfully standing off all efforts of the twospear, its darting head having already inflicted slight wounds on thewarned Tharn that the sounds of combat had aroused Wotar and his two eous man; and unless this delay was speedily ended, the break for freedorasped the dead body of the attendant, straightened, and hurled it with all his giant strength full against the lone defender's huuard ept completely from his feet Before he could recover, Gorlat had slipped a knife into his heart
Bounding forward, Tharn unbarred and threw open the door, and sprang into the corridor, his two friends at his heels He had a brief gli jaw and stupefied expression before the two factions closed in battle
Wotar was no coward As Tharn leaped toward hiely at the Cro-Magnard's broad chest
Like the striking head of an angry snake, Tharn's hand shot out and closed on Wotar's wrist Mighty fingers contracted, and the knife dropped froainst the stone floor