Part 4 (2/2)
”Who is Luud? Where is he? Lead me to him” Gahan spoke quickly in tones vibrant with authority
”Co the way froround burrows of the kaldanes ”Luud is ed Gahan
”Sheathe your sword,” warned Ghek, ”so that should we pass others of my kind I may say to the their belief”
Gahan did as he was bid, but warning the kaldane that his hand was ever ready at his dagger's hilt
”You need have no fear of treachery,” said Ghek ”My only hope of life lies in you”
”And if you fail me,” Gahan admonished hiht guarantee you”
Gheksubterranean corridors until Gahan began to realize how truly was he in the hands of this strange monster If the fellow should prove false it would profit Gahan nothing to slay hiht never hope to retrace his way to the tower and freedom
Twice they met and were accosted by other kaldanes; but in both instances Ghek's si a new prisoner to Luud appeared to allay all suspicion, and then at last they ca
”Here, now, red ht, if ever,” whispered Ghek ”Enter there!” and he pointed to a doorway before them
”And you?” asked Gahan, still fearful of treachery
”My rykor is powerful,” replied the kaldane ”I shall accoht at your side As well die thus as in torture later at the will of Luud Come!”
But Gahan had already crossed the room and entered the chamber beyond Upon the opposite side of the roouarded by tarriors Beyond this opening he could see two figures struggling upon the floor, and the fleeting glimpse he had of one of the faces suddenly endowed hith of ten warriors and the ferocity of a wounded banth It was Tara of Heliu for her honor or her life
The warriors, startled by the unexpected appearance of a red man, stood for a moment in dumb amazement, and in that moment Gahan of Gathol was upon theh its heart
”Strike at the heads,” whispered the voice of Ghek in Gahan's ear The latter saw the head of the fallen warrior crawl quickly within the aperture leading to the chamber where he had seen Tara of Helium in the clutches of a headless body Then the sword of Ghek struck the kaldane of the reh the repulsive head
Instantly the red warrior leaped for the aperture, while close behind him came Ghek
”Look not upon the eyes of Luud,” warned the kaldane, ”or you are lost”
Within the chahty body, while close to the wall upon the opposite side of the apartment crouched the hideous, spider-like Luud Instantly the king realized the ht to fasten his eyes upon the eyes of Gahan, and in doing so he was forced to relax his concentration upon the rykor in whose eirl found herself able to tear away fro
As she rose quickly to her feet she saw for the first time the cause of the interruption of Luud's plans A red warrior! Her heart leaped in rejoicing and thanksgiving What nize hih, this travel-arrior in the plain harness which showed no single jewel How could she have guessed him the same as the scintillant creature of platinum and diamonds that she had seen for a brief hour under such different circuust sire?
Luud saw Ghek following the strange warrior into the cha ”Strike down the stranger and your life shall be yours”
Gahan glanced at the hideous face of the king
”Seek not his eyes,” screa; but it was too late Already the horrid hypnotic gaze of the king kaldane had seized upon the eyes of Gahan The red warrior hesitated in his stride His sword point drooped slowly toward the floor Tara glanced toward Ghek She saw the creature glaring with his expressionless eyes upon the broad back of the stranger She saw the hand of the creature's rykor creeping stealthily toward the hilt of its dagger
And then Tara of Helium raised her eyes aloft and poured forth the notes of Mars'of Love
Ghek drew his dagger froirl Luud's glance wavered from the eyes of the man to the face of Tara, and the instant that the latter's song distracted his attention from his victim, Gahan of Gathol shook himself and as with a supreme effort of will forced his eyes to the wall above Luud's hideous head Ghek raised his dagger above his right shoulder, took a single quick step forward, and struck The girl's song ended in a stifled scream as she leaped forith the evident intention of frustrating the kaldane's purpose; but she was too late, and well it was, for an instant later she realized the purpose of Ghek's act as she saw the dagger fly frouard in the soft face of Luud
”Come!” cried the assassin, ”we have no tih which they had entered the chalance was arrested by the for's rykor; the most beautiful, the most powerful, that the breeders of Bantoom could produce Ghek realized that in his escape he could take with hile rykor, and there was none in Bantoo here Quickly he transferred hireat, inert hulk Instantly the latter was transfor life and alert energy
”Now,” said the kaldane, ”we are ready Let whoso would revert to nothingness impede me” Even as he spoke he stooped and crawled into the cha Tara by the arirl looked him full in the eyes for the first time ”The Gods of my people have been kind,” she said; ”you came just in time To the thanks of Tara of Helium shall be added those of The Warlord of Barsooreatest desires”
Gahan of Gathol saw that she did not recognize hi that had been upon his lips
”Be thou Tara of Helium or another,” he replied, ”is immaterial, to serve thus a red woman of Barsooirl was h the aperture after Ghek, and presently all three had quitted the apart corridors toward the tower Ghek repeatedly urged thereater speed, but the red men of Barsoom were never keen for retreat, and so the two that followed him moved all too slowly for the kaldane
”There are none to ith of the Princess by needless haste?”
”I fear not so much opposition ahead, for there are none there who know the thing that has been done in Luud's chaht; but the kaldane of one of the warriors who stood guard before Luud's apartment escaped, and youaid That it did not come before we left is due solely to the rapidity hich events transpired in the king's roo before we reach the tower they will be upon us from behind, and that they will coreat and powerful rykors I well know”
I have used the word king in describing the rulers or chiefs of the Bantoomian swarlish, nor does jed or jeddak of the red Martian tongue have quite the sa as the Bantoonificance as the English word queen as applied to the leader of a swar in fulfilment Presently the sounds of pursuit beca of accouter call to arms of the kaldanes
”The tower is but a short distance now,” cried Ghek ”Make haste while yet you may, and if we can barricade it until the sun rises we may yet escape”
”We shall need no barricades for we shall not linger in the tower,” replied Gahan,more rapidly as he realized froreat nuo further than the tower tonight,” insisted Ghek ”Beyond the toait the banths and certain death”
Gahan smiled ”Fear not the banths,” he assured them ”Can we but reach the enclosure a little ahead of our pursuers we have naught to fear from any evil poithin this accursed valley”
Ghek made no reply, nor did his expressionless face denote either belief or skepticisly She did not understand
”Your flier,” he said ”It is hted with pleasure and relief ”You found it!” she exclaimed ”What fortune!”
”It was fortune indeed,” he replied ”Since it not only told that you were a prisoner here; but it savedthe valley from the hills to this tower into which I saw them take you this afternoon after your brave attempt at escape”
”How did you knoas I?” she asked, her puzzled brows scanning his face as though she sought to recall froured
”Who is there but knows of the loss of the Princess Tara of Helium?” he replied ”And when I saw the device upon your flier I knew at once, though I had not knohen I saw you areat was the distance for me to make certain whether the captive wasplace of your flier I had gone my way, Tara of Helium I shudder to think how close was the chance at that But for theof the sun upon the emblazoned device on the prow of your craft, I had passed on unknowing”
The girl shuddered ”The Gods sent you,” she whispered reverently
”The Gods sent nize you,” she said ”I have tried to recall you, but I have failed Your nareat a princess should not recall the face of every roving panthan of Barsoom,” he replied with a sirl
”Call me Turan,” replied the nized hiered her that day in the gardens of The Warlord, her situation ht be rendered infinitely less bearable than were she to believe hiht win a greater degree of her confidence by his loyalty and faithfulness and a place in her esteem that seemed to have been closed to the resplendent Jed of Gathol