Part 5 (2/2)
”Perhaps there is so to be said for their system,” Turan admitted ”If we could but lay aside our stomachs when they cried for food and water I have no doubt but that we should do so”
”I should never hty poor co a less desolate country and renewing again the hope that had been loithin the ahead
”Look, Tara of Helium!” he cried ”A city! As I am Ga--as I am Turan the panthan, a city”
Far in the distance the do sun Quickly the man seized the control and the shi+p dropped rapidly behind a low range of intervening hills, for well Turan knew that they must not be seen until they could discover whether friend or foe inhabited the strange city Chances were that they were far from the abode of friends and so must the panthan move with the utmost caution; but there was a city and where a city ater, even though it were a deserted city, and food if it were inhabited
To the red man food and water, even in the citadel of an enemy, meant food and drink for Tara of Helium He would accept it fro as it was there he would have it--and there was shown the egotish Turan did not see it, nor Tara who caht have smiled had he kno
Turan per hills, and then when he could advance no farther without fear of discovery, he dropped the craft gently to ground in a little ravine, and leaping over the side made her fast to a stout tree For several moments they discussed their plans--whether it would be best to here they were until darkness hid their movements and then approach the city in search of food and water, or approach it now, taking advantage of what cover they could, until they could glean so of the nature of its inhabitants
It was Turan's plan which finally prevailed They would approach as close as safety dictated in the hope of finding water outside the city; food, too, perhaps If they did not they could at least reconnoiter the ground by daylight, and then when night came Turan could quickly come close to the city and in comparative safety prosecute his search for food and drink
Following the ravine upward they finally topped the sue, from which they had an excellent view of that part of the city which lay nearest theh themselves hidden by the brush behind which they crouched Ghek had resumed his rykor, which had suffered less than either Tara or Turan through their enforced fast
The first glance at the city, now much closer than when they had first discovered it, revealed the fact that it was inhabited Banners and pennons broke froate before theh white walls were paced by sentinels at far intervals Upon the roofs of higher buildings the wo silks and furs Turan watched it all in silence for some tiuess what city this may be But it is an ancient city Its people have no fliers and no firearms It must be old indeed”
”How do you know they have not these things?” asked the girl
”There are no landing-stages upon the roofs--not one that can be seen fro similarly at Helium ould see hundreds And they have no firearms because their defenses are all built to withstand the attack of spear and arroith spear and arrow They are an ancient people”
”If they are ancient perhaps they are friendly,” suggested the girl ”Did we not learn as children in the history of our planet that it was once peopled by a friendly, peace-loving race?”
”But I fear they are not as ancient as that,” replied Turan, laughing ”It has been long ages since the men of Barsooirl
”And yet he is always at war,” said the hed ”But he says he likes peace”
”We all like peace,” he rejoined; ”peace with honor; but our neighbors will not let us have it, and so we ht,” she added
”And to like to fight they ht,” he said, ”for nothat he does not kno to do well”
”Or that some other man can do better than he”
”And so always there will be wars and ht,” he concluded, ”for always the men with hot blood in their veins will practice the art of war”
”We have settled a great question,” said the girl, s; ”but our sto his duty,” replied Turan; ”and how can he with the great reward always before his eyes!”
She did not guess in what literal a sense he spoke
”I go forthwith,” he continued, ”to wrest food and drink fro a hand upon his arm, ”not yet They would slay you or hty one, but you cannot overcolehanded”
She smiled up into his face and her hand still lay upon his arh his veins He could have seized her in his arms and crushed her to him There was only Ghek the kaldane there, but there was soer within him that restrained his hand Who may define it--that inherent chivalry that renders certain e point they saw a body of ar a well-beaten road pass froht about the foot of the hill from which they watched The men were red, like themselves, and they rode the ss were barbaric and nificent, and in their head-dress were many feathers as had been the custo spears and they rode al painted in ochre and blue and white There were, perhaps, a score of thealloped away on their tireless e and beautiful
”They have the appearance of splendid warriors,” said Turan ”I have a great mind to walk boldly into their city and seek service”
Tara shook her head ”Wait,” she admonished ”What would I do without you, and if you were captured how could you collect your reward?”
”I should escape,” he said ”At any rate I shall try it,” and he started to rise
”You shall not,” said the girl, her tone all authority
The ly
”You have entered htily
”You have entered my service for hire and you shall do as I bid you”
Turan sank down beside her again with a half smile upon his lips ”It is yours to com of the sunlight, had deserted his rykor and crawled down a hole he had discovered close by Tara and Turan reclined beneath the scant shade of a sh the gate The party of horsemen did not return A s the day, and once a caravan of broad-wheeled carts drawn by these huge animals wound out of the distant horizon and caht within the gateway Then darkness came and Tara of Helium bid her panthan search for food and drink; but she cautioned hi to enter the city Before he left her he bent and kissed her hand as a warrior may kiss the hand of his queen
CHAPTER X
ENTRAPPED
TURAN the panthan approached the strange city under cover of the darkness He entertained little hope of finding either food or water outside the wall, but he would try and then, if he failed, he would attempt to make his way into the city, for Tara of Helium must have sustenance and have it soon He saw that the walls were poorly sentineled, but they were sufficiently high to render an attee of underbrush and trees, Turan ed to reach the base of the ithout detection Silently he ate which effectively barred even the slightest glimpse within the city beyond It was Turan's hope to find upon the north side of the city away frorew the crops of the inhabitants, and here too water fro that seely interminable wall he found no fields nor any water He searched also for soress to the city, yet here, too, failure was his only reward, and now as he went keen eyes watched him from above and a silent stalker kept pace with him for a time upon the summit of the wall; but presently the shadower descended to the paveer without
He ca and before the doorway of the building a warrior standing guard He spoke a few quick words to the warrior and then entered the building only to return almost immediately to the street, followed by fully forty warriors Cautiously opening the gate the fellow peered carefully along the wall upon the outside in the direction from which he had come Evidently satisfied, he issued a feords of instruction to those behind him, whereupon half the warriors returned to the interior of the building, while the other half followed the atehere they crouched low aatehich they had left open Here they waited in utter silence, nor had they long to wait before Turan the panthan caate he came and when he found it and that it was open he paused for a ; then he approached and looked within assured that there was none within sight to apprehend hiateway into the city
He found himself in a narrow street that paralleled the wall Upon the opposite side rose buildings of an architecture unknown to his were packed closely together there seemed to be no two alike and their fronts were of all shapes and heights and of many hues The skyline was broken by spire and dome and minaret and tall, slender towers, while the walls supported ht of Cluros, the farther moon, no in the west, he saw, to his surprise and consternation, the figures of people upon the balconies Directly opposite hi upon the rail of the balcony looking, apparently, directly at hin
Turan hesitated a moment in the face of almost certain discovery and then, assured that they must take him for one of their own people, heno idea of the direction in which heto arouse suspicion by further hesitation, he turned to the left and stepped briskly along the pave himself as quickly as possible beyond the observation of those nocturnal watchers He knew that the night must be far spent; and so he could not but wonder why people should sit upon their balconies when they should have been asleep aht theuests of some convivial host; but the s behind them were shrouded in darkness and utter quiet prevailed, quite upsetting such a theory And as he proceeded he passedsilently upon other balconies They paid no attention to hi Sole elbow upon the rail, their chins resting in their pal down into the street, while several that he saw held ers s
And then Turan caht, to skirt a building that jutted from the inside of the city wall, and as he rounded the corner he ca upon either side of the entrance to a building upon his right It was impossible for theave other evidence that they had seen hi-sword, but they neither challenged nor halted hiht hirounds could he explain their inaction
As Turan had passed through the gateway into the city and taken his unhindered way along the avenue, twenty warriors had entered the city and closed the gate behind the its su the avenue, while a third had crossed the street and entered one of the buildings upon the opposite side