Part 11 (2/2)
LONG and loud was the applause that rose above the Field of Jetan at Manator, as The Keeper of the Towers summoned the two Princesses and the victorious Chief to the center of the field and presented to the latter the fruits of his prowess, and then, as custom demanded, the victorious players, headed by Gahan and the two Princesses, formed in procession behind The Keeper of the Towers and were conducted to the place of victory before the royal enclosure that they ht receive the coave up their thoats to slaves as all must be on foot for this cereates to one of the tunnels that, passing beneath the seats, give ingress or egress to or froate the party halted while O-Tar looked down upon the quietly ahead of the others, went directly to the gates, where they were hidden from those who occupied the enclosure with O-Tar The Keeper of the Towers may have noticed the the victorious Chief to the jeddak that he paid no attention to the you, O-Tar, Jeddak of Manator, U-Kal of Manataj,” he cried in a loud voice that e in the second of the Jeddak's Games of the four hundred and thirty-third year of O-Tar, and the slave woman Tara and the slave woman Lan-O that you may bestow these, the stakes, upon U-Kal”
As he spoke, a little, wrinkled, old man peered over the rail of the enclosure down upon the three who stood directly behind The Keeper, and strained his weak and watery eyes in an effort to satisfy the curiosity of old age in a matter of no particular import, for ere two slaves and a common warrior from Manataj to any who sat with O-Tar the jeddak?
”U-Kal of Manataj,” said O-Tar, ”you have deserved the stakes Seldom have we looked upon more noble swordplay And you tire of Manataj there be always here in the city of Manator a place for you in The Jeddak's Guard”
While the jeddak was speaking the little, oldclearly to discern the features of the Black Chief, reached into his pocket-pouch and drew forth a pair of thick-lensed spectacles, which he placed upon his nose For a moment he scrutinized Gahan closely, then he leaped to his feet and addressing O-Tar pointed a shaking finger it Gahan As he rose Tara of Helium clutched the Black Chief's arht to have slain in the pits of O-Tar It is I-Gos and he recognizes you and will--”
But what I-Gos would do was already transpiring In his falsetto voice he fairly screamed: ”It is the slave Turan who stole the woman Tara from your throne room, O-Tar He desecrated the dead chief I-Mal and wears his harness now!”
Instantly all was pandemonium Warriors drew their swords and leaped to their feet Gahan's victorious players rushed forward in a body, sweeping The Keeper of the Towers froates beneath the royal enclosure, opening the tunnel that led to the avenue in the city beyond the Towers Gahan, surrounded by his eway, and at a rapid pace the party sought to reach the opposite end of the tunnel before their escape could be cut off They were successful and when they eed into the city the sun had set and darkness had co systelow over the shadowy streets
Noas that Tara of Heliuuessed why the Black Chief had drawn out his duel with U-Dor and realized that he ht have slain his man at almost any moment he had elected The whole plan that Gahan had whispered to his players before the gahly understood They were to make their way to The Gate of Enereat Jed of Manatos The fact that most of them were Gatholians and that Gahan could lead rescuers to the pit where A-Kor, the son of U-Thor's wife, was confined, convinced the Jed of Gathol that they would meet with no rebuff at the hands of U-Thor But even should he refuse theo on toward freedoh the forces of U-Thor at The Gate of Eneainst a small army; but of such stuff are the warriors of Barsoo the alns of pursuit developed and then there came upon them suddenly from behind a dozen warriors mounted on thoats--a detachment, evidently, from The Jeddak's Guard Instantly the avenue was a pande thoats In the first onslaught life blood was spilled upon both sides Two of Gahan's men went down, and upon the enemies' side three riderless thoats attested at least a portion of their casualties
Gahan was engaged with a felloho appeared to have been selected to account for hiht to cut hihtest heed to several who slashed at him as he passed the a ht to reach the left side of the fellow's thoat a little to the rider's rear, the only position in which he would have any advantage over his antagonist, or rather the position that would e of the mounted n And so the guardsry mount while Gahan leaped in and out in an effort to reach the coveted vantage point, but always seeking so in his foe's defense
And while they jockeyed for position a rider swept swiftly past them As he passed behind Gahan the latter heard a cry of alarm
”Turan, they have me!” calance across his shoulder showed hi Tara to the withers of the beast, and then, with the fury of a deed him from his mount and as he fell sle cut of his keen sword Scarce had the body touched the pavement when the Gatholian was upon the back of the dead warrior'sswiftly down the avenue after the diures of Tara and her abductor, the sounds of the fight waning in the distance as he pursued his quarry along the avenue that passes the palace of O-Tar and leads to The Gate of Eneained upon that of the Manatorian, so that as they neared the palace Gahan was scarce a hundred yards behind, and now, to his consternation, he saw the fellow turn into the great entrance-way For a uards and then he disappeared within Gahan was aluards, for they leaped out to intercept the Gatholian But no! the fellow could not have known that he was pursued, since he had not seen Gahan seize a ht that pursuit would come so soon If he had passed then, so could Gahan pass, for did he not wear the trappings of a Manatorian? The Gatholian thought quickly, and stopping his thoat called to the guardsmen to let him pass, ”In the name of O-Tar!” They hesitated a er parley for the right to deliver his e?”
”To ould you deliver it?” asked the padwar of the guard
”Saw you not hi for a reply urged his thoat straight past the as best to be done, it was too late to do anything--which is not unusual
Along the one that way before, rather than because he knehich way Tara had been taken, he followed the runways and passed through the chambers that led to the throne room of O-Tar On the second level he met a slave
”Which ent he who carried the woman before him?” he asked
The slave pointed toward a nearby runway that led to the third level and Gahan dashed rapidly on in pursuit At the sa at a furious pace, approached the palace and halted hisone who carried a wouard
”He but just passed in,” replied the padwar, ”saying that he was O-Tar's er”
”He lied,” cried the newcomer ”He was Turan, the slave, who stole the woman from the throne room two days since
Arouse the palace! He must be seized, and alive if possible It is O-Tar's command”
Instantly warriors were dispatched to search for the Gatholian and warn the inareat building, but those whom they found were immediately enlisted in the search, so that presently at least fifty warriors were seeking through the countless chambers and corridors of the palace of O-Tar
As Gahan's thoat bore hili at the turn of a corridor far ahead Urging his own ani the turn discovered only an e this he hurried to discover near its farther end a runway to the fourth level, which he followed upward Here he saw that he had gained upon his quarry as just turning through a doorway fifty yards ahead As Gahan reached the opening he saw that the warrior had dis Tara toward a small door on the opposite side of the chamber At the same instant the clank of harness to his rear caused hi the corridor he had just traversed, he saw three warriors approaching on foot at a run Leaping frogling to free herself frorasp of her captor, slareat bolt into its seat, and drawing his sword crossed the rooe the Manatorian The fellow, thus menaced, called aloud to Gahan to halt, at the sa her heart with the point of his short-sword
”Stay!” he cried, ”or the woman dies, for such is the coain fall into your hands”
Gahan stopped But a few feet separated him from Tara and her captor, yet he was helpless to aid her Slowly the warrior backed toward the open doorway behind hiht, but the warrior was a powerfulseized her by the harness from behind was able to hold her in a position of helplessness
”Saveme to a fate worse than death Better that I die nohileenemies in defense of my honor”
He took a step nearer The warrior esture with his sword close to the soft, smooth skin of the princess, and Gahan halted
”I cannot, Tara of Helium,” he cried ”Think not ill of reat is hter of Heliurin upon his lips, backed steadily away He had almost reached the doorhen Gahan saw another warrior in the cha borne--a felloho moved silently, almost stealthily, across the marble floor as he approached Tara's captor fro-sword
”Two to one,” thought Gahan, and a grim smile touched his lips, for he had no doubt that once they had Tara safely in the adjoining chamber the tould set upon him If he could not save her, he could at least die for her
And then, suddenly, Gahan's eyes fastened with a felloho held Tara and was forcing her to the doorway He saw the newcomer step almost within arm's reach of the other He saw him stop, an expression of reat sword swing through the arc of a great circle, gathering swift and terrific ht backed by the brawn of the steel thews that guided it; he saw it pass through the feathered skull of the Manatorian, splitting his sardonic grin in twain, and open him to the middle of his breast bone
As the dead hand relaxed its grasp upon Tara's wrist the girl leaped forward, without a backward glance, to Gahan's side His left arm encircled her, nor did she draay, as with ready sword the Gatholian awaited Fate's next decree Before the the blood from his sword upon the hair of his victis those of the Jeddak's Guard, and so his act was inexplicable to Gahan and to Tara Presently he sheathed his sword and approached them
”When a man chooses to hide his identity behind an assuht into Gahan's eyes, ”whatever friend pierces the deception were no friend if he divulged the other's secret”
He paused as though awaiting a reply
”Your integrity has perceived and your lips voiced an unalterable truth,” replied Gahan, whose mind was filled onder if the implication could by any possibility be true--that this Manatorian had guessed his identity
”We are thus agreed,” continued the other, ”and I h I am here known as A-Sor, my real name is Tasor” He paused and watched Gahan's face intently for any sign of the effect of this knowledge and was rewarded with a quick, though guarded expression of recognition
Tasor! Friend of his youth The son of that great Gatholian noble who had given his life so gloriously, however futilely, in an atteers of the assassins Tasor an under-padwar in the guard of O-Tar, Jeddak of Manator! It was inconceivable--and yet it was he; there could be no doubt of it ”Tasor,” Gahan repeated aloud ”But it is no Manatorian naatory, for Gahan's curiosity was aroused He would kno his friend and loyal subject had beco years had passed since Tasor had disappeared as mysteriously as the Princess Haja andsupposed him dead
”No,” replied Tasor, ”nor is it a Manatorian na place for you in sootten chamber in one of the untenanted portions of the palace, and as we go I will tell you briefly how Tasor the Gatholian became A-Sor the Manatorian
”It befell that as I rode with a dozen offor zitidars that had strayed froreat coh not before half our number was slain and the balance helpless froht a prisoner to Manataj, a distant city of Manator, and there sold into slavery A woht me--a princess of Manataj whose wealth and position were unequaled in the city of her birth She loved me and when her husband discovered her infatuation she beseeched me to slay him, and when I refused she hired another to do it Then she ht to do with her in Manataj, for they suspected her guilty knowledge of her husband's murder And so we set out fro all her worldly goods and jewels and precious metals, and on the way she caused the rumor to be spread that she and I had died Then we ca a new nah our naht me a post in The Jeddak's Guard and none knows that I am not a Manatorian, for she is dead She was beautiful, but she was a devil”
”And you never sought to return to your native city?” asked Gahan
”Never has the hope been absent from my heart, or my mind empty of a plan,” replied Tasor ”I dreaht, but always must I return to the sale means for escape Iparty to Gathol Then, once within the boundaries of my own country, they shall see me no more”
”Perhaps your opportunity lies already within your grasp,” said Gahan, ”has not your fealty to your own Jed been undermined by years of association with the e
”And my Jed stood before me now,” cried Tasor, ”andhis confidence, I should castfor him as my sire died for his sire”
There could be no doubt of his sincerity nor any that he was cognizant of Gahan's identity The Jed of Gathol smiled ”And if your Jed were here there is little doubt but that he would command you to devote your talents and your prowess to the rescue of the Princess Tara of Heliue I have gained during my captivity he would say to you, 'Go, Tasor, to the pit where A-kor, son of Haja of Gathol, is confined and set him free and with him arouse the slaves from Gathol and march to The Gate of Enemies and offer your services to U-Thor of Manataj, who is wed to Haja of Gathol, and ask of him in return that he attack the palace of O-Tar and rescue Tara of Heliu is accomplished that he free the slaves of Gathol and furnish them with the arms and the means to return to their own country' That, Tasor of Gathol, is what Gahan your Jed would demand of you”
”And that, Turan the slave, is what I shall bend e for Tara of Heliulance carried to Tasor an intiratification and filled hi required of him, or die, for he considered that he had received from the lips of his beloved ruler a commission that placed upon his shoulders a responsibility that encompassed not alone the life of Gahan and Tara but the welfare, perhaps the whole future, of Gathol And so he hastened theh the es lay undisturbed upon the ain he tried a door until he found one that was unlocked Opening it he ushered the silks and furs adorned the walls, with ancient weapons, and great paintings whose colors were toned by age to wondrous softness