Part 13 (2/2)
”Tell them,” he said at last in a hollow voice that sounded not at all like the voice of a great jeddak; ”tell theo to the chambers of O-Mai and search for Turan the slave”
CHAPTER XXI
A RISK FOR LOVE
”EY, ey, he is a craven and he calledfool'!” The speaker was I-Gos and he addressed a knot of chieftains in one of the chambers of the palace of O-Tar, Jeddak of Manator: ”If A-Kor was alive there were a jeddak for us!”
”Who says that A-Kor is dead?” demanded one of the chiefs
”Where is he then?” asked I-Gos ”Have not others disappeared whoht too well beloved for men so near the throne as they?”
The chief shook his head ”And I thought that, or knew it, rather; I'd join U-Thor at The Gate of Enemies”
”S-s-st,” cautioned one; ”here comes the licker of feet,” and all eyes were turned upon the approaching E-Thas
”Kaor, friends!” he exclai elicited naught but a few surly nods ”Have you heard the news?” he continued, unabashed by treat accustomed
”What--has O-Tar seen an ulsio and fainted?” demanded I-Gos with broad sarcasm
”Men have died for less than that, ancient one,” E-Thas reminded him
”I am safe,” retorted I-Gos, ”for I am not a brave and popular son of the jeddak of Manator”
This was indeed open treason, but E-Thas feigned not to hear it He ignored I-Gos and turned to the others ”O-Tar goes to the chaht in search of Turan the slave,” he said ”He sorrows that his warriors have not the courage for so mean a duty and that their jeddak is thus compelled to arrest a common slave,” hich taunt E-Thas passed on to spread the word in other parts of the palace As a inal with hi it to the discoroup of men I-Gos called after hi the chahth zode,” replied the major-domo, and went his way
About 1:00 A M Earth Time
”We shall see,” stated I-Gos
”What shall we see?” asked a warrior
”We shall see whether O-Tar visits the chamber of O-Mai”
”How?”
”I shall be there myself and if I see him I will know that he has been there If I don't see him I will know that he has not,” explained the old taxider there to fill an honest man with fear?” asked a chieftain ”What have you seen?”
”It was not so h, as what I heard,” said I-Gos
”Tell us! What heard and saw you?”
”I saw the dead O-Mai,” said I-Gos The others shuddered
”And you went not mad?” they asked
”Aain?”
”Yes”
”Then indeed you are mad,” cried one
”You saw the dead O-Mai; but what heard you that orse?” whispered another
”I saw the dead O-Mai lying upon the floor of his sleeping cha silks and furs upon his couch I heard horrid htful screaain?” demanded several
”The dead cannot harm me,” said I-Gos ”He has lain thus for five thousand years Nor can a sound harain It cas and watched the slave Turan before I snatched the woman away from him”
”I-Gos, you are a very bravefool' and I would face worse dangers than lie in the forbidden chambers of O-Mai to know it if he does not visit the chaht caed and the time approached when O-Tar, Jeddak of Manator, was to visit the chamber of O-Mai in search of the slave Turan To us, who nant spirits, his fearreat repute; but the fact remained that O-Tar of Manator was nervous with apprehension as he strode the corridors of his palace toward the deserted halls of O-Mai and when he stood at last with his hand upon the door that opened from the dusty corridor to the very apartments themselves he was almost paralyzed with terror He had come alone for two very excellent reasons, the first of which was that thus none ht note his terror-stricken state nor his defection should he fail at the lastalone or be able to reater than were he to be accoh he had started alone he had beco followed, and he knew that it was because his people had no faith in either his courage or his veracity He did not believe that he would find the slave Turan He did not very h O-Tar was an excellent swordsman and a brave warrior in physical combat, he had seen how Turan had played with U-Dor and he had no stoe at arms with one whom he knew outclassed him
And so O-Tar stood with his hand upon the door--afraid to enter; afraid not to But at last his fear of his oarriors, watching behind hireater than the fear of the unknown behind the ancient door and he pushed the heavy skeel aside and entered
Silence and gloom and the dust of centuries lay heavy upon the chamber From his warriors he knew the route that he must take to the horrid cha feet across the room before him, across the rooame, and came to the short corridor that led into the roorasp He paused after each forward step to listen and when he was alhost-haunted chamber, his heart stood still within his breast and the cold sweat broke from the clammy skin of his forehead, for frohted ears the sound ofThen it was that O-Tar of Manator ca from the nameless horror that he could not see, but that he knew lay waiting for hiain came the fear of the wrath and conterade hiain There was no doubt of what his fate would be should he flee the apartments of O-Mai in terror His only hope, therefore, lay in daring the unknown in preference to the known
He moved forward A few steps took him to the doorway The chamber before him was darker than the corridor, so that he could just indistinctlydais near the center, with a darker blotch of so on the marble floor beside it He moved a step farther into the doorway and the scabbard of his sword scraped against the stone fra silks and furs upon the central daisposture froathered all his htly in his treers prepared to leap across the chamber upon the horrid apparition He hesitated just a h the darkness into his withering heart--eyes that he could not see He gathered hi upon the couch an awful shriek, and O-Tar sank senseless to the floor
Gahan rose fro quickly about with draord as the shadow of a noise ied upon his keen ears fros he saw a bent and wrinkled figure It was I-Gos
”Sheathe your sword, Turan,” said the old ht to fear from I-Gos”
”What do you here?” dereat coward did not cheat us Ey, and he calledfool;' but look at hiive him that who had heard your uncanny screae And it was you, then, who moaned and screamed when the chiefs came the day that I stole Tara from you?”