Part 42 (1/2)

Her laughter ceased; her eyes dwelt upon him--filled with an infernal joy

”The son of Cherkis!” I heard her murmur ”He has a son--”

There was a sneer on the cruel face; clearly he thought her awed Quick was his disillusionhter of another Norhala and of Rustu spawn of unclean toads--go and tell your father that I, Norhala, a back with you the maid and the man Go, I say!”

CHAPTER XXV CHERKIS

There was stark ah He dropped fro his men There came one loud trumpet blast

Out from the battlements poured a storm of arrows, a cloud of javelins

The squat catapults leaped forward From the tehter and before they could reach us arrow and javelin and boulder were checked as though ht thereat spindle shot a gigantic arm, hammer tipped with cubes It struck the wall close to where the scarlet armored Kulun had vanished

Under its blow the stones cruments fell the soldiers; were buried beneath theaped in the battleain; hooked its hammer tip over the parapet, tore away a stretch of the breastwork as though it had been cardboard Beside the breach an expanse of the broad flat top lay open like a wide platforth of the spindle thrust other ar

Froth of the wall arose panic outcry Abruptly the storain the tru ceased Down fell a silence, terrified, stifling

Kulun stepped forth again, both hands held high Gone was his arrogance

”A parley,” he shouted ”A parley, Norhala If we give you the et them,” she answered ”And take with you this my command to Cherkis--that HE return with the two!”

For an instant Kulun hesitated Up thrust the dreadful arms, poised themselves to strike

”It shall be so,” he shouted ”I carry your command”

He leaped back, his red mail flashed toward a turret that held, I supposed, a stairway He was lost to sight In silence aited

On the further side of the city I glimpsed movement Little troops of ures were fleeing froates

Norhala saw them too With that incoht a s separated from us; whirled up into a dozen of those obelisked forms I had seen march from the cat eyes of the City of the Pit

In but a breath, it seeitives

They did not touch the off and corraling frightened sheep, they circled and darted Rushi+ng back ca terraces and walls arose shrill cries of terror, a wailing Far away the obelisks , ates

There was a stir upon the wall, a flashi+ng of spears, of drawn blades

Two litters closed with curtainings, surrounded by triple rows of swords s borne to the torn battlement