第60章

"It is the king's command--I have spoken," snapped Ja-don, in whose manner was no sign of either fear or respect for the priest.

Lu-don well knew why the king had chosen this messenger whose heresy was notorious, but whose power had as yet protected him from the machinations of the priest.Lu-don cast a surreptitious glance at the thongs hanging from the ceiling.Why not? If he could but maneuver to entice Ja-don to the opposite side of the chamber!

"Come," he said in a conciliatory tone, "let us discuss the matter," and moved toward the spot where he would have Ja-don follow him.

"There is nothing to discuss," replied Ja-don, yet he followed the priest, fearing treachery.

Jane watched them.In the face and figure of the warrior she found reflected those admirable traits of courage and honor that the profession of arms best develops.In the hypocritical priest there was no redeeming quality.Of the two then she might best choose the warrior.With him there was a chance--with Lu-don, none.Even the very process of exchange from one prison to another might offer some possibility of escape.She weighed all these things and decided, for Ludon's quick glance at the thongs had not gone unnoticed nor uninterpreted by her.

"Warrior," she said, addressing Ja-don, "if you would live enter not that portion of the room."

Lu-don cast an angry glance upon her."Silence, slave!" he cried.

"And where lies the danger?" Ja-don asked of Jane, ignoring Lu-don.

The woman pointed to the thongs."Look," she said, and before the high priest could prevent she had seized that which controlled the partition which shot downward separating Lu-don from the warrior and herself.

Ja-don looked inquiringly at her."He would have tricked me neatly but for you," he said; "kept me imprisoned there while he secreted you elsewhere in the mazes of his temple."

"He would have done more than that," replied Jane, as she pulled upon the other thong."This releases the fastenings of a trapdoor in the floor beyond the partition.When you stepped on that you would have been precipitated into a pit beneath the temple.

Lu-don has threatened me with this fate often.I do not know that he speaks the truth, but he says that a demon of the temple is imprisoned there--a huge gryf."

"There is a gryf within the temple," said Ja-don."What with it and the sacrifices, the priests keep us busy supplying them with prisoners, though the victims are sometimes those for whom Lu-don has conceived hatred among our own people.He has had his eyes upon me for a long time.This would have been his chance but for you.Tell me, woman, why you warned me.Are we not all equally your jailers and your enemies?"

"None could be more horrible than Lu-don," she replied; "and you have the appearance of a brave and honorable warrior.I could not hope, for hope has died and yet there is the possibility that among so many fighting men, even though they be of another race than mine, there is one who would accord honorable treatment to a stranger within his gates--even though she be a woman."

Ja-don looked at her for a long minute."Kg-tan would make you his queen," he said."That he told me himself and surely that were honorable treatment from one who might make you a slave."

"Why, then, would he make me queen?" she asked.

Ja-don came closer as though in fear his words might be overheard."He believes, although he did not tell me so in fact, that you are of the race of gods.And why not? Jad-ben-Otho is tailless, therefore it is not strange that Ko-tan should suspect that only the gods are thus.His queen is dead leaving only a single daughter.He craves a son and what more desirable than that he should found a line of rulers for Pal-ul-don descended from the gods?"

"But I am already wed," cried Jane."I cannot wed another.I do not want him or his throne."

"Ko-tan is king," replied Ja-don simply as though that explained and simplified everything.

"You will not save me then?" she asked.

"If you were in Ja-lur," he replied, "I might protect you, even against the king."

"What and where is Ja-lur?" she asked, grasping at any straw.

"It is the city where I rule," he answered."I am chief there and of all the valley beyond."

"Where is it?" she insisted, and "is it far?"

"No," he replied, smiling, "it is not far, but do not think of that--you could never reach it.There are too many to pursue and capture you.If you wish to know, however, it lies up the river that empties into Jad-ben-lul whose waters kiss the walls of A-lur--up the western fork it lies with water upon three sides.

Impregnable city of Pal-ul-don--alone of all the cities it has never been entered by a foeman since it was built there while Jad-ben-Otho was a boy."

"And there I would be safe?" she asked.

"Perhaps," he replied.

Ah, dead Hope; upon what slender provocation would you seek to glow again! She sighed and shook her head, realizing the inutility of Hope--yet the tempting bait dangled before her mind's eye--Ja-lur!

"You are wise," commented Ja-don interpreting her sigh."Come now, we will go to the quarters of the princess beside the Forbidden Garden.There you will remain with O-lo-a, the king's daughter.It will be better than this prison you have occupied."

"And Ko-tan?" she asked, a shudder passing through her slender frame.

"There are ceremonies," explained Ja-don, "that may occupy several days before you become queen, and one of them may be difficult of arrangement." He laughed, then.

"What?" she asked.

"Only the high priest may perform the marriage ceremony for a king," he explained.

"Delay!" she murmured; "blessed delay!" Tenacious indeed of life is Hope even though it be reduced to cold and lifeless char--a veritable phoenix.