第67章

It was not long before Turan realized from the distance that he had traveled that the pits were part of a vast system undermining, possibly, the entire city.At least he was convinced that he had passed beyond the precincts of the palace.The corridors and chambers varied in appearance and architecture from time to time.All were lighted, though usually quite dimly, with radium bulbs.For a long time he saw no signs of life other than an occasional ulsio, then quite suddenly he came face to face with a warrior at one of the numerous crossings.The fellow looked at him, nodded, and passed on.Turan breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that his disguise was effective, but he was caught in the middle of it by a hail from the warrior who had stopped and turned toward him.The panthan was glad that a sword hung at his side, and glad too that they were buried in the dim recesses of the pits and that there would be but a single antagonist, for time was precious.

"Heard you any word of the other?'' called the warrior to him.

"No," replied Turan, who had not the faintest idea to whom or what the fellow referred.

"He cannot escape," continued the warrior."The woman ran directly into our arms, but she swore that she knew not where her companion might be found.""They took her back to O-Tar?" asked Turan, for now he knew whom the other meant, and he would know more.

"They took her back to The Towers of Jetan," replied the warrior.

"Tomorrow the games commence and doubtless she will be played for, though I doubt if any wants her, beautiful as she is.She fears not even O-Tar.By Cluros! but she would make a hard slave to subdue--a regular she-banth she is.Not for me," and he continued on his way shaking his head.

Turan hurried on searching for an avenue that led to the level of the streets above when suddenly he came to the open doorway of a small chamber in which sat a man who was chained to the wall.

Turan voiced a low exclamation of surprise and pleasure as he recognized that the man was A-Kor, and that he had stumbled by accident upon the very cell in which he had been imprisoned.

A-Kor looked at him questioningly.It was evident that he did not recognize his fellow prisoner.Turan crossed to the table and leaning close to the other whispered to him.

"I am Turan the panthan," he said, "who was chained beside you."A-Kor looked at him closely."Your own mother would never know you!" he said; "but tell me, what has transpired since they took you away?"Turan recounted his experiences in the throne room of O-Tar and in the pits beneath, "and now," he continued, "I must find these Towers of Jetan and see what may be done toward liberating the Princess of Helium."A-Kor shook his head."Long was I dwar of the Towers," he said, "and I can say to you, stranger, that you might as well attempt to reduce Manator, single handed, as to rescue a prisoner from The Towers of Jetan.""But I must," replied Turan.

"Are you better than a good swordsman?" asked A-Kor presently.

"I am accounted so," replied Turan.

"Then there is a way--sst!" he was suddenly silent and pointing toward the base of the wall at the end of the room.

Turan looked in the direction the other's forefinger indicated, to see projecting from the mouth of an ulsio's burrow two large chelae and a pair of protruding eyes.

"Ghek!" he cried and immediately the hideous kaldane crawled out upon the floor and approached the table.A-Kor drew back with a half-stifled ejaculation of repulsion."Do not fear," Turan reassured him."It is my friend--he whom I told you held O-Tar while Tara and I escaped."Ghek climbed to the table top and squatted between the two warriors."You are safe in assuming," he said addressing A-Kor, "that Turan the panthan has no master in all Manator where the art of sword-play is concerned.I overheard your conversation--go on.""You are his friend," continued A-Kor, "and so I may explain safely in your presence the only plan I know whereby he may hope to rescue the Princess of Helium.She is to be the stake of one of the games and it is O-Tar's desire that she be won by slaves and common warriors, since she repulsed him.Thus would he punish her.Not a single man, but all who survive upon the winning side are to possess her.With money, however, one may buy off the others before the game.That you could do, and if your side won and you survived she would become your slave.""But how may a stranger and a hunted fugitive accomplish this?"asked Turan.

"No one will recognize you.You will go tomorrow to the keeper of the Towers and enlist in that game for which the girl is to be the stake, telling the keeper that you are from Manataj, the farthest city of Manator.If he questions you, you may say that you saw her when she was brought into the city after her capture.

If you win her, you will find thoats stabled at my palace and you will carry from me a token that will place all that is mine at your disposal.""But how can I buy off the others in the game without money?"asked Turan."I have none--not even of my own country."A-Kor opened his pocket-pouch and drew forth a packet of Manatorian money.

"Here is sufficient to buy them off twice over," he said, handing a portion of it to Turan.

"But why do you do this for a stranger?" asked the panthan.