第79章

For long they clung there in love's first kiss and then she pushed him away, gently."I love you, Turan," she half sobbed; "Ilove you so! It is my only poor excuse for having done this wrong to Djor Kantos, whom now I know I never loved, who knew not the meaning of love.And if you love me as you say, Turan, your love must protect me from greater dishonor, for I am but as clay in your hands."Again he crushed her to him and then as suddenly released her, and rising, strode rapidly to and fro across the chamber as though he endeavored by violent exercise to master and subdue some evil spirit that had laid hold upon him.Ringing through his brain and heart and soul like some joyous paean were those words that had so altered the world for Gahan of Gathol: "I love you, Turan; I love you so!" And it had come so suddenly.He had thought that she felt for him only gratitude for his loyalty and then, in an instant, her barriers were all down, she was no longer a princess; but instead a--his reflections were interrupted by a sound from beyond the closed door.His sandals of zitidar hide had given forth no sound upon the marble floor he strode, and as his rapid pacing carried him past the entrance to the chamber there came faintly from the distance of the long corridor the sound of metal on metal--the unmistakable herald of the approach of armed men.

For a moment Gahan listened intently, close to the door, until there could be no doubt but that a party of warriors was approaching.From what Tasor had told him he guessed correctly that they would be coming to this portion of the palace but for a single purpose--to search for Tara and himself--and it behooved him therefore to seek immediate means for eluding them.The chamber in which they were had other doorways beside that at which they had entered, and to one of these he must look for some safer hiding place.Crossing to Tara he acquainted her with his suspicion, leading her to one of the doors which they found unsecured.Beyond it lay a dimly-lighted chamber at the threshold of which they halted in consternation, drawing back quickly into the chamber they had just quitted, for their first glance revealed four warriors seated around a jetan board.

That their entrance had not been noted was attributed by Gahan to the absorption of the two players and their friends in the game.

Quietly closing the door the fugitives moved silently to the next, which they found locked.There was now but another door which they had not tried, and this they approached quickly as they knew that the searching party must be close to the chamber.

To their chagrin they found this avenue of escape barred.

Now indeed were they in a sorry plight, for should the searchers have information leading them to this room they were lost.Again leading Tara to the door behind which were the jetan players Gahan drew his sword and waited, listening.The sound of the party in the corridor came distinctly to their ears--they must be quite close, and doubtless they were coming in force.Beyond the door were but four warriors who might be readily surprised.There could, then, be but one choice and acting upon it Gahan quietly opened the door again, stepped through into the adjoining chamber, Tara's hand in his, and closed the door behind them.The four at the jetan board evidently failed to hear them.One player had either just made or was contemplating a move, for his fingers grasped a piece that still rested upon the board.The other three were watching his move.For an instant Gahan looked at them, playing jetan there in the dim light of this forgotten and forbidden chamber, and then a slow smile of understanding lighted his face.

"Come!" he said to Tara."We have nothing to fear from these.For more than five thousand years they have sat thus, a monument to the handiwork of some ancient taxidermist."As they approached more closely they saw that the lifelike figures were coated with dust, but that otherwise the skin was in as fine a state of preservation as the most recent of I-Gos'

groups, and then they heard the door of the chamber they had quitted open and knew that the searchers were close upon them.

Across the room they saw the opening of what appeared to be a corridor and which investigation proved to be a short passageway, terminating in a chamber in the center of which was an ornate sleeping dais.This room, like the others, was but poorly lighted, time having dimmed the radiance of its bulbs and coated them with dust.A glance showed that it was hung with heavy goods and contained considerable massive furniture in addition to the sleeping platform, a second glance at which revealed what appeared to be the form of a man lying partially on the floor and partially on the dais.No doorways were visible other than that at which they had entered, though both knew that others might be concealed by the hangings.

Gahan, his curiosity aroused by the legends surrounding this portion of the palace, crossed to the dais to examine the figure that apparently had fallen from it, to find the dried and shrivelled corpse of a man lying upon his back on the floor with arms outstretched and fingers stiffly outspread.One of his feet was doubled partially beneath him, while the other was still entangled in the sleeping silks and furs upon the dais.After five thousand years the expression of the withered face and the eyeless sockets retained the aspect of horrid fear to such an extent, that Gahan knew that he was looking upon the body of O-Mai the Cruel.