The Chessmen of Mars
directly to the gates, where they were hidden from those who occupied
the enclosure with O-Tar. The Keeper of the Towers may have noticed
them, but so occupied was he with the formality of presenting the
victorious Chief to the jeddak that he paid no attention to them.
"I bring you, O-Tar, Jeddak of Manator, U-Kal of Manataj," he cried in
a loud voice that might be heard by as many as possible, "victor over
the Orange in the second of the Jeddak's Games of the four hundred and
thirty-third year of O-Tar, and the slave woman Tara and the slave
woman Lan-O that you may bestow these, the stakes, upon U-Kal."
As he spoke, a little, wrinkled, old man peered over the rail of the
enclosure down upon the three who stood directly behind The Keeper, and
strained his weak and watery eyes in an effort to satisfy the curiosity
of old age in a matter of no particular import, for what were two
slaves and a common warrior from Manataj to any who sat with O-Tar the
jeddak?
"U-Kal of Manataj," said O-Tar, "you have deserved the stakes. Seldom
have we looked upon more noble swordplay. And you tire of Manataj there
be always here in the city of Manator a place for you in The Jeddak's
Guard."
While the jeddak was speaking the little, old man, failing clearly to
discern the features of the Black Chief, reached into his pocket-pouch
and drew forth a pair of thick-lensed spectacles, which he placed upon
his nose. For a moment he scrutinized Gahan closely, then he leaped to
his feet and addressing O-Tar pointed a shaking finger at Gahan. As he
rose Tara of Helium clutched the Black Chief's arm.
"Turan!" she whispered. "It is I-Gos, whom I thought to have slain in
the pits of O-Tar. It is I-Gos and he recognizes you and will--"
But what I-Gos would do was already transpiring. In his falsetto voice
he fairly screamed: "It is the slave Turan who stole the woman Tara
from your throne room, O-Tar. He desecrated the dead chief I-Mal and
wears his harness now!"
Instantly all was pandemonium. Warriors drew their swords and leaped to
their feet. Gahan's victorious players rushed forward in a body,
sweeping The Keeper of the Towers from his feet. Val Dor and Floran
threw open the gates beneath the royal enclosure, opening the tunnel
that led to the avenue in the city beyond the Towers. Gahan, surrounded
by his men, drew Tara and Lan-O into the passageway, and at a rapid
pace the party sought to reach the opposite end of the tunnel before
their escape could be cut off. They were successful and when they
emerged into the city the sun had set and darkness had come, relieved
only by an antiquated and ineffective lighting system, which cast but a
pale glow over the shadowy streets.
Now it was that Tara of Helium guessed why the Black Chief had drawn
out his duel with U-Dor and realized that he might have slain his man
at almost any moment he had elected. The whole plan that Gahan had
whispered to his players before the game was thoroughly understood.
They were to make their way to The Gate of Enemies and there offer
their services to U-Thor, the great Jed of Manatos. The fact that most
of them were Gatholians and that Gahan could lead rescuers to the pit
where A-Kor, the son of U-Thor's wife, was confined, convinced the Jed
of Gathol that they would meet with no rebuff at the hands of U-Thor.
But even should he refuse them, still were they bound together to go on
toward freedom, if necessary cutting their way through the forces of
U-Thor at The Gate of Enemies--twenty men against a small army; but of
such stuff are the warriors of Barsoom.
They had covered a considerable distance along the almost deserted
avenue before signs of pursuit developed and then there came upon them
suddenly from behind a dozen warriors mounted on thoats--a detachment,
evidently, from The Jeddak's Guard. Instantly the avenue was a
pandemonium of clashing blades, cursing warriors, and squealing thoats.
In the first onslaught life blood was spilled upon both sides. Two of
Gahan's men went down, and upon the enemies' side three riderless
thoats attested at least a portion of their casualties.
Gahan was engaged with a fellow who appeared to have been selected to
account for him only, since he rode straight for him and sought to cut
him down without giving the slightest heed to several who slashed at
him as he passed them. The Gatholian, practiced in the art of combating
a mounted warrior from the ground, sought to reach the left side of the
fellow's thoat a little to the rider's rear, the only position in which
he would have any advantage over his antagonist, or rather the position
that would most greatly reduce the advantage of the mounted man, and,
similarly, the Manatorian strove to thwart his design. And so the
guardsman wheeled and turned his vicious, angry mount while Gahan
leaped in and out in an effort to reach the coveted vantage point, but
always seeking some other opening in his foe's defense.
And while they jockeyed for position a rider swept swiftly past them.
As he passed behind Gahan the latter heard a cry of alarm.
"Turan, they have me!" came to his ears in the voice of Tara of Helium.
A quick glance across his shoulder showed him the galloping thoatman in
the act of dragging Tara to the withers of the beast, and then, with
the fury of a demon, Gahan of Gathol leaped for his own man, dragged
him from his mount and as he fell smote his head from his shoulders
with a single cut of his keen sword. Scarce had the body touched the
pavement when the Gatholian was upon the back of the dead warrior's
mount, and galloping swiftly down the avenue after the diminishing
figures of Tara and her abductor, the sounds of the fight waning in the
distance as he pursued his quarry along the avenue that passes the
palace of O-Tar and leads to The Gate of Enemies.
Gahan's mount, carrying but a single rider, gained upon that of the
Manatorian, so that as they neared the palace Gahan was scarce a
hundred yards behind, and now, to his consternation, he saw the fellow
turn into the great entrance-way. For a moment only was he halted by
the guards and then he disappeared within. Gahan was almost upon him
then, but evidently he had warned the guards, for they leaped out to
intercept the Gatholian. But no! the fellow could not have known that
he was pursued, since he had not seen Gahan seize a mount, nor would he
have thought that pursuit would come so soon. If he had passed then, so
could Gahan pass, for did he not wear the trappings of a Manatorian?
The Gatholian thought quickly, and stopping his thoat called to the
guardsmen to let him pass, "In the name of O-Tar!" They hesitated a
moment.
"Aside!" cried Gahan. "Must the jeddak's messenger parley for the right
to deliver his message?"
"To whom would you deliver it?" asked the padwar of the guard.
"Saw you not him who just entered?" cried Gahan, and without waiting
for a reply urged his thoat straight past them into the palace, and
while they were deliberating what was best to be done, it was too late
to do anything--which is not unusual.
Along the marble corridors Gahan guided his thoat, and because he had
gone that way before, rather than because he knew which way Tara had
been taken, he followed the runways and passed through the chambers
that led to the throne room of O-Tar. On the second level he met a
slave.
"Which way went he who carried the woman before him?" he asked.
The slave pointed toward a nearby runway that led to the third level
and Gahan dashed rapidly on in pursuit. At the same moment a thoatman,
riding at a furious pace, approached the palace and halted his mount at
the gate.
"Saw you aught of a warrior pursuing one who carried a woman before him
on his thoat?" he shouted to the guard.
"He but just passed in," replied the padwar, "saying that he was
O-Tar's messenger."
"He lied," cried the newcomer. "He was Turan, the slave, who stole the
woman from the throne room two days since. Arouse the palace! He must
be seized, and alive if possible. It is O-Tar's command."
Instantly warriors were dispatched to search for the Gatholian and warn
the inmates of the palace to do likewise. Owing to the games there were
comparatively few retainers in the great building, but those whom they
found were immediately enlisted in the search, so that presently at
least fifty warriors were seeking through the countless chambers and
corridors of the palace of O-Tar.
As Gahan's thoat bore him to the third Level the man glimpsed the hind
quarters of another thoat disappearing at the turn of a corridor far
ahead. Urging his own animal forward he raced swiftly in pursuit and
making the turn discovered only an empty corridor ahead. Along this he
hurried to discover near its farther end a runway to the fourth level,
which he followed upward. Here he saw that he had gained upon his
quarry who was just turning through a doorway fifty yards ahead. As
Gahan reached the opening he saw that the warrior had dismounted and
was dragging Tara toward a small door on the opposite side of the
chamber. At the same instant the clank of harness to his rear caused
him to cast a glance behind where, along the corridor he had just
traversed, he saw three warriors approaching on foot at a run. Leaping
from his thoat Gahan sprang into the chamber where Tara was struggling
to free herself from the grasp of her captor, slammed the door behind
him, shot the great bolt into its seat, and drawing his sword crossed
the room at a run to engage the Manatorian. The fellow, thus menaced,
called aloud to Gahan to halt, at the same time thrusting Tara at arm's
length and threatening her heart with the point of his short-sword.
"Stay!" he cried, "or the woman dies, for such is the command of O-Tar,
rather than that she again fall into your hands."
Gahan stopped. But a few feet separated him from Tara and her captor,
yet he was helpless to aid her. Slowly the warrior backed toward the
open doorway behind him, dragging Tara with him. The girl struggled and
fought, but the warrior was a powerful man and having seized her by the
harness from behind was able to hold her in a position of helplessness.
"Save me, Turan!" she cried. "Let them not drag me to a fate worse than
death. Better that I die now while my eyes behold a brave friend than
later, fighting alone among enemies in defense of my honor."
He took a step nearer. The warrior made a threatening gesture with his
sword close to the soft, smooth skin of the princess, and Gahan halted.
"I cannot, Tara of Helium," he cried. "Think not ill of me that I am
weak--that I cannot see you die. Too great is my love for you, daughter
of Helium."
The Manatorian warrior, a derisive grin upon his lips, backed steadily
away. He had almost reached the doorway when Gahan saw another warrior
in the chamber toward which Tara was being borne--a fellow who moved
silently, almost stealthily, across the marble floor as he approached
Tara's captor from behind. In his right hand he grasped a long-sword.
"Two to one," thought Gahan, and a grim smile touched his lips, for he
had no doubt that once they had Tara safely in the adjoining chamber
the two would set upon him. If he could not save her, he could at least
die for her.
And then, suddenly, Gahan's eyes fastened with amazement upon the
figure of the warrior behind the grinning fellow who held Tara and was
forcing her to the doorway. He saw the newcomer step almost within
arm's reach of the other. He saw him stop, an expression of malevolent
hatred upon his features. He saw the great sword swing through the arc
of a great circle, gathering swift and terrific momentum from its own
weight backed by the brawn of the steel thews that guided it; he saw it
pass through the feathered skull of the Manatorian, splitting his