Lu-don paled. "It is sacrilege," he cried; "for countless ages have the
priests of the Great God offered each night a life to the spirit of
Jad-ben-Otho as it returned below the western horizon to its master,
and never has the Great God given sign that he was displeased."
"Stop!" commanded Tarzan. "It is the blindness of the priesthood that
has failed to read the messages of their god. Your warriors die beneath
the knives and clubs of the Wazdon; your hunters are taken by JA and
JATO; no day goes by but witnesses the deaths of few or many in the
villages of the Ho-don, and one death each day of those that die are
the toll which Jad-ben-Otho has exacted for the lives you take upon the
eastern altar. What greater sign of his displeasure could you require,
O stupid priest?"
Lu-don was silent. There was raging within him a great conflict between
his fear that this indeed might be the son of god and his hope that it
was not, but at last his fear won and he bowed his head. "The son of
Jad-ben-Otho has spoken," he said, and turning to one of the lesser
priests: "Remove the bars and return these people from whence they
came."
He thus addressed did as he was bid and as the bars came down the
prisoners, now all fully aware of the miracle that had saved them,
crowded forward and throwing themselves upon their knees before Tarzan
raised their voices in thanksgiving.
Ko-tan was almost as staggered as the high priest by this ruthless
overturning of an age-old religious rite. "But what," he cried, "may we
do that will be pleasing in the eyes of Jad-ben-Otho?" turning a look
of puzzled apprehension toward the ape-man.
"If you seek to please your god," he replied, "place upon your altars
such gifts of food and apparel as are most welcome in the city of your
people. These things will Jad-ben-Otho bless, when you may distribute
them among those of the city who need them most. With such things are
your storerooms filled as I have seen with mine own eyes, and other
gifts will be brought when the priests tell the people that in this way
they find favor before their god," and Tarzan turned and signified that
he would leave the temple.
As they were leaving the precincts devoted to the worship of their
deity, the ape-man noticed a small but rather ornate building that
stood entirely detached from the others as though it had been cut from
a little pinnacle of limestone which had stood out from its fellows. As
his interested glance passed over it he noticed that its door and
windows were barred.
"To what purpose is that building dedicated?" he asked of Lu-don. "Who
do you keep imprisoned there?"
"It is nothing," replied the high priest nervously, "there is no one
there. The place is vacant. Once it was used but not now for many
years," and he moved on toward the gateway which led back into the
palace. Here he and the priests halted while Tarzan with Ko-tan and his
warriors passed out from the sacred precincts of the temple grounds.
The one question which Tarzan would have asked he had feared to ask for
he knew that in the hearts of many lay a suspicion as to his
genuineness, but he determined that before he slept he would put the
question to Ko-tan, either directly or indirectly--as to whether there
was, or had been recently within the city of A-lur a female of the same
race as his.
As their evening meal was being served to them in the banquet hall of
Ko-tan's palace by a part of the army of black slaves upon whose
shoulders fell the burden of all the heavy and menial tasks of the
city, Tarzan noticed that there came to the eyes of one of the slaves
what was apparently an expression of startled recognition, as he looked
upon the ape-man for the first time in the banquet hall of Ko-tan. And
again later he saw the fellow whisper to another slave and nod his head
in his direction. The ape-man did not recall ever having seen this
Waz-don before and he was at a loss to account for an explanation of
the fellow's interest in him, and presently the incident was all but
forgotten.
Ko-tan was surprised and inwardly disgusted to discover that his godly
guest had no desire to gorge himself upon rich foods and that he would
not even so much as taste the villainous brew of the Ho-don. To Tarzan
the banquet was a dismal and tiresome affair, since so great was the
interest of the guests in gorging themselves with food and drink that
they had no time for conversation, the only vocal sounds being confined
to a continuous grunting which, together with their table manners
reminded Tarzan of a visit he had once made to the famous Berkshire
herd of His Grace, the Duke of Westminster at Woodhouse, Chester.
One by one the diners succumbed to the stupefying effects of the liquor
with the result that the grunting gave place to snores, so presently
Tarzan and the slaves were the only conscious creatures in the banquet
hall.
Rising, the ape-man turned to a tall black who stood behind him. "I
would sleep," he said, "show me to my apartment."
As the fellow conducted him from the chamber the slave who had shown
surprise earlier in the evening at sight of him, spoke again at length
to one of his fellows. The latter cast a half-frightened look in the
direction of the departing ape-man. "If you are right," he said, "they
should reward us with our liberty, but if you are wrong, O
Jad-ben-Otho, what will be our fate?"
"But I am not wrong!" cried the other.
"Then there is but one to tell this to, for I have heard that he looked
sour when this Dor-ul-Otho was brought to the temple and that while the
so-called son of Jad-ben-Otho was there he gave this one every cause to
fear and hate him. I mean Lu-don, the high priest."
"You know him?" asked the other slave.
"I have worked in the temple," replied his companion.
"Then go to him at once and tell him, but be sure to exact the promise
of our freedom for the proof."
And so a black Waz-don came to the temple gate and asked to see Lu-don,
the high priest, on a matter of great importance, and though the hour
was late Lu-don saw him, and when he had heard his story he promised
him and his friend not only their freedom but many gifts if they could
prove the correctness of their claims.
And as the slave talked with the high priest in the temple at A-lur the
figure of a man groped its way around the shoulder of Pastar-ul-ved and
the moonlight glistened from the shiny barrel of an Enfield that was
strapped to the naked back, and brass cartridges shed tiny rays of
reflected light from their polished cases where they hung in the
bandoliers across the broad brown shoulders and the lean waist.
Tarzan's guide conducted him to a chamber overlooking the blue lake
where he found a bed similar to that which he had seen in the villages
of the Waz-don, merely a raised dais of stone upon which was piled
great quantities of furry pelts. And so he lay down to sleep, the
question that he most wished to put still unasked and unanswered.
With the coming of a new day he was awake and wandering about the
palace and the palace grounds before there was sign of any of the
inmates of the palace other than slaves, or at least he saw no others
at first, though presently he stumbled upon an enclosure which lay
almost within the center of the palace grounds surrounded by a wall
that piqued the ape-man's curiosity, since he had determined to
investigate as fully as possible every part of the palace and its
environs.
This place, whatever it might be, was apparently without doors or
windows but that it was at least partially roofless was evidenced by
the sight of the waving branches of a tree which spread above the top
of the wall near him. Finding no other method of access, the ape-man
uncoiled his rope and throwing it over the branch of the tree where it
projected beyond the wall, was soon climbing with the ease of a monkey
to the summit.
There he found that the wall surrounded an enclosed garden in which
grew trees and shrubs and flowers in riotous profusion. Without
waiting to ascertain whether the garden was empty or contained Ho-don,
Waz-don, or wild beasts, Tarzan dropped lightly to the sward on the
inside and without further loss of time commenced a systematic
investigation of the enclosure.
His curiosity was aroused by the very evident fact that the place was
not for general use, even by those who had free access to other parts
of the palace grounds and so there was added to its natural beauties an
absence of mortals which rendered its exploration all the more alluring
to Tarzan since it suggested that in such a place might he hope to come
upon the object of his long and difficult search.
In the garden were tiny artificial streams and little pools of water,
flanked by flowering bushes, as though it all had been designed by the
cunning hand of some master gardener, so faithfully did it carry out
the beauties and contours of nature upon a miniature scale.
The interior surface of the wall was fashioned to represent the white
cliffs of Pal-ul-don, broken occasionally by small replicas of the
verdure-filled gorges of the original.
Filled with admiration and thoroughly enjoying each new surprise which
the scene offered, Tarzan moved slowly around the garden, and as always
he moved silently. Passing through a miniature forest he came presently
upon a tiny area of flowerstudded sward and at the same time beheld
before him the first Ho-don female he had seen since entering the
palace. A young and beautiful woman stood in the center of the little
open space, stroking the head of a bird which she held against her
golden breastplate with one hand. Her profile was presented to the
ape-man and he saw that by the standards of any land she would have
been accounted more than lovely.
Seated in the grass at her feet, with her back toward him, was a female
Waz-don slave. Seeing that she he sought was not there and apprehensive
that an alarm be raised were he discovered by the two women, Tarzan
moved back to hide himself in the foliage, but before he had succeeded
the Ho-don girl turned quickly toward him as though apprised of his
presence by that unnamed sense, the manifestations of which are more or
less familiar to us all.
At sight of him her eyes registered only her surprise though there was
no expression of terror reflected in them, nor did she scream or even
raise her well-modulated voice as she addressed him.
"Who are you," she asked, "who enters thus boldly the Forbidden Garden?"
At sound of her mistress' voice the slave maiden turned quickly, rising
to her feet. "Tarzan-jad-guru!" she exclaimed in tones of mingled
astonishment and relief.
"You know him?" cried her mistress turning toward the slave and
affording Tarzan an opportunity to raise a cautioning finger to his
lips lest Pan-at-lee further betray him, for it was Pan-at-lee indeed
who stood before him, no less a source of surprise to him than had his
presence been to her.
Thus questioned by her mistress and simultaneously admonished to
silence by Tarzan, Pan-at-lee was momentarily silenced and then
haltingly she groped for a way to extricate herself from her dilemma.
"I thought--" she faltered, "but no, I am mistaken--I thought that he
was one whom I had seen before near the Kor-ul-GRYF."
The Ho-don looked first at one and then at the other an expression of
doubt and questioning in her eyes. "But you have not answered me," she
continued presently; "who are you?"
"You have not heard then," asked Tarzan, "of the visitor who arrived at
your king's court yesterday?"
"You mean," she exclaimed, "that you are the Dor-ul-Otho?" And now the
erstwhile doubting eyes reflected naught but awe.
"I am he," replied Tarzan; "and you?"
"I am O-lo-a, daughter of Ko-tan, the king," she replied.
So this was O-lo-a, for love of whom Ta-den had chosen exile rather
than priesthood. Tarzan had approached more closely the dainty
barbarian princess. "Daughter of Ko-tan," he said, "Jad-ben-Otho is
pleased with you and as a mark of his favor he has preserved for you
through many dangers him whom you love."
"I do not understand," replied the girl but the flush that mounted to
her cheek belied her words. "Bu-lat is a guest in the palace of Ko-tan,
my father. I do not know that he has faced any danger. It is to Bu-lat
that I am betrothed."
"But it is not Bu-lat whom you love," said Tarzan.
Again the flush and the girl half turned her face away. "Have I then
displeased the Great God?" she asked.
"No," replied Tarzan; "as I told you he is well satisfied and for your
sake he has saved Ta-den for you."
"Jad-ben-Otho knows all," whispered the girl, "and his son shares his
great knowledge."
"No," Tarzan hastened to correct her lest a reputation for omniscience
might prove embarrassing. "I know only what Jad-ben-Otho wishes me to
know."
"But tell me," she said, "I shall be reunited with Ta-den? Surely the
son of god can read the future."
The ape-man was glad that he had left himself an avenue of escape. "I
know nothing of the future," he replied, "other than what Jad-ben-Otho
tells me. But I think you need have no fear for the future if you
remain faithful to Ta-den and Ta-den's friends."
"You have seen him?" asked O-lo-a. "Tell me, where is he?"
"Yes," replied Tarzan, "I have seen him. He was with Om-at, the gund of
Kor-ul-JA."
"A prisoner of the Waz-don?" interrupted the girl.
"Not a prisoner but an honored guest," replied the ape-man.
"Wait," he exclaimed, raising his face toward the heavens; "do not
speak. I am receiving a message from Jad-ben-Otho, my father."
The two women dropped to their knees, covering their faces with their
hands, stricken with awe at the thought of the awful nearness of the
Great God. Presently Tarzan touched O-lo-a on the shoulder.
"Rise," he said. "Jad-ben-Otho has spoken. He has told me that this
slave girl is from the tribe of Kor-ul-JA, where Ta-den is, and that
she is betrothed to Om-at, their chief. Her name is Pan-at-lee."
O-lo-a turned questioningly toward Pan-at-lee. The latter nodded, her
simple mind unable to determine whether or not she and her mistress
were the victims of a colossal hoax. "It is even as he says," she
whispered.
O-lo-a fell upon her knees and touched her forehead to Tarzan's feet.
"Great is the honor that Jad-ben-Otho has done his poor servant," she
cried. "Carry to him my poor thanks for the happiness that he has
brought to O-lo-a."
"It would please my father," said Tarzan, "if you were to cause
Pan-at-lee to be returned in safety to the village of her people."
"What cares Jad-ben-Otho for such as she?" asked O-lo-a, a slight trace
of hauteur in her tone.
"There is but one god," replied Tarzan, "and he is the god of the
Waz-don as well as of the Ho-don; of the birds and the beasts and the
flowers and of everything that grows upon the earth or beneath the
waters. If Pan-at-lee does right she is greater in the eyes of
Jad-ben-Otho than would be the daughter of Ko-tan should she do wrong."
It was evident that O-lo-a did not quite understand this interpretation
of divine favor, so contrary was it to the teachings of the priesthood
of her people. In one respect only did Tarzan's teachings coincide with
her belief--that there was but one god. For the rest she had always
been taught that he was solely the god of the Ho-don in every sense,
other than that other creatures were created by Jad-ben-Otho to serve
some useful purpose for the benefit of the Ho-don race. And now to be
told by the son of god that she stood no higher in divine esteem than
the black handmaiden at her side was indeed a shock to her pride, her
vanity, and her faith. But who could question the word of Dor-ul-Otho,
especially when she had with her own eyes seen him in actual communion
with god in heaven?
"The will of Jad-ben-Otho be done," said O-lo-a meekly, "if it lies
within my power. But it would be best, O Dor-ul-Otho, to communicate
your father's wish directly to the king."
"Then keep her with you," said Tarzan, "and see that no harm befalls
her."
O-lo-a looked ruefully at Pan-at-lee. "She was brought to me but
yesterday," she said, "and never have I had slave woman who pleased me
better. I shall hate to part with her."
"But there are others," said Tarzan.
"Yes," replied O-lo-a, "there are others, but there is only one
Pan-at-lee."
"Many slaves are brought to the city?" asked Tarzan.
"Yes," she replied.
"And many strangers come from other lands?" he asked.
She shook her head negatively. "Only the Ho-don from the other side of
the Valley of Jad-ben-Otho," she replied, "and they are not strangers."
"Am I then the first stranger to enter the gates of A-lur?" he asked.
"Can it be," she parried, "that the son of Jad-ben-Otho need question a
poor ignorant mortal like O-lo-a?"
"As I told you before," replied Tarzan, "Jad-ben-Otho alone is
all-knowing."
"Then if he wished you to know this thing," retorted O-lo-a quickly,
"you would know it."
Inwardly the ape-man smiled that this little heathen's astuteness
should beat him at his own game, yet in a measure her evasion of the
question might be an answer to it. "There have been other strangers
here then recently?" he persisted.
"I cannot tell you what I do not know," she replied. "Always is the
palace of Ko-tan filled with rumors, but how much fact and how much
fancy how may a woman of the palace know?"
"There has been such a rumor then?" he asked.
"It was only rumor that reached the Forbidden Garden," she replied.
"It described, perhaps, a woman of another race?" As he put the
question and awaited her answer he thought that his heart ceased to
beat, so grave to him was the issue at stake.
The girl hesitated before replying, and then. "No," she said, "I cannot
speak of this thing, for if it be of sufficient importance to elicit
the interest of the gods then indeed would I be subject to the wrath of
my father should I discuss it."
"In the name of Jad-ben-Otho I command you to speak," said Tarzan. "In
the name of Jad-ben-Otho in whose hands lies the fate of Ta-den!"
The girl paled. "Have mercy!" she cried, "and for the sake of Ta-den I
will tell you all that I know."
"Tell what?" demanded a stern voice from the shrubbery behind them. The
three turned to see the figure of Ko-tan emerging from the foliage. An
angry scowl distorted his kingly features but at sight of Tarzan it
gave place to an expression of surprise not unmixed with fear.
"Dor-ul-Otho!" he exclaimed, "I did not know that it was you," and
then, raising his head and squaring his shoulders he said, "but there
are places where even the son of the Great God may not walk and this,
the Forbidden Garden of Ko-tan, is one."
It was a challenge but despite the king's bold front there was a note
of apology in it, indicating that in his superstitious mind there
flourished the inherent fear of man for his Maker. "Come, Dor-ul-Otho,"
he continued, "I do not know all this foolish child has said to you but
whatever you would know Ko-tan, the king, will tell you. O-lo-a, go to
your quarters immediately," and he pointed with stern finger toward the
opposite end of the garden.
The princess, followed by Pan-at-lee, turned at once and left them.
"We will go this way," said Ko-tan and preceding, led Tarzan in another
direction. Close to that part of the wall which they approached Tarzan
perceived a grotto in the miniature cliff into the interior of which
Ko-tan led him, and down a rocky stairway to a gloomy corridor the
opposite end of which opened into the palace proper. Two armed warriors
stood at this entrance to the Forbidden Garden, evidencing how
jealously were the sacred precincts of the place guarded.
In silence Ko-tan led the way back to his own quarters in the palace. A
large chamber just outside the room toward which Ko-tan was leading his
guest was filled with chiefs and warriors awaiting the pleasure of
their ruler. As the two entered, an aisle was formed for them the
length of the chamber, down which they passed in silence.
Close to the farther door and half hidden by the warriors who stood
before him was Lu-don, the high priest. Tarzan glimpsed him but briefly
but in that short period he was aware of a cunning and malevolent
expression upon the cruel countenance that he was subconsciously aware
boded him no good, and then with Ko-tan he passed into the adjoining
room and the hangings dropped.
At the same moment the hideous headdress of an under priest appeared in
the entrance of the outer chamber. Its owner, pausing for a moment,
glanced quickly around the interior and then having located him whom he
sought moved rapidly in the direction of Lu-don. There was a whispered
conversation which was terminated by the high priest.
"Return immediately to the quarters of the princess," he said, "and see
that the slave is sent to me at the temple at once." The under priest
turned and departed upon his mission while Lu-don also left the
apartment and directed his footsteps toward the sacred enclosure over
which he ruled.
A half-hour later a warrior was ushered into the presence of Ko-tan.
"Lu-don, the high priest, desires the presence of Ko-tan, the king, in
the temple," he announced, "and it is his wish that he come alone."
Ko-tan nodded to indicate that he accepted the command which even the
king must obey. "I will return presently, Dor-ul-Otho," he said to
Tarzan, "and in the meantime my warriors and my slaves are yours to
command."
11