Snatching up his ax, Toka hurried Roya for the doorway. As he braced
Ophid's den, the haze momentarily thinned, revealing the next door, a
considerable distance beyond, had been braced--by Rok as he had begun
on that sector. Taking Roya's arm, Toka hurried through the shifting
haze and stalagma.
"But Elees!" Roya protested.
The haze swirled away ahead, revealing Rok and an unharmed Elees and
Old Ledo.
"Let's get out!" Toka ran for the path.
Old Ledo ran to the moss den. "All right, come on!" The pitiful slave
girls fell in behind the old warrior as he joined Toka on the narrow
path.
The ledge came into sight. Toka eased to the tunnel's maw. Midway
back, a dragon was coiled on guard. Drawing back, Toka held up one
finger. Rok and Old Ledo joined him.
Toka breathed, "Take it as it comes!" He skipped a rock across the
ledge.
There was a heavy sliding within the tunnel and the dragon's head
thrust out. Rok and Old Ledo with him, Toka leaped with battle-ax
flashing. The three blades tore true and the dragon's head toppled
over the ledge. Aided by butchering blows of great axes, the violently
convulsing body plunged after.
The tunnel's stinking gloom was traversed and the escapees crowded the
mucky shore of the underground river. Old Ledo came back. "No canoe."
But that dilemma was instantly flung into the background as a murmur
suddenly swept through the hopeless slave girls. Even as Toka glanced
to ascertain the reason, the pitiful creatures began walking into
the river. Instantly the vicious fish swarmed. The first slaves went
down like mown blades of grass. The ones behind came on--hopeless,
impassive, unstoppable!
Placing an arm about Roya's shoulders as she covered her face with her
hands, Toka turned sickly away.
The river was finally quiet but for the empty swallowing of its
whirlpool.
"Look!" Roya exclaimed.