"Where now?" demanded Komodoflorensal as the two emerged from the
mouth of The Slaves' Corridor and stood for a moment in the brilliant
sunlight without.
"Lead the way to the quarry where we were confined and to the chamber
in which we slept."
"You must be weary of your brief liberty," remarked the
Trohanadalmakusian.
"We are returning for Talaskar, as I promised," Tarzan reminded him.
"I know," said the Zertolosto, "and I commend your loyalty and valor
while deprecating your judgment. It will be impossible to rescue
Talaskar. Were it otherwise I should be the first to her assistance;
but I know, and she knows, that, for her, escape is beyond hope. We
will but succeed in throwing ourselves again into the hands of our
masters."
"Let us hope not," said Tarzan; "but, if you feel as you say, that our
effort is foredoomed to failure and that we shall but be recaptured,
do not accompany me. My only real need of you is to guide me to the
apartment where Talaskar is confined. If you can direct me to it that
is all I ask."
"Think you I was attempting to evade the danger?" demanded
Komodoflorensal. "No! Where you go, I will go. If you are captured I
shall be captured. We shall fail, but let us not separate. I am ready
to go wherever you go."
"Good," commented Tarzan. "Now lead the way to the quarry and use your
knowledge of things Minunian and your best wits to gain us entrance
without too much talking."
They passed, unchallenged, along the shaded walks between the domes of
Veltopismakus and past the great parade where gorgeously caparisoned
warriors were executing intricate evolutions with the nicest precision,
and out beyond the domes along well-worn trails filled with toiling
slaves and their haughty guards. Here they fell in beside the long
column moving in the direction of the quarry in which they had been
imprisoned, taking their places in the column of flanking guards, and
thus they came to the entrance to the quarry.
Perfunctorily the numbers of the slaves were taken, as they passed in,
and entered in a great book; but to Tarzan's relief he noted that no
attention was paid to the guards, who moved along beside their charges
and down into the interior without being checked or even counted, and
with them went Komodoflorensal, Prince Royal of Trohanadalmakus, and
Tarzan of the Apes.
Once inside the quarry and past the guard room the two fell gradually
to the rear of the column, so that when it turned into a level
above that which they wished to reach they were enabled to detach
themselves from it without being noticed. To leave one column was but
to join another, for there was no break in them and often there were
several moving abreast; but when they reached the thirty-fifth level
and entered the tunnel leading to the chamber in which Talaskar was
confined they found themselves alone, since there is little or no
activity in these corridors leading to slave quarters except early in
the morning when the men are led forth to their labors and again at
night when they are brought back.
Before the door of the chamber they found a single warrior on guard. He
was squatting on the floor of the tunnel leaning against the wall, but
at their approach he rose and challenged them.
Komodoflorensal, who was in the lead, approached him and halted. "We
have come for the slave girl, Talaskar," he said.
Tarzan, who was just behind Komodoflorensal, saw a sudden light leap to
the eyes of the warrior. Was it recognition?
"Who sent you?" demanded the warrior.
"Her master, Zoanthrohago," replied the Trohanadalmakusian.
The expression upon the face of the warrior changed to one of cunning.
"Go in and fetch her," he said, and unbolted the door, swinging it
open.
Komodoflorensal dropped upon his hands and knees and crawled through
the low aperture, but Tarzan stood where he was.
"Go in!" said the guard to him.
"I will remain where I am," replied the ape-man. "It will not require
two of us to find a single slave girl and fetch her to the corridor."
For an instant the warrior hesitated, then he closed the door hurriedly
and shot the heavy bolts. When he turned toward Tarzan again, who was
now alone with him in the corridor, he turned with a naked sword in his
hands; but he found Zuanthrol facing him with drawn rapier.
"Surrender!" cried the warrior. "I recognized you both instantly."
"I thought as much," said Zuanthrol. "You are clever, with the
exception of your eyes--they are fools, for they betray you."
"But my sword is no fool," snapped the fellow, as he thrust viciously
at the ape-man's breast.
Lieutenant Paul D'Arnot of the French navy had been recognized as one
of the cleverest swordsmen in the service and to his friend Greystoke
he had imparted a great measure of his skill during the many hours that
the two had whiled away with the foils, and today Tarzan of the Apes
breathed a prayer of gratitude to the far-distant friend whose careful
training was, after many long years, to serve the ape-man in such good
stead, for he soon realized that, though his antagonist was a master at
the art of fence, he was not wholly outclassed, and to his skill was
added his great strength and his agility.
They had fought for but a minute or two when the Veltopismakusian
realized that he was facing no mean antagonist and that he was laboring
at a disadvantage in being unable to fall back when Tarzan rushed him,
while his foeman had at his back the whole length of the tunnel. He
tried then to force Tarzan back, but in this he failed, receiving a
thrust in the shoulder for his pains, and then he commenced to call
for help and the ape-man realized that he must silence him and that
quickly. Awaiting the opportunity that was presently afforded by a
feint that evoked a wild lunge, Tarzan stepped quickly in and passed
his sword through the heart of the Veltopismakusian and as he withdrew
his blade from the body of his antagonist he released the bolts that
held the door and swung it open. Beyond it, white of face, crouched
Komodoflorensal, but as his eyes fell upon Tarzan and the body of the
guard behind him, a smile curved his lips and an instant later he was
in the corridor beside his friend.
"How did it happen?" he demanded.
"He recognized us; but what of Talaskar? Is she not coming?"
"She is not here. Kalfastoban took her away. He has purchased her from
Zoanthrohago."
Tarzan wheeled. "Rebolt the door and let us get out of here," he said.
Komodoflorensal closed and fastened the door. "Where now?" he asked.
"To find Kalfastoban's quarters," replied the ape-man.
Komodoflorensal shrugged his shoulders and followed on behind his
friend. They retraced their steps toward the surface without incident
until they were opposite the sixteenth level, when a face was suddenly
turned toward them from a column of slaves crossing the runway from one
lateral to another. Just for an instant did the eyes of the slave meet
those of Tarzan, and then the fellow had passed into the mouth of the
lateral and disappeared.
"We must hurry," whispered Tarzan to his companion.
"Why now more than before?" demanded Komodoflorensal.
"Did you not see the fellow who just passed us and turned to look a
second time at me?"
"No; who was it?"
"Garaftap," replied Tarzan.
"Did he recognize you?"
"As to that I cannot say; but he evidently found something familiar in
my appearance. Let us hope that he did not place me, though I fear that
he did."
"Then we must lose no time in getting out of here, and out of
Veltopismakus, as well."
They hurried on. "Where are Kalfastoban's quarters?" asked Tarzan.
"I do not know. In Trohanadalmakus warriors are detailed to the
quarries for but short periods and do not transfer their quarters or
their slaves during the time that they are there. I do not know the
custom here. Kalfastoban may have finished his tour of duty in the
quarries. On the other hand it may be for a long period that they are
detailed for that service and his quarters may lie on the upper level
of the quarry. We shall have to inquire."
Soon after this Tarzan stepped up to a warrior moving in the same
direction as he and Komodoflorensal. "Where can I find Kalfastoban
Vental?" he asked.
"They will tell you in the guard room, if it is any of your affair," he
replied, shooting a quick glance at the two. "I do not know."
After that they passed the fellow and at the first turn that hid them
from him they increased their speed, for both were becoming suspicious
of every least untoward incident, and their one wish now was to escape
the quarry in safety. Nearing the entrance they attached themselves to
a column of slaves toiling upward with their heavy burdens of rocks
for the new dome, and with them they came to the guard room where the
slaves were checked out. The officer and the clerks labored in a
mechanical manner, and it appeared that it was to be as easy to leave
the quarry as it had been to enter it, when the officer suddenly drew
his brow together and commenced to count.
"How many slaves in this crew?" he asked.
"One hundred," replied one of the warriors accompanying them.
"Then why four guards?" he demanded.
"There are but two of us," rejoined the warrior.
"We are not with them," Komodoflorensal spoke up quickly.
"What do you here?" demanded the officer.
"If we can see you alone we can explain that quickly," replied the
Trohanadalmakusian.
The officer waved the crew of slaves upon their way and beckoned to
Komodoflorensal and Tarzan to follow him into an adjoining chamber,
where they found a small anteroom in which the commander of the guard
slept.
"Now," he said, "let me see your passes."
"We have none," replied Komodoflorensal.
"No passes! That will be difficult to explain, will it not?"
"Not to one of your discrimination," replied the prince, accidentally
jingling the golden coins in his pouch. "We are in search of
Kalfastoban. We understand that he owns a slave we wish to purchase and
not being able to obtain a pass to the quarry in the short time at our
disposal we ventured to come, upon so simple an errand, without one.
Could you direct us to Kalfastoban?" Again he jingled the coins.
"I shall be delighted," replied the officer. "His quarters are upon
the fifth level of the Royal Dome upon the central corridor and about
midway between the King's Corridor and the Warriors' Corridor. As he
was relieved from duty in the quarry this very morning I have no doubt
but that you will find him there."
"We thank you," said Komodoflorensal, leaning far back in the Minunian
bow. "And now," he added, as though it was an afterthought, "if you
will accept it we shall be filled with gratitude if you will permit us
to leave this slight token of our appreciation," and he drew a large
gold coin from the pouch and proffered it to the officer.
"Rather than seem ungrateful," replied the officer, "I must accept your
gracious gift, with which I may alleviate the sufferings of the poor.
May the shadow of disaster never fall upon you!"
The three then bowed and Tarzan and Komodoflorensal quitted the guard
room and a moment later were in the free, fresh air of the surface.
"Even in Minuni!" breathed Tarzan.
"What was that?" asked his friend.
"I was just thinking of my simple, honest jungle and God's creatures
that men call beasts."
"What should they call them?" demanded Komodoflorensal.
"If judged by the standards that men themselves make, and fail to
observe, they should be called demigods," replied the ape-man.
"I believe I get your point," laughed the other; "but think! had a
lion guarded the entrance to this quarry no gold piece would have let
us pass. The frailties of man are not without their virtues; because
of them right has just triumphed over wrong and bribery has worn the
vestments of virtue."
Returning to the Royal Dome they passed around the east side of the
structure to the north front, where lies the Slaves' Corridor in every
dome. In quitting the dome they had come from the Warriors' Corridor
on the west and they felt that it would be but increasing the chances
of detection were they to pass too often along the same route where
someone, half recognizing them in one instance, might do so fully after
a second or third inspection.
To reach the fifth level required but a few minutes after they had
gained entrance to the dome. With every appearance of boldness they
made their way toward the point in the central corridor at which the
officer of the guard had told them they would find Kalfastoban's
quarters, and perhaps Kalfastoban himself; but they were constantly on
the alert, for both recognized that the greatest danger of detection
lay through the chance that Kalfastoban might recall their features,
as he of all Veltopismakusians would be most apt to do so, since he
had seen the most of them, or at least the most of Tarzan since he had
donned the slave's green.
They had reached a point about midway between the Slaves' Corridor and
the Warriors' Corridor when Komodoflorensal halted a young, female
slave and asked her where the quarters of Kalfastoban were located.
"It is necessary to pass through the quarters of Hamadalban to reach
those of Kalfastoban," replied the girl. "Go to the third entrance,"
and she pointed along the corridor in the direction they had been going.
After they had left her Tarzan asked Komodoflorensal if he thought
there would be any difficulty in gaining entrance to Kalfastoban's
quarters.
"No," he replied; "the trouble will arise in knowing what to do after
we get there."
"We know what we have come for," replied the ape-man. "It is only
necessary to carry out our design, removing all obstacles as they
intervene."
"Quite simple," laughed the prince.
Tarzan was forced to smile. "To be candid," he admitted, "I haven't
the remotest idea what we are going to do after we get in there, or
after we get out either, if we are successful in finding Talaskar and
bringing her away with us, but that is not strange, since I know
nothing, or practically nothing, of what conditions I may expect to
confront me from moment to moment in this strange city of a strange
world. All that we can do is to do our best. We have come thus far much
more easily than I expected--perhaps we will go the whole distance
with no greater friction--or we may stop within the next dozen steps,
forever."
Pausing before the third entrance they glanced in, discovering several
women squatting upon the floor. Two of them were of the warrior class,
the others slaves of the white tunic. Komodoflorensal entered boldly.
"These are the quarters of Hamadalban?" he asked.
"They are," replied one of the women.
"And Kalfastoban's are beyond?"
"Yes."
"And beyond Kalfastoban's?" inquired the Trohanadalmakusian.
"A long gallery leads to the outer corridor. Upon this gallery open
many chambers where live hundreds of people. I do not know them all.
Whom do you seek?"
"Palastokar," replied Komodoflorensal quickly, choosing the first name
that presented itself to his memory.
"I do not recall the name," said the woman, knitting her brows in
thought.
"But I shall find him now, thanks to you," said Komodoflorensal, "for
my directions were to pass through the quarters of Hamadalban and
Kalfastoban, when I should come upon a gallery into which opened the
quarters of Palastokar; but perhaps if Kalfastoban is in, he will be
able to direct me more exactly."
"Kalfastoban has gone out with Hamadalban," replied the woman; "but I
expect them back momentarily. If you will wait, they will soon be here."
"Thank you," said Komodoflorensal, hastily; "but I am sure that we
shall have no trouble finding the quarters of Palastokar. May your
candles burn long and brilliantly!" and without waiting on further
ceremony he crossed the room and entered the quarters of Kalfastoban,
into which Tarzan of the Apes followed at his heels.
"I think, my friend," said the prince, "that we shall have to work
rapidly."
Tarzan glanced quickly around the first chamber that they entered. It
was vacant. Several doors opened from it. They were all closed either
with wooden doors or with hangings. The ape-man stepped quickly to the
nearer and tried the latch. It gave and he pushed the door ajar. All
was darkness within.
"Bring a candle, Komodoflorensal," he said.
The prince brought two from their niches in the wall. "A storeroom,"
he said, as the rays of the candles illuminated the interior of the
room. "Food and candles and raiment. Kalfastoban is no pauper. The tax
collector has not ruined him yet."
Tarzan, standing in the doorway of the storeroom, just behind
Komodoflorensal, turned suddenly and looked out across the other
chamber. He had heard voices in the quarters of Hamadalban
beyond--men's voices. One of them he recognized an instant later--it
was the voice of Kalfastoban Vental.
"Come!" roared the bull voice of the Vental. "Come to my quarters,
Hamadalban, and I will show you this new slave of mine."
Tarzan pushed Komodoflorensal into the storeroom and following him,
closed the door. "Did you hear?" he whispered.
"Yes, it was Kalfastoban!"
The storeroom door was ornamented with a small, open grill covered with
a hanging of some heavy stuff upon the inside. By drawing the hanging
aside the two could obtain a view of most of the interior of the outer
chamber, and they could hear all that was said by the two men who now
entered from Hamadalban's quarters.
"I tell you she is the greatest bargain I have ever seen," cried
Kalfastoban; "but wait, I'll fetch her," and he stepped to another
door, which he unlocked with a key. "Come out!" he roared, flinging the
door wide.
With the haughty bearing of a queen a girl stepped slowly into the
larger room--no cowering servility of the slave here. Her chin was
high, her gaze level. She glanced almost with contempt upon the Vental.
And she was beautiful. It was Talaskar. Komodoflorensal realized that
he had never before appreciated how really beautiful was the little
slave girl, who had cooked for him. Kalfastoban had given her a white
tunic of good quality, which set off the olive of her skin and the rich
blackness of her hair to better effect than had the cheap green thing
that he had always seen her in.
"She belonged to Zoanthrohago," Kalfastoban explained to his friend,
"but I doubt that he ever saw her, else he never would have parted with
her for the paltry sum I paid."
"You will take her for your own woman and raise her to our class?"
asked Hamadalban.
"No," replied Kalfastoban, "for then she would no longer be a slave and
I could not sell her. Women are too expensive. I shall keep her for a
time and then sell her while her value is still high. I should make a
pretty profit from her."
Tarzan's fingers closed tightly, as though upon the throat of an enemy,
and the right hand of Komodoflorensal crept to the hilt of his rapier.
A woman came from the quarters of Hamadalban and stood in the doorway.
"Two of the guards from the quarry are here with a green slave
inquiring for Kalfastoban," she said.
"Send them in," directed the Vental.
A moment later the three entered--the slave was Caraftap.
"Ah!" exclaimed Kalfastoban, "my good slave, Caraftap; the best in the
quarry. Why is he brought here?"
"He says that he has information of great value," replied one of the
guard; "but he will divulge it to none but you. He has staked his
life against the worth of his information and the Novand of the guard
ordered him brought hither."
"What information have you?" demanded Kalfastoban.
"It is of great moment," cried Caraftap. "Noble Zoanthrohago, and even
the king, will be grateful for it; but were I to give it and have to
return to the quarries the other slaves would kill me. You were always
good to me, Kalfastoban Vental, and so I asked to be brought to you,
for I know that if you promise that I shall be rewarded with the white
tunic, if my service is considered worthy of it, I shall be safe."
"You know that I cannot do that," replied Kalfastoban.
"But the king can, and if you intercede with him he will not refuse."
"I can promise to intercede with the king in your behalf if the
information you bring is of value; but that is all I can do."
"That is enough--if you promise," said Caraftap.
"Very well, I promise. What do you know that the king would like to
know?"
"News travels fast in Veltopismakus," said Caraftap, "and so it was
that we in the quarry heard of the death of the two slaves, Aoponato
and Zuanthrol, within a short time after their bodies were discovered.
As both had been slaves of Zoanthrohago we were all confined together
in one chamber and thus I knew them both well. Imagine then my surprise
when, while crossing one of the main spirals with a crew of other
slaves, I beheld both Zuanthrol and Aoponato, in the habiliments of
warriors, ascending toward the surface."
"What is the appearance of these two?" suddenly demanded one of the
warriors who had accompanied Caraftap from the quarry.
The slave described them as fully as he could.
"The same!" cried the warrior. "These very two stopped me upon the
spiral and inquired the whereabouts of Kalfastoban."
A crowd of women and men had gathered in the doorway of Kalfastoban's
chamber, having been attracted by the presence of a green slave
accompanied by members of the quarry guard. One of them was a young
slave girl.
"I, too, was questioned by these very men," she exclaimed, "only a
short time since, and they asked me the same question."
One of Hamadalban's women voiced a little scream. "They passed
through our quarters but a moment since," she cried, "and entered
Kalfastoban's, but they asked not where lay the quarters of
Kalfastoban, the name they mentioned was unknown to me--a strange name."
"Palastokar," one of her companions reminded her.
"Yes, Palastokar, and they said he had his quarters upon the gallery
leading from Kalfastoban's to the outer corridor."
"There is no one of such a name in the Royal Dome," said Kalfastoban.
"It was but a ruse to enter my quarters."
"Or to pass through them," suggested one of the quarry guard.
"We must hurry after them," said the other.
"Keep Caraftap here until we return, Kalfastoban," said the first
guard, "and also search your own quarters and those adjoining
carefully. Come!" and motioning to the other guard he crossed the
chamber and departed along the gallery that led to the outer corridor,
followed not alone by his fellow but by Hamadalban and all the other
men who had congregated in the chamber, leaving Kalfastoban and
Caraftap, with the women, in the Vental's quarters.