CONCLUSION
Dawn had come an hour before but the group of seven people sat about the
breakfast table in the private dining room of Jaltor, ruler of Ammad.
It was a wide, richly furnished room on the top floor of the city's
palace. The east wall was composed entirely of windows, barred by
fluted, slender columns of white stone, through which streamed the
bright rays of morning sun.
"Had you delayed your escape from the pits another two hours," Jaltor
was saying, "all of you would have been freed without having to fight
for proof of your innocence. For old Heglar's mate, the beautiful Rhoa,
had been followed to Vokal's palace, and when she left there, my men
picked her up and brought her to me at the palace. Strangely enough she
was not at all hesitant about betraying Vokal; I think she believed he
was trying to get out of taking her as his mate."
"Then instead of helping," Alurna said, smiling, "I nearly brought about
Jotan's death. That should be a lesson to me not to mix in another's
affairs!"
Jotan smiled at her briefly, then went back to his apparently careful
examination of the earthen plate in front of him. Ever since he had
seated himself across the table from Dylara and the broad-shouldered
young cave man next to her he had little to say. But in his mind there
was a welter of conflicting thoughts and emotions.
Fate had thrown the girl he loved into the arms of the man who long ago
had claimed her as his mate. The fortunes of war had made that same man
Jotan's ally during the night just past. Could Jotan, then, turn against
his ally because he too loved the girl whom Jotan desired above all
others?
He stole a glance at the radiant young woman who held his heart in the
hollow of one slender hand. How lovely she was! And how closely she
leaned toward the young giant of the caves who sat beside her. Her
smiles were for the man of her own kind; as the minutes passed they
seemed more and more to belong to each other.
Well, it was up to Dylara now. Soon she would be called upon to make a
decision: to accompany the cave man back across the vast expanse of
plain and forest and mountain range to the caves of his people ... or to
remain within Ammad as the mate of Jotan, nobleman of Ammad.
Beside Jotan, no less lovely in a completely different physical
appearance, was Alurna of Sephar, daughter of one king and niece of
another. Often her eyes strayed to the handsome young nobleman next to
her. She saw his eyes go to the girl of the caves and back to his plate
again as a wave of color poured up into his cheeks. She knew what was
going on in his mind--knew it as if he had spoken the words aloud! The
next few hours would decide what her future life would be: Jotan's mate
or a woman who had lost her bid for happiness.
In all that room, perhaps, only two men did not feel the cross currents
of emotions that seemed to make electric the very air about them. One
missed it entirely because he was very young and interested in only one
person--that was Trakor. The other was Tharn; and while he understood
what lay behind Jotan's studied preoccupation, he was indifferent to it.
Dylara belonged to him--and though an entire nation might stand between
them, he would claim her for his own.
As for Dylara, she smiled warmly at everyone and said little. For she
too was waiting--waiting with the serenity of one whose mind is made up
as to the course her life would take.
"All of you are weary," Jaltor said finally. "I suggest slaves show you
to the quarters I have set aside for those of you who wish to remain as
my guests."
His eyes went to the three cave people questioningly. There was a moment
of weighted silence ... and into it Tharn said:
"Dylara, Trakor and I are far from the caves of our people. I, for one,
am anxious to start back. Perhaps we will sleep until tomorrow's
sun--then begin our journey."
As he finished speaking, his eyes came to rest upon the cave girl.
* * * * *
A breathless hush seemed to settle over the room. The moment had
come--and Tharn had so phrased his words that the daughter of Majok now
held the key to the hopes of two men ... and the choice was hers,
without pressure from either of those two.
Jotan's head came up and his eyes met the brown, sun-flecked gaze of the
cave girl. A deep, chest-swelling breath filled his lungs....
"I am not tired," Dylara said calmly. "I would like to start for your
caves at once, Tharn."
And with those words, and the lifting of her hand as she placed it on
the cave lord's bronzed forearm, Dylara made her choice.
Pain--the awful pain of unrequited love--rose like flames in Jotan's
heart. Rose until they shook him with agony ... swelled ... and broke to
settle back under the man's iron control.
He was conscious, then, that a soft hand had placed itself on one of his
as it lay palm down against the table. He looked down at it, not
understanding, then lifted his eyes slowly to meet the troubled eyes of
Alurna....
Jotan said, "I had hoped that you three would remain in Ammad for a few
suns as the guests of my father and me. But I can understand your
eagerness to return to your own people."
Dyta, the sun, stood two hours above the eastern horizon. On a small
hillock a few yards from the edge of dense jungle and forest not far
from Ammad's walls, stood a group of Jaltor's warriors flanking the king
and his guests.
Silence, broken only by the voices of diurnal jungle, held those on the
high bit of ground as they watched the three Cro-Magnons move lightly
toward that towering wall of verdure. They moved lightly, eagerly, as
though anxious to lose themselves among the riotous vegetation, a
familiar world to them.
Jotan, watching, felt a strange peace come into his heart. Only now did
realization come that at no time during the past moons since Dylara had
come into his life did he have the slightest chance to win her love. He
stole a quick glance at the girl beside him. Here was the perfect mate
for a nobleman--his own kind, fit to take up the duties of mate to one
of his own high station. Yes, he told himself, it was better this way.
His eyes went back to the three now almost within the jungle's reach.
The girl turned back and waved her hand in farewell, joined by the
lifted arms of Trakor and Tharn.
Abruptly a mist seemed to form before Jotan's eyes and he bowed his
head, blinking rapidly to dispel this evidence of unmanly weakness.
When he looked up again only the empty distance met his eyes.
TRANSCRIBERS NOTES:
Minor errors in text amended as follows:
Part I, page 42: Neels -> Neela: 'Neela, the zebra'.
Part I, page 46: along -> alone: 'required courage to venture alone
into the forest'.
Part I, page 50: squarly -> squarely: 'struck the infuriated boy
squarely in the face'.
Part I, page 51: bobing -> bobbing: 'weaving, bobbing sensation'.
Part I, page 52: largly -> largely: 'anger was largely responsible'.
. -> ,: 'I have never slept in a tree," he laughed uncertainly'.
Part I, page 53: discernable -> discernible: 'faintly discernible'.
Part I, page 55: . -> ,: 'fifty men there, some of them tending'.
Part I, page 56: inserted ,: '"Sadu is hungry too," one of the girls
observed'.
Part I, page 57: inserted .: 'sound of Sadu's roar.'
Part I, page 58: inserted - after Be:
'God-Whose-Name-May-Not-Be-Spoken-Aloud'.
Part I, page 60: occured -> occurred: 'then there occurred'. mightly
-> mighty: 'rose in a mighty leap'. sewing -> sowing: 'sowing death
among the ranks'. Jaton's -> Jotan's: 'Jotan's rescue'.
Part I, page 61: affect -> effect: 'beginning to take effect on the
disorganised warriors'. casualities -> casualties: 'result in
further casualties'. ' -> ": 'into those shadows"'.
Part I, page 62: inserted ": '"When morning comes'.
Part II, page 67: brough -> brought: 'the hours brought a fresh
flood of curses'. inserted .: 'to his lips.' inserted .: 'Here.'
Part II, page 68: inserted .: 'in his movements and expression.'
inserted .: 'bring us wine.'
Part II, page 69: inserted - after May:
'God-Whose-Name-May-Not-Be-Spoken-Aloud'.
Part II, page 73: continous -> continuous: 'in one continuous
motion.'
Part II, page 74: removed duplicate .: 'in his direction.'
Part II, page 76: hundreth -> hundredth: 'for the hundredth time'.
Part II, page 78: 'Trakor admitted sheepishly. "But I heard' ->
'Trakor admitted sheepishly, "but I heard'.
Part II, page 79, 110 and 111: '- - -' in text changed to '----'.
Part II, page 80: Rokut's -> Bokut's: 'He closed the door on Bokut's
unrelieved expression'. sandles -> sandals: 'strings of his
sandals'.
Part II, page 81: startingly -> startlingly: 'almost startlingly
handsome'.
Part II, page 83: inserted ,: 'glazed with pain, his'.
Part II, page 84: . -> ?: 'faded blue eyes?'. inserted ": '"And if I
persist'.
Part II, page 90: inprints -> imprints: 'imprints left by its feet.'
speciman -> specimen: 'specimen of perfect manhood'. worshipping ->
worshiping: 'hero-worshiping'.
Part II, page 91: marvelling -> marveling: 'marveling at the
change'.
Part II, page 94: inserted his: 'face with his own sleeping furs'.
Part II, page 95: inserted .: 'digested this information quickly.'
Part II, page 97: . -> ?: 'But do you have the right to sacrifice
the lives of the rest of us in a quest that is completely hopeless?'
Part II, page 99: inserted .: 'this time toward home.' trodding ->
treading: 'treading on snakes'.
Part II, page 100: worshipping -> worshiping: 'his worshiping
companion'.
Part II, page 103: wais -> waist: 'waist-high'.
Part II, page 105: cacaphony -> cacophony: 'the cacophony of roars'.
Part II, page 106: inserted it: 'what is it, Tharn?'
Part II, page 107: inserted .: 'chattering of many voices.' sinous
-> sinuous: 'long sinuous limb'.
Part II, page 108: thrist -> thirst: 'pangs of thirst'.
Part II, page 109: contructed -> constructed: 'the hut was
constructed'. nut -> hut: 'this hut was practically ringed with
patrolling sentries'. inserted ,: 'once it gave, the structure'.
Part II, page 110: sickenly -> sickeningly: 'hut lurched
sickeningly,'.
Part III, page 98: marvelling -> marveling: 'marveling at her
beauty'.
Part III, page 99: forcast -> forecast: 'the storm Tharn had
forecast,'. excitment -> excitement: 'it was the only excitement'.
Part III, page 102: marvelled -> marveled: 'she marveled at how
little'. then -> there: 'Here and there'.
Part III, page 103: an -> any: 'at any moment'.
Part III, page 104: Trakors -> Trakor's: 'in Trakor's heart.'
wariors -> warriors: 'traders, warriors,'.
Part III, page 105: Ammad' to Ammad's: 'Ammad's noblemen'. boundry
-> boundary: 'a boundary dispute'.
Part III, page 106: boundry -> boundary: 'the boundary line'.
Part III, page 108: similiar -> similar: 'a similar distinction,'. '
-> ": 'so easily."' drily -> dryly: 'Curzad commented dryly'.
Part III, page 109: inserted have: 'Tharn would have unhesitatingly
charged'. inpulsive -> impulsive: 'the impulsive act'. coud ->
could: 'he could see'. magnificience -> magnificence: 'greater size
and magnificence,'. worshipping -> worshiping: 'hero-worshiping'.
Part III, page 110: this -> his: 'about his shoulders'.
Part III, page 111: thing -> think: 'think I decided'. I"ll -> I'll:
'Tell him I'll be out'.
Part III, page 112: hestitated -> hesitated: 'He hesitated.' forseen
-> foreseen: 'we had not foreseen,'. speciman -> specimen:
'remarkable physical specimen'.
Part III, page 113: amendable -> amenable: 'make him amenable.'
girls -> girl: 'about a wild girl of the caves?'
Part III, page 114: reconnaisance -> reconnaissance: 'general
reconnaissance'. retract -> retrace: 'retrace his steps'.
Part III, page 116: hand-and -> hand- and: 'hand- and foot-holds'.
threshed -> thrashed: 'thrashed and bucked.'
Part III, page 117: impromtu -> impromptu: 'Dylara's impromptu
club,'.
Part III, page 119: inserted .: 'face the monarch.'
Part III, page 120: inserted - after Whose:
'God-Whose-Name-May-Not-Be-Spoken-Aloud'.
Part III, page 121: beastial -> bestial: 'the bestial snarls'.
Part III, page 122: guage -> gauge: 'chance to gauge'.
Part III, page 123: inserted .: 'heavy with jungle blooms.'
Part III, page 124: . -> ,: '"At once, Most-High."' quited ->
quitted: 'only just quitted.' though -> through: 'to peer through.'
Part III, page 127: it is -> is it: 'Who is it?"'.
Part III, page 128: Sephar -> Ammad: 'sleeping Ammad'.
Part III, page 130: inserted .: 'of the door.' minature ->
miniature: 'the miniature torch'.
Part III, page 131: inserted the: 'at the sound'. occured ->
occurred: 'what had occurred'.
Part III, page 132: than -> that: 'corridor that ran past'. coridor
-> corridor: 'down the corridor a man'. pasing -> passing: 'passing
others quickly.'
Part III, page 133: sizeable -> sizable: 'a sizable group'.
Part III, page 134: many -> few: there are too few men'. level ->
levels: 'lower three levels'.
Part III, page 135: rapidily -> rapidly: 'fleeing rapidly'.
Part III, page 137: sing -> sign: 'sign of life'. excitment ->
excitement: 'after the excitement'.
Part III, page 138 and 139: missle -> missile
Part III, page 141: weighed -> weighted: 'moment of weighted
silence'. preocupation -> preoccupation: 'Jotan's studied
preoccupation,'. sunflecked -> sun-flecked. and -> had: 'a soft hand
had placed itself'.
All dialogue has closing quotation marks regardless of whether it
continues on the subsequent paragraph.
End of Project Gutenberg's The Return of Tharn, by Howard Carleton Browne