The Web of the Golden Spider

by Frederick Orin Bartlett

  CHAPTER XXV

  _What the Stars Saw_

  The moon shone broadly over a pool of purplish quicksilver. Aragged fringe of trees bordered it like a wreath. The waters werequiet--very, very quiet. They scarcely rippled the myriad stars whichglittered back mockingly at those above. The air over and above it allwas the thin air of the skies, not of the earth. It was as silenthere as in the purple about the planets. Man seemed too coarse for sofine a setting. Even woman, nearest of all creatures to fairy stuff,must needs be at her best to make a fitting part of this.

  From out of the shadows of this fringe of trees there stole silentlyanother shadow. This moved slowly like a funeral barge away from theshore. As it came full into the radius of that silver light (a lightmatching the dead) it seemed more than ever one with sheeted things,for half prone upon this raft lay a girl whose cheeks were whiteagainst the background of her black hair and whose eyes saw nothing ofthe world about her. She stared more as the dead stare than theliving,--stared into the shining eyes of the golden image which sheheld with rigid arms upon her knees, the image which had entangled somany lives. Her bosom moved rhythmically, slowly, showing that shewas not dead. The golden image stared back at her. Its eyes caught themoonbeams in its brilliant surfaces, so that it looked more a livingthing than she who held it.

  Facing them, standing bolt upright save when he stooped a trifle toreach forward with his paddle, was Sorez, who might have passed forCharon. His thin frame, his hollow cheeks, the intense look of hisburning eyes gave him a ghostly air. The raft moved without a sound,scarcely rippling the waters before it, scarcely disturbing in itswake the gaunt shadow cast by Sorez, which followed them like apursuing spectre. He studied keenly the dumb shores which lay in abroad circumference about them. He could see every yard of the lakeand saw that they themselves were the only scar upon its mirrorsurface.

  Peak upon peak looked down upon them, and higher, star upon star.Dead, indifferent things they were, chance accessories to this drama.They awaited the touch of sterner forces than those of man for theirchanges.

  He who drove the raft along breathed as one who is trying hard tocontrol himself in the face of a great emotion. His eyes continuallyshifted from the girl to the shores, then back again to the girl. Inthis way he reached a position near the middle of the lake. Here hepaused.

  He seemed to hesitate at the next step as though a great deal dependedupon it. His lips moved, but he seemed afraid to break the silence.The girl remained immovable, still staring into the glittering eyesof the image. He studied her eagerly as though he would lead her mindbefore he spoke, for upon the first reply to his question depended thesuccess or failure of all he had dared, of all he had undertaken. Asshe answered, either he would be the laughing stock of the world, orthe most famous of modern adventurers; a comparatively poor man, orthe richest in jewels of all the world. Suddenly he stooped and,bending close to the ear of the girl, said very distinctly:

  "We are on the lake of Guadiva. It is said that here below the waterslies the shrine of the Golden One. You can see below the waters.Is--the shrine--here?"

  Her lips moved uncertainly; an indistinct muttering followed. He heldhis breath in his excitement.

  "The shrine--it is--it is below."

  His color changed from gray to the red of youth; his eyes brightened,his whole body seemed to grow young with new strength. He asked thesecond question with feverish impatience,

  "From here is it straight ahead, to the left, or the right?"

  "Ahead and--and I can't see, I----"

  "Look deeper and you can see."

  "To the right," she said decisively.

  He dipped the paddle deep and put all his strength into the strokes.For a hundred yards the ripples broke in front of the clumsy craft.Again he stopped and asked the direction. Her lips trembled over thewords, exactly like those of one talking in sleep. It was always withan effort that she was able sufficiently to concentrate herself togive voice to what she saw. This time she bade him continue straightahead. So he proceeded for another hundred yards. In this way hecrossed to within an eighth of a mile of the opposite shore. Here shebade him pause, in answer to his questioning. He was not an emotionalman, but he had never been under such a tension as during thismanoeuvering or felt such a variety of sensations.

  "To the left," she muttered. And then almost querulously, "I can'tfind it. It is near here, but I do not see it."

  She moved him almost in a circle, and still back and forth, back andforth without seeming able to locate the spot for which she sought.They were opposite two high cliffs which revealed a deep fissurebetween them. Now and again her head turned upwards to this spot andher face became troubled--the brows coming together in a puzzledscowl, which sometimes faded away into a look of fear. Once, with astartled cry, she put her hands up over her eyes and swayed back andforth with low moaning. He roused her from this by a sharp command,and she turned again to the lake with no trace of this disturbance. Hebegan to get worried as she reached no definite spot. It was possiblethat she could not bring him to any smaller radius than this circle.This would leave a doubt so serious as after all to bring things tonothing. He stooped again.

  "The altar--it is near here? We must find it--find it. Look deep--lookin all directions--look without fear. You must find it--the altar ofthe Golden One with its treasure. You must find it."

  But she only raised her head and fixed her staring eyes upon the darkcliffs. She looked as though she were listening very intently,--as toa cry from a distance of which she was not sure.

  Her lips formed the word "David." He caught it and it startled him sothat for a moment he followed her eyes, listening too. But beyondthere was nothing but the sober height of barren rock standing starkagainst the sky. There was no movement below on the shore; there wasno shadow upon the lake. Yet with eyes fixed upon this scene she stillcalled the name, "David, David."

  Sorez placed his hand upon her forehead. He concentrated the fullpower of his mind upon the quest.

  "Below--below--you must look below, not above. You must see nothingbut the altar of the Golden One. Below, deep, deep--look, search untilyou find it."

  Her features became smooth once more and she obeyed the command. Shesaid very distinctly this time.

  "The altar is here."

  "Below us?"

  "Here."

  He doubted--doubted even as the blood rushed through his veins withthe gladness of her words. He doubted as one will to prolong the joyof the truth. But there still remained much else to be learned. Itwas possible that the treasure was not so great as had been reported.If only she could see it lying there; if only she could tell him ofthe bars of yellow gold, of the glittering heaps of precious stones,of the jumbled pile of golden plate which had lain there for so long!The thought of it was enough to start the fever of desire. He wishedeven that he could force her to go down there and bring up to him abit that he himself could touch and see and weigh. As he stood besideher with the lust of this thing in his eyes, a shadow detached itselffrom the shore. It may have been only the reflection of a tiny cloud.But there were no clouds. It may have been just a bit of driftwood.But it moved slowly and steadily towards the raft.

  Sorez bent above the girl again.

  "The Golden Man will tell you. Look into his eyes very hard."

  The girl grasped the image more tightly and obeyed.

  "Now go below, deep--deep."

  For some reason, even as she had done in the room when first she hadheld this thing, she drew back in fear at this.

  "No! No!" she pleaded.

  But Sorez had lost sight of her as a personality now; she was nothingbut a means to this one end; nothing but an adjunct to this heathenidol. He repeated his command more decisively--more sternly. His wordswere sharp--cold.

  The shadow which had left the shore still came nearer--silently,swiftly.

  The girl rested her frightened eyes upon the brilliant jewels setbelow the ugly, squat brow. They glowed in answer. They sparkled liket
iny fires. Her face grew strained--her breathing became more rapid.

  "Deeper--deeper!"

  The shadow had come very near. Had the girl not been looking sointently into the crystal eyes, she could have seen--could havewarned. The moon now showed it to be a canoe and in the canoe a man.The man was very lean and his uncovered head was close shaven. Hiseyes were very like those in the image.

  The girl shuddered.

  "Deeper--deeper!" came the relentless command.

  Her voice came back muffled--as though from a distance.

  "It is dark--dark."

  She began to gasp. Then suddenly she placed her hand to her head.

  "I see no gold--I see no gold!"

  Sorez sank to his knees before the girl. His face was chalk white.

  "Gone? Is it gone?"

  The shadow was now beside the raft. The shadow was now behind Sorez.The shadow placed one foot upon the raft, but it paused there a momentat the cry which brought Sorez also to attention.

  "Father!" screamed the girl. "Father!"

  Sorez stared straight ahead of him in a frenzy. Then the shadowsprang, throwing his arms about the tall figure. Without a cry Sorezsank under him. He made a brief struggle but he was too weak toovercome the demon strength of the man who bore him down. Withremarkable dexterity, the Priest bound him hand and foot before he hadrecovered fully from the shock of the fall.

  The girl was now murmuring to herself, murmuring the one word"Father." It was an appealing, frightened cry, full of doubt,uncertainty, and yet of hungry love. For a second it held theattention of both men, the Priest taking a step nearer the girl andlooking at her almost curiously.

  Sorez knew this was the end. But he was a good gambler; having lostall, he accepted his fate with stoicism. He kept his head clear--clearenough to do the thing which marked him a man. He squirmed about untilhe faced the girl. With every ounce of strength in him, he shouted hisfinal command to her.

  "Awake! Awake!"

  The girl stirred uneasily. The Priest reached for his knife, notunderstanding.

  "Awake!" repeated Sorez, and his voice quivered with the intensity ofhis earnestness. "Awake!"

  The girl trembled and seemed to fight her way to consciousness as oneafter a deep dive struggles to the top. She gasped for breath. Hereyes fluttered open, closed, fluttered open again. She roused herselfto a sitting posture and the image dropped from her lap. The Priestsnatched it up as the girl shrank back from him. For a moment the twostared at each other. The Priest was held motionless. Then as Sorezhitched a bit to one side, he turned to his work.

  Sorez hoped for nothing but a swift end. The cruel face of the otherleft nothing to question, nothing else to hope. But now that the girlhad shaken off the influence of the image he was easier. There was butone thing left to try, even though the eyes looking down into hishinted at nothing of mercy; he must save the girl if possible.

  As the Priest bent over him, he found his voice.

  "Listen to me a moment. I have nothing to ask for myself, I took mychances and I lost. But the girl here--she is innocent of even wishingfor your treasure."

  "Why then is she here?"

  "I brought her here."

  "You could not--against her will."

  Sorez moistened his lips and explained: "She came on another mission.She came in search of a father who has been long missing."

  "To this lake--to this spot--with the image in her lap?"

  "No--this part of it is at my prompting. She but obeyed me."

  The Priest turned away impatiently. He saw the girl crouching interror of him. He moved nearer. He saw her black eyes. They remainedon his strangely immovable. He felt something of a tremor. Thingsabout him became blurred for a moment. He shook himself free.

  _Sorez stared straight ahead of him in a frenzy. Thenthe shadow sprang, throwing his arms about the tall figure._]

  "I have heard too many stories," he said.

  "But, good God! you believe this," burst out Sorez. "You haven't theheart to revenge yourself upon her? You----"

  He checked himself. He knew the man would do as he most feared. This,then, was to be his punishment--to know that he had brought the girlto such an end as this--that he had won her trust and confidence andrewarded it with such torture as this demon might mete out to her. ThePriest might even slay her before his eyes. He strained at the ropewhich bound him until it tore into his flesh. The waters played aboutthe raft. The stars danced in the ripples.

  Sorez brought himself to try once more.

  "If you have a spark of pity in your heart, you will do her no harm.Listen! I lied to the girl. I brought her here on the hope that shemight find this father who has been a long time gone from home. He wasa sea captain and I told her that many captains had been lost here inthe mountains and been found again. I told her that I had seen herfather in Bogova. That is why she came."

  "To the lake?"

  Sorez had but a second in which to decide. If he told the Priest ofthe girl's power, the latter might slay her to bury the secret, ortorture her to betray it to him. No, it would be safer to leave thePriest merely suspicious.

  "As I am about to die," affirmed Sorez, solemnly, "that is God'struth."

  The Priest placed the little golden idol out of danger. Then hestooped and bound the ropes more tightly about the ankles of theprostrate man. Sorez watched him with new interest--almost with a newhope. He glanced at the girl and saw her kneeling upon the raft, herwhite face to the moon.

  The Priest bent to fasten the rope which already bit into the fleshabove the arms. It was for this Sorez had prayed. As the Prieststooped, his long coat swayed within reach of the long-waitingfingers. Sorez gripped both laps and that grip was the grip of death.

  Before the Priest understood the situation, Sorez had bent his boundlegs double beneath him and, gripping the tightly bound straw with hisheels, shoved with all his strength towards the edge of the raft. ThePriest fell atop of him, but instantly tore himself back. The fingersheld. Once again Sorez hitched forward and once again the Priest camewith him. In a panic the crazed Priest bore his knees down upon theprostrate man and then swung off to one side. But the fingers held.Sorez was now lying with his head half over the edge. The silverwaters lipped his gray hair. He raised his legs once more--just oncemore, and shoved.

  He gained an inch. Then in a flash the Priest managed to stand up withSorez still clinging. But only for a moment, when he fell backwards,striking the back of his head sharply upon the logs. The girl screamedin fright. The Priest saw the world swim before his eyes, and thenext second looked up to find a woman--his own daughter--hisJo--looking back at him! But Sorez still clung and still shoved withhis legs towards the edge of the boat.

  "For God's sake--what are you about?" gasped he who a moment gone hadbeen the Priest.

  Sorez saw nothing of the change. He was busy bending up his legs,digging in his heels, and shoving.

  "Father! Father!"

  Sorez had heard the cry before. He felt the girl beating at him withher white hands. The raft was beginning to settle. In the heavy fallof the two men a section had been loosened so that now it mightpossibly hold two of them--no more. The girl realized this; the manrealized this. Sorez knew nothing save his determination to drag thePriest to the bottom with him.

  "Let him go!" shouted the girl. "Let him go! He is my father! Can'tyou hear?"

  The words penetrated just as he was about to shove once more.

  "Your father?"

  "Quick! We are sinking!"

  He let go. The Priest sprang to his feet. The canoe had gone and theloosely constructed raft was settling as timber after timber freeditself. Sorez, himself again, saw this. Without a word he shoved oncemore,--this time himself alone. He went down and the raft floated. Hehad kept his word after all; he had given the girl her father.