spoke. "I saw you before Spiro thisafternoon. Poor Spiro!" she murmured as she cut their bonds. It wassome time before circulation was restored to their limbs. Miles askedanxiously, "How many guards are there at the door?"
"Twelve," said the girl; "but they are playing wong-wo in the roomoutside and drinking soola." She pantomimed her meaning. "I came herethrough a secret passage beyond," she indicated by a wave of her hand."Now that you can walk, let us hurry." Shyly she took Miles' hand. Thewarm clasp of her fingers made the blood course faster in his veins.
Through a long passage they glided to another room. There were severalconfusing turns and dark hallways, and twice they had to cower inshadowy corners while Ah-eeda boldly advanced and held converse withoccasional persons encountered, though for the most part the way wassilent and deserted. At last they came to a low door opening on anarrow street and the girl put out her torch.
"To return to our own world we must first reach the Palace of theHeads," said Ward. The girl nodded. "I will guide you there. But wemust hurry: the workers will soon be gathered."
* * * * *
Never were Miles and Ward to forget that breathless flight. The girlled them through narrow and devious byways over which dark buildingsleaned, evidently avoiding the more direct and open thoroughfares. Itseemed as if they were to escape without hindrance when, suddenly, outof a dimly lighted doorway, lurched the gigantic figure of a green mancarrying a flare. This flare threw the figures of the fugitives intorelief.
"Ho!" roared the green man, and came at them like a furious bull. Itseemed characteristic of his kind to attack without parley. The torchdropped as he came. There was no resisting that mighty bulk. Unarmed,and with scant room to move backward, the two Americans went down; andthat would have been the end of the battle if Ah-eeda, who had shrunkto one side out of the way of the combatants, had not snatched up thestill flaming torch and held it against the naked back of the greenishgiant. With a scream of anguish the latter ceased throttling theAmericans, clapped his hands to his scorched back and rolled clear ofthem.
Instantly they staggered to their feet and fled down the roadway afterthe light-footed Ah-eeda. Behind them the screams of the green manmade the night hideous. "Damn him!" panted Ward; "he'll have the wholetown on our heels!" Providentially, at that moment the road debouchedinto the great square. This they crossed at a run, and so, for thelast time, entered the Palace of the Heads. Its wide halls andchambers were practically deserted.
Past the crystal chamber where they had first materialized into thisstrange world they dashed, and through the far door and down thecorridor to the blank wall. Already in the rear could be heard thesound of pursuit, the rising clamor of the mob. Ward hammered on thewall with both fists. "Zoro! Zoro! let us in!" Now the first of themob had entered the corridor. "Zoro! Zoro!" Noiselessly, and just intime, the wall parted and they sprang through, Miles half carrying theslender form of Ah-eeda. The wall closed behind them, obliterating thefierce cries and footbeats of their pursuers.
* * * * *
In front of them was Zoro, his hairless head projecting from thetubular container. Ah-eeda shrank fearfully into Miles' embrace. Allthe other Heads were ranged back of Zoro, but there was something oddabout them. The massive craniums lolled loosely to one side or anotherand the curiously colored eyes were glazed or filmed. Zoro held hishead erect, but only with an effort, and his features were drawn andghastly looking.
"Yes," he said in a feeble voice, "the Heads are dying. You need nottell me that you have failed. In the end force always fails. No longerwill the veins of the people yield their blood to us, and withouttheir blood we cannot live. Soon three hundred thousand years ofintelligence will be no more." His voice faltered.
Miles and Ward had learned to feel nothing but horror and detestationof the Heads, but now in the face of their tragic end, hearing thedying words of Zoro, awe and sympathy struggled with other emotions intheir hearts. These mighty intellects had lived before the days of theflood; their eyes filming now in death had seen the ancient empiresof Earth rise and fall.... Sumeria, Babylon.... Stupendous thought;and yet in the face of death a hundred thousand years of life was ofno more importance than that of a day. Suddenly Ward sprang forwardand shook the fainting Head. "Zoro! Zoro! what of us? We served youfaithfully and would now return to Earth."
* * * * *
Visibly Zoro made a great effort to reply. "Go to the crystal tube inthe laboratory beyond," he said at last. "It still works. I have toldyou how to run the car. Mend the tracks. The locks open automaticallyand let the car into the ocean when it strikes the switch. Your rewardis in...." The words died away. Then, with a sudden influx ofstrength, the hairless head straightened, the strangely colored eyescleared, and in a loud voice Zoro called out something in an unknowntongue and then collapsed.
Out of that chamber of death the Americans fled, suddenly afraid ofits weird occupants. In time the workers of Apex would break intothat strange laboratory and find the vampires of the ages dead. And ina very short time Spiro himself would die--Spiro the avenger.
At the crystal tube Miles paused. "Ah-eeda," he said softly, "wereturn to Earth, but I shall never forget you, never!"
A moment he hesitated, and then bent and kissed her swiftly. Instantlyshe was in his arms, clinging to him passionately.
"I too," she cried; "I too!"
"She means," said Ward, "that she wants to go back with us. What doyou say?"
"God knows I am tempted to take her," said Miles; "but would it beright? What does she know of Earth?"
"Nothing," said Ward; "but I believe she loves you. And have youthought that after helping us to escape she may not be safe among herown people?"
Miles bowed his head. "Very well," he said; "so be it. I swear to makeher happy."
So there were three of them who entered the crystal tube.
* * * * *
The Heads of Apex Page 6
