by Andy Briggs
If that wasn’t enough, the underground river ran parallel through the opposite side of the chamber, snaking its way through a cave in the far wall. Only a hundred yards of rock separated the two rivers, but they were close enough to raise a gentle veil of steam that was carried high through ancient magma holes in the ceiling, ensuring the chamber didn’t fill with noxious fumes.
More huge snake carvings dominated the cavern. Two had collapsed in the recent quakes, but another four rose almost a hundred feet up the walls, carved directly from the rock face. Numerous tunnels ran from the chamber, a honeycombed network of passages leading deeper into the volcano.
The sheer scale of the cavern was only put into perspective when Tarzan saw a large group of Targarni at the far end of the chamber. Foliage had been cleared to reveal the rock beneath and Tarzan finally saw what had happened to the captives not eaten by the cannibalistic queen and her Targani minions.
Several prisoners toiled at the rock. Tarzan counted eight men, stripped to the waist, most revealing skeleton-thin bodies, and three gaunt women. Their nationalities were mixed, but Idra identified two of the Mbuti porters among them. Tarzan motioned to the others to crouch down so they wouldn’t be spotted.
Next to the prisoners, a massive wooden gantry spanned the entire mined area. It was almost two stories high. A huge waterwheel had been constructed on the edge of the fast-flowing river, powering a series of vine ropes across the structure, on which wooden baskets hung. The crude but effective array of pulleys and winches carried the cleared debris so that it could be dumped into the magma river. It was an operation that could easily support a hundred miners, and Tarzan wondered how many had fallen as meals and how many more had worked to death. A dozen skulls—both human and Targarni—had been mounted as a gruesome reminder to those who didn’t obey.
He heard a shocked gasp from Jane as she pointed a finger at a pair of familiar figures: Clark and Greystoke, badly bruised and beaten, toiling with the other captives. They hacked at the ground with rusting metal tools. They were all held in check by Targarni guards. The entire troop had taken refuge here, some snarling at prisoners who paused from their menial task for too long, others looking around the vast cavern in alarm, expecting the next quake to strike.
One of the prisoners—a man captured from Reyna’s party—suddenly dropped to his knees and extracted a gleaming stone from the rock. As he held it up with trembling hands, the robed woman who hovered nearby snatched it. Goyad was preening himself at her side.
She held the raw gemstone up to the magma, delighted as the diffused light shone through to play across her face. She spoke, her voice effortlessly carrying across the cave.
“Another trinket for Queen La—you have pleased her!” Her gaze lingered on the stone before she became aware the man at her feet was almost dying of thirst. She gave a casual wave toward the river. “Yes … you have earned your drink.” The man scrambled on his belly to the river and drank heavily from it. The self-styled Queen La ignored him, dancing almost graciously in a circle as she admired the gemstone.
“She’s insane,” said Idra in a low voice.
Tarzan could see Queen La had no real power over the Targarni, and couldn’t imagine they only carried out her wishes to get the next scrap of succulent human flesh. She had to have some other form of control. He could only guess that La had trained them to be accustomed to eating human flesh; otherwise they would have ripped her limb from limb the moment she stepped foot in Opar.
Jane moved to get a better view. “How do we free them?” They couldn’t see any chains or ropes binding the prisoners, so they were held by fear alone. Fear could do terrible things to a man’s mind and Tarzan imagined they had seen plenty of cannibalistic rituals, which made them frightened for their own lives.
There were more than twenty Targarni, still overwhelming odds even if there were twice as many humans, but a plan formed in Tarzan’s mind. Goyad had employed a diversion strategy several times and Tarzan wondered if the ape would fall for his own trick. There was only one way to find out.
“Be ready,” said Tarzan as he ran silently from the tunnel and disappeared into the dense foliage.
“Be ready for what?” hissed Jane. But Tarzan had disappeared.
• • •
Every fiber in Lord Greystoke begged to sit and rest, though he didn’t dare; instead, he lifted a rusting pickaxe and feebly struck the rock—any harder and either the metal would snap or he would. Some of the tools they had been given were over a century old, harkening back to when Belgium had occupied the country. Others were new, stolen from some poor souls captured for the hellish task.
Both he and Clark had been abducted when the Targarni fled the earthquake. He was sure they hadn’t been targeted—they were just the unfortunate victims who had been in the apes’ path. Those last few seconds of freedom had replayed through his mind as they were carried to the city, and each time the image of Werper pushing Greystoke in front of himself as a human shield magnified in his mind. There was no doubt about it: the weasel had sacrificed Greystoke to save his own skin.
The apes had dumped them on the sacrificial altar when they arrived. Greystoke and Clark hadn’t realized what it was at the time, only noticing it was covered in thick dried blood. Greystoke had been convinced they were about to be ripped apart, but their fate was spurred by the arrival of a hauntingly familiar face: Larissa Dorman. He had recognized the missing anthropologist from photos he and Werper had gathered while researching Opar. He had been quite taken by the photo of the young brunette with a winning smile and sparkling eyes. But in reality she was a very different creature.
Referring to herself in the third person as Queen La, it was immediately clear the years of isolation had driven her mad. The beauty whom Greystoke had seen in the photographs was now a cold unsmiling woman who had woven glowing lichen into her hair. Her skin had turned so pale the blue veins on her forehead were visible. Yet a trace of her former beauty held out—until she smiled. It chilled Greystoke to the core. She had filed her teeth down to jagged fangs that made her look inhuman.
Despite her sinister appearance, Greystoke could not stop his gaze from being drawn toward the precious gems that had been crudely sewn into her patchwork robe, constructed from the clothes of past victims. In the low light, the gems glittered tantalizingly. He had no doubt their worth was incalculable.
Clark had tried to reason with the queen, but his words only drew more scorn until she toyed an ornamental sword over his body and he gave up. The silver gem-studded blade was worth a small fortune, but the thought of a sudden death focused the men’s minds. However, they were not to be sacrificed, and a horde of growling apes led them deeper into the city. They could only wonder what fate had in store for them.
They had been shocked when, assigned to the mining detail, they had encountered other people. Their expressions were hollow, their spirits crushed. Greystoke soon discovered that talking brought angry punches from the Targarni guards, as did stopping to rest. All the while, Queen La would strut around the cavern, keenly watching the workers one minute, then reminiscing in some crazed daydream the next.
One man, an Indian, had fallen to his knees in despair when the new prisoners were brought in. He threw down his pickaxe and hurled himself at Queen La. The albino ape intercepted the attack and delivered swift punishment by stunning the man. Any horrific punishment Greystoke could imagine paled into insignificance when Queen La began eating the unconscious, but still live, man, her pointed teeth effortlessly slicing through the flesh. She tossed raw meat to the Targarni, who clamored like hoodlums to get their share.
Only Greystoke and Clark watched the macabre spectacle, unable to tear their horrified gazes away. The other workers had seen it all too often and averted their eyes from the fate they all ultimately shared. No wonder shackles weren’t needed to keep the prisoners in check. Working yourself to death was a much more ci
vilized way to go.
As Greystoke hacked at the ground, he suddenly realized the black material was not just volcanic rock. He knelt, feeling the texture—it was a huge deposit of coltan. The entire area was rich with it. Near the riverbank he could easily sluice it up with his hand. He let out a dry chuckle. Queen La was mining the area for a few precious stones, most of which had no doubt been plundered by the Oparians and lost to history, when the rocks around them contained something far more valuable.
One of the newer prisoners risked punishment by occasionally speaking in whispers to find information about the outside world. Greystoke learned his name was Ramón and he was the cameraman on Reyna’s team. He was relieved to learn Reyna had survived her ordeal, although news of the active volcano immediately dampened any hopes he harbored of escape.
When Greystoke saw Tarzan crouching on a rocky outcrop, he thought he was hallucinating from the sulphuric fumes rising from the magma river. The ape-man was concealed from the Targarni by the broad-leafed plants. For a moment, the cousins’ gazes met and Greystoke understood his life was in the hands of somebody both he and his father would rather have seen dead. Despite his fatigue, he felt a jolt of hope that he may be saved.
Greystoke quickly looked away, focusing on the ground, when a Targarni knuckled past and barked a warning at him. He struck the ground with renewed enthusiasm and was surprised to see a chunk of rock split away, revealing a gleaming opal beneath. Greystoke reached for it, then hesitated. If he didn’t reveal his finding then the greedy Queen La would be denied the trinket and he could at least keep it for himself. He innocently placed his foot over the gem and struck rock a little farther away.
• • •
Jane, Robbie, and Idra edged away from the tunnel, hiding behind a large knot of ferns growing on a porous boulder. They had moved just in time, a Targarni barreled past them and into the tunnel they had just vacated. Moments later, the ape returned, hooting loudly—the cave-in had been discovered. Goyad galloped across to check on the tunnel himself.
As they watched, Idra whispered, “Watch what they do next. They must know which other tunnels lead out of here.”
Goyad returned, hooting a series of calls, which sent several Targarni scattering to different tunnels across the cavern.
“I don’t think they have another way out,” said Jane in confusion, as some of the apes reappeared and checked different tunnels.
“We’re trapped,” said Robbie desperately, once again fighting to keep calm. Jane squeezed his hand, which had a surprisingly sobering effect.
“We’ll get out. Somehow.” She smiled.
Jane spotted Tarzan crabbing around the Targarni perimeter as he inched closer to the old mining gantry supporting the waterwheel. He drew his knife and gracefully vaulted up the wooden supports so he could reach the wheel’s axle. Propping himself in the framework, he began hacking at the rope securing it in place.
Jane tried to think ahead. Would the waterwheel cause enough of a distraction for the prisoners to make a bid for freedom? With some of the apes missing as they checked the tunnels, this was the ideal opportunity—but she still didn’t know how they would escape.
Tarzan slashed the waterwheel’s bonding ropes on one side and the entire structure wobbled as he set about severing the others. With a loud crack the waterwheel suddenly spun off the poles that held it in place.
It was turning with such momentum that the wheel shot off at speed, crashing through part of the poorly constructed gantry, sections of which collapsed in its wake. The startled Targarni looked around in surprise as the wheel rolled toward them. One was too slow in his attempt to outrun it and was crushed under the heavy wood.
The prisoners yelled in surprise and dashed in different directions as the wheel passed through the area they were mining. Queen La watched with dismay as further sections of the gantry collapsed, the pulley system snapping, sending buckets of rock crashing to the ground. One crushed a Targarni; another almost killed Ramón, who darted aside just in time.
Greystoke grabbed Clark by the shoulder as he tried to run, and twisted him around to face Tarzan. “Clark! This way.” He stopped to remove his gem from the rock as they ran toward Tarzan, slipping it inside his pocket.
• • •
Queen La watched the stray wheel ramp over the edge of the magma lake before splashing into the liquid rock. The entire wooden frame ignited as it sank rapidly. She turned quickly and saw Tarzan standing on the remains of the gantry, grinning mischievously.
“Get him!” she roared, pointing at the ape-man.
A Targarni close to her hissed with frustration and clawed irritably at her, showing Tarzan that her control of the apes was tenuous. She backed up her command with a short leather whip concealed in the folds of her robe. The black leather snapped across the belligerent ape. “I said, get him!” repeated Queen La in a roaring hiss. The ape leaped into action.
Tarzan saw Greystoke and Clark running toward him, along with two of the other prisoners. But under Queen La’s oppressive command, a pair of Targarni overcame their confused fear and followed close behind, ready to charge the ape-man.
With a bull roar, Tarzan dived from the gantry, soaring over Greystoke and Clark to block the path of the attacking Targarni. Tarzan raised his blade and brought it down across the lead ape, killing it instantly. The second ape was already airborne. A loud gunshot echoed through the chamber and the ape slumped, falling dead at Tarzan’s feet.
Queen La snarled, bearing her sharpened fangs. She quickly glanced around, searching for the source of the gunshot, before turning back to Tarzan who was advancing toward her, blood dripping from his knife.
Goyad suddenly jumped from a rocky outcrop, aiming straight for Tarzan’s back. But the ape-man had been anticipating the move and had deliberately left himself open for attack. He turned as Goyad landed on him, sending them both rolling across the rocks. The albino screeched as Tarzan rammed the blade into his chest. He had been aiming for the heart, but missed by an inch and the blade sank up to the hilt. It was a terrible wound, but not the killing stroke Tarzan had intended.
Greystoke and Clark stopped in their tracks as they saw Tarzan fall. Clark limped back.
“Where are you going?” called Greystoke.
“We’ve got to help him!” yelled Clark, fueled by thoughts of revenge against the mad queen.
Greystoke dithered as more Targarni emerged from the tunnels they had been exploring and set out to circle the fleeing prisoners.
Tarzan pushed Goyad off of him, the injured ape clutching at the knife in his chest as he swayed drunkenly. Tarzan rolled to his feet just as another three Targarni mobbed him, pressing his face down on the rock. He felt their teeth bite and claws scratch, but he endured the pain with grim determination, refusing to show any weakness. But they had him prone on the floor, and yet another three apes weighed him down. The loss of blood weakened him and he was unable to muster the strength to hurl the apes off.
A cold cackling stopped him from struggling. He tried to look up, but could only see Queen La’s calloused bare feet and the glint of the jewels adorning the hem of her robe.
“It seems Queen La has the wild man as her new pet.” She knelt down so he could see her cruel face. She smiled, revealing those wicked teeth. “And she wonders what a Jungle God would taste like.”
18
Albert Werper pressed further into the underground labyrinth of Opar, guided by the natural illumination. With each step, he began to doubt the tales of untold riches and tried to imagine who had plundered the city before him; at least the archeological value of the site was something that couldn’t be taken from him. That alone would secure his place in the history books.
Lost in his musings, he almost walked into a pale Targarni that galloped up the corridor toward him. The ape hadn’t seen him, giving him scant seconds to push himself flat against the wall, hid
den behind a carved rib. He held his breath, hoping the ape would simply walk past.
Then a distant crash and shriek reverberated down the tunnel and the Targarni skidded to a halt, its head cocked back the way it had come, before it quickly turned and retreated back down the passage. Werper breathed out in relief and crept down the passageway, noticing the light ahead.
The passage gave way to a large balcony area some twenty feet above the huge cavern. His mind raced as he took in the peculiar image. The lava-fall cascaded to one side—the river was nearer to him—and a lush slice of jungle carpeted the floor, just reaching the top of the balcony he was standing on. Below, he saw the Targarni circling a group of bedraggled captives and he immediately identified Greystoke and Clark among them.
He was shocked to see a slender handsome woman flanked by Targarni. The albino ape sat to one side, bleeding from a chest wound as it slid out a knife that was buried deep in its flesh. But all eyes were on Tarzan as he was hauled to his feet by the apes, his hands firmly tied behind his back. As the woman moved he realized her robe was laced with precious gems, and his greedy eyes widened as he watched, unseen in the shadows.
• • •
Tarzan struggled against the rope, but Queen La had tied him securely, looping it around his arms, legs, and neck, so every time he moved he choked himself. She studied him curiously.
“What are you?”
“Tarzan,” he growled. “Free us or you will die.”
Queen La’s head tilted back as she laughed, almost pleasantly. “You dare threaten Queen La, Priestess of Opar?” She gestured around the cavern.
The mountain suddenly rumbled and Tarzan enjoyed watching her momentary flicker of concern. She recovered, yelling “Silence!” at the Targarni who had begun hooting anxiously. The apes fell silent, prompted by a lazy swish of her whip. She circled Tarzan as a cat would play with its next meal.
