CHAPTER XXVII
Carza’s Use of Lava Streams
While he was backed by an army of Selinites, Epworth felt as he cameto a halt in front of a crude stone wall as if the lives of thousandsof little children were in his hands. Under his leadership theselittle men could be brave and victorious. Without him he imagined thatthey would melt like snow before the onrush of the crickets, and thevicious Taunan dwarfs. To protect them he concluded to go ahead andreconnoiter.
He recognized the corridor. It was the place where he and Joan had hadtheir first encounter with a ramph. He shivered again as he thought ofthe uncanny feeling that had swept over him at the time.
They discovered that the wall which blocked their way was of recentconstruction, and that it cut them off from the Lava Chamber. Whenthey attempted to remove the heavy stones they proved burdensomealthough no attempt had been made to cement the stones into position.
Finally Epworth and Joan removed their gas masks and cavern lamps, andthrust their heads through the new-made hole in the wall. As theyexpected they found that the little stream of spluttering, moving firesent out a dim light that created ghostly shadows, and dark spots,deepened by the fact that their eyes were not accustomed to any lightexcept that given by the photographing of dark images on the ofenglass and rhodamine dye by the cavern lamps.
The chamber appeared empty, and Epworth stepped through the wall intothe chamber.
“Come on,” he said to Joan, “everything seems all right.”
Joan obeyed quickly, and the two turned to step across the chambertoward the lava stream. As they moved away Billy and Moawha, who hadbeen aiding them in removing the loose stones, ran back to join theSelinite army. This left the man and girl alone to spy out thesituation.
“Ah, come in lads! Sure everything is all right,” a shrill voicecalled out. “Most assuredly the goose hangs high. Throw up yourhands!”
The last command was jerked out viciously.
Epworth rubbed his eyes and glanced in the direction of the voice. Hedid not need to be told that the speaker was Toplinsky. The giant wasstanding behind the divan on which he first saw Moawha, and had a longrifle pointed at his heart. Near Toplinsky were Queen Carza, and sixTaunans, all of whom were covering him with guns.
The young American dropped to his knees and plunged forward like afootball player. Joan stood still, not knowing what to do.
Toplinsky and the Taunans fired but their bullets went wild. Beforethey could shoot again Epworth was on the giant. But the divan was inthe way, and he was forced to stand up, and drive at Toplinsky’s facewith his clenched hand. With a howl of rage the giant threw hisimmense arms around the young man and pinioned him as he was struck.
“Ah, ha! I have you at last. In these great arms I hold you. You aremy meat.” Toplinsky grinned to himself as he thought of the trap hehad laid for these spies when he heard the noise of the stones beingremoved. “I shall delight in squeezing you to death.”
“Not so, my dear,” Queen Carza put in sweetly. “This earth man hasgiven us much trouble, and he has sneaked in here for no gentlepurpose. We must discover his purpose. Let me deal with him.”
“Just as you say, my little one. Ho, soldiers! Tie him up tight.”
The command was obeyed quickly, Epworth’s hands and feet being lacedtogether.
“What are you doing here?” Carza inquired slyly, shoving her thumbviciously into Joan’s ribs. “Where did you come from? We know thatthat passage leads to the ramph chamber, and you must have found someother way to get in. Tell us about it, my little dear.” Her voice wassoft but menacing.
She pinched Joan wickedly, and the girl shrank from her.
“The man will tell,” Toplinsky broke in anxiously. “The girl——”
“Is nothing to you,” Queen Carza interrupted brittlely. “And I do notlike her.”
Toplinsky did not reply. Stooping down he removed Epworth’s sandals,and pushed up the pants until his knees were exposed. Queen Carza,noting the soft white skin, rubbed his leg gently.
“Nice. Soft. White.” She spoke very pleasantly. “Almost as soft——”
She removed Joan’s stockings, and pointed at the stream of lava.
“Why the girl?” Toplinsky protested. “We are not making war on women.”
This remark astonished Epworth. He was of the opinion that Toplinskywould not hesitate to war on a child.
“The man may let us burn his legs but he will not permit the delicatecoloring of his sister’s legs to be changed by harsh measures.”
Toplinsky shuddered. He really had no intention of burning Epworth’slegs. His act was a bluff in the hope of getting the American to speakup.
“Yes we will begin with the man.” The queen kneeled down by the sideof the American and smilingly stroked his leg. “But think not of thewoman kindly. It is not likely that she will ever leave this chamber,so you had best forget her.”
“She came with me against my will,” Epworth asserted. “I am the onewho holds the scheme under his hat, and you two are not going todiscover it.”
“Tush, tush, my friend,” Toplinsky sneered. “That is too bad.”
“Nice white legs that will burn quickly.” Queen Carza pulled Epworthslowly toward the lava fire. He was surprised at the strength shedisplayed. She stopped before she got to the stream of lava but whenshe placed his bare legs on the stone floor he discovered that it wasscorching hot.
“Not too hot but comfortably nice,” Carza observed with an interestedstare, and added brightly, “did I understand that you wanted to talk?”
Epworth thought of the Selinite soldiers hidden in that narrow passagejust beyond the pile of loose boulders. If Toplinsky discovered thatthey were there he could roll into the lava chamber one of his bigguns and clean the passage of every vestige of life. The Selinitescould neither retreat or advance. Inwardly he cursed the evil ramphcorridor but outwardly he was calm and even-tempered. He shook hishead quietly and looked at Joan.
Joan understood him, and he saw her clench her teeth. It broke hisheart to think of the torture that would come to her but he was nowconvinced that Toplinsky would never know that his foes were gettingready to spring out of the darkness upon him.
“No, he does not wish to talk, and he has such a long tongue, and itcan wag so swiftly at times. Perhaps the lady would like to talk forhim?”
Carza shoved Epworth up to the edge of the lava stream, and permittedhis legs to hang over the spluttering fires. At the same time shelooked inquiringly at Joan. Joan shook her head dumbly. She wouldgladly give her life to save Epworth from torment but this had nowbecome a question of honor.
“No!”
Carza waved her hand. Instantly her Taunan soldiers sprang forward,and dragged Joan up to the stream of lava. The sweat of torture beganto pour from the faces of Epworth and Joan.
“No, stop it!”
Toplinsky leaped across the chamber and dragged Joan from the fire.
“Ah, so you want her. You think that you will keep her, and when youget control of the world you will throw me down and make her yourqueen. I have feared it.”
“Honestly, I never thought of it that way,” Toplinsky replied abashed.
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