by J. T. Edson
Surprised as she was by Bunduki’s behavior, Beryl acted fast. She did not wait to ask what he had seen, being all too aware of what might happen if he continued to act in such a manner. Stepping in front of him, she caught hold of his wrist.
‘Bunduki!’ the blonde snapped, knowing that she could not hope to turn him from his ill-advised purpose by strength alone. ‘Stop it. You’ll give us all away!’ The words, as much as the feel of Beryl’s hand gripping him, brought the blond giant to his senses and he withheld his inclination to burst heedlessly into the cell-room.
‘What is it?’ the blonde asked, as Bunduki removed his fingers from the handle.
‘They’ve just tried to kill Dawn and Ariadne with a “Terrifier”!’ the blond giant growled, turning a face lined with anxiety to the speaker.
‘What?’ Beryl ejaculated and, peering through the slot, went on in relieved tones, Neither of them are hurt as far as I can see. What saved them?’
‘A “Hairy Man”, probably the one you’d captured, Lord Gromart, was in the arena with them,’ Bunduki explained, guessing what had caused the Mangani to behave in such a fashion. ‘He grabbed the “Terrifier” thinking it was Just a coconut and was running away with it when it exploded.’
‘He must have been turned loose as some kind of test,’ Beryl guessed. ‘And, having seen him apparently save Dawn from the “Terrifier”, the crowd may accept she has special powers and really is an “Ape”. Did Dryaka know that she could speak the “Hairy Man’s” language and make him obey her, Lord Gromart?’
‘I don’t think so,’ the Administrator answered, frowning pensively. ‘But even if he did, he wouldn’t chance using a trick like that to supply the proof. If it failed, she might be killed, and he’s committed to sacrificing her in the traditional fashion. Let me take a look, please.’
Moving aside, so as to allow Gromart to make use of the observation slot, Beryl and Bunduki exchanged glances.
‘Woltarn!’ the blonde hissed, her lips forming rather than saying the name. .
‘Or Korkar!’ Bunduki replied, just as quietly.
‘By the Sacred Mare which foaled the Quagga God, what’s this?’ Gromart gasped, before either of them could carry on with their conversation. He straightened up and stared at them. ‘Her bow’s there—and it’s whole again! How could that be?’
‘It was made so that it can be taken to pieces when it isn’t needed,’ the blond giant explained, having failed to notice the weapon due to his concern for Dawn’s welfare. He saw that the alarm being displayed by the Administrator was affecting the other Mun-Gatahs, who were already worried by the thought that they were trespassing in sacred ground. ‘Dryaka must have found out how to assemble it. Doing so isn’t difficult.’
‘Then that could be how he means to give the proof, by having her kill somebody who is wearing one of our breastplates,’ Gromart decided, losing his agitation and returning his attention to the slot. However, as its range of vision outside the building was restricted, he failed to see the dead Brelef. ‘That would do it, no other nation’s arrows can pierce them. Her arrows are there—Ah! the jailer and his men are going into the arena—That’s strange!’
‘What is it?’Beryl asked.
‘He’s taking a set of hobbles, but not the bow,’ Gromart answered. ‘That means the sacrifice is about to be made.’
‘Then Dryaka must have succeeded in convincing the crowd that Dawn is an “Ape”!’ Bunduki ejaculated, remembering what he had been told of the way in which the ceremony was conducted. Filled with a surge of anxiety, he swung around and almost bellowed, ‘Come on—!’
‘Stop it, Bunduki!’ Beryl shouted, with such a tone of authority that the blond giant looked over his shoulder. ‘Don’t let your concern for Dawn override caution. You can’t do anything to help her if you’re killed leaving the passage.’
For a moment, Bunduki seemed to be on the verge of commencing a mad dash up the stairs and the blonde prepared to take whatever steps were necessary to prevent him. Then the savage expression left his face. He shuddered and shook his head as if to clear it, saying, ‘You’re right, Beryl. But we haven’t much time.’
‘Lead the way!’ the blonde offered, satisfied that the danger was over. ‘Athena, there are nine of them for you to deal with.’
‘Very well,’ the princess replied. ‘May Hera favor you, Beryl.’
‘And you!’ the blonde answered and started to follow the blond giant up the stairs.
Arriving on the next landing, Bunduki looked through the observation slit in the wall. Although he had a clear view of much of the luxuriously furnished room, there were a couple of blind spots. However, he knew that he must take a chance. Taking hold of the handle set in one of the stone blocks, he moved it tentatively. Hearing a click, he pushed and a section of the wall moved slightly. No sound came to suggest that the motion had been detected. So nocking an arrow to his bow, he thrust open the door and stepped across the threshold into the High Priest’s quarters. Striding over to the more conventional means of gaining access, he held the bow and arrow in his left hand while manipulating the handle with his right. Much to his relief, he found that the door was not fastened. Drawing it open, he peered out cautiously. Certain sounds came to his ears as he did so. Only by exercising all his self control, realizing what they implied, was he able to prevent himself from rushing out of the room. Gritting his teeth, he looked both ways to make sure that the passage was deserted.
‘It’s all clear out there,’ the blond giant whispered, withdrawing his head and turning to Beryl and Gromart. ‘But we’ve less time than we anticipated and will have to move fast.’
Detecting the tension in Bunduki’s voice and demeanor, the blonde exchanged a glance with the Administrator. They realized that the sacrificial ceremony must have started. In which case, the life of the woman he loved was in far greater peril than it had been at any other time since she was abducted. If there was the slightest delay, or hitch in their plans, they might still arrive too late to save her.
~*~
Hauling Princess Ariadne into the cell she had occupied, the two Brelefs flung her on to the bed with sufficient force to knock her breath from her. The third of the sub-humans who had helped to bind her was standing outside the wire mesh enclosure. As soon as they entered, he pulled on a lever in the framework—which was concealed in a slot when not required for use that caused the outer door to slide down. Having done so, he advanced to join his companions. Although he had pulled the inner door as he came in, he did not notice that it halted before it was completely closed. Ignoring it and the prisoner, all three of them stared through the bars with attitudes which suggested eager anticipation.
When the jailer and the turnkeys arrived in the cell from which they had taken Dawn, one of the Brelefs who had not accompanied them set free and closed the outer door. Pushing the lever into its slot, he went to the enclosure which had not been used to house a prisoner and joined the remaining pair of sub-humans. Neither the Mun-Gatahs nor the Brelefs paid any attention to Ariadne. Instead, they watched Dawn as she got to her feet, or looked at the gate through which the quagga stallion would make its appearance.
Before the princess had fully recovered from the effects of the sub-humans’ rough handling, she became aware that the event which they and the Mun-Gatahs were obviously awaiting had commenced. Listening to the savage whinnying and thundering of hooves from the arena, which reached her despite the chimpanzee-like jabbering of the excited Brelefs, her knowledge of equestrian matters suggested what the sounds portended.
Consumed with anxiety for the foreign girl who had saved her life twice that morning and whose wrists she had seen being manacled, Ariadne stood up. Although the Brelefs formed a line across the doorway, she was able to look over their shoulders. However, her view was restricted and she could see nothing to tell her whether her suspicions were correct. She was about to climb on to the bed, hoping to improve her range of vision, when she heard the soft patter of foot
steps approaching from her rear.
Swiveling her head around, Ariadne could hardly believe the evidence of her eyes. Only by an effort did she contrive to hold back an exclamation of astonishment. Accompanied by several fully armed members of the Black Panther Regiment, her younger sister was approaching from the door in one of the stone pillars through which the would-be assassins must have gained admittance to the cell-room. Letting out a sigh of relief, she moved forward with the intention of going to meet her rescuers.
Even as Ariadne was taking her second step, the Brelef who had closed the door glanced over his shoulder. Enthralled by the spectacle in the arena, which they never grew tired of watching, neither he nor his companions had heard the muted rumble of the secret door being opened and the Amazons’ stealthy advance had also gone unnoticed. However, the princess was much closer and her sandals did not permit her to move as quietly as her rescuers, all of whom had removed their footwear before leaving the passage. So she had made sufficient noise to attract his attention. Giving a bellow of alarm at the sight of the intruders, he spun around and, raising the heavy club with which he was armed, he sprang towards the prisoner.
‘Behind you, Ariadne!’ Athena shrieked, realizing that she was too far away to protect her sister with the axe she was carrying.
At the younger princess’s side, Thalia was more suitably equipped to render assistance. Coming to a halt, the ‘Nail’ brought her bow into a position of readiness. Even as she completed her draw and was taking aim, she became aware of the difficulty with which she was confronted. While Ariadne’s beast-like attacker was somewhat larger, he was behind and partially hidden by her. An excellent archer, Thalia was disinclined to chance losing an arrow when the margin for error was so small.
Athena’s warning had not been necessary. Hearing the Brelefs roar, Ariadne could visualize the action he was taking. She also understood Thalia’s predicament and realized that she must supply the solution. Ramming her shoulder into the door, she was conscious of how close the sub-human was to her as it began to open. Expecting to feel his club descending upon her at any moment, she flung herself from the cell.
Taking advantage of the opportunity with which she had been presented, although she would have preferred to wait for a more certain target, Thalia released the bow’s string. For a moment, she was afraid that she had done so prematurely.
However, flying by Ariadne so closely that she felt the wind of its passing, the arrow reached its intended target. While it would have been no use against a Mun-Gatah’s breastplate, the Brelef was completely unprotected. Impaled through the left breast, the pain of his mortal injury caused him to jerk backwards. Instead of bringing his club down upon the princess, who would not have been beyond its reach, he released it with the blow unstruck.
Alerted by their companion’s behavior, the other sub-humans and their Mun-Gatah superiors turned to investigate. Instead of raising the alarm, the jailer darted forward and shouted for his men to deal with the intruders. None of them required any urging to do so. Trampling over Thalia’s victim as he crumpled lifeless in front of them, the pair who had brought Ariadne from the arena made for the open door. Neither of them reached it. There were four more archers in the ‘Finger’ and they put their weapons to good use. Knowing that their arrows could achieve nothing against the Mun-Gatahs’ protective garments, they selected more vulnerable targets. Only one of the sub-humans emerged to give battle. The rest were either killed outright, or too severely injured to participate.
‘Go and save Dawn, Thalia!’ Athena yelled, seeing the results of the archery. ‘We’ll deal with the rest of them.’
Swerving aside and calling for two of the bow-women to accompany her, the ‘Nail’ ran to obey. Having summed up the situation swiftly, she did not attempt to go through the cells. The key was in the lock of the large double doors and she considered that they would be more suitable for the purpose of her assignment. Paying no attention to the sounds of conflict from behind her, she told her assistants what she wanted them to do. While they were unlocking and starting to open the heavy wooden doors, she drew another arrow from her quiver and nocked it to the bow’s string.
‘Hera, Queen of the Gods!’ the ‘Nail’ gasped, looking into the arena. ‘We won’t be in time to save her!’
In spite of wondering why the rest of the rescue party had not yet put in their appearance, Woltarn could not take his eyes from the arena. Zental of Meka-Gatah and the warrior were equally absorbed in watching Dawn’s attempts to save herself from the attacks of the quagga stallion. With the situation approaching its crisis as she was knocked from her feet, none of them saw Beryl, Melissa and Bunduki approaching. Hearing the trio entering the balcony, the Mun-Gatahs looked around. Startled exclamations broke from Zental—who had been warned by Woltarn of Dryaka’s intentions, but who had not known that a rescue was to be attempted—and the warrior. Each of them grabbed at, but did not draw, his sword.
Although the Mun-Gatahs’ protective garments could withstand the majority of their enemies’ weapons, the other fighting nations had developed techniques to overcome them. Before either man could arm himself, he felt the point of a sword pricking just below his chin.
Leaving Beryl and Melissa to prevent the two men from interfering, Bunduki looked over the balcony. He was already starting to adopt his shooting position with the bow, but needed all his strength of will to continue when he saw the terrible danger threatening Dawn. She was down and the huge quagga had started to rear as a prelude to stamping her to death. So he knew that there was not a moment to lose. Nor must he allow his deep concern for her to fluster him. Her life depended upon his skill as an archer and the superb materials from which the bow and arrow were constructed.
Dazed and breathless, Dawn was sure that her end had come. While she could possibly roll clear once, there was no hope of her being able to continue evading the attack in such a manner. Nor would she have an opportunity to regain her feet and even if she did, it would only prolong the inevitable.
‘Bunduki!’ Dawn breathed, watching the huge beast looming above her and feeling sure she would never see the man she loved again.
Even as the word was leaving the girl’s lips, she heard the familiar hissing of an arrow passing through the air. Her mind was just starting to register the exact meaning of the sound when the quagga’s whinny of triumph was cut off abruptly. The missile had struck just in front of its ear and pierced the brain. Killed instantly, its hind legs buckled beneath it and it began to collapse like a rag doll from which the stuffing had been removed.
Fortunately for Dawn, she did not allow surprise to overcome her instinct for self-preservation. Twisting herself over as quickly as she could, she watched the huge beast crumpling towards her. She only just escaped being caught beneath its body, and she continued to roll away from it. While turning, she saw the double doors of the Temple being opened and expected to see some of the jailer’s party coming out. She also became aware of how the audience were reacting to the latest turn of events.
All the excited clamor from around the arena ended as if every mouth had been covered simultaneously. The whole crowd, whether on the tiers or in the balconies, stood staring in shocked and horrified disbelief. As they had been concentrating upon the sacrifice, with three exceptions, they had failed to see the blond giant draw and loose the fatal arrow. So, apart from Woltarn, Zental and the warrior, none of them could imagine what force had struck down the quagga in its moment of triumph.
Suddenly, after a good thirty seconds, the silence was shattered; but not by any Mun-Gatah’s voice.
‘Aaah-eee-aaah-eee-aagh!’
Although it was given by a human being, the thunderous challenge of a bull-Mangani rang out with its full savage, blood chilling and awesome majesty. It reached every corner of the amphitheatre, causing even the warriors who had been told it would be a signal for them to go to their Administrators’ aid to experience a sensation of superstitious dread.
Hearing the
call, Dawn almost sobbed in relief. It had confirmed her suspicion, aroused by the way in which the quagga had been killed, that Bunduki had found a way to come to her rescue. For all that, she knew that she was still far from safe. Somebody was coming from the Temple. So she looked in that direction and resisted her desire to search for the blond giant. Three women were emerging and the way in which they were dressed told her that they must be Amazons. Darting forward, two of them caught her by the arms and lifted her on to her feet.
‘Run!’ Thalia ordered, holding her bow ready for use.
Much as Dawn wanted to look for Bunduki, she appreciated the wisdom of the advice. The Mun-Gatahs were amazed by the unexpected turn of events. So she and her rescuers must get away before they recovered. So she ran with the three Amazons towards the entrance to the Temple.
Seeing what was happening in the arena jolted Charole from her shocked immobility. She realized that she and Dryaka were in serious trouble, but was too furious to think of the consequences. Instead, her sole desire was to kill the girl for whom she had developed a deep and bitter hatred.
Snatching the ‘Terrifier’ from its pouch and the smoldering cord out of the ‘fire-box’, the Protectress saw the girl and the three Amazons disappearing beneath the balcony. Besides herself with rage, she leaned over the stone balustrade with the intention of throwing the device after them.
Charole’s movements brought Dryaka to his senses. Knowing that the people would regard the failure of the sacrifice as proof that he no longer was in the Quagga God’s favor, he appreciated the gravity of the situation. The only chance he had was that sufficient of his own and Charole’s adherents would stay loyal and help to kill the Council and visiting Administrators. With their leaders dead, the crowd would be much easier to handle.
Swinging on his heel, the High Priest started to produce his ‘Terrifier’ and ‘fire-cord’. One glance told him that he did not need fear any immediate intervention by the Council. All of them were sitting as if turned to stone, staring into the arena at the lifeless body of the quagga. However, he knew that the reaction would not last for long. As soon as they recovered from their shock, they would arouse the population against him.
