"What are you doing here, Gar Nal?" I demanded. "I thought that you were a prisoner in Ombra."
"I escaped," he replied.
"Do you know where my princess is?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
A cunning look entered his eyes. "You would like to know, wouldn't you?" he asked with a sneer; "but do you think Gar Nal is fool enough to tell you? No, as long as I know and you don't, you will not dare to kill me."
"I'll get the truth out of him," growled Ur Jan. "Here, Rapas, heat a dagger for me. Heat it red-hot." But when we looked around, Rapas was not there. As we had entered the room, he had made good his escape.
"Well," said Ur Jan, "I can heat it myself; but first let me kill Fal Sivas."
"No, no," screamed the old inventor. "I did not steal the Princess of Helium; it was Gar Nal."
And then the two commenced to accuse one another, and presently I discovered that after Gar Nal's return from Thuria, these two master inventors and great scoundrels had patched up a truce and joined forces because of their mutual fear of me. Gar Nal was to hide Fal Sivas, and in return Fal Sivas was to show him the secret of his mechanical brain.
They had both been certain that the last place in the world that I would look for Fal Sivas would be in the house of Gar Nal. Gar Nal had instructed his servants to say that he had never returned from his trip with Ur Jan, giving the impression that he was still upon Thuria; and he was planning to leave that very night for a distant hiding-place.
But all this annoyed me. I did not care about them, or their plans. I wanted to know but one thing, and that was the fate of Dejah Thoris.
"Where is my princess, Gar Nal?" I demanded; "tell me that, and I will spare your life."
"She is still in Ombra," he replied.
Then I turned upon Fal Sivas. "That is your death warrant, Fal Sivas," I told him.
"Why?" he demanded. "What have I to do with it?"
"You keep me from directing the brain that operates your ship, and only thus may I reach Ombra."
Ur Jan raised his sword to cleave Fal Sivas's skull, but the coward went down upon his knees and begged for his life.
"Spare me," he cried, "and I will turn the ship over to you and let you control the brain."
"I can't trust you," I said.
"You can take me with you," he pleaded; "that will be better than death."
"Very well," I said; "but if you interfere with my plans or attempt to betray me, you shall pay for your treachery with your life."
I turned toward the door. "I am returning to Thuria tonight," I said to my companions. "I shall take Fal Sivas with me, and when I return with my princess (and I shall not return without her), I hope to be able to reward you in some material way for your splendid loyalty."
"I am going with you, my prince," said Jat Or; "and I ask for no reward."
"And I, too, am going," said Zanda.
"And I," growled Ur Jan, "but first, my prince, please let me run my sword through the heart of this scoundrel," and as he spoke he advanced upon Gar Nal.
"He should die for what he has done. He gave you his word, and he broke it."
I shook my head. "No," I said. "He told me where I could find my princess; and in return for that, I have guaranteed his safety."
Grumbling, Ur Jan returned his sword to its scabbard; and then we four, with Fal Sivas, moved toward the door. The others preceded me. I was the last to pass out into the corridor; and just as I did so, I heard a door open at the opposite end of the room we were just leaving. I turned to glance back; and there, in the doorway across the room, stood Dejah Thoris.
She came toward me with arms outstretched as I ran to meet her.
She was breathing very hard and trembling as I took her in my arms. "Oh, my prince," she cried, "I thought I should not be in time. I heard all that was said in this room, but I was bound and gagged and could not warn you that Gar Nal was deceiving you. It was only just this instant that I succeeded in freeing myself."
My exclamation of surprise when I first saw her had attracted the as I held my princess in my arms, Ur Jan leaped past me and ran his sword through the putrid heart of Gar Nal.
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Swords of Mars bs-8 Page 24
