by Frank Aubrey
CHAPTER XXX.
A TERRIBLE VENGEANCE!
Of all the spectators of what had occurred in the amphitheatre, noone, probably, was so utterly astonished and helplessly bewildered aswas Templemore. At Monella's assumption of the royal office he feltno great surprise. It seemed almost a natural thing, taking all thecircumstances into account, that the king, finding his daughter stolenaway and himself too ill to pursue and punish her captors, shoulddelegate his authority to the man in whom he had of late reposed suchconfidence. But at Colenna's announcement that in Monella he recognisedthe long-expected, legendary Mellenda, Templemore was, as may besupposed, considerably startled; and his perplexity was increasedwhen Sanaima, in his turn, subscribed to Colenna's declaration; butwhen Coryon himself affirmed his belief in the marvellous assertion,Templemore's ideas became so hopelessly confused, that he knew not whatto think or what to make of it. In other circumstances he would, nodoubt, have quietly settled matters in his own mind by deciding thatall present had become victims to a passing fit of madness or transientdelusion; but the grim realities of the strange drama that was beingplayed before him made it impossible to explain things by any suchhypothesis.
It was in the midst of the conflict thus proceeding in his mind, thatDakla and his fellows took up their attitude of defiance; so Templemorepromptly decided to postpone further thought upon the matter. It wassufficient, for the moment, that there was the prospect of a fight inwhich his friends would need his help; and he began handling his riflesignificantly, glancing while he did so at Monella.
The latter had laid his hand upon his shoulder as though to stay himuntil he should have had more time to study the situation, when arumbling noise was heard, and an iron door shot out from the insidewall a little distance from the end of the covered-way, completelyclosing it and shutting out from view the men within. So suddenly hadthis been done that Dakla was almost caught by it, and would have beenjammed against the iron pillar into which it fitted, but that he hadmanaged to withdraw himself inside just in time to escape it.
The impression upon the minds of those outside was that thisunlooked-for obstacle that intervened between those within theprotected gallery and their enemies, had been purposely made use ofto gain time to force open the interior gates and thus assist theirescape into the labyrinth of passages beyond. The first effect wasto dishearten those of Coryon's adherents who were still outsidein a state of indecision. Seeing themselves thus, as they thought,incontinently abandoned by their leaders, they threw down their armswithout further ado, submitted to their captors, and, in few minutes,were pinioned and marched out of the way.
It now became a question what steps were to be taken to follow up thosewho had so cleverly escaped, temporarily, at all events, from theirpursuers. These were, after Coryon himself, the most guilty of thewhole atrocious confederacy; and Templemore turned to Monella with alook of inquiry.
"What say you," said he, "shall we try whether that door isbullet-proof?"
But Monella again laid his hand upon the other's arm, and gazed, asthough in expectation, first at Coryon--who was standing out in thecentre of the terrace, guarded by two soldiers--and then, from him,to that part of the covered-way nearest to the rocks that ended it.His quick eye had noticed that Coryon seemed as much taken by surpriseas all the rest, and that there was, in his face, no trace of thattriumphant satisfaction that might have been expected if this manoeuvreof his chief friends had been looked for. Instead, there was a fixedlook that was momentarily changing from surprise to terror.
Templemore, following Monella's gaze, noted all this--and so didothers. A hush fell upon all present; every one looked at Coryon, and,from him, to the length of grated iron screens, over the face of whichthe branches of the fatal tree were playing with busy sweep, evidentlyaware, by some unfailing instinct, that there was plenty of prey forthem within. And it was now noticed that the larger number of thelonger branches had gathered themselves upon that side.
Gradually, the look on Coryon's face changed into one of absolutehorror, the while he stood staring at the outside of thecovered-gallery.
To make what follows clear, it is necessary to describe thiscovered-way a little more in detail. It has already been explainedthat it formed the approach to an opening in the rock--closed bygates--which was the principal entrance to Coryon's retreat. Whenunprotected by the sliding gratings at the side, it was so near tothe great devil-tree that the longer branches could sweep its wholewidth for some distance in front of the gates. At the side was somemasonry, above which the rock rose steep and almost over-hanging. Atthe end, above the entrance, the rock rose also abruptly, and thenfollowed the line of the arena, shutting in the latter at this part bya rocky wall that rose perpendicularly some fifty or sixty feet. Butthe part within reach of the tree was roofed over by iron gratings,forming a sort of verandah, which, in turn, could be rendered safe fromthe terrible branches by sliding grated doors or shutters that could,by machinery within, be moved forward in telescopic fashion along thewhole length accessible to the tree, and a short distance beyond. Thus,when the side 'shutters' were withdrawn, the entrance-gates were veryeffectually guarded by the tree itself. When they were extended, they,in conjunction with the roof, constituted an efficient protection tothe covered-way. But herein lay also a cunningly-devised and deadlytrap; for, just within the entrance of this covered-gallery, wasanother iron door that could be moved across the passage so as toimprison any one caught between it and the gates at the other end. Thisdoor came out of a scarcely noticeable slot in the masonry at the side;and it was situated far enough along to place those thus caught withinreach of the tree, if the side shutters were withdrawn.
Doubtless, many had fallen into this frightful trap. Thinking thegallery well protected they would walk unsuspiciously along it towardsthe closed gates, when those watching from within could close thegallery behind them and open the sides; and their fate would then besealed.
This was the only part of the main terrace within reach of the tree.Round the remainder of the amphitheatre it was far removed from it,and was of ample width. Only at this part, and upon the stone pierthat jutted out towards the tree from the centre, or down in the arenaitself, was there danger to any one moving about within the vastenclosure.
At a point in the cliff, high above the covered-way, was a small grateddoor in the rock. This was another entrance to Coryon's fastness; butit was sufficiently protected by the nature of the steep and narrowpath by which alone it could be reached.
While those gathered around the enclosure, following Coryon's fixedgaze, were watching the outside faces of the sliding doors orshutters, these doors began to move; and, amidst a hush of awe-struckexpectation, they disclosed a gap which gradually widened, and throughwhich the fatal branches quickly darted. Then, from within, arose afearful and appalling cry, as the miserable prisoners caught in thistrap of their own contriving began to realise their situation. Thegap grew wider, and, anon, another opened farther on, and into thisthe searching branches likewise entered, hungry for the prey within.And, as the gaps grew wider, they disclosed to view an awful scene.Some dozens of terror-stricken wretches could be seen fighting andstruggling with the writhing branches and with each other, amidsta deafening din of screams, and shrieks, and yells; the officersand soldiers using their swords, and the priests and others theirdaggers, in a hopeless contest with the twisting branches that keptcoiling around them. In their mad struggles and desperate efforts thecombatants fought with one another, the stronger striving to push theweaker in front of them; the latter, in turn, stabbing backwards atthose who thus tried to make use of them. Three or four, in headlongterror, leaped from the terrace on to the ground beneath, where theyfell with dull thuds, and probably broken limbs; but, ere they couldrise, their legs were entangled in the ubiquitous branches and escapebecame impossible. Dakla was seen, with a sword in one hand and adagger in the other, at one moment slashing furiously at the branchesthat assailed him, at another striving to hold in front of him Skelda,the
next in rank to Coryon. Two of the priests were seen engaged in ahand-to-hand struggle, apparently unmindful of the coils that graduallyencircled them and presently dragged both out, locked together, andstill frantically fighting with each other. They were carried up to thetop of the tree, and disappeared, still fighting, within the cavity.But, though the rapacious tree had now as much as it could, for thetime, dispose of in this way, it had no intention of giving up its holdupon the others. These it grappled in its toils, dragging them abouthither and thither, dangling them now this way and now that, but nevergiving one a chance of escape--evidently bent on saving all up forfuture meals--perhaps days hence. It was a gruesome scene that shockedand sickened the spectators, for all they were so incensed, and justlyso, against the victims.
Meanwhile, the iron door in the rock above had opened, and a woman wasseen hurrying down the dangerous path. Her hair was streaming looselyabout her shoulders, her eyes were wild and fierce, and she laughed andgesticulated in a fashion that made those who watched her think hercrazy. She made her way to where Coryon still stood, a silent witnessof what was going on before him; and she then paused and surveyed theawful scene with a smile that was almost devilish.
Just then Skelda leaped out of the covered-way on to the groundbeneath; then, rising to his feet, looked round despairingly, and,glancing up, he met the fierce gaze and cruel smile of the woman hehad so shamefully betrayed. She pointed her finger at him.
"Ha! ha!" she cried triumphantly, "this is _my_ work, Skelda! _I_closed the gates and shut you all in with the outer door. My love toyou, my--_husband_!" This last word was hissed out at him betweenclenched teeth. "My love to you, dear friend." And she mockingly threwhim a kiss on the tips of her fingers. Then, when the wretched Skelda'sfeet were dragged from under him by a branch that had coiled round hislegs, she addressed herself to Coryon, who had now fixed his eyes uponher, his evil face twitching convulsively with the fury he could notsuppress.
"See, great Coryon! Mighty Coryon! All-powerful Coryon! See myhandiwork! Yes, _mine_! See what a woman's wit hath done for thyprecious friends. What a day to live to see! I saw thee in the clutchof thy prisoner; heard thee called 'coward' to thy face. It was sweetthat; and sweet to see thy prey escape thee! And this is sweet too!Look at thy great friend Skelda; see how he kicks and shrieks! Think ofit--all my doing! See how Dakla glares! Now he and Palana are fightingone another! Oh, but it is a brave sight to look upon! Fit even forthe gods ye have served so well! I think I am almost avenged; but thesweetest of all is yet to come--when I see _thee_ given to the tree, asI _shall_!"
Coryon struggled, but vainly, to get at her. She shrugged her shouldersand turned her back upon him, then slowly approached Monella; the lookof triumph died away, and an expression that was partly of sorrow, andpartly of hard determination, took its place. Arrived in front of him,she threw herself humbly on her knees.
"My lord," she cried, with clasped hands, "I crave justice at thyhands, I _demand_ it! In the names of the countless women and fairchildren whom yonder monster hath given over to the same awful deaththat hath now overtaken his own creatures; in the name of my own bitterwrongs and sufferings, I demand that this loathsome being shall notescape his just reward. I ask that he be given up to that tree towhich he has consigned so many; and that first he be confined in thesame cell from which I have escaped. I will lead thy officers to it.Let him be kept there till the wicked tree, with recovered appetite,shall be ready to devour him! Let him there endure the tortures he hathinflicted upon me and countless others!"
"Who art thou, daughter?" asked Monella gently.
She shook her head mournfully and replied, much as she had to Leonard,
"I am called Fernina, lord. Once, I was a joyous-hearted wife andmother; but Coryon stole me away from my home to give me to his friendSkelda. What I am now I scarcely know; misery and suffering, and shameand infamies unutterable have made me--alas, I know not what!"
"From my heart I pity thee, my daughter. Thy wrongs cry out forpunishment, and thy prayer is just. Show my officers the place. Coryon_shall_ be the last meal of the accursed fetish he has fed with theblood of so many victims."
"I will go back by the way by which I came," Fernina answered, "andwill make safe again the covered-way; then will I open the gates, thatthine officers may take him in that way."
By this time the covered-way was empty; every occupant had beendragged or had leaped out and was held in the toils below. There was,therefore, nothing to prevent its being used again. Fernina went up thepath and disappeared from view; then soon the sliding shutters wereseen to move back in their places; and, shortly after, she appeared atone end of the covered-way and beckoned to those in charge of Coryonto follow her. He was led down and placed in the same cell she hadoccupied, and there shut in and left to himself, and to look out, ifhe chose, at his friends in the tree's tenacious arms outside. Some ofthem were so close he could have spoken with them.
After Coryon had been removed, Sanaima turned to Monella; then raisedhis hands and eyes towards heaven.
"Let us thank the Great Spirit," said he solemnly, "that hath, at last,delivered our enemies into our hands, and that without the loss of alife, or so much as a wound upon our side!"
And Monella added a heartfelt "Amen."
"Of a truth," he added reverently, "the wicked have been caught to-dayin their own snare. At last, we may truly rejoice that the curse hathbeen removed, for ever, from the fair land of Manoa. But this is afearful sight; let us hasten from it. But ere we do, Sanaima, sendkindly and trustworthy people to care for the poor woman Fernina andthe other women and children who are somewhere within. I cannot nowstay longer; I must look after the princess and return to the palace."
"I will remain and look to them myself," answered Sanaima. "Now thatthe Great Spirit hath at last given them into my charge, it is a trustthat belongeth to me, and to me alone."
During the foregoing events, several messengers had passed to and frodelivering messages, in low tones, to Monella or some of his officers,and speeding away again with their replies, or upon other errands. Inthis way Monella had learned that the princess had recovered from herlong swoon and expressed a strong desire to return to the palace to herfather, and he had sent back word to Leonard to accompany her.
When, therefore, Templemore, with Monella and many more, reached thegreat gates on leaving the amphitheatre, they found Ulama and all thosewith her gone, and they now hastened to the palace after them.