by Alex Raymond
Dale was standing up there, palms pressed against the restraining glass. She was saying something but Flash couldn’t hear it.
Another girl appeared next to her.
“There’s our princess,” said Tun. “That slat of a man beside her is, as you’ve no doubt surmised, merciless Ming himself.”
“Yes, I figured as much,” said Flash. “He seems to be enjoying himself.”
“Seeing others in pain never fails to amuse him.”
“All right, you scum, back into the tunnel,” shouted a guard. “You’ll be back in this arena soon enough.”
As they trooped back across the hot arena, Tun asked, “You knew the dark girl, too, my friend?”
“Yes, that’s Dale, the girl I came to the capital to find.”
“You kept your temper,” said the lion man. “Myself, I would have gone charging up there.”
“That wouldn’t have saved her.”
“I’m doubting we can do much to help her now anyway.”
“I noticed two entrances to that box” said Flash. “And the arena wall is not too high to scale.”
“You’d more than likely be dead before you reached the inside of the box,” said Tun. “You saw the guards on either side.”
“They can be diverted.”
“Aye, I suppose they can.”
A thin, harsh voice came booming out of loud speakers all around the arena. “Halt a moment, prisoners.”
“Stop, you wretches. Hear you not the emperor?”
“What devilment now?” murmured Tun.
“Princess Aura, whom I know all my subjects love nearly as much as I do, has prevailed upon me to grant the prisoners one favor,” continued the voice of the emperor. “Thus it is that I now make this solemn pledge to you prisoners. Any man who wins two events in today’s contests will also win his freedom.”
A few of the prisoners cheered on hearing this.
“Not bloody likely,” said one.
“Only another way of torturing us.”
“Why debate,” laughed a guard, “not one of you is going to win.”
“What do you think, Tun?” Flash asked his companion.
Tun scratched his yellow mane. “Ming cannot be trusted,” he said. “Yet it is possible Aura has some influence on him.”
Flash nodded thoughtfully.
“You can’t do this, father,” Aura insisted, her hand gripping the back of his chair.
He watched her out of the corners of his eyes. “It strikes me you’re excessively interested in Flash Gordon, my dear,” he said. “What will Dale Arden think?”
“You already know what I think,” said Dale. “You’re being absolutely vicious in—”
“Vicious?” The emperor frowned at Dale. “Did I not promise freedom to any man who was victorious?”
“Flash Gordon,” said Dale, “Flash and all of us came to Mongo on a peaceful mission. You’re treating him like an enemy of the state.”
“I assure you I’m treating him quite well. In point of fact, these tournaments are among my gentler methods of dealing with dissenters.”
“Flash,” protested Aura, still standing behind her father’s chair, “isn’t a dissenter. He and Tun saved my life. I told you all this before, father, and still you—”
“Yes, you have told me all this before, Aura. I am quite weary of hearing it.” He leaned forward, gave a signal with one spidery hand.
About half of the huge crowd of spectators applauded as a side gate of the arena swung open. Two apemen emerged, hunched, long hairy arms swinging. One of them lifted a shaggy hand to shield his eyes against the afternoon glare.
Next two prisoners were prodded out of their tunnel into the arena. The crowd grew silent, expectant. The only sound in the arena was that of the pennants snapping in the light wind.
An apeman snarled, growled, then went charging toward the two prisoners. They were both small men of middle age. A few feet from them, the apeman halted.
More slowly, the second apeman began stalking across the tanbark.
The prisoners remained on the same spot.
With a roar, the nearest apeman leaped, grabbed hold of one of the men.
The other prisoner backed away.
The apeman lifted the small man up high over his head, threw him full force against the stone wall of the arena. He jerked him up from the ground and threw him again.
Half of the audience cheered approval.
The man was a bent and broken heap on the ground.
Diving at him, the apeman tore at his throat with his teeth.
Dale looked away.
“You’ll find the moment of the kill is the most fascinating part, my dear.” Ming took hold of her face, sharp fingers digging into her jaw, and forced her to turn her head back toward the arena.
“There’s one fellow who won’t win his freedom today,” remarked Haldor.
A moment later, the second apeman killed the second prisoner.
CHAPTER 21
“They’re saving us for last, I do believe,” said Tun. He was seated on a rough wooden bench, his broad back against the stones of the tunnel wall. There were now only ten other prisoners left.
Flash stood near the barred gate, watching the arena. “No one has survived so far,” he said. “It’s so senseless.”
“Aye, but you hear the people out there, hooting and hollering,” said the lion man. Afternoon light touched at his feet and the swishing tip of his tail. “Sounds to me as though a goodly portion of them are enjoying themselves.”
“You told me most of them are probably forced to attend. They may only be pretending to enjoy this, so as not to get in trouble.”
“They could put an end to such sorry spectacles as this,” said Tun, “if they but had the courage to shove Ming from his throne.” He joined Flash at the gate. “Look you, there are thousands of people sitting there, allowing that tyrant to tell them what to do. Yet if they had the courage to turn against him, they—”
“Enough of such talk, lion man.” A guard jabbed his spear point at Tun’s side.
The lion man laughed, pushing the spear aside with his little finger. “What would you do to me, lout? Am I not already virtually sentenced to death in the arena?”
About to reply, the guard noticed his superior approaching. “Yes, sir?”
“Send the blond one and that son-of-a-she-cat in now,” said the other guard.
“You’ve been standing too close to the contests,” Tun said to him. “There’s blood on your cloak.”
The big bearded guard made a disgusted face, brushing at his cloak. “Where, where?”
The other guard unlocked the gate. “Out into the arena, the both of you,” he ordered. “See if you can’t give the customers a better performance than the last few cringing devils.”
“We’ll give you all a show, my lad,” promised Tun. He squared his shoulders, went striding out into the sunlight.
Flash followed.
The gate shut and locked behind them.
The bodies of the last five men to die in the arena had not yet been removed. They were scattered across the tanbark, clusters of black flies hovering over them, large black buzzards circling, ready to peck at them.
“I know I’m a match for any dull-witted apeman who ever lived,” said Tun. “And you can more than take care of yourself, my friend.”
After glancing at the royal box, Flash turned his attention to the entryway used by the apemen. “I’m still wondering if Ming will keep his word.”
“He stipulated two victories, mind you. So after we triumph over these fellows, we’ll have yet another challenge to face.”
“Here they are.”
Two fresh apemen were in the arena now. The pair moved slowly, coming nearer and nearer to Flash and the lion man.
“By the seven blue eyes of the god of thunder,” said Tun, “I hate this waiting around.” He went running straight at the approaching apemen. “Look out, you numbskulls!”
S
urprised, one of the apemen took a step back. The other kept coming, teeth showing in a twisted snarl.
“You look like the baboon with the most spunk,” said the lion man. “I’ll be taking you on first.” He threw himself through the air, ducked the angry swing of his opponent’s fist. He slammed a blow into the apeman’s stomach, then a second and a third.
Flash, meantime, was approaching the other ape-man. “I’ll give you a choice,” Flash said to him. “Go back into your tunnel, otherwise I’m afraid I’ll have to kill you.”
The hair across the apeman’s back bristled. “Kill you,” he howled. “Me kill you.” He jumped for Flash.
But Flash was no longer there. As the apeman sailed by, Flash thrust out a booted foot, at the same time delivering a chopping blow to the beast man’s thick neck.
The apeman fell on his face, gasping.
Flash circled him, caught hold of his arm and pulled him upright before sending him spinning away across the sun-bright arena.
To his right, he heard a bone snapping.
“Takes care of this fellow.” Tun let the apeman, his neck now broken, fall dead. “Need any assistance on the other one?”
“No thanks,” grinned Flash.
The surviving apeman, however, was not attempting to come near. He watched the body of his dead companion for a moment, scowled at Flash and Tun. Then he spun and ran from the arena.
The crowd, nearly all of them this time, roared.
The cheering continued for several long minutes. Finally it ceased, an anticipatory quiet filling the place. Every one of the thousands of spectators was watching the royal box.
Finally a voice was heard over the loudspeakers. “The emperor congratulates you,” said Haldor. “He now reminds you that to win his freedom a man must survive not one but two challenges.”
“Aye, we know that,” said Tun. “Let’s have number two and no more gab.”
Another gate in the wall rattled open.
CHAPTER 22
Two enormous yellow and black unihorn tigers appeared in the arena. They moved cautiously, bellies close to the ground.
The silence of the crowd held.
“Have you seen the likes of these rascals in your travels, my friend?” asked the lion man.
“Nothing exactly like them. The horns look deadly.”
“Aye, that they are. With one slash of a horn, they can cut a man open.” Tun watched the tigers, his tail switching in counterpoint to theirs. “Sharp as a blade they be as well. Still and all, we’ll have no trouble withstanding the pair.”
“Make that three,” said Flash.
A third unihorn was emerging from the dark tunnel.
The crowd began to talk, low, frightened talk.
“Fellow in the lead’s getting set to jump,” Tun pointed out. “I’ll take him.” He galloped toward the first unihorn tiger.
The crouching animal’s tail thrashed, its buttocks quivered. Then it sprang.
Tun dropped to his back on the tanbark. As the tiger shot over him, the lion man kicked out with both his feet.
The kick caught the beast square in the stomach, causing it to yowl and go slamming down to the ground on its side.
Tun was upon the animal. Locking one powerful arm around its neck, he grabbed for the sharp horn at its base. Gritting his teeth, Tun twisted. There was a crackling snap and the foot and a half long piece of bone was in his hand. “Now I have me a weapon,” he said.
In a half-squatting position, he hopped a half circle round the partially stunned tiger and sank the horn in the animal’s heart, killing it.
The second tiger ran by this struggle, green eyes watching Flash. It jumped for him without a warning twitch, clawing at his face and torso.
Flash swung, hitting a hard blow to the tiger’s skull. He hit it again, even harder.
The animal, went limp, toppling down on top of him.
Flash tried to roll away, but the heavy tiger had him pinned to the ground.
He heard growls and a roar. The third unihorn was beside them. It began to slap at Flash with one great sharp clawed paw.
Following Tun’s example, Flash got hold of the horn of the stunned tiger who was holding him down. His strong wrist rotated back and forth.
The other tiger nipped at his arm.
Flash twisted harder. The horn snapped.
The other tiger continued to worry his arm. The beast’s fangs pierced the skin of his forearm, drawing blood.
A satisfied purr began rumbling in the animal’s chest.
Flash stabbed out with the bone horn in his hand. He lifted the improvised weapon and struck again. The second blow penetrated the biting tiger’s skull and pierced its brain.
A few seconds later, the animal’s large body collapsed, dead.
The dazed tiger was stirring toward wakefulness now.
Digging in with his elbows, Flash began to move himself out from under.
“Spare yourself the trouble.” Tun was approaching the unihorn from the rear. He lunged, caught hold of its tail and gave it a fierce tug.
The tiger howled as it was yanked off Flash.
Keeping hold of the tail, Tun began to swing the animal. “Away with you now.” He let go.
The tiger went smashing into the arena wall, its skull crushed by the impact.
Flash accepted Tun’s proffered hand, got to his feet. “You got more than your quota,” he said.
The other two tigers lay dead a few feet away.
“I am a very impatient man, as are most lion men,” he said. “I’ll tell you, I like this arena life a good deal better than I like being penned in a cell.”
Hands on hips and head slightly back, Flash surveyed the arena. The gate to the animal tunnel had been shut. “If they aren’t going to send out any more tigers, then I’d say we’ve won. Come on, let’s see what the emperor will do now.” He took hold of his companion’s arm and they walked across the field toward the royal box.
The crowd, realizing no more tigers were to come, stood up and began to shout and wave their arms.
“They’ll go free!”
“Free, as Ming promised.”
A long stone platform stood immediately beneath Ming’s glass box. Flash jumped up on this and grinned at the emperor. “I am Flash Gordon,” he called out, “of the planet Earth . . .”
“And I am Tun, the lion man,” said Tun jumping up beside Flash.
“We have won two victories and now claim our freedom,” said Flash toward the box ten feet above.
Ming’s breath fogged the glass as he leaned to look down at the two victors. Gradually, a smile twisted his lips, turning up the corners. “Here is what you have won for your friend and yourself, Flash Gordon.”
The entire stone platform fell away like a great trapdoor.
Flash and the lion man went plunging down and down into the darkness.
The robot fell down again.
Dr. Zarkov glanced up from the diagrams and charts he had spread out on the work table in front of him. “One more of those clanking pratfalls,” he warned, “and I’ll overhaul you right now.”
“Sorry, sorry,” said the copper-colored mechanical man. “I was bringing you a snack, snack.”
Rubbing at his eyes with one hand, tugging at his beard with the other, Zarkov scowled in the direction of the lab windows. The day had ended without his realizing it, night showed outside now. “I suppose I could do with a bite to eat. Bring it on over.”
“Can’t, can’t,” apologized the robot. “I unfortunately dropped it when I fell, fell, fell.”
“Never mind then,” bellowed Zarkov. “Go stand quietly in the farthest corner. I’ve just about got this weapon problem licked.”
“Very well, well.”
Zarkov had been working alone in the lab, at his request, since he’d arrived in the Forest Kingdom that morning. He bit down on the end of his pencil, bending once more over the scatter of papers in front of him.
After a few moments the robot said,
“Hello, hello, good evening.”
Zarkov looked up to see Anmar making his way through the tables and equipment toward him. “Don’t say anything for a couple minutes,” he told the sorcerer.
Anmar nodded and stood silently.
Three minutes later Zarkov pushed back from the table, rubbed at the back of his neck. “There she is, Anmar, all worked out on paper,” he announced. “A few simple adaptations and you’ve got a whole new weapon.”
Anmar studied the work Zarkov had done. “Why didn’t I think of that?” he said finally.
“First thing tomorrow I’ll tackle a real blaster cannon. Should be able to fix one up in next to no time.”
“My admiration for your intellect is considerable at this moment.”
“No reason why it shouldn’t be.”
Anmar touched his hand to the side of his head. “Forgive me, Zarkov,” he said. “In my excitement at this impressive breakthrough of yours I’ve neglected to tell you the news I’ve brought for you.”
“News?” The doctor’s bushy eyebrows went up. “Something to do with Flash Gordon or Dale?”
“Aye,” said Anmar, hesitating.
“Give me the worst. I won’t pass out or burst into tears.”
“Your friends are both alive, but they are captives of Ming the Merciless. This information has been relayed to us telepathically from a contact in the capital.”
“Is that where Flash and Dale are now, in the capital of Ming’s empire?”
“They were both there earlier today,” replied Anmar. “It seems Ming held a tournament today in the public arena.”
“Some kind of sports things, you mean?”
“Nay, it is sport only to a man such as Ming. In these tournaments Ming pits his political enemies against wild beasts.”
Zarkov squeezed his right hand into a fist and rubbed it against his side. “Is that where he put Flash and Dale, in the arena?”
“Flash Gordon only. Dale Arden was at the tournament, but in the royal box with Ming and his coterie. If she is an attractive girl—and I see from your mind she is—then it is highly unlikely Ming will execute her. He has other things in mind for girls such as she.”
“I see,” said Zarkov In a low level voice.