CHAPTER XV
CONCLUSION
Dawn had come an hour before but the group of seven people sat about thebreakfast table in the private dining room of Jaltor, ruler of Ammad.
It was a wide, richly furnished room on the top floor of the city'spalace. The east wall was composed entirely of windows, barred byfluted, slender columns of white stone, through which streamed thebright rays of morning sun.
"Had you delayed your escape from the pits another two hours," Jaltorwas saying, "all of you would have been freed without having to fightfor proof of your innocence. For old Heglar's mate, the beautiful Rhoa,had been followed to Vokal's palace, and when she left there, my menpicked her up and brought her to me at the palace. Strangely enough shewas not at all hesitant about betraying Vokal; I think she believed hewas trying to get out of taking her as his mate."
"Then instead of helping," Alurna said, smiling, "I nearly brought aboutJotan's death. That should be a lesson to me not to mix in another'saffairs!"
Jotan smiled at her briefly, then went back to his apparently carefulexamination of the earthen plate in front of him. Ever since he hadseated himself across the table from Dylara and the broad-shoulderedyoung cave man next to her he had little to say. But in his mind therewas a welter of conflicting thoughts and emotions.
Fate had thrown the girl he loved into the arms of the man who long agohad claimed her as his mate. The fortunes of war had made that same manJotan's ally during the night just past. Could Jotan, then, turn againsthis ally because he too loved the girl whom Jotan desired above allothers?
He stole a glance at the radiant young woman who held his heart in thehollow of one slender hand. How lovely she was! And how closely sheleaned toward the young giant of the caves who sat beside her. Hersmiles were for the man of her own kind; as the minutes passed theyseemed more and more to belong to each other.
Well, it was up to Dylara now. Soon she would be called upon to make adecision: to accompany the cave man back across the vast expanse ofplain and forest and mountain range to the caves of his people ... or toremain within Ammad as the mate of Jotan, nobleman of Ammad.
Beside Jotan, no less lovely in a completely different physicalappearance, was Alurna of Sephar, daughter of one king and niece ofanother. Often her eyes strayed to the handsome young nobleman next toher. She saw his eyes go to the girl of the caves and back to his plateagain as a wave of color poured up into his cheeks. She knew what wasgoing on in his mind--knew it as if he had spoken the words aloud! Thenext few hours would decide what her future life would be: Jotan's mateor a woman who had lost her bid for happiness.
In all that room, perhaps, only two men did not feel the cross currentsof emotions that seemed to make electric the very air about them. Onemissed it entirely because he was very young and interested in only oneperson--that was Trakor. The other was Tharn; and while he understoodwhat lay behind Jotan's studied preoccupation, he was indifferent to it.Dylara belonged to him--and though an entire nation might stand betweenthem, he would claim her for his own.
As for Dylara, she smiled warmly at everyone and said little. For shetoo was waiting--waiting with the serenity of one whose mind is made upas to the course her life would take.
"All of you are weary," Jaltor said finally. "I suggest slaves show youto the quarters I have set aside for those of you who wish to remain asmy guests."
His eyes went to the three cave people questioningly. There was a momentof weighted silence ... and into it Tharn said:
"Dylara, Trakor and I are far from the caves of our people. I, for one,am anxious to start back. Perhaps we will sleep until tomorrow'ssun--then begin our journey."
As he finished speaking, his eyes came to rest upon the cave girl.
* * * * *
A breathless hush seemed to settle over the room. The moment hadcome--and Tharn had so phrased his words that the daughter of Majok nowheld the key to the hopes of two men ... and the choice was hers,without pressure from either of those two.
Jotan's head came up and his eyes met the brown, sun-flecked gaze of thecave girl. A deep, chest-swelling breath filled his lungs....
"I am not tired," Dylara said calmly. "I would like to start for yourcaves at once, Tharn."
And with those words, and the lifting of her hand as she placed it onthe cave lord's bronzed forearm, Dylara made her choice.
Pain--the awful pain of unrequited love--rose like flames in Jotan'sheart. Rose until they shook him with agony ... swelled ... and broke tosettle back under the man's iron control.
He was conscious, then, that a soft hand had placed itself on one of hisas it lay palm down against the table. He looked down at it, notunderstanding, then lifted his eyes slowly to meet the troubled eyes ofAlurna....
Jotan said, "I had hoped that you three would remain in Ammad for a fewsuns as the guests of my father and me. But I can understand youreagerness to return to your own people."
Dyta, the sun, stood two hours above the eastern horizon. On a smallhillock a few yards from the edge of dense jungle and forest not farfrom Ammad's walls, stood a group of Jaltor's warriors flanking the kingand his guests.
Silence, broken only by the voices of diurnal jungle, held those on thehigh bit of ground as they watched the three Cro-Magnons move lightlytoward that towering wall of verdure. They moved lightly, eagerly, asthough anxious to lose themselves among the riotous vegetation, afamiliar world to them.
Jotan, watching, felt a strange peace come into his heart. Only now didrealization come that at no time during the past moons since Dylara hadcome into his life did he have the slightest chance to win her love. Hestole a quick glance at the girl beside him. Here was the perfect matefor a nobleman--his own kind, fit to take up the duties of mate to oneof his own high station. Yes, he told himself, it was better this way.
His eyes went back to the three now almost within the jungle's reach.The girl turned back and waved her hand in farewell, joined by thelifted arms of Trakor and Tharn.
Abruptly a mist seemed to form before Jotan's eyes and he bowed hishead, blinking rapidly to dispel this evidence of unmanly weakness.
When he looked up again only the empty distance met his eyes.
TRANSCRIBERS NOTES:
Minor errors in text amended as follows:
Part I, page 42: Neels -> Neela: 'Neela, the zebra'.
Part I, page 46: along -> alone: 'required courage to venture alone into the forest'.
Part I, page 50: squarly -> squarely: 'struck the infuriated boy squarely in the face'.
Part I, page 51: bobing -> bobbing: 'weaving, bobbing sensation'.
Part I, page 52: largly -> largely: 'anger was largely responsible'. . -> ,: 'I have never slept in a tree," he laughed uncertainly'.
Part I, page 53: discernable -> discernible: 'faintly discernible'.
Part I, page 55: . -> ,: 'fifty men there, some of them tending'.
Part I, page 56: inserted ,: '"Sadu is hungry too," one of the girls observed'.
Part I, page 57: inserted .: 'sound of Sadu's roar.'
Part I, page 58: inserted - after Be: 'God-Whose-Name-May-Not-Be-Spoken-Aloud'.
Part I, page 60: occured -> occurred: 'then there occurred'. mightly -> mighty: 'rose in a mighty leap'. sewing -> sowing: 'sowing death among the ranks'. Jaton's -> Jotan's: 'Jotan's rescue'.
Part I, page 61: affect -> effect: 'beginning to take effect on the disorganised warriors'. casualities -> casualties: 'result in further casualties'. ' -> ": 'into those shadows"'.
Part I, page 62: inserted ": '"When morning comes'.
Part II, page 67: brough -> brought: 'the hours brought a fresh flood of curses'. inserted .: 'to his lips.' inserted .: 'Here.'
Part II, page 68: inserted .: 'in his movements and expression.' inserted .: 'bring us wine.'
Part II, page 69: inserted - after May: 'God-Whose-Name-May-Not-Be-Spoken-Alou
d'.
Part II, page 73: continous -> continuous: 'in one continuous motion.'
Part II, page 74: removed duplicate .: 'in his direction.'
Part II, page 76: hundreth -> hundredth: 'for the hundredth time'.
Part II, page 78: 'Trakor admitted sheepishly. "But I heard' -> 'Trakor admitted sheepishly, "but I heard'.
Part II, page 79, 110 and 111: '- - -' in text changed to '----'.
Part II, page 80: Rokut's -> Bokut's: 'He closed the door on Bokut's unrelieved expression'. sandles -> sandals: 'strings of his sandals'.
Part II, page 81: startingly -> startlingly: 'almost startlingly handsome'.
Part II, page 83: inserted ,: 'glazed with pain, his'.
Part II, page 84: . -> ?: 'faded blue eyes?'. inserted ": '"And if I persist'.
Part II, page 90: inprints -> imprints: 'imprints left by its feet.' speciman -> specimen: 'specimen of perfect manhood'. worshipping -> worshiping: 'hero-worshiping'.
Part II, page 91: marvelling -> marveling: 'marveling at the change'.
Part II, page 94: inserted his: 'face with his own sleeping furs'.
Part II, page 95: inserted .: 'digested this information quickly.'
Part II, page 97: . -> ?: 'But do you have the right to sacrifice the lives of the rest of us in a quest that is completely hopeless?'
Part II, page 99: inserted .: 'this time toward home.' trodding -> treading: 'treading on snakes'.
Part II, page 100: worshipping -> worshiping: 'his worshiping companion'.
Part II, page 103: wais -> waist: 'waist-high'.
Part II, page 105: cacaphony -> cacophony: 'the cacophony of roars'.
Part II, page 106: inserted it: 'what is it, Tharn?'
Part II, page 107: inserted .: 'chattering of many voices.' sinous -> sinuous: 'long sinuous limb'.
Part II, page 108: thrist -> thirst: 'pangs of thirst'.
Part II, page 109: contructed -> constructed: 'the hut was constructed'. nut -> hut: 'this hut was practically ringed with patrolling sentries'. inserted ,: 'once it gave, the structure'.
Part II, page 110: sickenly -> sickeningly: 'hut lurched sickeningly,'.
Part III, page 98: marvelling -> marveling: 'marveling at her beauty'.
Part III, page 99: forcast -> forecast: 'the storm Tharn had forecast,'. excitment -> excitement: 'it was the only excitement'.
Part III, page 102: marvelled -> marveled: 'she marveled at how little'. then -> there: 'Here and there'.
Part III, page 103: an -> any: 'at any moment'.
Part III, page 104: Trakors -> Trakor's: 'in Trakor's heart.' wariors -> warriors: 'traders, warriors,'.
Part III, page 105: Ammad' to Ammad's: 'Ammad's noblemen'. boundry -> boundary: 'a boundary dispute'.
Part III, page 106: boundry -> boundary: 'the boundary line'.
Part III, page 108: similiar -> similar: 'a similar distinction,'. ' -> ": 'so easily."' drily -> dryly: 'Curzad commented dryly'.
Part III, page 109: inserted have: 'Tharn would have unhesitatingly charged'. inpulsive -> impulsive: 'the impulsive act'. coud -> could: 'he could see'. magnificience -> magnificence: 'greater size and magnificence,'. worshipping -> worshiping: 'hero-worshiping'.
Part III, page 110: this -> his: 'about his shoulders'.
Part III, page 111: thing -> think: 'think I decided'. I"ll -> I'll: 'Tell him I'll be out'.
Part III, page 112: hestitated -> hesitated: 'He hesitated.' forseen -> foreseen: 'we had not foreseen,'. speciman -> specimen: 'remarkable physical specimen'.
Part III, page 113: amendable -> amenable: 'make him amenable.' girls -> girl: 'about a wild girl of the caves?'
Part III, page 114: reconnaisance -> reconnaissance: 'general reconnaissance'. retract -> retrace: 'retrace his steps'.
Part III, page 116: hand-and -> hand- and: 'hand- and foot-holds'. threshed -> thrashed: 'thrashed and bucked.'
Part III, page 117: impromtu -> impromptu: 'Dylara's impromptu club,'.
Part III, page 119: inserted .: 'face the monarch.'
Part III, page 120: inserted - after Whose: 'God-Whose-Name-May-Not-Be-Spoken-Aloud'.
Part III, page 121: beastial -> bestial: 'the bestial snarls'.
Part III, page 122: guage -> gauge: 'chance to gauge'.
Part III, page 123: inserted .: 'heavy with jungle blooms.'
Part III, page 124: . -> ,: '"At once, Most-High."' quited -> quitted: 'only just quitted.' though -> through: 'to peer through.'
Part III, page 127: it is -> is it: 'Who is it?"'.
Part III, page 128: Sephar -> Ammad: 'sleeping Ammad'.
Part III, page 130: inserted .: 'of the door.' minature -> miniature: 'the miniature torch'.
Part III, page 131: inserted the: 'at the sound'. occured -> occurred: 'what had occurred'.
Part III, page 132: than -> that: 'corridor that ran past'. coridor -> corridor: 'down the corridor a man'. pasing -> passing: 'passing others quickly.'
Part III, page 133: sizeable -> sizable: 'a sizable group'.
Part III, page 134: many -> few: there are too few men'. level -> levels: 'lower three levels'.
Part III, page 135: rapidily -> rapidly: 'fleeing rapidly'.
Part III, page 137: sing -> sign: 'sign of life'. excitment -> excitement: 'after the excitement'.
Part III, page 138 and 139: missle -> missile
Part III, page 141: weighed -> weighted: 'moment of weighted silence'. preocupation -> preoccupation: 'Jotan's studied preoccupation,'. sunflecked -> sun-flecked. and -> had: 'a soft hand had placed itself'.
All dialogue has closing quotation marks regardless of whether itcontinues on the subsequent paragraph.
The Return of Tharn Page 15