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The panthan turned toward the speaker, seeing a large man, handsome of face
and with a manner both stately and dignified. "You have seen her?" he asked.
"
They captured her then? She is in danger?"
"She is being held in The Towers of Jetan as a prize for the next games," replied
the stranger.
"And who are you?" asked Turan. "And why are you here, a prisoner?"
"I am A-Kor the dwar, keeper of The Towers of Jetan," replied the other. "I am
here because I dared speak the truth of O-Tar the jeddak, to one of his officers."
"And your punishment?" asked Turan.
"I do not know. O-Tar has not yet spoken. Doubtless the games--perhaps the full
ten, for O-Tar does not love A-Kor, his son."
"
"
You are the jeddak's son?" asked Turan.
I am the son of O-Tar and of a slave, Haja of Gathol, who was a princess in her
own land."
Turan looked searchingly at the speaker. A son of Haja of Gathol! A son of his
mother's sister, this man, then, was his own cousin. Well did Gahan remember
the mysterious disappearance of the Princess Haja and an entire utan of her
personal troops. She had been upon a visit far from the city of Gathol and
returning home had vanished with her whole escort from the sight of man. So
this was the secret of the seeming mystery? Doubtless it explained many other
similar disappearances that extended nearly as far back as the history of Gathol.
Turan scrutinized his companion, discovering many evidences of resemblance to
his mother's people. A-Kor might have been ten years younger than he, but such
differences in age are scarce accounted among a people who seldom or never age
outwardly after maturity and whose span of life may be a thousand years.
"
"
"
"
And where lies Gathol?" asked Turan.
Almost due east of Manator," replied A-Kor.
And how far?"
Some twenty-one degrees it is from the city of Manator to the city of Gathol,"
replied A-Kor; "but little more than ten degrees between the boundaries of the two
countries. Between them, though, there lies a country of torn rocks and yawning
chasms."
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