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chambers, a wealth of ornaments and jewels and precious metals that surprised
even the Jed of Gathol whose harness was of diamonds and platinum and whose
riches were the envy of a world. But at last his search of O-Mai's chambers ended
in a small closet in the floor of which was the opening to a spiral runway leading
straight down into Stygian darkness. The dust at the entrance of the closet had
been freshly disturbed, and as this was the only possible indication that Gahan
had of the direction taken by the abductor of Tara it seemed as well to follow on
as to search elsewhere. So, without hesitation, he descended into the utter
darkness below. Feeling with a foot before taking a forward step his descent was
necessarily slow, but Gahan was a Barsoomian and so knew the pitfalls that
might await the unwary in such dark, forbidden portions of a jeddak's palace.
He had descended for what he judged might be three full levels and was pausing,
as he occasionally did, to listen, when he distinctly heard a peculiar shuffling,
scraping sound approaching him from below. Whatever the thing was it was
ascending the runway at a steady pace and would soon be near him. Gahan laid
his hand upon the hilt of his sword and drew it slowly from its scabbard that he
might make no noise that would apprise the creature of his presence. He wished
that there might be even the slightest lessening of the darkness. If he could see
but the outline of the thing that approached him he would feel that he had a
fairer chance in the meeting; but he could see nothing, and then because he
could see nothing the end of his scabbard struck the stone side of the runway,
giving off a sound that the stillness and the narrow confines of the passage and
the darkness seemed to magnify to a terrific clatter.
Instantly the shuffling sound of approach ceased. For a moment Gahan stood in
silent waiting, then casting aside discretion he moved on again down the spiral.
The thing, whatever it might be, gave forth no sound now by which Gahan might
locate it. At any moment it might be upon him and so he kept his sword in
readiness. Down, ever downward the steep spiral led. The darkness and the
silence of the tomb surrounded him, yet somewhere ahead was something. He
was not alone in that horrid place--another presence that he could not hear or
see hovered before him--of that he was positive. Perhaps it was the thing that had
stolen Tara. Perhaps Tara herself, still in the clutches of some nameless horror,
was just ahead of him. He quickened his pace--it became almost a run at the
thought of the danger that threatened the woman he loved, and then he collided
with a wooden door that swung open to the impact. Before him was a lighted
corridor. On either side were chambers. He had advanced but a short distance
from the bottom of the spiral when he recognized that he was in the pits below
the palace. A moment later he heard behind him the shuffling sound that had
attracted his attention in the spiral runway. Wheeling about he saw the author of
the sound emerging from a doorway he had just passed. It was Ghek the kaldane.
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