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"Ghek!" exclaimed Gahan. "It was you in the runway? Have you seen Tara of

Helium?"

It was I in the spiral," replied the kaldane; "but I have not seen Tara of Helium. I

have been searching for her. Where is she?"

"I do not know," replied the Gatholian; "but we must find her and take her from

this place."

We may find her," said Ghek; "but I doubt our ability to take her away. It is not

so easy to leave Manator as it is to enter it. I may come and go at will, through

the ancient burrows of the ulsios; but you are too large for that and your lungs

need more air than may be found in some of the deeper runways."

But U-Thor!" exclaimed Gahan. "Have you heard aught of him or his intentions?"

I have heard much," replied Ghek. "He camps at The Gate of Enemies. That spot

he holds and his warriors lie just beyond The Gate; but he has not sufficient force

to enter the city and take the palace. An hour since and you might have made

your way to him; but now every avenue is strongly guarded since O-Tar learned

that A-Kor had escaped to U-Thor."

A-Kor has escaped and joined U-Thor!" exclaimed Gahan.

But little more than an hour since. I was with him when a warrior came--a man

whose name is Tasor--who brought a message from you. It was decided that

Tasor should accompany A-Kor in an attempt to reach the camp of U-Thor, the

great jed of Manatos, and exact from him the assurances you required. Then U-

Thor was to return and take food to you and the Princess of Helium. I

accompanied them. We won through easily and found U-Thor more than willing

to respect your every wish, but when Tasor would have returned to you the way

was blocked by the warriors of O-Tar. Then it was that I volunteered to come to

you and report and find food and drink and then go forth among the Gatholian

slaves of Manator and prepare them for their part in the plan that U-Thor and

Tasor conceived."

"And what was this plan?"

U-Thor has sent for reinforcements. To Manatos he has sent and to all the

outlying districts that are his. It will take a month to collect and bring them

hither and in the meantime the slaves within the city are to organize secretly,

stealing and hiding arms against the day that the reinforcements arrive. When

that day comes the forces of U-Thor will enter the Gate of Enemies and as the

warriors of O-Tar rush to repulse them the slaves from Gathol will fall upon them

172

The Chessmen of Mars