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The anger of Tara of Helium all but choked her. "Come," admonished Ghek, and

took her by the arm, and Tara of Helium came. She was naught but a prisoner.

Her rank and titles meant nothing to these inhuman monsters. They led her

through a short, S-shaped passageway into a chamber entirely lined with the

white, tile-like material with which the interior of the light wall was faced. Close

to the base of the walls were numerous smaller apertures, circular in shape, but

larger than those of similar aspect that she had noted elsewhere. The majority of

these apertures were sealed. Directly opposite the entrance was one framed in

gold, and above it a peculiar device was inlaid in the same precious metal.

Sept and Ghek halted just within the room, the girl between them, and all three

stood silently facing the opening in the opposite wall. On the floor beside the

aperture lay a headless male body of almost heroic proportions, and on either

side of this stood a heavily armed warrior, with drawn sword. For perhaps five

minutes the three waited and then something appeared in the opening. It was a

pair of large chelae and immediately thereafter there crawled forth a hideous

kaldane of enormous proportions. He was half again as large as any that Tara of

Helium had yet seen and his whole aspect infinitely more terrible. The skin of the

others was a bluish gray--this one was of a little bluer tinge and the eyes were

ringed with bands of white and scarlet, as was its mouth.

From each nostril a band of white and one of scarlet extended outward

horizontally the width of the face.

No one spoke or moved. The creature crawled to the prostrate body and affixed

itself to the neck. Then the two rose as one and approached the girl. He looked at

her and then he spoke to her captor.

You are the third foreman of the fields of Luud?" he asked.

Yes, Luud; I am called Ghek."

Tell me what you know of this," and he nodded toward Tara of Helium.

Ghek did as he was bid and then Luud addressed the girl.

What were you doing within the borders of Bantoom?" he asked.

"I was blown hither in a great storm that injured my flier and carried me I knew

not where. I came down into the valley at night for food and drink. The banths

came and drove me to the safety of a tree, and then your people caught me as I

was trying to leave the valley. I do not know why they took me. I was doing no

harm. All I ask is that you let me go my way in peace."

"None who enters Bantoom ever leaves," replied Luud.

The Chessmen of Mars