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The girl's song ended in a stifled scream as she leaped forward with the evident intention of frustrating the kaldane's purpose; but she was too late, and well it was, for an instant later she realized the purpose of Ghek's act as she saw the dagger fly from his hand, pass Gahan's shoulder, and sink full to the guard in the soft face of Luud.
There was no escape. Beyond the enclosure the banths awaited him; within, his own kind, equally as merciless and ferocious. Among them there was no such thing as love, or loyalty, or friendship they were just brains. He might kill Luud; but what would that profit him? Another king would be loosed from his sealed chamber and Ghek would be killed.
"Oh!" exclaimed Tara of Helium understandingly; "you mean that Luud has many wives and that you are the offspring of one of them." "No, not that at all," replied Ghek. "Luud has no wife. He lays the eggs himself. You do not understand." Tara of Helium admitted that she did not. "I will try to explain, then," said Ghek, "if you will promise to sing to me later." "I promise," she said.
Come!" he said, and turned toward a door opposite that through which Tara of Helium had entered the chamber. "What is your name?" His question was directed to the girl's captor. "I am Ghek, third foreman of the fields of Luud," he answered. "And hers?" "I do not know." "It makes no difference. Come!" The patrician brows of Tara of Helium went high. It made no difference, indeed!
With a gasp that ended in a sob Tara of Helium passed through the aperture into the chamber beyond. The opening was but barely large enough to admit her. Upon the opposite side she found herself in a small chamber. Before her squatted Luud. Against the opposite wall lay a large and beautiful male rykor. He was without harness or other trappings. "You see now," said Luud, "the futility of revolt."
"No," he said, "I do not know what you are talking about; but tell me how you do it." "It is merely the melodious modulations of my voice," she explained. "Listen!" and again she sang. "I do not understand," he insisted; "but I like it. Could you teach me to do it?" "I do not know, but I shall be glad to try." "We will see what Luud does with you," he said.
"I know nothing but that she was found in the fields and that I caught her after a fight in which she slew two rykors and in which I slew a Moak, and that I take her to Luud, to whom, of course, she belongs. If Luud wishes to question her that is for Luud to do not for me." Thus always he answered the curious.
"They would," said Ghek. "I will ask Luud about it." The following day he told her that Luud had said that she was to be taken into the fields. He would try that for a time and see if she improved. "If you do not grow fatter he will send for you anyway," said Ghek; "but he will not use you for food." Tara of Helium shuddered.
He almost shouted the last three words. "Come! Enough of this," cried one who spoke with some show of authority. "She was captured in Luud's fields she will go to Luud." "She was discovered in Moak's fields, at the very foot of the tower of Moak," insisted he who had claimed her for Moak. "You have heard the Nolach speak," cried the Luud. "It shall be as he says."
Evidently he carried her words to Luud, since it was not long after that he told her that the king had ordered that she be confined in the tower and to the tower she was taken. She had hoped against hope that this very thing might result from her conversation with Ghek.
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