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"You shall teach our people to make these engines, Norhala, and we will make many of them. Queen Norhala you shall wed my son Kulun, he who stands beside me. And while I live you shall rule with me, rule equally. And when I die you and Kulun shall rule. "Thus shall our two royal lines be made one, the old feud wiped out, the long score be settled.
But Cherkis smiled with evil understanding, shrugged his shoulders and whispered to him. Sullenly Kulun stepped back. The ring of the archers lowered their bows; they leaped to their feet and stood aside to let him pass. Quick as a serpent's tongue a pyramid tipped tentacle flicked out beneath us. It darted through the broken circle of the bowmen. It LICKED up Ruth and Ventnor and Kulun!
Kulun who will cast your skin under my mares in stall for them to trample and thrust your red flayed body upon a pole in the grain fields to frighten away the crows! Does that answer you?" Her laughter ceased; her eyes dwelt upon him filled with an infernal joy. "The son of Cherkis!" I heard her murmur. "He has a son " There was a sneer on the cruel face; clearly he thought her awed.
"Take him, then." Down swept the metal arm that held Kulun. The arm dropped Cherkis's son at Cherkis's feet; and as though Kulun had been a grape it crushed him! Before those who had seen could stir from their stupor the tentacle hovered over Cherkis, glaring down at the horror that had been his son. It did not strike him it drew him up to it as a magnet draws a pin.
The arm withdrew, and out from the whole length of the spindle thrust other arms, hammer tipped, held high aloft, menacing. From all the length of the wall arose panic outcry. Abruptly the storm of arrows ended; the catapults were still. Again the trumpets sounded; the crying ceased. Down fell a silence, terrified, stifling. Kulun stepped forth again, both hands held high. Gone was his arrogance.
Norhala's hand that had gone from my wrist dropped down again; the other fell upon Drake's. Kulun loosed his hood, let it fall about his shoulders. He stepped forward, held out his arms to Norhala. "A strong man!" she cried approvingly. "Hail my bridegroom! But stay stand back a moment. Stand beside that man for whom I came to Ruszark. I would see you together!" Kulun's face darkened.
He peered down it, glancing imperturbably at the upraised, hammer-banded arms still threatening; examined again the breach. Then still with Kulun he strode over to the very edge of the broken battlement and stood, head thrust a little forward, studying us in silence. "Cherkis!" whispered Norhala the whisper was a hymn to Nemesis. I felt her body quiver from head to foot.
Seven feet he must have been in height; over the huge shoulders, the barreled chest and the bloated abdomen hung a purple cloak glittering with gems; through the thick and grizzled hair passed a flashing circlet of jewels. The scarlet armored Kulun beside him, swordsmen guarding them, he walked to the verge of the torn gap in the wall.
I heard Norhala's golden laughter and before they could reach us arrow and javelin and boulder were checked as though myriads of hands reached out from the Thing under us and caught them. Down they dropped. Forth from the great spindle shot a gigantic arm, hammer tipped with cubes. It struck the wall close to where the scarlet armored Kulun had vanished. Under its blow the stones crumbled.
Quick was his disillusionment. "Listen, Kulun," she cried. "I am Norhala daughter of another Norhala and of Rustum, whom Cherkis tortured and slew. Now go, you lying spawn of unclean toads go and tell your father that I, Norhala, am at his gates. And bring back with you the maid and the man. Go, I say!" There was stark amazement on Kulun's face; and fear now enough.
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