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Updated: June 20, 2025
Utan after utan entered through the great gate, and even when the head of the column reached the palace of O-Tar they were not all within the city. "I have been here many years," said the girl, Lan-O; "but never have I seen even The Great Jed bring so many fighting men into the city of Manator."
Tara of Helium stooped and wiped her blade upon his harness. Lan-O, wide-eyed, looked with horror upon the corpse. "For this we shall both die," she cried. "And who would live a slave in Manator?" asked Tara of Helium. "I am not so brave as thou," said the slave girl, "and life is sweet and there is always hope." "Life is sweet," agreed Tara of Helium, "but honor is sacred. But do not fear.
"There be none nobler," replied Lan-O. "In Manatos none but wicked criminals who deserve death are forced to play at jetan, and even then the play is fair and they have their chance for freedom. Volunteers may play, but the moves are not necessarily to the death a wound, and even sometimes points in swordplay, deciding the issue.
"Not close, yet still the nearest country," replied Lan-O. "About twenty-two degrees* east, it lies." * Approximately 814 Earth Miles. "Gathol!" murmured Tara, "Far Gathol!" "But you are not from Gathol," said the slave girl; "your harness is not of Gathol." "I am from Helium," said Tara
The Orange Princess is the slave woman Lan-O of Gathol; the Black Princess is the slave woman Tara, a princess of Helium. The Black Chief is U-Kal of Manataj, a volunteer player; the Orange Chief is the dwar U-Dor of the 8th Utan of the jeddak of Manator, also a volunteer player. The squares shall be contested to the death. Just are the laws of Manator! I have spoken."
No waving silks; no cries of welcome; no showers of flowers and jewels such as would have marked the entry of such a splendid, friendly pageant into the twin cities of her birth. "The people do not seem friendly to the warriors of Manatos," she remarked to Lan-O; "I have not seen a single welcoming sign from the people on the balconies." The slave girl looked at her in surprise.
Gahan, surrounded by his men, drew Tara and Lan-O into the passageway, and at a rapid pace the party sought to reach the opposite end of the tunnel before their escape could be cut off. They were successful and when they emerged into the city the sun had set and darkness had come, relieved only by an antiquated and ineffective lighting system, which cast but a pale glow over the shadowy streets.
Within the main entrance to The Tower of Jetan lolled a half-dozen warriors. To one of these spoke A-Kor, keeper of the towers. "Fetch Lan-O, the slave girl, and bid her bring food and drink to the upper level of the Thurian tower," then he lifted the half-fainting girl in his arms and bore her along the spiral, inclined runway that led upward within the tower.
Thick dust covered the floor within the doorway, indicating that a great period of time had elapsed since human foot had trod it a secret way, doubtless, unknown to living Manatorians. Here they dragged the corpse of E-Med, leaving it upon the platform, and as they left the dark and forbidden closet Lan-O would have slammed to the panel had not Tara prevented.
"Very largely," replied Lan-O. "How, then, through such justice, could a prisoner win his liberty?" continued the girl from Helium. "If a man, and he survived ten games his liberty would be his," replied Lan-O. "But none ever survives?" queried Tara. "And if a woman?" "No stranger within the gates of Manator ever has survived ten games," replied the slave girl.
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