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"I'll be all right," said Ruth. "I'm not afraid of Yuruk. And none of these Things will hurt me not after not after " Her eyes fell, her lips quivered, then she faced us steadily. "Don't ask me how I know that," she said quietly. "Believe me, I do know it. I am closer to them than you two are. And if I choose I can call upon that alien strength their master gave me. It is for you two that I fear."
The eunuch raised his head; slowly, fearfully. "Goddess!" he whispered. "Goddess! Mercy!" "I saved him," she turned to us, "for you to slay. He it was who brought those who took the maid who was mine and the helpless one she loved. Slay him." Drake understood his hand twitched down to his pistol, drew it. He leveled the gun at the black eunuch. Yuruk saw it shrieked and cowered.
She had gone even as the black eunuch had said; flitting unseen past Ruth, perhaps, absorbed in her watch over her brother; perhaps through some hidden opening in this room of hers. Yuruk let drop the curtains, sidled back to the first room, we after him. The two there had not moved. We drew the saddlebags close, propped ourselves against them.
"But Yuruk was with us here at dawn yesterday," I gasped. "A night has passed since then," she said, "and another night is almost gone." Stunned, I considered this.
It threw itself at her feet, prostrate, the inordinately long arms outstretched. "Mistress!" it whined in a high and curiously unpleasant falsetto. "Great lady! Goddess!" She stretched out a sandaled foot, touched one of the black taloned hands, and at the contact I saw a shiver of ecstasy run through the lank body. "Yuruk " she began, and paused, regarding us. "The goddess speaks! Yuruk hears!
And after a while forthwith those who still remained of hers stole out with my mother to find him. They left me here with Yuruk. And Cherkis caught my mother." The proud breasts heaved, the eyes shot forth visible flames. "My father was flayed alive and crucified," she said. "His skin they nailed to the City's gates.
The one opposite held a half-dozen suits of the lacquered armor, as many wicked looking, short and double-edged swords and long javelins. The third I judged to be the lair of Yuruk; within it was a copper brazier, a stand of spears and a gigantic bow, a quiver full of arrows leaning beside it. The fourth room was littered with coffers great and small, of wood and of bronze, and all tightly closed.
Don't I beg you, don't." "You're wrong," he answered stubbornly. "I'm going to get her. She's got to talk." He thrust out a hand to the curtains. Before he could touch them, they were parted. Out from between them slithered the black eunuch. He stood motionless, regarding us; in the ink-black eyes a red flame of hatred. I pushed myself between him and Drake. "Where is your mistress, Yuruk?"
The amazement fled, was replaced with a black fire of malignancy, of hatred jealousy. "Augh!" he snarled; leaped to his feet; thrust an arm toward Ruth. She gave a little cry, cowered against Drake. "None of that!" He struck down the clutching arm. "Yuruk!" There was a hint of anger in the bell-toned voice. "Yuruk, these belong to me. No harm must come to them. Yuruk beware!"
I, Norhala, and my servants shall stamp them into the rock of their valley so that none shall know that they have been! And would that I could meet their gods with all their powers that I might break them, too, and stamp them into the rock under the feet of my servants!" She threw out white arms. Why had Yuruk lied to me? I wondered as I watched her. The Disk had not slain her mother. Of course!
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