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Updated: June 28, 2025
And surely Drake could be trusted not to repeat Ventnor's error. "Yuruk," I said, "we think you lie. We would speak to your mistress. Take us to her." "I have told you that the goddess is not here," he said. "If you do not believe it is nothing to me. I cannot take you to her for I do not know where she is. Is it your wish that I take you through her house?" "It is," I said.
The ebon pools of eyes were clarified of their ancient shadows by his terror; age was wiped from them by fear, even as it was wiped from his face. The wrinkles were gone. Appallingly youthful, the face of Yuruk prayed to us. "Why do you wait?" she asked us. "Time presses, and even now we should be on the way. When so many are so soon to die, why tarry over one? Slay him!"
It was closed, perhaps twenty miles away, by a barrier of cliffs. How, I wondered, did the path which Yuruk had pointed out to me pierce them? Was it by pass or tunnel; and why was it the armored men had not found and followed it? The waist between these two mountain wedges was a valley not more than a mile wide.
I glimpsed a path, a trail, leading into a forest pallid green beneath the wan light. This way thrust itself like a black tongue into the boskage and vanished in the depths. "Follow it." He pointed. "Take those who came with you and follow it." The wrinkles upon his face writhed with his eagerness. "You will go?" panted Yuruk. "You will take them and go by that path?"
"The goddess commands. Yuruk obeys." If fear quavered in the words, beneath was more than a trace of a sullenness, too, sinister enough. "That's a nice little playmate for her new playthings," muttered Drake. "If that bird gets the least bit gay I shoot him pronto." He gave Ruth a reassuring hug. "Cheer up, Ruth. Don't mind that thing. He's something we can handle."
As we filled the container at the outer spring, I told him of the revelations and the offer Yuruk had made to me. "Whew-w!" he whistled. "In the nutcracker, eh? Trouble behind us and trouble in front of us." "When do we start?" he asked, as we turned back. "Right after we've eaten," I answered. "There's no use putting it off. How do you feel about it?"
The goddess speaks!" It was a chant of adoration. "Yuruk. Rise. Look upon the strangers." The creature and now I knew what it was writhed, twisted, and hideously apelike crouched upon its haunches, hands knuckling the floor. By the amazement in the unwinking eyes it was plain that not till now had the eunuch taken cognizance of us.
"What's the matter?" asked Drake drowsily. "He tried to hypnotize us," I answered shortly. "And pretty nearly did." "So that's what it was." He was now wide awake. "I watched those hands of his and got sleepier and sleepier I guess we'd better tie Mr. Yuruk up." He jumped to his feet. "No," I said, restraining him. "No. He's safe enough as long as we're on the alert.
So thinking I became aware of increasing light; strode past Yuruk to the door and peeped out. Dawn was paling the sky. I stooped over Drake, shook him. On the instant he was awake, alert. "I only need a little sleep, Dick," I said. "When the sun is well up, call me." "Why, it's dawn," he whispered. "Goodwin, you ought not to have let me sleep so long. I feel like a damned pig."
How could Yuruk have made his way to the Persians so swiftly how could they so swiftly have returned? Amazingly she answered the spoken question and the unspoken. "They came long before dusk," she said. "By the night before Yuruk had won to Ruszark, the city of Cherkis; and long before dawn they were on their way hither. This the black dog I slew told me."
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