Human Mice of Kordar by Basil Wells - Chapter 2
1941 Stirring Science, Sword & Sorcery Tale
Stirring Science Stories, June 1941
CHAPTER II
How long they journeyed through the abysmal blackness of dusty vacant corridors and tortuous ragged passages, squeezing through narrow crevices left between the walls and often being turned back by blind alleys, they could never have told.
But at last they came into a passage where the dust was not so thick underfoot and the smell of humankind was growing stronger in the stale air. Where the way narrowed Thom could feel the greasy smoothness of the wall where naked flesh of men had rubbed in passing.
Thom proceeded cautiously now, for the outlaw bands of Tobe were the only inhabitants of these dismal outer ways. Somehow he must come upon one of them and convince him that they were really escaped slaves trying to leave the city.
His groping fingers found a stiff leather curtain, the thick hide of a wild kruka, and carefully he shoved it aside.
Beyond the curtain opened a dimly lighted chamber, roughly oval in shape and high of ceiling. Across the room, thirty feet away, a second curtain of kruka hide was outlined by a flood of yellow light from another room.
Silent as prowling drons, the leopard-spotted apes of the hills, they crossed the room and came close to the doorway. Andor Thid luxuriated in the vagrant heat that leaked through the imperfect door of hide, his chilled ancient bones soaking up that welcome warmth gratefully. Meanwhile Thom applied his eye to a shoulder-high slit in the curtain.
For a moment the unaccustomed brilliance of the three giant candles burning on pedestals of stone within the room blinded him. Then he could see.
"A warrior," he whispered to Andor Thid, "lying on a narrow bed bandaged about the head and body. The stub of his right arm sticks upright from his body. Badly wounded.
"A woman—beautiful as all the beautiful women of Kordar rolled into one—kneels before the sooty fire of coal in the fireplace. She is lovely above . . . “
"Any others in the room?" interrupted the old priest testily.
"None," snapped Thom.
The girl turned toward the bed, smiling sadly down at the wounded outlaw. Now Thom could see that ornaments of gold and snowy white uzal were about her white neck and upon her rounded arms. A net of linked golden strands confined her high-piled hair and thin golden discs cupped her full firm breasts. Even her kilted skirt, extending modestly almost to her knees, was embroidered with intricate designs in gold, and her high-thonged grayish sandals were richly ornamented with that same yellow metal and with tiny precious stones.
Thom pushed aside the hanging curtain and stepped into the lighted rocky chamber. The girl turned as the draft of chill air struck her body and she shrank back fearfully against the wounded man's bed. Thom pried the leather helmet from his head and bowed.
"Pardon me," he said, "but I am an escaped slave. My comrade and myself seek only to leave the city and go to distant Narth."
"Narth!" exclaimed the girl throatily, and she took an impulsive step forward.
"Lyan," the husky voice of the man on the rude bed commanded, "step aside. Let me see this escaped slave before I summon my men."
"I am Thom Egan," said the young man, "and this is Andor Thid, sometime priest of The Place of The Scarlet Skull. Both of us are fugitives. from the men of Tobe."
"You," cried the wounded man, new life flaring momentarily in his sunken eyes, "are indeed Thom Egan, my prince! I am Thun Tuga, outlaw and renegade, but I am also a true son of Narth. I salute you and The Flame that burns in your hair!"
"Thun Tuga," murmured old Andor Thid. "I remember you. A leader of urrars from the city of Therak."
The outlaw smiled bitterly as though the very name of Therak evoked unpleasant memories.
Thom came closer to the side of the outlaw. The girl moved aside, her great sad eyes shining with a steady fire far down in their limpid depths.
"You see, Father," she whispered to Thun Tuga, "The Flame has heard your call, and answered."
I am to die, my Nuran," Thun Tuga said. "I have feared to leave—Lyan—alone among the members of my band. They are rough, uncouth men of violence and Lyan is, as you see, a lovely woman."
"You are right," agreed Thom, "she is out of place here."
"Once I was leader of urrars," the outlaw continued, "and bore the name of a proud family. I was rich and respected. Then... but why continue. My strength fails me. Andor Thid can tell you the rest.
"One last request I make of you as my ruler. Take what you desire or require of my treasures—they are many and rich—but with you, when you return to Narth, take my daughter Lyan. Guard her tenderly, my Nuran, for she is my all.
"And may you win again the throne of Narth from the usurper priests of The Place."
"Thun Tuga!" cried Andor Thid, his seamed features working convulsively, "what say you? Usurper priests?"
"They have exiled—the Ranu—Unina from Narth," the fading voice gasped out weakly.
Suddenly the dying bulk of the man lifted free from the blankets beneath him and he sat upright. His eyes blazed savagely and the stub of his arm upraised.
"For The Flame and Egan!" he roared proudly—and died.
After a long moment of silence, broken only when Lyan buried her tearful face in the blankets beside her father's body, Thom turned away from that triumphant, peaceful dead face and was confronted by three grim-faced warriors, their keen swords menacing his middle.
One of them, a squat, one-eyed scarred man, nodded sharply toward the further corner of the room. Thom and the priest followed the outlaws as they backed away before them. Then the one-eyed man's sword dropped and he regarded Thom quizzically.
"I don't know where you dropped from, stranger," he said, "but you're a nice set-up young fellow. I'd hate to have to jab a sliver of steel between your ribs. Maybe you're what you claim to be. We heard your talk and it sounded straight.
"But here's what we wanted to say—Dunja, Tholar, and myself, Tolab by name—we'll stand for no shady dealings with the lass.
"If she goes with you to Narth, we go along. We tended her since she was a little girl of two or three; so we go on protecting her until we die."
His two comrades nodded their agreement.
"Good," said Thom gravely. "We will be glad to have you along. The way is dangerous. Every additional sword is welcome."
"Thought you'd appreciate our offer," grinned Tolab. "Put up your blood-needles, lads."
They carried all that was mortal of the outlaw chieftain away to a distant rocky gallery where many another disintegrating outlaw body lay. Upon their return Tolab drew the two men from Narth aside and spoke with them.
"Kral Gant, the second in command," he said, "raids a distant caravan route on the other side of Tobe. He will probably not return for several hours, possibly a day or so. But when he does—we had best be gone."
"Why?" Andor Thid wanted to know.
"He has long desired the lass for his own," Tolab growled, "and now he will take her. Also he will claim the loot of Thun Tuga for his own. Already I have sent two loyal men to the river wall to make ready one of the sailing craft hidden there."
"If Lyan agrees," Thom told him, "we will leave at once. I, too, am anxious to leave Tobe behind."
"Then it is settled," said Tolab. "I have already spoken to Lyan and she is prepared to go at a moment's notice. We'll gather up a bit of jewelry and other equipment and get moving."
