Chapter Thirteen
WHILE Erich von Harben wooed Favonia beneath a summer moon in the garden of Septimus Favonius in the island city of Castrum Mare, a detachment of the brown legionaries of Sublatus Imperator dragged Tarzan of the Apes and Mpingu, the slave of Dion Splendidus, to the dungeons beneath the Colosseum of Castra Sanguinarius—- and far to the south a little monkey shivered from cold and terror in the topmost branches of a jungle giant, while Sheeta the panther crept softly through the black shadows far below.
In the banquet hall of his host, Maximus Praeclarus reclined upon a sofa far down the board from Fastus, the guest of honor. The prince, his tongue loosed by frequent drafts of native wine, seemed in unusually good spirits, radiating self-satisfaction. Several times be had brought the subject of conversation around to the strange white barbarian, who had insulted his sire and twice escaped from the soldiers of Sublatus.
'He would never have escaped from me that day,' he boasted, throwing a sneer in the direction of Maximus Praeclarus, 'nor from any other officer who is loyal to Caesar.'
'You had him, Fastus, in the garden of Dion Splendidus ,' retorted Praeclarus. 'Why did you not hold him?'
Fastus flushed. 'I shall hold him this time,' he blurted.
'This time?' queried Praeclarus. 'He has been captured again?' There was nothing in either the voice or expression of the young patrician of more than polite interest, though the words of Fastus had come with all the unexpected suddenness of lightning out of a clear sky.
'I mean,' explained Fastus, in some confusion, 'that if he is again captured I, personally, shall see that he does not escape,' but his words did not allay the apprehensions of Praeclarus.
All through the long dinner Praeclarus was cognizant of a sensation of foreboding. There was a menace in the air that was apparent in the veiled hostility of his host and several others who were cronies of Fastus.
As early as was seemly he made his excuses and departed. Armed slaves accompanied his litter through the dark avenues of Castra Sanguinarius, where robbery and murder slunk among the shadows hand in hand with the criminal element that had been permitted to propagate itself without restraint; and when at last he came to the doorway at his home and had alighted from his litter he paused and a frown of perplexity clouded his face as he saw that the door stood partially ajar, though there was no slave there to receive him.
The house seemed unusually quiet and lifeless. The night light, which ordinarily a slave kept burning in the forecourt when a member of the household was away, was absent. For an instant Praeclarus hesitated upon the threshold and then, throwing his cloak back from his shoulders to free his arms, he pushed the door open and stepped within.
In the banquet hall of a high court functionary the guests yawned behind their hands from boredom, but none dared leave while Caesar remained, for the Emperor was a guest there that evening. It was late when an officer brought a message to Sublatus—a message that the Emperor read with a satisfaction he made no effort to conceal.
'I have received an important message,' said Sublatus to his host, 'upon a matter that interests the noble Senator Dion Splendidus and his wife. It is my wish that you withdraw with the other guests, leaving us three here alone.'
When they had gone he turned to Dion Splendidus. 'It has long been rumored, Splendidus,' he remarked, 'that you aspire to the purple.'
'A false rumor, Sublatus, as you should well know,' replied the senator.
'I have reason to believe otherwise,' said Sublatus, shortly. 'There cannot be two Caesars, Splendidus, and you well know the penalty for treason.'
'If the Emperor has determined, for personal reasons or for any reason whatever, to destroy me, argument will avail me nothing,' said Splendidus, haughtily.
'But I have other plans,' said Sublatus, '—plans that might be overturned should I cause your death.'
'Yes?' inquired Splendidus, politely.
'Yes,' assented Sublatus. 'My son wishes to marry your daughter, Dilecta, and it is also my wish, for thus would the two most powerful families of Castra Sanguinarius be united and the future of the empire assured.'
'But our daughter, Dilecta, is betrothed to another,' said Splendidus.
'To Maximus Praeclarus?' inquired Sublatus.
'Yes,' replied the senator.
'Then let me tell you that she shall never wed Maximus Praeclarus,' said the Emperor.
'Why?' inquired Splendidus.
'Because Maximus Praeclarus is about to die.'
'I do not understand,' said Splendidus.
'Perhaps when I tell you that the white barbarian, Tarzan, has been captured, you will understand why Praeclarus is about to die,' said Sublatus, with a sneer.
Dion Splendidus shook his head negatively. 'I regret,' he said, 'that I do not follow Caesar.'
'I think you do, Splendidus,' said the Emperor, 'but that is neither here nor there, since it is Caesar's will that there he no breath of suspicion upon the sire of the next Empress of Castra Sanguinarius. So permit me to explain what I am sure that you already know. After the white barbarian escaped from my soldiers he was found by Maximus Praeclarus in your garden. My son, Fastus, witnessed the capture. One of your own slaves acted as interpreter between the barbarian and Maximus, who arranged that the barbarian should escape and take refuge in the home of Maximus. Tonight he was found there and captured, and Maximus Praeclarus has been placed under arrest. They are both in the dungeons beneath the Colosseum. It is improbable that these things should have transpired entirely without your knowledge, but I shall let it pass if you give your word that Dilecta shall marry Fastus.'
'During the entire history of Castra Sanguinarius,' said Dion Splendidus, 'it has been our boast that our daughters have been free to choose their own husbands—not even a Caesar might command a free woman to marry against her will.'
'That is true,' replied Sublatus, 'and for that very reason I do not command—I am only advising.'
'I cannot answer for my daughter,' said Splendidus. 'Let the son of Caesar do his own wooing as becomes the men of Castra Sanguinarius.'
Sublatus arose. 'I am only advising,' but his tone belied his words. 'The noble senator and his wife may retire to their home and give thought to what Caesar has said. In the course of a few days Fastus will come for his answer.'
By the light of the torch that illuminated the interior of the dungeon into which he was thrust by his captors, Tarzan saw a white man and several Negroes chained to the walls. Among the blacks was Lukedi, but when he recognized Tarzan he evinced only the faintest sign of interest, so greatly had his confinement weighed upon his mind and altered him.
The ape-man was chained next to the only other white in the dungeon, and he could not help but notice the keen interest that this prisoner took in him from the moment that he entered until the soldiers withdrew, taking the torch with them, leaving the dungeon in darkness.
As had been his custom while he was in the home of Maximus Praeclarus, Tarzan had worn only his loincloth and leopard skin, with a toga and sandals out of courtesy for Festivitas when he appeared in her presence. This evening, when he started out with Mpingu, he had worn the toga as a disguise, but in the scuffle that proceeded his capture it had been torn from him, with the result that his appearance was sufficient to arouse the curiosity of his fellow prisoners, and as soon as the guards were out of hearing the man spoke to him.
'Can it be,' he asked, 'that you are the white barbarian whose fame has penetrated even to the gloom and silence of the dungeon?'
'I am Tarzan of the Apes,' replied the ape-man.
'And you carried Sublatus out of his palace above your head and mocked at his soldiers!' exclaimed the other. 'By the ashes of my imperial father, Sublatus will see that you die the death.'
Tarzan made no reply.
'They say you run through the trees like a monkey,' said the other. 'How then did you permit yourself to be
