CHAPTER FOURTEEN THE GRAND HUNT
With the breaking of dawn Tarzan and Valthor arose, for the latter was to set out upon his journey to Athne early. The previous evening a slave had been directed to serve breakfast at daybreak, and the two men now heard him arranging the table in the adjoining room.
'We have met again, and again we part,' commented Valthor as he fastened his sandal straps to the ivory guards that encircled his ankles. 'I wish that you were going with me to Athne, my friend.'
'I would go with you were it not for the fact that Gemnon's life would be forfeited should I leave Cathne while he is responsible for me,' replied the ape-man, 'but you may rest assured that some day I shall pay you a visit in Athne.'
I never expected to see you alive again after we were separated by the flood,' continued Valthor, 'and when I realized you in the lion pit I could not believe my own eyes. Four times at least have you saved my life, Tarzan. You may be assured of a warm welcome in the house of my father at Athne whenever you come.
The debt, if you feel that there was one, is wiped out,' Tarzan assured him, 'since you saved my life last night by sleeping in my bed.'
'What saved whose life?' demanded a voice at the door.
'Good morning, Gemnon!' greeted Tarzan. 'My compliments and congratulations!'
'Thanks! But what about?' demanded the Cathenean.
'Upon your notable ability as a sound sleeper,' explained Tarzan, smiling.
Gemnon shook his head dubiously. 'Your words are beyond me. What are you talking about?'
'You slept last night through an attempted assassination, the killing of the culprit, and the disposition of his body. Phobeg's warning was no idle gossip.'
'You mean that someone came here last night to kill you?'
'And almost killed Valthor instead,' and then Tarzan briefly narrated the events of the attempt upon his life.
'Had you ever seen the man before?' asked Gemnon.
'Did you recognize him?'
'I paid little attention to him,' admitted Tarzan; 'I threw him out of the window. But I do not recall having seen him before.'
'Was he a noble?'
'No, he was a common warrior. Perhaps you will recognize him when you see him.'
'I shall have to have a look at him and report the matter at once,' said Gemnon. 'Nemone is going to be furious when she hears this.'
'She may have instigated it herself,' suggested Tarzan. 'She is half-mad.'
'Hush!' cautioned Gemnon. 'It is death even to whisper that thought. No, I do not believe it was Nemone, but were you to accuse Erot, M'duze, or Tomos I could easily agree to that. I must go now, and if I do not return before you leave, Valthor, be assured that I have enjoyed entertaining you. It is unfortunate that we are enemies and that the next time we meet we shall have to endeavour to take one another's head.'
'It is unfortunate and foolish,' replied Valthor.
'But it is the custom,' Gemnon reminded him.
'Then may we never meet, for I could never take pleasure in killing you.'
'Here's to it, then,' cried Gemnon, raising his hand as though it held a drinking horn. 'May we never meet again!' And with that he turned and left them.
Tarzan and Valthor had but scarcely finished their meal when a noble arrived to tell them that Valthor's escort was ready to depart, and a moment later, with a brief farewell, the Athnean left.
By Nemone's command the ape-man's weapons had been returned to him, and he was engaged in inspecting them, looking to the points and feathers of his arrows, his bowstring, and his grass rope, when Gemnon returned. The Cathnean was quite evidently angry and not a little excited. This was one of the few occasions upon which Tarzan had seen his warder other than smiling and affable.
'I have had a bad half hour with the queen,' explained Gemnon. 'I was lucky to get away with my life. She is furious over this attempt upon your life and blames me for neglect of duty. What am I to do? Sit on your window sill all night?'
Tarzan laughed. 'I am an embarrassment,' he said lightly, 'and I am sorry. But how can I help it? It was an accident that brought me here; it is perversity that keeps me, the perversity of a spoiled woman.'
'You had better not tell her that, or let other than me hear you say it,' Gemnon cautioned him.
I may tell her,' laughed Tarzan. 'I am afraid I never acquired that entirely human accomplishment called diplomacy.'
'She has sent me to summon you, and I warn you to exercise a little judgment, even though you have no diplomacy. Shehe is like a raging lion, and whoever arouses her further will be in for a mauling.'
'What does she want of me?' demanded Tarzan.
'Am I to remain in this house, caged up like a pet dog, to run at the beck of a woman?'
'She is investigating this attempt on your life and has summoned others to be questioned,' Gemnon explained.
Gemnon led the way to a large audience chamber where the nobles of the court were congregated before a massive throne on which the queen sat, her beautiful brows contracted in a frown. As Tarzan and Gemnon entered the room, she looked up; but she did not smile. A noble advanced and led the two men to seats near the foot of the throne.
As Tarzan glanced about at the faces of those near him, he saw Tomos, and Erot, and Xerstle. Erot was nervous; he fidgeted constantly upon his bench; he played with his fingers and with the hilt of his sword.
'We have been awaiting you,' said the queen as Tarzan took his seat. 'It appears that you did not exert yourself to hasten in response to our command.'
Tarzan looked up at her with an amused smile. 'On the contrary, your majesty, I returned at once with the noble Gemnon,' he explained respectfully.
'We have summoned you to tell the story of what happened in your apartment last night that resulted in the killing of a warrior.' She then turned to a noble standing at her side and whispered a few words in his ear, whereupon the man quit the room. 'You may proceed,' she said, turning again to Tarzan.
'There is little to tell,' replied the ape-man, rising.
'A man came to my room to kill me, but I killed him instead.'
'How did he enter your room?' demanded Nemone.
'Where was Gemnon? Did he admit the fellow?'
'Of course not,' replied Tarzan. 'Gemnon was asleep in his own room. The man who would have killed me was lowered from the window of the apartment above mine and entered through my window. There was a long rope tied about his body.'
'How did you know he came to kill you? Did he attack you?'
'Valthor, the Athnean, was sleeping in my bed; I was sleeping on the floor. The man did not see me, for the room was dark. He went to the bed where he thought I was sleeping. I awoke as he stood over Valthor, his sword raised in his hand ready to strike. Then I killed him and threw his body out of the window.'
'Did you recognize him? Had you ever seen him before?' asked the queen.
'I did not recognize him.'
There was a noise at the entrance to the audience chamber that caused Nemone to glance up. Four slaves bore a stretcher into the room and laid it at the foot of the throne; on it was the corpse of a man.
'Is this the fellow who attempted your life?' demanded Nemone.
'It is,' replied Tarzan.
She turned suddenly upon Erot. 'Did you ever see this man before?' she demanded.
Erot arose. He was white and trembled a little. 'But, your majesty, he is only a common warrior,' he
