'What were you doing in the palace?' demanded the man.
'We took packages there from the captain of the ship to The Cid's storeroom,' explained the Sarian.
'I do not like the looks of you,' said the man. 'I have never seen either one of you before.'
'We have been away upon a long cruise,' replied Tanar.
'Wait here until the captain of the gate returns,' said the man. 'He will wish to question you.'
The Sarian's heart sank. 'If we are late in returning to our ship, we shall be punished,' said he.
'That is nothing to me,' replied the soldier.
Stellara reached inside her cloak and beneath the man's shorts that covered her own apparel and searched until she found a pouch that was attached to her girdle. From this she drew something which she slipped into Tanar's hands. He understood immediately, and stepping close to the soldier he pressed two pieces of gold into the fellow's palm. 'It will go very hard with us if we are late,' he said.
The man felt the cool gold within his palm. 'Very well,' he said, gruffly, 'go on about your business, and be quick about it.'
Without waiting for a second invitation Tanar and Stellara merged with the crowd upon the Korsar street. Nor did either speak, and it is possible that Stellara did not even breathe until they had left the palace gate well behind.
'And where now?' she asked at last.
'We are going to sea,' replied the man.
'In a Korsar ship?' she demanded.
'In a Korsar boat,' he replied. 'We are going fishing.'
Along the banks of the river were moored many craft, but when Tanar saw how many men were on or around them he realized that the plan he had chosen, which contemplated stealing a fishing boat, most probably would end disastrously, and he explained his doubts to Stellara.
'We could never do it,' she said. 'Stealing a boat is considered the most heinous crime that one can commit in Korsar, and if the owner of a boat is not aboard it you may rest assured that some of his friends are watching it for him, even though there is little likelihood that anyone will attempt to steal it since the penalty is death.'
Tanar shook his head. 'Then we shall have to risk passing through the entire city of Korsar ,' he said, 'and going out into the open country without any reasonable excuse in the event that we are questioned.'
'We might buy a boat,' suggested Stellara.
'I have no money.' said Tanar.
'I have,' replied the girl. 'The Cid has always kept me well supplied with gold.'
Once more she reached into her pouch and drew forth a handful of gold pieces. 'Here,' she said, 'take these. If they are not enough you can ask me for more, but I think that you can buy a boat for half that sum.'
Questioning the first man that he approached at the river side, Tanar learned that there was a small fishing boat for sale a short way down the river, and it was not long before they had found its owner and consummated the purchase.
As they pushed off into the current and floated down stream, Tanar became conscious of a sudden conviction that his escape from Korsar had been effected too easily; that there must be something wrong, that either he was dreaming or else disaster and recapture lay just ahead.
Borne down toward the sea by the slow current of the river, Tanar wielded a single oar, paddlewise from the stern, to keep the boat out in the channel and its bow in the right direction, for he did not wish to make sail under the eyes of Korsar sailors and fishermen, as he was well aware that he could not do so without attracting attention by his bungling to his evident inexperience and thus casting suspicion upon them.
Slowly the boat drew away from the city and from the Korsar raiders anchored in mid-stream and then, at last, he felt that it would be safe to hoist the sail and take advantage of the land breeze that was blowing.
With Stellara's assistance the canvas was spread and as it bellied to the wind the craft bore forward with accelerated speed, and then behind them they heard shouts and, turning, saw three boats speeding toward them.
Across the waters came commands for them to lay to.
The pursuing boats, which had set out under sail and had already acquired considerable momentum, appeared to be rapidly overhauling the smaller craft. But presently, as the speed of the latter increased, the distance between them seemed not to vary.
The shouts of the pursuers had attracted the attention of the sailors on board the anchored raiders, and presently a heavy shot struck the water just off their starboard bow.
Tanar shook his head. 'That is too close,' he said. 'I had better come about.'
'Why?' demanded Stellara.
'I do not mind risking capture,' he said, 'because in that event no harm will befall you when they discover your identity, but I cannot risk the cannon shots for if one of them strikes us, you will be killed.'
'Do not come about,' cried the girl. 'I would rather die here with you than be captured, for capture would mean death for you and then I should not care to live. Keep on, Tanar, we may outdistance them yet. And as for their cannon shots, a small, moving boat like this is a difficult target and their marksmanship is none too good.'
Again the cannon boomed and this time the ball passed over them and struck the water just beyond.
'They are getting our range,' said Tanar.
The girl moved close to his side, where he sat by the tiller. 'Put your arm around me, Tanar,' she said. 'If we must die, let us die together.'
The Sarian encircled her with his free arm and drew her close to him, and an instant later there was a terrific explosion from the direction of the raider that had been firing on them. Turning quickly toward the ship, they saw what had happened—an overcharged cannon had exploded.
'They were too anxious,' said Tanar.
It was some time before another shot was fired and this one fell far astern, but the pursuing boats were clinging tenaciously to their wake.
'They are not gaining,' said Stellara.
'No,' said Tanar, 'and neither are we.'
'But I think we shall after we reach the open sea,' said the girl. 'We shall get more wind there and this boat is lighter and speedier than theirs. Fate smiled upon us when it led us to this boat rather than to a larger one.'
As they approached the sea their pursuers, evidently fearing precisely what Stellara had suggested, opened fire upon them with harquebuses and pistols. Occasionally a missile would come dangerously close, but the range was just a little too great for their primitive weapons and poor powder.
On they sailed out into the open Korsar Az , which stretched onward and upward into the concealing mist of the distance. Upon their left the sea inward forming a great bay, while almost directly ahead of them, though at so great a distance that it was barely discernible, rose the dim outlines of a headland, and toward this Tanar held his course.
The chase had settled down into a dogged test of endurance. It was evident that the Korsars had no intention of giving up their prey even though the pursuit led to the opposite shore of the Korsar Az, and it was equally evident that Tanar entertained no thought of surrender.
On and on they sped, the pursued and the pursuers. Slowly the headland took shape before them, and later a great forest was visible to the left of it—a forest that ran down almost to the sea.
'You are making for land?' asked Stellara.
'Yes,' replied the Sarian. 'We have neither food nor water and if we had I am not sufficiently a sailor to risk navigating this craft across the Korsar Az.'
'But if we take to the land, they will be able to trail us,' said the girl.
'You forgot the trees, Stellara,' the man reminded her.
'Yes, the trees,' she cried. 'I had forgotten. If we can reach the trees I believe that we shall be safe.'
As they approached the shore inside the headland, they saw great combing rollers breaking among the rocks and the angry, sullen boom of the sea came back to their ears.
'No boat can live in that,' said Stellara.
Tanar glanced up and down the shore-line as far as he could see and then he turned and let his eyes rest sadly upon his companion.
