“She belonged to Zoanthrohago,” Kalfastoban explained to his friend, “but I doubt that he ever saw her, else he never would have parted with her for the paltry sum I paid.”
“You will take her for your own woman and raise her to our class?” asked Hamadalban.
“No,” replied Kalfastoban, “for then she would no longer be a slave and I could not sell her. Women are too expensive. I shall keep her for a time and then sell her while her value is still high. I should make a pretty profit from her.”
Tarzan’s fingers closed tightly, as though upon the throat of an enemy, and the right hand of Komodoflorensal crept to the hilt of his rapier.
A woman came from the quarters of Hamadalban and stood in the doorway.
“Two of the guards from the quarry are here with a green slave inquiring for Kalfastoban,” she said.
“Send them in,” directed the Vental.
A moment later the three entered—the slave was Caraftap.
“Ah!” exclaimed Kalfastoban, “my good slave, Caraftap; the best in the quarry. Why is he brought here?”
“He says that he has information of great value,” replied one of the guard; “but he will divulge it to none but you. He has staked his life against the worth of his information and the Novand of the guard ordered him brought hither.”
“What information have you?” demanded Kalfastoban.
“It is of great moment,” cried Caraftap. “Noble Zoanthrohago, and even the king, will be grateful for it; but were I to give it and have to return to the quarries the other slaves would kill me. You were always good to me, Kalfastoban Vental, and so I asked to be brought to you, for I know that if you promise that I shall be rewarded with the white tunic, if my service is considered worthy of it, I shall be safe.”
“You know that I cannot do that,” replied Kalfastoban.
“But the king can, and if you intercede with him he will not refuse.”
“I can promise to intercede with the king in your behalf if the information you bring is of value; but that is all I can do.”
“That is enough—if you promise,” said Caraftap.
“Very well, I promise. What do you know that the king would like to know?”
“News travels fast in Veltopismakus,” said Caraftap, “and so it was that we in the quarry heard of the death of the two slaves, Aoponato and Zuanthrol, within a short time after their bodies were discovered. As both had been slaves of Zoanthrohago we were all confined together in one chamber and thus I knew them both well. Imagine then my surprise when, while crossing one of the main spirals with a crew of other slaves, I beheld both Zuanthrol and Aoponato, in the habiliments of warriors, ascending toward the surface.”
“What is the appearance of these two?” suddenly demanded one of the warriors who had accompanied Caraftap from the quarry.
The slave described them as fully as he could.
“The same!” cried the warrior. “These very two stopped me upon the spiral and inquired the whereabouts of Kalfastoban.”
A crowd of women and men had gathered in the doorway of Kalfastoban’s chamber, having been attracted by the presence of a green slave accompanied by members of the quarry guard. One of them was a young slave girl.
“I, too, was questioned by these very men,” she exclaimed, “only a short time since, and they asked me the same question.”
One of Hamadalban’s women voiced a little scream. “They passed through our quarters but a moment since,” she cried, “and entered Kalfastoban’s, but they asked not where lay the quarters of Kalfastoban, the name they mentioned was unknown to me—a strange name.”
“Palastokar,” one of her companions reminded her.
“Yes, Palastokar, and they said he had his quarters upon the gallery leading from Kalfastoban’s to the outer corridor.”
“There is no one of such a name in the Royal Dome,” said Kalfastoban. “It was but a ruse to enter my quarters.”
“Or to pass through them,” suggested one of the quarry guard.
“We must hurry after them,” said the other.
“Keep Caraftap here until we return, Kalfastoban,” said the first guard, “and also search your own quarters and those adjoining carefully. Come!” and motioning to the other guard he crossed the chamber and departed along the gallery that led to the outer corridor, followed not alone by his fellow but by Hamadalban and all the other men who had congregated in the chamber, leaving Kalfastoban and Caraftap, with the women, in the Vental’s quarters.
XVIII
Kalfastoban turned immediately to a search of the various chambers of his quarters, but Caraftap laid a restraining hand upon his arm.
“Wait, Vental,” he begged. “If they be here would it not be best to insure their capture by fastening the doors leading from your quarters?”
“A good thought, Caraftap,” replied Kalfastoban, “and then we may take our time searching for them. Out of here, all you women!” he cried, waving the females back into Hamadalban’s quarters. A moment later the two doors leading from the chamber to Hamadalban’s quarters and the gallery were closed and locked.
“And now, master,” suggested Caraftap, “as there be two of them would it not be well to supply me with a weapon.”
Kalfastoban smote his chest. “A dozen such could Kalfastoban overcome alone,” he cried; “but for your own protection get you a sword from yonder room while I lock this proud she-cat in her cell again.”
As Kalfastoban followed Talaskar to the room in which she had been confined, Caraftap crossed to the door of the storeroom where
