'And what is that?'
'Ero Shan does not love me.'
'How do you know that he doesn't? I don't see how he could help it. If I had never known Duare—'
'If he loved me he would tell me,' she interrupted. 'Sometimes I think that he believes that I belong to you. We came here together, you know, and we have been much together since. But what's the good in speculating! If he loved me he would not be able to hide it.'
We had finished our dinner, and I suggested that we drive about the city for a while and then go to a concert.
'Let's take a little walk instead of driving,' suggested Nalte, and as we rose from our table. 'How beautiful the view is from here!'
In the strange glow of the Amtorian night the expanse of the great river stretched into the vanishing visibility above and below the city, while on the opposite shore gloomy Kormor was but a darker blotch against the darkness of the night, with here and there a few dim lights showing feebly in contrast to brilliant Havatoo lying at our feet.
We followed the walkway along Havatoo Lat. to a narrow side street that extended away from the river.
'Let's turn here,' said Nalte. 'I feel like quiet and dim lights to-night, not the brilliance and the crowds of Havatoo Lat.'
The street that we turned into was in the yorgan section of the city; it was but dimly lighted, and the walkway was deserted. It was a quiet and restful street even by comparison with the far from noisy main avenues of Havatoo, where raucous noises are unknown.
We had proceeded but a short distance from Havatoo Lat. when I heard a door open behind us and footsteps on the walkway. I gave the matter no thought; in fact I scarcely had time to give it thought when some one seized me roughly from behind and as I wheeled about I saw another man grab Nalte, clap a hand over her mouth and drag her into the doorway from which the two had come.
Chapter 17—City of the Dead
I TRIED to break away from the man who held me, but he was very strong. I did succeed in turning about so that I could strike him; and this I did repeatedly, hitting him in the face as he sought to reach my throat with his fingers.
We must have made quite a lot of noise in that quiet street although neither of us spoke, for soon a head was put out of a window, and presently men and women came running from their houses. But before any of them reached us I had tripped my assailant and was on top of him clutching his throat. I would have choked the life out of him had not several men dragged me from him.
They were shocked and angry because of this unseemly disturbance and brawl on a street in Havatoo, and they placed us under arrest, nor would they listen to what I tried to tell them. All they would say was: 'The judges will listen to you;' 'it is not our province to judge.'
As every citizen of Havatoo has police powers and there is no other police force, there was no delay as there would have been in an earthly city while waiting for the police to answer a summons.
We were bundled into a large car belonging to one of the citizens, and with an adequate guard we were whisked away toward the Sera Tartum.
They do things with celerity in Havatoo. They may have a jail; I presume they have, but they didn't waste any time or cause the state any expense by putting us in to be boarded and lodged by the taxpayers.
Five men were hastily summoned, one from each of the five upper classes; they were judge, jury, and court of last resort. They sat in a large room that resembled a huge library; they were served by a dozen clerks.
One of the judges asked us our names, and when we had given them two clerks went quickly to the shelves and brought forth books in which they began to search.
Then the judges asked those who had arrested us to explain why they brought us in. During the recital of our violation of the peace of Havatoo one of the clerks, evidently having found what he sought, laid his book open before the judges; the other was still searching.
From the open book one of the judges read aloud my official record since I had come to Havatoo, including the result of the examination that I had undergone and its embarrassing finding.
A judge asked me to state my case. In a few brief words I told of the unprovoked attack upon us and the abduction of Nalte, and in conclusion I said, 'Instead of wasting time trying me for being the victim of this unwarranted attack and defending myself against my assailant you should be helping me search for the girl who has been stolen.'
'The peace of Havatoo is of more importance than the life of any individual,' replied a judge. 'When we have fixed the responsibility for this breach of the peace the other matter will be investigated.'
The second clerk now approached the judges. 'The name of the prisoner who calls himself Mal Un does not appear in the records in Havatoo.'
All eyes turned toward my assailant, Mal Un, and for the first time I had a good look at him under a bright light. I saw his eyes! Instantly I recalled what I had evidently noticed only subconsciously before—the chill of the flesh of his hands and his throat when I had fought with him. And now those eyes. They were the eyes of a dead man!
I wheeled toward the judges. 'I understand it all now,' I cried. 'When I first came to Havatoo I was told that there were few bad men in the city; but that occasionally, none knew how, bad men came from the city of Kormor across the river and stole men and women from Havatoo. This man is from Kormor. He is not a living man; he is a corpse. He and his companion sought to steal Nalte and me for Skor!'
With calm efficiency the judges made a few brief and simple, but none the less effective, tests upon Mal Un; then they whispered together for a few seconds without leaving the bench. Following this, the one who acted as spokesman for the tribunal cleared his throat.
'Mal Un,' he announced, 'you will be decapitated and cremated forthwith. Carson Napier, you are exonerated with honor. You are free. You may conduct a search for your companion and call upon any citizen of Havatoo to assist you in any way that you desire assistance.'
As I was leaving the room I heard a mirthless laugh burst from the dead mouth of Mal Un. Horribly it rang in my ears as I hastened out into the night. The dead man laughing because he was sentenced to death.
* * * * *
Naturally, the first person I thought of in my extremity was Ero Shan, who had rescued me from the ape-men. My own car was parked where I had left it at the corner of Yorgan Lat. and Havatoo Lat.; so I hailed a public conveyance and was driven rapidly to the house at which Ero Shan was being entertained that evening.
I did not go in but sent word that I wished to speak to him upon a matter of great urgency, and a moment later I saw him coming from the house toward me.
'What brings you here, Carson ?' he asked. 'I thought you were spending the evening with Nalte.'
When I told him what had happened he went very white. 'There is no time to be lost!' he cried. 'Can you find that house again?'
I told him that I could. That doorway is indelibly burned into my memory.'
'Dismiss your car; we will go in mine,' he said, and a moment later we were speeding toward the place where I had lost Nalte.
'You have all my sympathy, my friend,' said Ero Shan. 'To have lost the woman you love, and such a woman! is a calamity beyond any feeble words to express.'
'Yes,' I replied, 'and even if I had loved Nalte I could scarcely be more grieved than I now am.'
''Even if you had loved Nalte'!' he repeated incredulously. 'But, man, you do love her, do you not?'
'We were only the best of friends,' I replied. 'Nalte did not love me.'
Ero Shan made no reply, he drove swiftly on in silence. Presently we reached our destination. Ero Shan stopped his car beside the stairway, nearest the house, that led up to the walkway; and a moment later we were before the door.
Repeated summons elicited no response, and then I tried the door and found it unlocked.
