'He said, 'The Toganja'; and died with the beginning of her name on his lips. I do not know that Mephis suspected, for he had not seen what I had in the house of Narvon; but I feared that he might suspect, and so I came here to take you to Sanara with me.'
She pressed my hand. 'You are a good friend,' she said. 'I knew that you would be, and it was first proved to me when you prevented that kordogan from searching the back room of Narvon's house; now you have proved it again. Yes, you are a very good friend, Carson of Venus.'
That name on her lips startled me. 'How did you know?' I asked. 'When did you find out?'
'The morning after we dined together that first time in the evening of the day that you entered Amlot.'
'But how?' I insisted.
She laughed softly. 'We are all suspicious here in Amlot, suspicious of everyone. We are always searching for new friends, expecting new enemies. The instant that I saw you in that restaurant I knew that you were not of Amlot, probably not of Korva; but if you were of Korva, the chances were excellent that you were a spy from Sanara. I had to find out. Oh, how many times I have laughed when I recalled your stories of Vodaro. Why, you didn't know the first thing about that country.'
'But how did you find out about me?' I demanded.
'I sent an emissary to your room in the travellers' house to search your belongings while you slept. He brought me Muso's message to Spehon.'
'Oh, so that is why that was never used against me,' I exclaimed. 'It has had me worried ever since it disappeared, as you may well imagine.'
'I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. You have no idea how careful we have to be.'
'You were very careless in going to the house of Narvon,' I said.
'We hadn't the slightest reason to believe that Narvon was suspected. Now that I know how loyal you are, I don't mind telling you that we are planning a counterrevolution that will overthrow the Zanis and restore Kord to the throne.'
'That can never be done,' I said.
'Why?' she demanded.
'Kord is dead.'
She was horrified. 'You are sure?' she asked.
'I saw Mephis assassinate him.' I told her the story briefly.
She shook her head sadly. 'There is so much less to fight for now,' she said. 'Muso might easily be as bad as Mephis.'
'Muso is a traitor to his own country,' I said. 'That message I brought you proves it clearly. I wish that I had it now to take back to Sanara with me. The army would rise against him; and with Kord dead, the people would rally around the man they love and make him jong.'
'Who is that?' she asked.
' Taman ,' I said.
' Taman ! But Taman is dead.'
' Taman dead? How do you know?' My heart sank at the thought. Duare and I would have no powerful friend in Sanara.
'We heard some time ago from a captured Sanaran officer that Muso had sent him to Amlot on a dangerous mission and that he had never returned to Sanara. It was a foregone conclusion that he must be dead.'
I breathed a sigh of relief. 'He was returned safely to Sanara before I left there; and unless he has been killed since I came to Amlot, he is still alive.'
'You shall have the message,' she said. 'I kept it. But how do you expect to escape from Amlot and get back through the Zani lines in safety?'
'Do you forget that Carson of Venus is the mistal that flies over Zani troops and drops bombs on them?' I asked.
'But the thing you fly in? You haven't that here?'
'It is not far away. I am praying that nothing has happened to it. That was the chance I had to take.'
'You are so lucky that I am sure you will find it just as you left it. And, speaking of luck, how in the world did you ever get out of the city, with the entire Zani Guard looking for you? They are absolutely turning the city inside out, I am told.'
'I was stopped by a detachment of the Guard on my way to the quay. Fortunately for me, it was commanded by Mantar. He is a good friend, thanks to you.'
'He is one of us,' she said.
'I suspected you both almost from the first, notwithstanding your Maltu Mephises and your Zani salutes.'
'I was so sure of you that I was a little freer than usual. Somehow, I knew you were all right—you just couldn't have been a Zani at heart.'
'We shouldn't be sitting here talking,' I told her. 'Go get Muso's message and a few of your belongings, and we'll be on our way to Sanara.'
She shook her head. 'I wish that I might,' she said, 'but I have a duty to perform before I leave Amlot.'
'There is nothing more important than saving your life,' I insisted.
'There is something more important to me than my life,' she replied. 'I am going to tell you what it is and why I must stay and what I am going to do—something that I have shared with only Mantar before. Mantar and my man were the closest of friends. They were officers in the same regiment of the jong's Guard. When Mephis formed the Zani Party during the last disastrous war, my man was one of his bitterest foes. It was in the last battle of the war that my man was supposed to have been killed. His body was never found. But he was not killed in battle. A private soldier, who had been closely attached to Mantar, saw my man die, and he told Mantar the story of his end. He was tortured and murdered by a band of Zanis under direction of Mephis. When I learned this, I swore to kill Mephis; but I wished to wait until my act would be of service to my country. We are preparing for a sudden stroke at Zani power. When our forces are ready, the violent death of Mephis would throw the Zanis into at least temporary demoralization. I must be here to see that he dies a violent death at the proper time.'
'But suppose you are suspected now and arrested? You can't carry out your plan then.'
'If I am arrested, I shall still carry out my plan to kill Mephis,' she said. 'I shall certainly be taken before him for questioning and probably for torture; then I shall kill him. You must go now. I'll fetch Muso's message. Just a moment,' and she was gone.
I felt a wave of melancholy surge through me as I sat there waiting for her to return. I knew that I should never see her again, for she was going to certain death, even if she succeeded in destroying Mephis. She was so beautiful and fine, such a loyal friend—it was tragic that she must die.
Presently she came back with Muso's message. 'Here it is,' she said. 'I hope it puts Taman on the throne. I wish that I were to live to see that day.'
Then she, too, knew that she would not! I think I loathed Mephis more that instant than I ever had before which is saying something which no superlative can express.
'I am coming back, Zerka,' I said. 'Perhaps I can aid you in the overthrow of the Zanis. A few bombs at the psychological moment might help your cause. Or maybe you will have changed your mind and decided to come away with me. Now listen carefully. Southwest of Amlot is a flat-topped mountain.'
'Yes,' she said, 'it is called Borsan.'
'Two rivers join just this side of it, and in the fork of the rivers there is a farm. It belongs to a man named Lodas.'
'I know him well,' she said. 'He is one of us—a loyal soul.'
'When I come back I shall circle over the farm of Lodas,' I explained. 'If I see a smoke-fire lighted in one of his fields, I shall know that I am to land for a message from you—or, better still, for you, I hope. If I see no smoke, I shall fly on to Amlot and circle the city. That will throw the city into a turmoil, I am sure. You will hear of it and see me. If you are alive, you will make one smoke-fire on your beach, here. If you would like to have me bomb the palace and the barracks, you will light two smoke-fires. If I see no smoke-fire, I shall know that you are dead; and then I shall bomb hell out of the Zanis.'
'What is hell?' she asked.
'That is something peculiar to Earthmen,' I laughed. 'And now I must be going. Goodby, Zerka.' I touched her
