“Their first Poseidon-their leader-was a son of the house of the Sun in the motherland. But in time his line died out, and the people chose their own ruler. He was strong in will and in desire for power, and he turned from the path to life to assail the wall between the Shadow and our earth: that wall nurtured by the Flame to protect man from all that crawls in the outer dark. He drank power as the herders of the hills drink strange dreams from the juices of the tracmon.
“And he did not want to stand again in the Hall of the Hundred Kings to receive the word of the Ru Mu but to go his own way-”
Listening, Ray forgot fear, fastening on the need for getting a picture of this new world, erecting thus a barrier against dangerous thoughts. ‘
“Thus began the rule of Ba-Al, the father of evil, hate, lust, all those thoughts and desires within a man that do him harm. It began secretly, underground, in caves, then more openly. It was a corrosive within the ranks of warriors, the companies of the people, the
seamen. Only the Sunborn remained true to the Flame. Then, on a last day, the Sunborn were put to the sword and thereafter has Atlantis stood alone.”
“There is a war going on?”
Cho shook his head. “Not yet. The motherland has been dangerously drained of her old strength, having given so generously to her children that she is nearly a ` hollow shell. Her best men and materials have been spread among the colonies. But now the Poseidon,,
; grandson of that first devil worshiper, ,is ready to rend the veil of peace. He mouths his defiance-which is one. reason why I stand here-”
“You were captured in a fight?”
“No, I had not that much satisfaction. 4 was sent hither to the Barren Lands to search out any secret forts or strongholds of the Atlanteans, places where their vessels may hide between raids. We were on a scouting expedition ashore when we were ambushed by pirates. Learning my rank, they did not slaughter me out of hand but sold me instead to this Red Robe for three swords of Chalybian forging and four emeralds. More perhaps than I would bring in the open market of Sanpar, the accursed, where the Witch Queen rules the` scum of all nations. That was at dawn this morning.”’
“What will they do with you?”
“Should I escape the altar of Ba-Al, it will be to rot in their dungeons-or so they reckon. Three ships of ours have vanished during one moon, and none of their crews escaped. But if the Flame will favor me-” He stopped abruptly.
3
SOMEONE was descending the ladder into the rowing pit. Ray heard the clink of armor and the thud of more than one pair of boots. Two of the hunters passed before him carrying a polished bone-clean skull with huge antlers-the elk’s? They lowered their burden to the deck and went away. But the officer behind them remained, stooping to cover the skull with a cloth. A hurried thought message reached Ray. “Stand ready, comrade! If you are freed, make for the corner of the deck in the shadow of the ladder. If I cannot join you, dive for the sea. It will be far better than aught this ship offers-” Cho had not asked if he could swim, thought Ray. But the Murian’s gaze was on the officer, and under that steady regard, though the Atlantean did not lift his eyes to meet it or seem aware he was so watched, his movements grew less certain. He fumbled a little, and then he did look at the prisoners. As his eyes at last met Cho’s, he arose slowly. He might have been moving under compulsion. Held by the Murian’s stare, he came to them, one slow step at a time: Stopping before Ray, he plucked at the iron ring holding the American’s right wrist. Then, after the arms were free, the Atlantean went down on one knee to unfasten the ankle rings. But all this time the officer worked by touch alone, his eyes held by Cho’s. Ray stood free. He hesitated only a moment before he sped to the shadow the Murian had indicated. Then he turned. The Atlantean was now loosing Cho. Suddenly the officer jerked upright. He shook his head and raised his hands uncertainly to his forehead. Ray shifted from foot to foot, hands on the rail. It was apparent that whatever had made the Atlantean obey Cho’s wishes was failing. Could the Murian reassert
mastery? Maybe. The officer was stooping again to the ring. Then he swayed. Recovering balance, he smashed his fist into the Murian’s face. A second vicious blow split Cho’s lips. Ray leaped, but not for the sea. “Go! The guard comes-” The American lost the rest of that order as he attacked. His arm crooked about the officer’s throat; he dragged-him back and struck sharply against the base of hi& skull. As the Atlantean fell, Ray clutched at the sword in his belt, bringing its heavy pommel down against, the owner’s head. “Go-” ordered Cho again. Ray made no answer. He pulled at the rings and use the sword blade to lever them open. “Come on!” Together they ran for the corner by the ladder. Cho struck open a port. “This is for a flame thrower. Let us hope it is also wide enough for us. Through with you! Can you swim?” “A fine time to ask. But yes, I can.” “In with you then. And try to stay under the surface for as along as you can.” Ray wriggled through, a tight fit, scraping his bare shoulders. Then he was in the water, and automati-cally his arms and legs moved. “Follow me!” He caught sight of a white body. Blood pounded in his head. He must breathe, he must! There was an arc of pain banding his ribs. Just when. he thought he could no longer stand it, he came up into light and air. Before him a smooth shoulder cut waves, and he took that as his guide. The muscles of his back ached; the water stung in his face and in the scrapes on his shoulders. He had swallowed some, and it made him sick. But he swam on, though’ his strokes were uneven now. The shore-the ship-he could sight neither, only sometimes the swimmer ahead. Doggedly Ray fought to keep moving, his head above water, limiting time to the next stroke. If only he could rest! Little thrills of pain shot along his legs; heavy weights seemed suddenly to have been attached to his arms.
His knees bumped painfully on a harsh surface rock. Gritty sand puffed up between his feet. Exerting all his remaining energy, he threw himself forward, to be seized and pounded on by the surf. With his mouth sand eyes filled with sand, coughing and retching, Ray crawled out of the clutch of the waves and lay face down on a beach.
Presently he stirred. The stinging salt in the cuts on
– his face and body were an irritant that brought back a measure of consciousness. Sun seared him as he blindly pulled himself up to look about.
A little to his left Cho lay, partly in a rock shadow, his head pillowed on his arm. Ray sat up straighter and began feebly to brush the coating of sand from his body. Then he crawled to the Murian, took him by the
‘ shoulder, and tried to rouse him.
“Come on-we’d better get away-” Ray croaked. “They’ll send a boat, pick us up again.” It was a little s hard to believe they had had any success, even this far.
“There is no need.” Cho had yielded to his urging hand and was sitting up to look seaward. “The sons of Ba-Al go-”
‘ Ray shaded his eyes with his hand against the glare q of sun on the water. Oars flashed along the sides of the vessel. Incredible as it seemed, with their escaped captives almost within reaching distance, the Alanteans were making no attempt to come after them but were heading out.
“Why—?
“Because the hunter comes-”
Ray’s gaze followed the Murian’s pointing finger. Far out, just sliding over the horizon, was a needle-like shadow.
“From the fleet. And these scavengers would avoid direct battle with such. Mark how they change course to flee.”
The Atlantean vessel was veering sharply to the east. If the newcomer continued on its present course,
there would be a wide space between them, increasing all the time.
“Will the Murians go after them?”
“No. To initiate attack is forbidden. We can defend if they strike first; that is all. But they cannot be sure of that, so they flee an enemy equal to themselves as rats do when the farmer sets torch to field weeds.” Cho laughed but with, little amusement.