"They are starving us to death," wailed Lal Taask.
"On the contrary," observed Atan Thome, "they appear to have an uncanny sense of the calorific properties of food. They know just how much will keep us from starving to death. And look at my waist line, Lal Taask! I have often had it in mind to embark upon a rigid diet for the purpose of reducing. The kind Asharians have anticipated that ambition. Presently, I shall be almost sylph-like."
"For you, perhaps, that may be excellent, master; but for me, who never had an ounce of surplus fat beneath his hide, it spells disaster. Already, my backbone is chafing my navel."
"Ah," exclaimed Atan Thome, as footfalls announced the approach of some one along the corridor leading to their cell, "here comes Old Garrulity again."
"I did not know that you knew his name, master," remarked Taask; "but some one accompanies him this time—I hear voices."
"Perhaps he brings an extra calorie, and needs help," suggested Thorne. "If he does, it is yours. I hope it is celery."
"You like celery, master?"
"No. It shall be for you. Celery is reputed to be a brain food."
The door to the cell was unlocked, and three warriors entered. One of them removed the chains from the prisoners' ankles.
"What now?" asked Atan Thome.
"The Queen has sent for you," replied the warrior.
The two men were led through the palace to a great room, at the far end of which, upon a dais, a woman sat upon a throne hewn from a single block of lava. Warriors flanked her on either side, and slaves stood behind her throne ready to do her every bidding.
As the two men were led forward and halted before the dais, they saw a handsome woman, apparently in her early thirties. Her hair was so dressed that it stood out straight from her head in all directions to a length of eight or ten inches and had woven into it an ornate headdress of white plumes. Her mien was haughty and arrogant as she eyed the prisoners coldly, and Atan Thome read cruelty in the lines of her mouth and the latent fires of a quick temper in the glint of her eyes. Here was a women to be feared, a ruthless killer, a human tigress. The equanimity of the smug Eurasian faltered before a woman for the first time.
"Why came you to Ashair?" demanded the Queen.
"By accident, majesty; we were lost. When we found our way blocked, we turned back. We were leaving the country when your warriors took us prisoner."
"You have said that you have valuable information to give me. What is it? If you have imposed upon me and wasted my tune, it shall not be well for you."
"I have powerful enemies," said Atan Thome. "It was while trying to escape from them that I became lost. They are coming to Ashair to attempt to steal a great diamond which they believe you to possess. I only wished to befriend you and help you trap them."
"Are they coming in force?" asked Atka.
"That, I do not know," replied Thorne; "but I presume they are. They have ample means."
Queen Atka turned to one of her nobles. "If this man has spoken the truth, he shall not fare ill at our hands. Akamen, I place the prisoners in your charge. Permit them reasonable liberties. Take them away." Then she spoke to another. "See that the approaches to Ashair are watched."
Akamen, the noble, conducted Atan Thome and Lal Taask to pleasant quarters in a far wing of the palace. "You are free to go where you will inside the palace walls, except to the royal wing. Nor may you go beneath the palace. There lie the secrets of Ashair and death for strangers."
"The Queen has been most magnanimous," said Thorne. "We shall do nothing to forfeit her good will. Ashair is most interesting. I am only sorry that we may not go out into the city or upon the lake."
"It would not be safe," said Akamen. "You might be captured by a galley from Thobos. They would not treat you as well as Atka has."
"I should like to look down again at the beautiful building at the bottom of the lake," said Thorne. "That was my reason for wishing to go upon the lake. What is the building? and what the strange creature I saw coming from it?"
"Curiosity is often a fatal poison," said Akamen.
CHAPTER 14
The trail of Atan Thome's safari was not difficult to follow, and the Gregory party made good time along it without encountering any obstacles to delay them. The general mistrust of Wolff, the doubts concerning Magra's position among them, and the moody jealousy of Lavac added to the nervous strain of their dangerous existence; and the hardships they had undergone had told upon their nerves; so that it was not always a happy company that trudged the day's trails. Only Tarzan remained serene and unruffled.
It was midday, and they had halted for a brief rest, when Tarzan suddenly became alert. "Natives are coming," he said. "There are a number of them, and they are very close. The wind just changed and brought their scent to me."
"There they are now," said Gregory. "Why, it's another safari. There are porters with packs, but I see no white men."
"It is your safari, bwana," said Ogabi. "It is the safari that was to have met you at Bonga."
"Then is must be the one that Thorne stole," said d'Arnot, "but I don't see Thorne."
"Another mystery of darkest Africa, perhaps," suggested Helen.
Mbuli, leading his people back toward Bonga, halted in surprise as he saw the little party of whites, then, seeing that his men greatly outnumbered them, he came forward, swaggering a little.
"Who are you?" demanded Tarzan.
"I am Mbuli," replied the chief.
"Where are your bwanas? You have deserted them."
"Who are you, white man, to question Mbuli?" demanded the native, arrogantly, the advantage of numbers giving him courage.
"I am Tarzan," replied the ape-man.
Mbuli wilted. All the arrogance went out of him. "Forgive, bwana," he begged. "I did not know you, for I have never seen you before."
"You know the law of the safari," said Tarzan. "Those who desert their white masters are punished."
"But my people would not go on," explained Mbuli. "When we came to Tuen-Baka, they would go no farther. They were afraid, for Tuen- Baka is taboo."
"You took all their equipment," continued the ape-man, glancing over the loads that the porters had thrown to the ground. "Why, you even took their food."
"Yes, bwana; but they needed no food—they were about to die —Tuen-Baka is taboo. Also, Bwana Thorne lied to us. We had agreed to serve Bwana Gregory, but he told us Bwana Gregory wished us to accompany him instead."
"Nevertheless, you did wrong to abandon him. To escape punishment, you will accompany us to Tuen-Baka—we need porters and askaris."
"But my people are afraid," remonstrated Mbuli.
"Where Tarzan goes, your people may go," replied the ape-man. "I shall not lead them into danger needlessly."
"But, bwana—"
"But nothing," snapped Tarzan; then he turned to the porters. "Up packs! You are going back to Tuen-Baka."
The porters grumbled; but they picked up their packs and turned back along the trail they had just traveled, for the will of the white man was supreme; and, too, the word had spread among them that this was the fabulous Tarzan who was half man and half demon.
For three days they trekked back along the trail toward Ashair, and at noon on the seventh day the safari broke from the forest beside a quiet river. The terrain ahead was rocky and barren. Above low hills rose the truncated cone of an extinct volcano, a black, forbidding mass.
"So that is Tuen-Baka," said d'Arnot. "It is just an old volcano, after all."
"Nevertheless, the boys are afraid," said Tarzan. "We shall have to watch them at night or they'll desert again. I'm going on now to see what lies ahead."