Tarzan, who was just behind Komodoflorensal, saw a sudden light leap to the eyes of the warrior. Was it recognition?
"Who sent you?" demanded the warrior.
"Her master, Zoanthrohago," replied the Trohanadalmakusian.
The expression upon the face of the warrior changed to one of cunning.
"Go in and fetch her," he said, and unbolted the door, swinging it open.
Komodoflorensal dropped upon his hands and knees and crawled through the low aperture, but Tarzan stood where he was.
"Go in!" said the guard to him.
"I will remain where I am," replied the ape-man. "It will not require two of us to find a single slave girl and fetch her to the corridor."
For an instant the warrior hesitated, then he closed the door hurriedly and shot the heavy bolts. When he turned toward Tarzan again, who was now alone with him in the corridor, he turned with a naked sword in his hands; but he found Zuanthrol facing him with drawn rapier.
"Surrender!" cried the warrior. "I recognized you both instantly."
"I thought as much," said Zuanthrol. "You are clever, with the exception of your eyes—they are fools, for they betray you."
"But my sword is no fool," snapped the fellow, as he thrust viciously at the ape-man's breast.
Lieutenant Paul D'Arnot of the French navy had been recognized as one of the cleverest swordsmen in the service and to his friend Greystoke he had imparted a great measure of his skill during the many hours that the two had whiled away with the foils, and today Tarzan of the Apes breathed a prayer of gratitude to the far-distant friend whose careful training was, after many long years, to serve the ape-man in such good stead, for he soon realized that, though his antagonist was a master at the art of fence, he was not wholly outclassed, and to his skill was added his great strength and his agility.
They had fought for but a minute or two when the Veltopismakusian realized that he was facing no mean antagonist and that be was laboring at a disadvantage. He being unable to fall back when Tarzan rushed him, while his foeman had at his back the whole length of the tunnel. He tried then to force Tarzan back, but in this he failed, receiving a thrust in the shoulder for his pains, and then he commenced to call for help and the ape-man realized that he must silence him and that quickly. Awaiting the opportunity that was presently afforded by a feint that evoked a wild lunge, Tarzan stepped quickly in and passed his sword through the heart of the Veltopismakusian and as he withdrew his blade from the body of his antagonist he released the bolts that held the door and swung it open. Beyond it, white of face, crouched Komodoflorensal, but as his eyes fell upon Tarzan and the body of the guard behind him, a smile curved his lips and an instant later he was in the corridor beside his friend.
"How did it happen?" he demanded.
"He recognized us; but what of Talaskar? Is she not coming?"
"She is not here. Kalfastoban took her away. He has purchased her from Zoanthrohago."
Tarzan wheeled. "Rebolt the door and let us get out of here," he said.
Komodoflorensal closed and fastened the door. "Where now?" he asked.
"To find Kalfastoban's quarters," replied the ape-man.
Komodoflorensal shrugged his shoulders and followed on behind his friend. They retraced their steps toward the surface without incident until they were opposite the sixteenth level, when a face was suddenly turned toward them from a column of slaves crossing the runway from one lateral to another. Just for an instant did the eyes of the slave meet those of Tarzan, and then the fellow had passed into the mouth of the lateral and disappeared.
"We must hurry," whispered Tarzan to his companion.
"Why now more than before?" demanded Komodoflorensal.
"Did you not see the fellow who just passed us and turned to look a second time at me?"
"No; who was it?"
"Caraftap," replied Tarzan.
"Did he recognize you?"
"As to that I cannot say; but he evidently found something familiar in my appearance. Let us hope that he did not place me, though I fear that he did."
"Then we must lose no time in getting out of here, and out of Veltopismakus, as well."
They hurried on. "Where are Kalfastoban's quarters?" asked Tarzan.
"I do not know. In Trohanadalmakus warriors are detailed to the quarries for but short periods and do not transfer their quarters or their slaves during the time that they are there. I do not know the custom here. Kalfastoban may have finished his tour of duty in the quarries. On the other hand it may be for a long period that they are detailed for that service and his quarters may lie on the upper level of the quarry. We shall have to inquire."
Soon after this Tarzan stepped up to a warrior moving in the same direction as he and Komodoflorensal. "Where can I find Kalfastoban Vental he asked.
"They will tell you in the guard room, if it is any of your affair," he replied, shooting a quick glance at the two. "I do not know."
After that they passed the fellow and at the first rum that hid them from him they increased their speed, for both were becoming suspicious of every least untoward incident, and their one wish now was to escape the quarry in safety. Nearing the entrance they attached themselves to a column of slaves toiling upward with their heavy burdens of rocks for the new dome, and with them they came to the guard room where the slaves were checked out. The officer and the clerks labored in a mechanical manner, and it appeared that it was to be as easy to leave the quarry as it had been to enter it, when the officer suddenly drew his brow together and commenced to count.
"How many slaves in this crew?" he asked.
"One hundred," replied one of the warriors accompanying them.
"Then why four guards?" he demanded.
"There are but two of us," rejoined the warrior.
"We are not with them," Komodoflorensal spoke up quickly.
"What do you here?" demanded the officer.
"If we can see you alone we can explain that quickly," replied the Trohanadalmakusian.
The officer waved the crew of slaves upon their way and beckoned to Komodoflorensal and Tarzan to follow him into an adjoining chamber, where they found a small anteroom in which the commander of the guard slept.
"Now," he said, "let me see your passes."
"We have none," replied Komodoflorensal.
"No passes! That will be difficult to explain, will it not?"
"Not to one of your discrimination," replied the prince, accidentally jingling the golden coins in his pouch. "We are in search of Kalfastoban. We understand that he owns a slave we wish to purchase and not being able to obtain a pass to the quarry in the short time at our disposal we ventured to come, upon so simple an errand, without one. Could you direct us to Kalfastoban?" Again he jingled the coins.
"I shall be delighted," replied the officer. "His quarters are upon the fifth level of the Royal Dome upon the central corridor and about midway between the King's Corridor and the Warrior's Corridor. As he was relieved from duty in the quarry this very morning I have no doubt but that you will find him there."
"We thank you," said Komodoflorensal, leaning far back in the Minunian bow. "And now," he added, as though it was an afterthought, "if you will accept it we shall be filled with gratitude if you will permit us to leave this slight token of our appreciation," and he drew a large gold coin from the pouch and proffered it to the officer.
"Rather than seem ungrateful," replied the officer, "I must accept your gracious gift, with which I may alleviate the sufferings of the poor. May the shadow of disaster never fall upon you!"
The three then bowed and Tarzan and Komodoflorensal quitted the guard room and a moment later were in the free, fresh air of the surface.
"Even in Minuni!" breathed Tarzan.