Page:Amazing Stories Volume 15 Number 12.djvu/25

Rh would kill him before he could help.

"The dirty whelps!" he muttered. "They'd cut off their right arms to find that cavern."

Dane's eyes swerved, as he heard someone move in the room. Then his heart gave a great bound, for it was Brooke!

She laid aside the book she was reading to hurry to his side at that first stir of movement. Going down on her knees by him, she groped for his hand. Those laughing, blue eyes of hers shimmered with tears, and her red lips trembled.

"Dane, Dane!" she sobbed, burying her face against his shoulder. "Oh, my dear, if I'd only known what they were going to do to you !"

A lump moved up into Dane's throat. His heart was pumping as it had not done for many long months. He captured the girl's hand with his fingers.

It's"It's [sic] all right, Brooke," he muttered. "Just knowing that you worry about me means a lot. You couldn't have helped anyway."

"But I could!" Brooke's head raised, "I still can help."

"Someone's been fooling you." Dane patted her hand. "The Hundred have only started. This time they're determined to stamp out us reactionaries for good. Once they learn my secret, they can safely dispose of me."

"No, Dane!" Brooke's brown curls shook. "All they want is the sleeping army. When that's destroyed, they won't be afraid of you. But while those ten thousand potential rebels are alive, the autocracy isn't safe. If you'll only tell them what they ask—"

"That's the one thing I'll never do." Dane's face froze. "Besides, how would I be saving myself if I did? They'd kill me as soon as they found the army."

"But I have their promise that they won't!" Brooke blurted. "Listen, Dane, I told you once I'd never run away with you; that I didn't love you that much. I found out these last few days that I—I love you enough even to do that!"

Remorse was in Dane's eyes as he shook his head.

"For both of our sakes, Brooke, I wish you'd said that sooner," he sighed.

"But it's not too late! East has promised to let you go if you'll only tell where the cavern is. He's willing to forget about Anson. If you'll just save yourself that way, Dane, I'll go with you wherever you ask! Tell them what they want to know. The day you're freed, we'll leave for some other world to start over again!"

Dane's eyes were on her distraught face, and his heart was sorely tempted. It was happiness she held out to him; and against it he had only forlorn hopes of eventually escaping to defeat The Hundred. But in the end he shook his head.

"I can't do it. I couldn't respect myself if I did, and neither could you. I'm sorry, Brooke. Guess I've got that rebel blood we were talking about."

Brooke stood up.

"I'm sorry, too, Dane," she said softly. Then she left.

OR Dane Cabot, the next two weeks were a period of dreading torture and enduring it. The Vedette questioned him every three days, giving him time in between to work himself into a state of terror over what was coming next. Bamboo slivers were thrust under his nails and lighted. Patches of flesh were literally peeled from his chest. His hands were held over candle flames until the flesh charred and split.

How he held onto his sanity, he was never to understand. His sleep was horrible with nightmares. But bitter-