Page:Weird Tales volume 33 number 04.djvu/73

 "And you?" cried the Egyptian worriedly.

"I'm staying here in Luun," Ethan clipped. "I won't leave Chiri here—for if this wild plan of Kim Idim's should take too long, we'd be too late to save her from the Feast of Life. I'll stay and try to get her out of the fortress, and if I fail, you may still be in time. At least, you can avenge us."

"No, Ethan, your resolve is mad!" cried Kim Idim. "I tell you, that fortress is so guarded by companies of Luunian warriors that not even a rat could enter it unchallenged. You will be merely throwing your life away."

"Nevertheless, I'm going to try it," Edian returned grimly. "Come on, Ptah—we've got to get out of here so you can get out of the city with Kim Idim."

hastened out of the cell, and along the dusky stone corridors. The old scientist walked between the other two like a prisoner escorted by guards.

Ethan tensed as they neared the anteroom within the entrance. Suddenly the little Egyptian halted.

"Listen!" he hissed. They heard the rapid, obsequious voice of the Luunian captain of guards who had led them through the prison.

"I suspected at once that the man was an impostor and not a messenger from you, Highness," the Luunian was saying. "He did not know that the girl is not here, and he spoke our tongue awry and did not even look like a man of Luun."

"We delayed too long!" Ptah hissed.

The Egyptian's sword flashed out, and at the same moment Ethan Drew's blade rasped from its sheath.

"Keep behind us, Kim Idim," ordered Ethan. "Come on, Ptah."

They pushed on and emerged abruptly into the big stone anteroom just inside die barred prison gates.

The Luunian captain and the four gate-guards were there. And beside the officer was a red-skinned, hairless caricature of humanity—one of the spindle-limbed Masters.

"There are the impostors!" cried the Luunian officer loudly as the three emerged.

The Master's hollow eyes flashed instantly with alarm.

"It is two of the strangers who slew our men in the forest today!" the red creature cried in a shrill, high voice. "Kill them!"

But already Ethan and Ptah were rushing forward. The Luunian captain and one of his men died as they were tugging out their swords, smitten by blades like lightning-bolts.

"Guards!" the Master screamed in his unhumanly shrill tones, scrambling fearfully to one side.

"Open that gate, Ptah!" yelled Ethan. "I'll hold these off!"

As he shouted, Ethan's sword swung in a terrific slicing sweep toward the unhuman red creature who was shouting the alarm. The head of the Master leaped from his shoulders, and black blood spurted from his decapitated trunk as it crumpled.

The three remaining Luunian guards were momentarily transfixed with horror as they beheld the death of one of the rulers their drugged minds revered.

"He has slain one of the sacred ones!" shrieked one of the Luunians. "Kill him!"

The three rushed toward Ethan with swords out, wild rage on their contorted faces.

Ptah was fumbling frantically with the catches of the barred gates. And a distant rush of feet was audible as more