We must have driven a considerable distance into the city before we stopped again. There was a short wait during which I heard voices; but they were low, and I could not overhear what was being said; then there was a creaking sound as of the hinges of a heavy gate, and immediately we moved forward a short distance and stopped again. Once more the hinges groaned, and then I heard Lodas's voice telling me to come out. I didn't need a second invitation. Throwing the hay aside, I stood up. We were in the courtyard of a one-story house. A man was standing with Lodas looking up at me. He didn't seem very glad to see me.
"This is my brother, Horjan," said Lodas, "and, Horjan, this is—say, what is your name my friend?"
"Wasn't it in the message I brought?" I asked, pretending surprise.
"No, it wasn't."
Perhaps it would be as well, I thought, if I didn't publicize my true name too widely. "Where I come from," I said, "I would be called Homo Sapiens. Call me Homo;" so Homo I became.
"This is bad business," said Horjan. "If we are found out, the Zani Guard will come and take us off to prison; and there we shall be tortured and killed. No, I do not like it."
"But it is for the jong," said Lodas, as though that were ample reason for any sacrifice.
"What did the jong ever do for us?" demanded Horjan.
"He is our jong," said Lodas simply. "Horjan, I am ashamed of you."
"Well, let it pass. I will keep him this night, but tomorrow he must go on about his business. Come into the house now where I can hide you. I do not like it. I do not like it at all. I am afraid. The Zani Guard do terrible things to one whom they suspect."
And so I went into the house of Horjan in Amlot, a most unwelcome guest. I sympathized with the two brothers, but I could do nothing about it. I was merely obeying the orders of Muso.
Chapter 7—Zerka
Horjan gave me a little room on the court and told me to stay there so that no one would see me; then he and Lodas left me. It was not long before Lodas returned to say that he was going to take his produce to market and then start home. He wanted to say goodby to me and wish me luck. He was a fine, loyal fellow.
The hours dragged heavily in that stuffy little room. At dusk Horjan brought me food and water. He tried to find out what I had come to Amlot for, but I evaded all his questions. He kept repeating that he would be glad to get rid of me, but at last he went away. After I had eaten I tried to sleep, but sleep didn't seem to want to come. I had just finally started to doze when I heard voices. They came from the adjoining room, and the partition was so thin that I could hear what was said. I recognized Horjan's voice, and there was the voice of another man. It was not Lodas.
"I tell you it is bad business," Horjan was saying. "Here is this man about whom I know nothing. If it is known that he is hiding here I shall get the blame, even though I don't know why he is hiding."
"You are a fool to keep him," said the other.
"What shall I do with him?" demanded Horjan.
"Turn him over to the Zani Guard."
"But still they will say that I had been hiding him," groaned Horjan.
"No; say that you don't know how he got into your house—that you had been away, and when you came back you found him hiding in one of your rooms. They will not harm you for that. They may even give you a reward."
"Do you think so?" asked Horjan.
"Certainly. A man who lives next to me informed on a neighbor, and they gave him a reward for that."
"Is that so? It is worth thinking about. He may be a dangerous man. Maybe he has come to assassinate Mephis."
"You could say that that was what he came for," encouraged the other.
"They would give a very big reward for that, wouldn't they?" asked Horjan.
"Yes, I should think a very big reward."
There was silence for several minutes; then I heard a bench pushed back. "Where are you going?" demanded Horjan's visitor.
"I am going to tell the Zanis," said Horjan.
"I shall go with you," announced his companion. "Don't forget that the idea is mine—I should have half the reward. Maybe two-thirds of it."
"But he is my prisoner," insisted Horjan. "It is I who am going to notify the Zani Guard. You stay here."
"I rather guess not. If I told them what I know, they would arrest you both, and I'd get a great big reward."
"Oh, you wouldn't do that!" cried Horjan.
"Well, I certainly shall if you keep on trying to rob me of the reward."
"Oh, I wouldn't rob you of it. I'll give you ten per cent."
The other laughed. "Ten per cent nothing. I'll give you ten per cent—and that's much more than you deserve—plotting against Mephis and Spehon and the rest of them.
"You can't put that over on me," shouted Horjan. "Nobody'll believe you anyhow. Everybody knows what a liar you are. Hey, where are you going? Come back here! I'm the one that's going to tell them."
I heard the sound of running feet, the slamming of a door, and then silence. That was my cue to get out of there, and I can tell you that I didn't waste any time acting on it. I didn't know how far they'd have to go to find a member of the Zani Guard. There might be one at the next corner for all that I knew. I found my way out of the house in short order, and when I reached the avenue my two worthy friends were still in sight, quarrelling as they ran. I turned and melted into the shadows of the night that fell in the opposite direction.
There was no use running. I didn't even hurry, but sauntered along as though I were an old resident of Amlot going to call on my mother-in-law. The avenue I was in was dark and gloomy, but I could see a better lighted one ahead; so I made for that. I passed a few people, but no one paid any attention to me. Presently I found myself in an avenue of small shops. They were all open and lighted, and customers were coming and going. There were lots of soldiers on the street, and here I caught my first sight of a member of the Zani Guard.
There were three of them together, and they were swaggering down the sidewalk elbowing men, women, and children into the gutter. I felt a little nervous as I approached them, but they paid no attention to me.
I had been doing a great deal of thinking since I had overheard the conversation between Horjan and his accomplice. I couldn't forget that the latter had linked Spehon's name with that of Mephis. The message that I carried in my pocket was addressed to Spehon. What could Muso be communicating secretly with a leader of the Zanis for? It didn't make sense, and it didn't sound good. It worried me. Then I recalled the inexplicable secrecy of my departure and the fact that Muso had warned me against telling Lodas the name of the person I was bearing a message to. Why was he afraid to have that known? and why had he been so relieved when he assured himself that I could not read Amtorian? It was a puzzle that was commencing to clear itself up in my mind, or at least I was beginning to suspect something of the solution. Whether I were right or not, I might never know; or I might learn it tomorrow. That depended largely upon whether or not I delivered the message to Spehon. I was almost minded to try to get out of the city and back to my ship; then fly to Sanara and lay the whole matter before Taman , whom I trusted. But my sometimes foolish sense of duty to a trust imposed in me soon put that idea out of my head. No, I would go on and carry out my orders—that was my duty as a soldier.
As I proceeded along the avenue the shops took on a more prosperous appearance, the trappings and jewels of the people on the street became richer. Gorgeously trapped gantors carried their loads of passengers to and fro or stopped before some shop while master or mistress entered to make a purchase. Before one brilliantly lighted building twenty or thirty huge gantors waited. When I came opposite the building, I looked in. It was a restaurant. The sight of the bright lights, the laughing people, the good food attracted me. The meager meal that Horjan had brought me had only served to whet my appetite. I entered the building, and as I did so I saw that it was apparently filled to capacity. I stood for a moment looking about for a vacant table, and was about to turn and walk out when an attendant came up to me and asked me if I wished to dine. I told him I did, and he led me to a small table for two where a woman was already seated.