I swung my leg over the low sill and entered the room as quietly as I could.
Darnad and the others followed me.
Then we all stood there, staring at one another, listening intently for some sound that might indicate where the women were imprisoned.
It came at last-a low tone that could have been anything. All we could be sure of was that it issued from a human throat.
It came from a room on our left.
Darnad and I went towards the room, with the warriors following. We paused at the door which, surprisingly, was unbarred.
Now from within came a sound that seemed like a soft laugh-a woman's laugh. But it could not be a laugh. I must have misheard. The next sound was a voice, pitched low and impossible to make sense of.
Darnad looked at me. Our eyes met, and then with a concerted movement we flung open the door.
Torchlight showed us the two within.
One was Horguhl, standing close to the window.
The other was Shizala-my Shizala!
Shizala was bound hand and foot.
But Horguhl was unfettered. She stood with hands on hips smiling down at Shizala, who glared back at her.
Horguhl's smile froze when she saw us. Shizala gave a glad cry: "Michael Kane! Darnad! Oh, thank Zar you have come!"
Horguhl stood there expressionlessly, saying nothing.
I stepped forward to untie Shizala. As I worked at her bonds I kept a suspicious eye on the Vladnyar girl, uncertain of her part in this. Was she or was she not a prisoner?
It did not seem likely now. Yet…
Horguhl suddenly laughed in my face.
I finished untying Shizala's bonds. "Why do you laugh?" I asked.
"I thought you were dead," she replied, not answering my question. And then she lifted her head and let out a piercing shriek.
"Silence!" Darnad said in a fierce whisper. "You will alert the whole palace. We intend you no harm."
"I am sure you do not," she said as Darnad stepped towards her. "But I mean you harm my friends!" Again she shrieked.
There was a disturbance outside in the corridor.
Shizala's eyes glistened with tears-but with gladness also-as she stared up into my face. "Oh, Michael Kane-somehow I knew you would save me. I thought they had killed you-and yet…"
"No time for conversation," I said brusquely, trying to hide the emotion that her closeness brought to my breast. "We must escape."
Darnad had his hand over Horguhl's mouth. He looked unhappy, not used to treating a woman so.
"Horguhl is no prisoner," Shizala said. "She-"
"I can see that now," I said. "Come-we must hurry."
We turned and left the room. Darnad released his hold on Horguhl and followed us.
But before we could reach the window a score of men, led by the two Argzoon giants and another who wore a bright circlet on his matted, greasy hair, burst into the room.
Darnad, myself and our six warriors turned to face them, forming a barrier between them and Shizala.
"Leave quickly, Shizala," I said softly. "Go to the house of Belet Vor." I gave her brief instructions how to find the old man.
"I cannot leave you. I cannot."
"You must-it will serve us better if we know you, at least, are safe. Please do as I say." I was staring at the Argzoon and the others, waiting for them to attack. They were moving in cautiously.
She seemed to understand my reasoning and it was with relief that I saw her from the corner of my eye clamber over the sill and disappear into the night.
Horguhl emerged from the other room, pointing an imperious finger at us. Her face was flushed with anger.
"These men sought to abduct me and the other woman," she said to the greasy-haired man who stood there with drawn sword.
"So-did you not know," he said, addressing us with a leer, "that Chinod Sai values the safety of his guests and resents the intrusion of riff-raff such as you?"
"Riff-raff, murderer of children," said Darnad. "I know you upstart-you who calls himself Bradhi of a collection of cut-throats and pilferers!"
Chinod Sai sneered. "You speak bravely-but your words are hollow. You are all about to die."
Then he and his unholy allies were on us, his guards supporting them.
The duel began.
I found myself fighting not only Chinod Sai but one of the Argzoon, and it was all I could do to defend myself, even though I knew I outmatched them both in swordsmanship.
However, they tended to crowd each other and this, at least, was to my advantage.
I held them off as best I could until I saw my chance. Rapidly I flung my sword from my right hand to my left. This foxed them for a second.
Then I lunged at the Argzoon, who was slower than Chinod Sai, and caught him in the breast. He fell back groaning. That left the self-styled Bradhi of Narlet.
But seeing the great blue warrior fall, Chinod Sai evidently lost his stomach for battle and backed away, letting his hired guards take his place.
It was my turn to sneer.
One by one our own warriors went down until only Darnad and myself were left standing.
I hardly cared if I died. So long as Shizala were safe-and I knew that the wily old Belet Vor would see to that-I was prepared to die.
But I did not die. There were so many warriors pressing in towards us that we could hardly move our sword arms.
Soon we were hot so much sword-fighting as wrestling.
Their weight of numbers was too great. After a short time we were engulfed and, for the second time in the space of a week, I received a blow on the head-and this second blow was not meant in kindness as the first had been!
My senses fled, blackness engulfed me, and I knew no more.
Chapter Nine
BURIED ALIVE!
I OPENED my eyes but saw nothing. I smelt much.
My nostrils were assailed by a foul, damp, chilly smell that seemed to indicate I was somewhere below ground. I flexed my arms and legs. They were unbound, at least.
I tried to get up but bumped my head. I could only crouch on the damp, messy ground.
I was horrified. Had I been incarcerated in some tomb? Was I to die slowly of hunger, or have my senses leave me? With an effort I controlled myself. Then I heard a slight sound to my left Cautiously I felt about me and my hand touched something warm.
Someone groaned. I had touched a limb. It stirred.
Then a voice murmured: "Who is there? Where am I?"
"Darnad?"
"Yes."
"It is Michael Kane. We seem to be in some sort of dungeon-with a very low ceiling indeed."
"What?" I heard Darnad move and sit up, perhaps reaching with his hands above him. "No!"
"Do you know the place?"
"I believe I have heard of it."
"What is it?"
"The old heating system."
"That sounds very innocuous. What's that?"
"Narlet is built on the ancient ruins of one of the Sheev cities. Hardly anything of it exists, save the foundations of one particular building. Those foundations now make up Chinod Sai's foundations for his palace. Apparently the slabs forming the floor of the palace lie over an ancient, sunken pool which could be filled with hot water and made to heat the ground floor of the palace-perhaps the whole of it-by means of pipes. From what I hear, the Sheev abandoned this particular city well before their decline, for they later discovered better methods of heating."
"And so we are buried under the floor of Chinod Sai's palace?"
"I've heard it gives him pleasure to imprison his enemies here-having them permanently at his feet, as it were."
I did not laugh, though I admired the fortitude of my friend in jesting at a time like this.