I pressed the point gently against his throat and said with a grim smile on my lips: "Call for your guards, Chinod Sai-and you call for death!"
He paled and gurgled something. I gestured for him to come into the room and shut the door. I had been lucky. Everyone had been too busy with whatever else they were concerned with to notice what had happened to their "Bradhi".
"Speak in a low voice," I ordered. "Tell me what is happening and where my comrade is."
"How-how did you escape?"
"I am asking the questions, my friend. Now-answer!"
He grunted. "What do you mean?"
"Answer!"
"The scum are attacking my palace," he said.
"Some petty dahara-thief seeks to replace me."
"I hope he makes a better chief than you. And where is my comrade?"
He waved a hand behind him.
"In there."
Suddenly someone entered. I had expected the guards to knock and had intended that Chinod Sal should tell them not to enter.
But this was not a guard.
It was the surviving Argzoon. He looked astonished to see me. He turned, giving a roar of warning to the men in the room.
They came in and I backed away, looking around for a means of escape, but all the windows in this room were barred.
"Kill him!" screamed Chinod Sai, pointing a shaking finger at me. "Kill him!"
Led by the blue Argzoon, the guards came at me. I knew that I faced death-they would not take me a prisoner a second time.
Chapter Ten
INTO THE CAVES OF DARKNESS
SOMEHOW I managed to keep them at bay, though I will never know how. Then I saw Darnad appear behind them, waving a sword he had got from somewhere.
Together, one on each side, we took on Chinod Sai and his men, but we knew we must be beaten eventually.
Then there came a sudden, elated roar, and bursting into the throne room came a wild mob waving swords, spears and halberds.
They were led by a good-looking young man, and by the gleam in his eyes-at once calculating and triumphant-I guessed him to be the next contender for the paltry throne of the City of Thieves.
Now, while the others helped Darnad deal with the Argzoon and the guards, I concentrated on Chinod Sai. This time, I promised myself, he would not retreat.
Chinod Sai realized my intention and this seemed to improve his skill.
Back and forth across the broken floor of the throne room, over the bones of the wretches he had incarcerated for his own perverted pleasure, we fought.
Lunging, parrying, thrusting, the steel of our blades rang through the hall while to one side the mob fought, a thick mass of struggling men.
Then came disaster for me-or so I thought. I tripped over one of the flagstones and fell backwards into the pit!
I saw Chinod Sai raise his arm for the thrust that would finish me as, sprawled out on the slime, I stared up at him.
Then, as the sword came towards my heart I rolled away, under part of the floor that was still intact. I heard him curse and saw him drop down after me. He saw me and lunged. Raising myself on my left arm, I returned his lunge and caught him exactly in the heart. I pushed home my thrust and he fell back with a groan.
I climbed from the pit. "A fitting burial place, Chinod Sai," I said. "Lie with the bones of those you have slain so horribly. You had a swifter death than you deserved!"
I was just in time to see Darnad dispose of the last Argzoon.
The fight was over and the young leader of the mob raised his right hand high, shouting:
"Chinod Sai is defeated-the tyrant dies!"
The mob replied exultantly: "Salute Morda Kohn, Bradhi of Narlet!"
Morda Kohn swung round and grinned at me.
"Enemies of Chinod Sai are friends of mine. Indirectly you helped me gain the throne. But where is Chinod Sai?"
I pointed at the floor. "I slew him," I said simply.
Morda Kohn laughed. "Good, good! You are even more of a friend for that little service."
"It was no service to you," I said, "but something I had promised myself the pleasure of accomplishing"
"Quite so. I was truly sorry about the death of your friend."
"My friend?" I said as Darnad joined us. He had a flesh wound on his right shoulder but otherwise seemed all right.
"Belet Vor-did you not know?"
"What has happened to Belet Vor?" Darnad asked urgently.
I must admit I was not only thinking of Belet Vor-but of the girl I had sent to him, Shizala.
"Why, that is what enabled me to arouse the people against Chinod Sai," Morda Kohn said.
"Chinod Sai and his blue friend learned that you had been seen in the house of Belet Vor. They went there and they ordered him to be beheaded on the spot!"
"Belet Vor, dead? Beheaded-oh, no!" Darnad's face turned pale with horror.
"I am afraid so."
"But the girl we rescued-the one we sent to him?" I spoke in some trepidation, almost afraid to hear the answer.
"Girl? I do not know-I heard nothing of a girl Perhaps she is still at his house, hiding somewhere."
I relaxed. That was probably true.
"There is still another missing," Darnad said.
"The Vladnyar woman-Horguhl. Where is she?"
Together we searched the palace but there was ho sign of her.
Night was falling as we borrowed mounts from the new 'Bradhi' and rushed to Belet Vor's house.
Inside, it had been torn apart. We called Shizala's name but she did not answer.
Shizala had gone-but where? And how?
We stumbled out of the house. Had we fought and risked so much only to fail now?
Back to the palace to see if Morda Kohn could help us.
The new Bradhi was supervising the replacement of the flagstones. "They will be securely cemented down," he said. "They will never be put to the same dreadful use again."
"Morda Kohn," I said desperately, "the girl was not at Belet Vor's house. And we know she would hot have gone anywhere of her own accord. Did any of Chinod Sai's guards survive? If they did, one of them may be able to tell us what happened."
"I think there are several prisoners in the anteroom." Morda Kohn nodded. "Question them if you like."
We went to the ante-room. There were three sulking, badly wounded prisoners.
"Do any of you know where Shizala is?" I asked.
"Shizala?" One of them looked up with a frown.
"The blonde girl-the prisoner who was here."
"Oh, her-I think they both went off together."
"Both?"
"Her and the dark-haired woman."
"Where did they go?"
"What's it worth to tell you what I know?" The guard looked cunningly at me.
"I will speak to Morda Kohn. He owes us a favor. I will ask him to show mercy to you."
"You'll keep your word?"
"Of course."
"I think they went to the Mountains of Argzoon."
"Ah-but why?" Darnad broke in. "Why should a Vladnyar willingly go to Argzoon? The Blue Giants are no-one's friends."
"There is something mysterious about Horguhl's association with the Argzoon. Perhaps when we find her we will learn the answer," I said. "Could you lead us to the Mountains of Argzoon, Darnad?"
"I think so." He nodded.
"Come, then-let's make haste after them. With luck we may even catch them before they reach the mountains."
"Best that we did," he said.
"Why?"
"Because the Argzoon literally dwell in the mountains-in the Caves of Darkness that run under the range. Some say it is really the Bleak World of the Dead, and from what I've heard it's possible!"
We spoke briefly to Morda Kohn, telling him to show the guard mercy. Then we strode outside, mounted our daharas and rode into the nightheading for the dreadful Caves of Darkness.
We were not lucky. First Darnad's beast cut its foot on a sharp rock and went lame. We had to travel at walking pace for a full day until we came to a camp where we could exchange Darnad's prime mount for a rather stringy beast that looked as if it had little stamina.