Now, past the opening that led to Gonfala's room, he touched the left-hand wall again and, pacing off the distance roughly, came to another opening that he judged would be about opposite the center of the next apartment, which was one of Mafka's suite. He did not stop here, but went on until he had located three more openings. Here the corridor ended.
He stepped to the edge of the flue and looked down into the fireplace. It was night now, but a faint illumination came from the opening below him. It was a greenish glow, now all too familiar.
He listened. He heard the snores of a heavy sleeper. Was there another in the apartment below, or was the sleeper alone? His sensitive nostrils sought an answer.
With the dagger of Gonfala in one hand, Tarzan dropped lightly to the floor of the fireplace that opened into the room where the sleeper lay.
Chapter 10. Toward Freedom
BEFORE HIM WAS a large chamber with a single door, heavily bolted upon the inside. He who slept there quite evidently slept in fear. It was Mafka. He lay upon a narrow cot. Upon a table at one side rested the Gonfal and the great emerald of the Zuli and beside them a cutlass and a dagger. Similar weapons lay on a table at the other side of the cot. All were within easy reach of the sleeper. A single cresset burned upon one of the tables.
Tarzan crossed noiselessly to the side of the cot and removed the weapons; first upon one side; then the other. Next, he carried the great emerald and the Gonfal to the fireplace and put them upon the ledge at the mouth of the corridor; then he returned to the side of the cot. Mafka slept on, for the ape-man moved as silently as a ghost in the night.
He laid a hand upon the shoulder of the magician and shook him lightly. Mafka awoke with a start.
"Keep still and you will not be harmed." Tarzan's voice was low, but it was the voice of authority that knew its power.
Mafka looked wildly about the apartment as though searching for help, but there was none.
"What do you want?" His voice trembled. "Tell me what you want and it is yours, if you will not kill me."
"I do not kill old men or women or children unless they force me to. As long as my life is safe, yours is."
"Then why have you come here? What do you want?"
"Nothing that you can give me. What I want, I take."
He turned Mafka over on his stomach and bound his wrists, his ankles, and his knees with strips torn from the bedding; then he gagged him so that he could not raise an alarm. He also blindfolded him that he might not see how entrance had been gained to his apartment.
These things done, he returned to the corridor and groped his way back to Gonfala's apartment, leaving the two great gems where he had first placed them. He was confident they would never be found by another than himself, so sure was he that these corridors were entirely unknown to the present occupants of the palace.
At the entrance to Gonfala's apartment he listened again, but his senses detected no presence in the room below. As he entered it, a quick glance assured him that it was vacant. A single small cresset lighted it dimly. A door at the far end of the room was ajar. He went to it and pushed it open.
As he did so, Gonfala sat up in her couch near the center of the room and faced him. "You have come back! I hoped you would. You have chosen a good time."
"I thought so-he sleeps."
"Then you know?"
"I guessed."
"But why have you come back?"
"Wood and his three friends are prisoners. They are all to be killed."
"Yes, I know. It is by my orders." A qualm of pain and self-disgust was registered in her expression.
"You can help them to escape. Will you?"
"It would do no good. He would only drag them back, and their punishment would be even worse than they can expect now. It is hopeless."
"If Mafka did not interfere would the women obey you?"
"Yes."
"And if you had the opportunity you would like to escape from Kaji?"
"Yes."
"Where would you go?"
"To England."
"Why to England?"
"One who was always good to me, but who is dead now, told me to go to England if ever I escaped. He gave me a letter to take with me."
"Well, get your letter and get ready. You are going to escape. We will be back for you in a little while-Wood and his friends and I. But you will have to help. You will have to give the necessary orders to the women to let us all pass."
She shook her head emphatically. "It will do no good, I tell you. He will get us all."
"Don't worry about that. Just give me your promise that you will do as I ask."
"I'll promise, but it will mean death for me as well as for you."
"Get ready, then; I'll be back with the others in a few minutes."
He left her room, closing the door after him, and went at once to the corridor. A moment later he dropped into the room where Wood and his companions were imprisoned. It was very dark. He spoke to them in low tones, directing them to follow him. Soon they were all in the corridor.
Tarzan led the way to Mafka's room, the glow from the great gems lighting their way as they approached the end of the corridor.
Spike drew in his breath in astonishment. "Gripes! The big rock!" he exclaimed.
Troll halted before the radiant stones and gazed at them in fascinated silence for a moment. "This other-it must be the great emerald of the Zuli. Both of 'em! Lord! They must be worth millions." He started to touch them, but drew back in terror. He knew the power that lay in them, and feared it.
Tarzan dropped over the ledge into the fireplace then, and the others followed him. As they gathered around Mafka's couch, Wood and his companions were speechless with astonishment when they saw the old magician lying bound and helpless.
"How did you do it?" exclaimed Wood.
"I took the gems away from him first. I think all his power lies in them. If I am right, we can get away from here. If I'm wrong-" The ape-man shrugged.
Van Eyk nodded. "I think you're right. What are we going to do with this old devil?"
Troll seized one of the cutlasses that lay beside the cot. "I'll show you what we're going to do with him!"
Tarzan grasped the man's wrist. "Not so fast. You are taking orders from me."
"'Who said so?"
Tarzan wrenched the weapon from Troll's hand and slapped the man across the side of the face with an open palm. The blow sent him reeling across the room to fall in a heap against the wall.
Troll staggered to his feet, feeling his jaw. "I'll get you for this." His voice trembled with rage.
"Shut up and do as you're told." The ape-man's voice showed no emotion. It was, however, a voice that commanded obedience. Then he turned to Wood. "You and van Eyk get the gems. Troll and Spike will carry Mafka."
"Where are we going?" Van Eyk put the question apprehensively. He knew that there was a guard of warrior-women in the corridor outside Mafka's suite.
"We are going first to Gonfala's apartments. They adjoin Mafka's."
"She'll give the alarm, and we'll have the whole bloomin' bunch of 'em on us," objected Spike.
"Don't worry about Gonfala; just do as I say. However, you may as well take these weapons. Something might happen of course."
Wood and van Eyk got the great emerald and the Gonfal from the ledge in the fireplace; then Troll and Spike picked up Mafka, who was trembling in terror; and all followed Tarzan to the door of the apartment. They passed through the adjoining room and the next, coming then to the door leading into Gonfala's suite. Like the other doors, it was barred on the inside. Slipping the bars, the ape-man pushed the door open.
Gonfala was standing in the center of the room as the party entered. She was clothed as for a journey, with a long robe of leopard skins and heavy sandals. A narrow fillet of beaded doeskin bound her golden hair. At sight of Mafka, bound, gagged, and blindfolded, she gasped and shrank away. Then she saw Wood and ran to him.