Before long, the situation changed abruptly.
Our interminable aerial voyage ended quite suddenly one afternoon, as we came into view of a most peculiar structure built along the upper surface of a vast branch which extended from a distant tree-trunk which stood directly in our hurtling path.
Zarqa, as if he had anticipated the moment to a nicety, slowed the flight of the skysled, and curved its direction off on a tangent. We circled to a halt behind a screen of heavy foliage.
And I knew that we had at last reached the city of Ardha, the realm of Akhmim the Tyrant, within whose Citadel perchance the woman I loved was held a helpless prisoner.
If she yet lived.
Chapter 14
ENTERING THE YELLOW CITY
Neither the gaunt Kalood nor the Phaolonian princeling made any spoken comment on the fact of our arrival—but further proof of the existence of that biological clock that enabled them to measure the passage of farasangs—so I cautiously refrained from making my alienage obvious by any such remark myself.
We tethered the weightless skysled to the base of a leaf the size of a ship’s foresail, and dismounted, crawling out on the narrowing twig as far as was possible, so as to obtain a clear view of our objective.
I have mentioned before that the Laonese are utterly without the fear of heights so common to Earthly men. If such had not been so, doubtless the race would have driven itself into extinction aeons ago, for vertigo, to a civilization which inhabits tree-cities built miles in the air, would be a fatal plague. The body of Karn, of course, was likewise immune to any feeling of giddiness; but my Terrene spirit was not, and I could not help picturing the vertiginous depths of the colossal abyss which extended mile upon mile below my slender and insecure perch.
The twig was about as large around as a full-grown oak tree would have been back on Earth. The bark was corrugated into rough overlapping rings of growth, so, actually, it was not particularly difficult to climb rather far out upon the twig-so long as you did not look down, and avoided thinking of the miles of empty air that yawned beneath your heels.
Zarqa pried the leaves apart with the crystal rod of his zoukar… and thus I obtained my first good look at Ardha.
Well did I remember the first scene upon which I gazed when first I ventured hither to this planet. I had observed the entourage of Akhmim arriving at the court of Phaolon after a flight from the city of Ardha, to lay a marriage proposal which amounted to nothing less than an ultimatum before the throne of my beloved princess, Niamh the Fair.
Closing my eyes, I can conjure up the image of Akhmim as I saw him in that hour. Tall, cruel-faced, clad in robes of stark, eye-hurting yellow, with a towering miter of sparking black crystals on his head and a jet staff clenched in clawlike fingers.
And now, after all this time, I looked upon the city of my foe.
Not for naught was it called the “Yellow City.” For, while the city of Phaolon was built all of multicolored crystals, the city of Akhmim was composed of glittering yellow gems, whose monotony of hue was relieved only by roof-tiles and domes and spire-tips of sparkling black jet.
The city was, of course, without walls—such ramparts having no utility or purpose in a world where the inhabitants travel about by air rather than by land. It simply rose, rank on rank of cube-shaped houses, hexagonal towers, slim, soaring spires, fat swelling domes, beginning at the edge of the huge branch and reaching vast heights toward the center of the branch.
Although unwalled, the city was closely guarded. Minute glittering motes swarmed about the gemmed towers and circled above the extent of the branch. These were Ardhanese warriors, mounted on fighting zaiphs.
The problem, Zarqa began without preamble, is one of entry.
“Quite right,” Janchan murmured. “We cannot just go into the city and demand the person of the princess.”
We could, of course, wait for night and fly in, hoping to be unobserved in the darkness.
Janchan shook his head. “Too risky, friend Zarqa! The skysled would arouse great curiosity and consternation, for the Ardhanese could never have seen its like.”
If that be true, Zarqa mused, then my own appearance would occasion a similar uproar. For the folk of the Yellow City cannot be expected to have seen a member of the Kaloodha before.
“Again, quite right, I’m afraid. They would regard you as a creature of legend, a thing out of ancient myth, and your appearance would attract much attention—which, of course, is exactly the thing we want to avoid as much as possible.”
I had, by this time, had quite enough of being ignored in these conversations, so at this point I spoke up rather rudely.
“Zarqa can fly us down to the extremity of the branch by night, let us off, and return to a place of concealment, to stay by the sled until we are able to rejoin him,” I said boldly. “You and I can then enter the city, asking for a place in the ranks as mercenary warriors.”
Zarqa and Janchan exchanged a look of surprise, then glanced at me. Janchan gave voice to a slight, embarrassed laugh.
“Why, that’s a very good idea, Karn—a very good idea, indeed! However, ah… I don’t think we could pass you off as a wandering sell-sword. Mercenaries are generally grizzled veterans, not fifteen-year-old boys.”
I fear I flushed hotly at this; for, of course, I had allowed it to slip my mind again that this body I inhabited was that of a boy, and Janchan was quite right.
“I’m sixteen, not fifteen, and—and, tall for my age!” I said hotly.
“Of course you are, and it really is a very good idea,” the prince said encouragingly. “But I think it would be better if you stayed here in safety with Zarqa, while I try to enter the city by night and learn something of what is going on…”
“But I don’t want to stay here with Zarqa!” I burst out, red in the face with humiliation, “I—I want to go down with you and help find the princess!”
Janchan slid one arm around my shoulder and gave me a comforting pat on the back.
“Of course you do, Karn; I know you do. But, well, I think I have a better chance of going it alone…”
At this point, to make my humiliation complete, kindly old Zarqa chimed in.
I really need your assistance here, Karn my friend! he said heartily. It will be a job for the both of us, guarding the skysled from chance discovery… I would really hate to try doing it all by myself!
At this point, I subsided, forcing myself into tight-lipped silence. Not yet had I fully mastered the immature emotions of this body; and, I must admit, I had a horrible suspicion that any moment I was likely to burst into tears!
We returned to the skysled and made a brief repast. Then we began constructing a sort of tent of the immense golden leaves so as to shelter Zarqa and myself, and also to hide the vehicle from any chance observation from the air. It was no particular problem to bend twiglets awry, tie them securely into their new position with knotted thongs from our trappings. Soon we had managed a tentlike affair which would afford us some shelter from rain or wind, and would shield us from sight. Then we napped, in order to have our strength fresh for the adventure that night, and lay, trying to sleep, waiting for the darkness to come.