for their
past services to the throne. We will make jeds of chiefs and chiefs of
warriors, and grant them palaces and slaves. Eh, E-Thas?"

The other shook his head. "It will not do, O-Tar. They will have
nothing of your gifts or honors. I have heard them say as much."

"What do they want?" demanded O-Tar.

"They want a jeddak as brave as the bravest," replied E-Thas, though
his knees shook as he said it.

"They think I am a coward?" cried the jeddak.

"They say you are afraid to go to the apartments of O-mai the Cruel."

For a long time O-Tar sat, his head sunk upon his breast, staring
blankly at the floor.

"Tell them," he said at last in a hollow voice that sounded not at all
like the voice of a great jeddak; "tell them that I will go to the
chambers of O-Mai and search for Turan the slave."

CHAPTER XXI

A RISK FOR LOVE

"Ey, ey, he is a craven and he called me 'doddering fool'!" The speaker
was I-Gos and he addressed a knot of chieftains in one of the chambers
of the palace of O-Tar, Jeddak of Manator: "If A-Kor was alive there
were a jeddak for us!"

"Who says that A-Kor is dead?" demanded one of the chiefs.

"Where is he then?" asked I-Gos. "Have not others disappeared whom
O-Tar thought too well beloved for men so near the throne as they?"

The chief shook his head. "And I thought that, or knew it, rather; I'd
join U-Thor at The Gate of Enemies."

"S-s-st," cautioned one; "here comes the licker of feet," and all eyes
were turned upon the approaching E-Thas.

"Kaor, friends!" he exclaimed as he stopped among them, but his
friendly greeting elicited naught but a few surly nods. "Have you heard
the news?" he continued, unabashed by treatment to which he was
becoming accustomed.

"What--has O-Tar seen an ulsio and fainted?" demanded I-Gos with broad
sarcasm.

"Men have died for less than that, ancient one," E-Thas reminded him.

"I am safe," retorted I-Gos, "for I am not a brave and popular son of
the jeddak of Manator."

This was indeed open treason, but E-Thas feigned not to hear it. He
ignored I-Gos and turned to the others. "O-Tar goes to the chamber of
O-Mai this night in search of Turan the slave," he said. "He sorrows
that his warriors have not the courage for so mean a duty and that
their jeddak is thus compelled to arrest a common slave," with which
taunt E-Thas passed on to spread the word in other parts of the palace.
As a matter of fact the latter part of his message was pur