owever faint.

Tarlok, the leopard, crouching among the dense foliage of a thick branch
above the trail, watched them pass. Soundlessly he bared glistening
fangs, and his yellow eyes narrowed into twin slits of hate. Tarlok
detested these two-legged creatures; but even greater was his fear of
them, for his mate had fallen, a moon ago, beneath the sharp sticks of
such man-things.

CHAPTER XII

Enter--Pryak

Hardly had word of Alurna's disappearance flashed through Sephar,
that same morning, than a young under-priest was seeking
admittance to the secret chambers of Pryak, high-priest to the
God-Whose-Name-May-Not-Be-Spoken-Aloud.

It was no simple matter to gain the subterranean apartment far beneath
the temple. Only a chosen few had ever set foot within the
holy-of-holies; this young man was not one of them. But his excited
manner and the announcement of information "for Pryak alone" had brought
him to the very door of the high-priest's suite. But here he was stopped
by Orbar, second only to Pryak, himself.

Tidor was no fool. To be first to acquaint his chief with important
information could gain him recognition as a loyal and conscientious
follower. Men had risen high with such a beginning.

And so when Orbar sought to learn what word Tidor had brought, he was
met by the unchanging retort: "I will tell Pryak--none other!"

Finally Orbar began to lose patience. "You may not see the most-high,"
he snapped. "Tell me what you know and I will pass it on--if it be
worth-while repeating. Come, tell me, or I will teach you what it means
to cross Orbar!"

Tidor trembled inwardly. He had heard gossip as to the fate of some who
had angered Orbar. He was about to blurt out the news, when there came
a sudden interruption.

The door to Pryak's apartment banged open and a short, frail-appearing
man appeared in the doorway. He was well past middle-age, with sparse
graying hair that straggled untidily past the neck line of his tunic.
His wrinkled face was twisted in anger, and his shifty, close-set eyes
of watery blue glared at the two men before him.

"What means this clamor, Orbar?" he demanded shrilly. "By the God, am I
to be disturbed by petty wrangling on my own door-step? Who is this
youth?"

Orbar's manner was humble, now. "Tidor, an under-priest, has come with
word which he claims is of great importance. I tried to learn from him
if the information was worthy of your attention, Most High, but he will
te