ters had been disposed of, Katon had sent his soldiery to
assemble the residents of Sephar at the palace grounds. When a huge
throng had filled not only the grassy expanse but the street as well,
Katon, as ruler of Sephar, had proclaimed the new government and asked
that they acknowledge, as their king, a warrior in place of a priest.

The thunderous, welcoming roar which greeted his words was all that was
needed to make of Sephar a unified community. Katon had immediately
proclaimed a two day holiday, to be given over to feasting and drinking;
and, because he was a shrewd judge of human nature, he had announced
that every citizen must sacrifice some valued article to the God, whose
help had made the revolt a success.

* * * * *

And so it was that on this night all Sephar, from palace to city walls,
was in a merry-making mood. Within the palace dininghall, there was only
a single tiny cloud to mar the clear sky of happiness; a cloud fast
losing the dark hue it at first had assumed.

This bit of gloom was caused by the absence of Dylara. But when young
Tharn had had an opportunity to reflect, there had come the certainty
that Dylara would be back with him before many suns. Tharn knew he could
cover in one day three times the distance that the slow-moving men from
Ammad could travel in that same period of time. And while they must camp
while Dyta slept, Tharn could go on across nocturnal jungles and plains
without being forced to slack his speed.

Vulcar, earthen goblet in hand, was bellowing out an anecdote of the
days when he had been a young warrior, when the hangings behind Tharn's
bench swayed as though touched by a random current of air.

Because all eyes were fixed on the speaker, and because the faint candle
light failed to reach much beyond the table, none saw the half crouched
figure that stealthily pushed aside the curtain and tip-toed into the
room. The intruder's lips were curled in a crazed grimace of hate; in
one hand was clutched a long blade of polished stone.

Nada, pausing in her eating from time to time to gaze fondly at her
broad-shouldered son, caught a glimpse of something moving among the
shadows directly behind the young man. What was it that lurked there?

Suddenly Nada screamed--a high-pitched, tearing sound that cut through
the babble of voices about the table.

With the first notes of the scream, a figure behind Tharn bounded
forward and drove a flint k