Robert Grandon 02 Prince of Peril Page 16

  "Where is Loralie?" asked. "Have you rescued her?"

  "Here, drink this," said Vom Vangal, removing the phial from beneath my nostrils and holding a steaming bowl to my lips. "Then I will tell you." I recognized the fragrant aromatic smell of kova, and drank deeply. The hot, stimulating beverage sent the blood coursing warmly through my veins.

  When I had drunk, Vorn Vangal said, "Lotar and his men not only conquered the guards stationed on every floor they came to, but defeated the fifty guards which Vinzeth took down from the roof to oppose them, driving them upward from floor to floor until only a dozen remained with their mojak. Evidently intending to get the princess and escape in one of the airships, Vinzeth retreated with his twelve men while Lotar was conquering the guards posted on the floor that is second from the top. This took only a short time, but when Lotar reached the top floor he saw Vinzeth standing over you with a scarbo, ready to give you the death blow.

  "He instandy opened fire, whereupon Vinzeth transferred his attention from you to the only avenue of escape left to him—the door to the apartments of the princess. With a key from his belt pouch he succeeded in opening it and getting inside with two of his men. The others were shot down by Lotar and his warriors.

  "Finding you were not dead, but only temporarily paralyzed, Lotar had you brought up to the roof by two of his men, and with the others who were with him, demanded that Vinzeth surrender and give up the princess. But Vinzeth refused to surrender, and swore that if the door were broken down the princess should be instantly slain." "How long ago was this?"

  "It occurred about three hours ago. The effect of the narcotic in the tork bullets lasts about that long."

  "And she is still in there with him?" I asked, sitting up.

  "What could we do, Highness? We have surrounded the room, but if we break in she will undoubtedly be slain. Vinzeth is a desperate character."

  "You are right. We must find some way to outwit this Vinzeth*

  "We have not been unsuccessful in other ways," said Vorn Vangal. "Already I have raised a citizen army of twenty thousand men, and more volunteers pour into our ranks constantly. The city is in the hands of the loyal commanders I have appointed, and a thousand men who are trustworthy guard the palace from roof to dungeons."

  "What about Pasuki in the Black Tower? I had intended to have you send him reenforcements by way of the tunnel as soon as you could get them, but forgot it."

  "In this I acted without Your Highness's command, guessing your intentions," said Vorn Vangal. "Five thousand men have already traveled to the relief of Pasuki through the tunnel. When all get there, his men will outnumber those of Taliboz. And they will have a decided advantage any time he decides to storm the tower. The twenty thousand citizen troops are mobilized near the south gate, awaiting your orders."

  Just as he finished speaking a small, one-man flyer alighted on the roof. The man who stepped out looked around him for a moment, then espying our group, ran toward us.

  "I have just come from Tureno," he announced. "A mighty battle fleet is in the harbor—the fleet of Tyrhana. And in the flagship rides Ad, Torrogo of Tyrhana, who demands that his daughter be delivered to him safe and sound, or he will immediately reduce Tureno and march on Olba. With him, also, are two ships, in one of which is Prince Gadrimel of Adonijar. He threatens an immediate declaration of war by his nation if his cousin, the Princess of Tyrhana, be not immediately returned unharmed to her imperial sire."

  "Never mind Prince Gadrimel," I told the messenger, "but fly at once to the flagship of Torrogo Ad. Tell him that his daughter has been kidnaped by one of the mojaks of Taliboz, and we are trying to rescue her. Tell him further that if he cares to, he is welcome to land his army in Tureno, and that such citizens of Tureno as are available and can bear arms will march with him and assist him if he is bent on attacking the army of the man who abducted his daughter and usurped the throne of Olba."

  The messenger made obeisance and departed.

  I turned to Vorn Vangal. "Send another messenger at once to the King of Tureno. Tell him it is my command that he permit the soldiers of Tyrhana to land, and that he send as many men with them as he can gather to fight Taliboz. You will then go yourself and take command of the citizen army that waits at the south gate of the city, starting immediately for the Black Tower and surrounding the army of Taliboz, if possible."

  Vorn Vangal hurried away to carry out my orders, and I swung on Lotar. "By looking over the battlements, can you point out the windows of the room in which Her Highness is confined?"

  "Yes, Highness."

  "First send for a long, strong rope," I commanded. "Then show me the windows—and be sure you make no mistake."

  He sent a man scurrying for a rope and then went to the parapet and leaned over. I leaned over with him and he pointed downward.

  "That window," he said, indicating one almost directly beneath us, "opens on the reception room of her apartment. The one to the left opens on her bedroom, the right on her bath."

  At the sound of footsteps behind us we turned. Two soldiers bearing a large coil of stout rope saluted.

  "Put down the rope," I ordered. "Now you, Lotar, go down in front of the door of the princess's apartment. Make a great noise, demand the release of the prisoner, and engage Vinzeth in an argument if you can. Don't do anything until you hear a commotion inside, or until I call you. Then break down the door."

  With a quiet smile, which showed his full comprehension of my plan, Lotar hurried down the stairway.

  Making a tight loop in the end of the rope, I brought it over the parapet at a position directly above the window which opened on Loralie's bedroom. Then, telling the two soldiers to let me down until I held out one hand for them to stop, I swung over the battlement, and with one foot in the loop and both hands gripping the rope, was swiftly and silently lowered. As soon as I was opposite the window, I signaled the men to cease lowering me. Because of the projection of the battlements, I hung about three feet from the window ledge. Below me was a sheer drop of about a hundred feet to the balcony roof of the next segment.

  Gripping the rope with both hands, I worked it as a child works a swing until it began to move back and forth, first toward, then away from the window ledge. Nearer and nearer it swung until I was finally able to hook a foot over the ledge and draw myself inside. Cautiously dropping to the floor, I found the room deserted and the door closed. From beyond the door came men's voices raised in altercation.

  Scarbo in hand, I tiptoed to the door and gently opened it a little way. Standing near the large central window, but looking toward the entrance to the corridor, were Loralie and her two handmaidens. Just in front of them, and also facing the door, were Vinzeth and his two men.

  I had no idea whether the two maids with Loralie were friendly to my cause or to that of Taliboz, but I took a chance, and, reaching out, touched the arm of the one nearest me, then held my finger to my lips for silence. She started and gave a little cry of fear which caused me to snatch at my tork, but it went unnoticed by the three men because of the clamor in the corridor.

  Motioning the girl into the bedroom, I touched her companion in a like manner, and also succeeded in getting her out of the way without noise. I then touched Loralie lightly on the shoulder. She swung on me, a furious look in her eyes, but it was instantly replaced by one of infinite tenderness when she recognized me. She went with me quickly enough into the bedroom, but when I started out again she threw her arms around my neck to detain me.

  "Don't go, please," she whispered. "They will kill you. Close the door and stay in here."

  I smiled, kissed her, and pushed her away.

  "Lock the door after me," I said in a whisper. "In case I lose the fight, Lotar will break in from the corridor before Vinzeth can harm you."

  Then I stepped out and softly closed the door after me. At this instant one of the men, turned, facing me. For a moment he stared incredulously; then he reached for his tork. But mine was already leveled at him, and
I fired.

  At the sound of the shot, Vinzeth and the other ruffian swung about. I shot the latter, but the mojak of Taliboz was too quick for me. Without pausing to draw a weapon, he sprang in so close that I was unable to use mine, and we went down in a heap, kicking, clawing, striking and gouging each other like a pair of wild animals.

  The corridor door, meanwhile, was splintering from thunderous blows on its exterior. Although the thick serali planking was exceedingly tough, it was evident that it could not much longer withstand the terrific assault. Lotar had evidently found something that made an efficient battering ram.

  All this came to me subconsciously as I fought, for I was too busy with my powerful and wily antagonist to think of anything else. Back and forth we struggled, rolling over and over, crashing against furniture and pulling down hangings, each man kept so occupied by the other that he was unable to use a weapon.

  Presently I managed to get a short arm jolt to Vinzeth's jaw, which partly dazed him, and was about to repeat the process when he suddenly caught me in the solar plexus with his knee. With the wind completely knocked out of me, I sank, gasping, to the floor.

  He uttered a yell of triumph, and whipping out his scarbo, swung it aloft with the evident intention of splitting my skull.

  But ere he could bring it down, there was a final, rending crash from the corridor doorway, followed by the cracking of a tork. With a look of horrified unbelief on his features, Vinzeth dropped his scarbo and pitched forward on his face, his body lying across me.

  Lotar quickly dragged him off me, and flung him into the corner as if he had been a sack of grain. I sat up but was unable to talk.

  When I regained my speech I called to Loralie, telling her that it was now safe to open the door. Recognizing my voice, she came out and knelt beside me, pulling my head down on her breast and asking me where I was wounded.

  But I reassured her, and a moment later, having managed to regain my breath, I stood up. "Man one of the aerial battleships at once, Lotar," I said. "We're going to pay our respects to Taliboz."

  While we waited for Lotar to get the ship ready for flight,

  Loralie and I stood on the palace roof, looking toward the Black Tower.

  Lotar sent us each a glass, and with the aid of these, we could watch what was transpiring.

  The citizens' army which had started out from Olba was now less than two miles from the tower and spread out in an immense crescent. Marching from Tureno, and almost as close to the besieged tower, was an army almost as large as that of Olba, deployed in the same manner. On account of his low position and the rolling formation of the ground, Taliboz had not yet seen his approaching enemies. His men, who had evidendy been previously repulsed, judging from the bodies that lay before the wall, were forming for a new assault on the Black Tower.

  We were watching the horns of the two crescents draw together when Lotar called to me, "The ship is ready, Highness."

  CHAPTER XVI

  Loralie and I boarded the aerial battleship. It was the same one that had rescued us from the killer norgal and brought us to Olba, manned in part by the same crew, and commanded by Lotar.

  By my command he piloted the ship to a point directly above the Black Tower, and hovered there. The armies from the north and south had, by this time, completed their encircling movement and were rapidly closing in on the unsuspecting army of Taliboz.

  Zinlo of Olba, to Taliboz:

  You are surrounded by an army of forty thousand warriors. As the Black Tower is garrisoned with five thousand men, you cannot hope to take it.

  You have your choice of unconditional surrender or annihilation. If you surrender, lay down your arms and raise the "dud' pennon. If not, you alone are responsible for what will follow.

  ZINLO

  Rolling it up and weighting it with an empty tork clip, I hurled it down at the spot where the Imperial Standard of Olba fluttered in the wind.

  With the aid of my glass I watched its flight downward, and saw it fall near one of the officers, who carried it to his commander.

  Unrolling it, Taliboz read it, then passed it to the man nearest him. Upon careful scrutiny with the glass, I saw the man was Maribo, his prime minister. After the latter had read it, the two engaged in a lengthy argument in which several of the others joined.

  I judged from their attitudes that the other officers sided with Maribo, and that Taliboz stood alone in whatever decision he had made. While the argument was going on, the first skirmish line of the encircling army opened fire.

  Suddenly wheeling and walking away from Maribo and the others, I saw Taliboz shout something to a mattork crew and point toward our ship. A moment later a shell screamed past me. This was his answer.

  A gunner in our forward turret promptly replied, wiping out the crew of the mattork from which the shot had been fired.

  But Maribo and the other officers apparently did not approve of the way Taliboz had replied to our missive. With positive defeat staring them in the face, they appeared to be united in favor of immediate surrender. At least they did not interfere with Maribo when he ran up behind Taliboz just as the traitor was ordering another gun crew to fire on us, and deliberately stabbed him in the back.

  Scarcely had the stricken traitor sunk to the ground ere Maribo gave an order to the standard bearer. Instantly the banner of Taliboz was lowered and the pennon of peace raised, while the shout of "dua" went around the lines. The fighting ceased almost instantly, and with their weapons on the ground and their hands clasped behind their heads in token of submission, the warriors who had set out so confidently that morning to reduce the Black Tower, were taken prisoners.

  "Now that they have surrendered," said Loralie anxiously, "can't we go and see my poor father?"

  "We'll get him and take him to the palace at once. I want him to be my guest as long as he cares to stay."

  "And I want you to ask him something just as soon as you get a chance," she said with a meaning smile. "Remember Cousin Gadrimel is with him. He is very fond of my cousin."

  We flew southward to where the standards of the Torrogo of Tyrhana, the Torrogi of Adonijar, and my Rogo of Tureno fluttered in the breeze, then descended.

  As Loralie and I got down from the ship, three men came to meet us. All wore the scarlet of royalty. The foremost I recognized instantly by his mincing gait as Prince Gadrimel. The other two I did not know except by their insignia.

  Loralie flung herself into the arms of the taller of the two, a straight, athletic-appearing monarch with snapping brown eyes and a square cut, jet black beard. I judged him to be about forty years of age.

  "Father!" she cried joyously.

  He kissed her hungrily, then held her away from him, looking her over from head to foot. "My little girl. I can scarcely believe it is you, alive and well. Rather had I lost my empire and my life than that harm had come to you."

  "This is Zinlo of Olba, Father," she said, indicating me. "Prince Zinlo, my father, Torrogo Ad of Tyrhana."

  "You have placed me deeply in your debt by bringing my daughter to be unharmed," said Ad.

  "Had there been a debt, Your Majesty," I replied, "it would have been canceled long ago by the pleasure of Her Highness's company."

  Gadrimel came up and bowed formally, muttering something about being grateful to me for having rescued his dear cousin and fiancee. The other in scarlet was the Rogo of Tureno.

  I asked that he arrange for the entertainment of all soldiers and sailors of Adonijar and Tyrhana, in his city, at the expense of the Imperial Government of Olba.

  Ad and Gadrimel then got aboard with us. We flew to the Black Tower, where we took Pasuki on board, and to the headquarters of the citizens' army, where we picked up Vom Vangal. Then we flew to the palace.

  When quarters had been assigned to our guests, Vom Vangal enthusiastically undertook the task of supervising preparations for a great feast to be held that evening. I met my guests in the imperial reception room, where I ordered kova served.

&nb
sp; Gadrimel was so attentive to Loralie that I scarcely had an opportunity to speak to her. So I called her father out on the balcony, told him I loved Princess Loralie, and asked him for her hand in marriage.

  Ad looked astonished. "Beard of my grandfather!" he thundered. "What's this you say? Her hand in marriage? Is it possible that you are not aware that she is to marry her cousin Gadrimel?"

  "I knew that she was betrothed to Gadrimel against her will," I replied, "but that does not stop us from loving each other."

  "From loving each other! Loralie—come here, child." He added, "Excuse us a moment, Gadrimel."

  Loralie came out through the window, visibly a little frightened at his tone.

  "I hope," he said gravely, when she stood before him, "that you will deny, once and for all, that you love His Highness of Olba. You know my wishes with regard to Gadrimel!"

  For a moment she hung her head, but for a moment only. Then she raised it proudly, and with tears brimming in her glorious eyes answered, "Father, I love him, and have told him so."

  On the dark brows of Ad a storm of anger was gathering.

  "By the blood and bones of Thorth!" he roared. "Do you thus defy me—me, your father? You ingrate! I swear by my head and beard that I'll wed you to Gadrimel at once and take you to Adonijar."

  "Father, pleasel" Great tears were streaming down her cheeks now.

  "Your Highness," Ad said to me shortly, "you will confer a favor on me by leaving us."

  I bowed and departed, striving to conceal my bitter disappointment as I entered the room where we had left Gadrimel. The prince had a most unwonted grin on his effeminate face, and I had no doubt but that he had been listening a moment before at the window.

  He instantly began a lisping chatter about our many adventures together, and his own heroic exploits after we had parted company in the fern-forest.

  At intervals when he stopped talking long enough to sip his kova I could hear the sobbing of Loralie on the balcony and the rumbling voice of her father. Suddenly Ad appeared to lose his temper again, for he roared, "He did, did he? Why, of all the . . ."