\"Whatisthatnoise?\"heasked。\"Thatsoundslikewaterrunningthroughanarrowchannel。\"
\"Itistheriver,\"repliedAn-Tak。\"Whydoyounotgotosleep?
ItpassesdirectlybeneaththeBluePlaceofSevenSkulls。Itrunsthroughthetemplegrounds,beneaththetempleandunderthecity。
Whenwedie,theywillcutoffourheadsandthrowourbodiesintotheriver。Atthemouthoftheriverawaitmanylargereptiles。
Thusdotheyfeed。TheWieroosdolikewisewiththeirowndead,keepingonlytheskullsandthewings。Come,letussleep。\"
\"Dothereptilescomeuptheriverintothecity?\"askedBradley。
\"Thewateristoocold——theyneverleavethewarmwaterofthegreatpool,\"repliedAn-Tak。
\"Letussearchforthewayout,\"suggestedBradley。
An-Takshookhishead。\"Ihavesearchedforitallthesemoons,\"
hesaid。\"IfIcouldnotfindit,howwouldyou?\"
Bradleymadenoreplybutcommencedadiligentexaminationofthewallsandflooroftheroom,pressingovereachsquarefootandtappingwithhisknuckles。Aboutsixfeetfromthefloorhediscoveredasleeping-perchnearoneendoftheapartment。
HeaskedAn-Takaboutit,buttheGalusaidthatnoWeiroohadoccupiedtheplacesincehehadbeenincarceratedthere。
AgainandagainBradleywentoverthefloorandwallsashighupashecouldreach。Finallyheswunghimselftotheperch,thathemightexamineatleastoneendoftheroomallthewaytotheceiling。
Inthecenterofthewallclosetothetop,anareaaboutthreefeetsquaregaveforthahollowsoundwhenherappeduponit。
Bradleyfeltovereverysquareinchofthatareawiththetipsofhisfingers。Nearthetophefoundasmallroundholeatriflelargerindiameterthanhisforefinger,whichheimmediatelystuckintoit。Thepanel,ifsuchitwas,seemedaboutaninchthick,andbeyondithisfingerencounterednothing。
Bradleycrookedhisfingerupontheoppositesideofthepanelandpulledtowardhim,steadilybutwithconsiderableforce。
Suddenlythepanelflewinward,nearlyprecipitatingthemantothefloor。Itwashingedatthebottom,andwhenloweredtheouteredgerestedupontheperch,makingalittleplatformparallelwiththeflooroftheroom。
Beyondtheopeningwasanutterlydarkvoid。TheEnglishmanleanedthroughitandreachedhisarmasfaraspossibleintotheblacknessbuttouchednothing。Thenhefumbledinhishaversackforamatch,afewofwhichremainedtohim。Whenhestruckit,An-Takgaveacryofterror。Bradleyheldthelightfarintotheopeningbeforehimandinitsflickeringrayssawthetopofaladderdescendingintoablackabyssbelow。Howfardownitextendedhecouldnotguess;butthatheshouldsoonknowdefinitelyhewaspositive。
\"Youhavefoundit!Youhavefoundthewayout!\"screamedAn-Tak。
\"Oh,Luata!AndnowIamtooweaktogo。Takemewithyou!
Takemewithyou!\"
\"Shutup!\"admonishedBradley。\"Youwillhavethewholeflockofbirdsaroundourheadsinaminute,andneitherofuswillescape。
Bequiet,andI’llgoahead。IfIfindawayout,I’llcomebackandhelpyou,ifyou’llpromisenottotrytoeatmeupagain。\"
\"Ipromise,\"criedAn-Tak。\"Oh,Luata!Howcouldyoublameme?
Iamhalfcrazedofhungerandlongconfinementandthehorrorofthelizardsandtheratsandtheconstantwaitingfordeath。\"
\"Iknow,\"saidBradleysimply。\"I’msorryforyou,oldtop。
Keepastiffupperlip。\"Andheslippedthroughtheopening,foundtheladderwithhisfeet,closedthepanelbehindhim,andstarteddownwardintothedarkness。
Belowhimrosemoreandmoredistinctlythesoundofrunningwater。
Theairfeltdampandcool。Hecouldseenothingofhissurroundingsandfeltnothingbutthesmooth,wornsidesandrungsoftheladderdownwhichhefelthiswaycautiouslylestabrokenrungoramisstepshouldhurlhimdownward。
Ashedescendedthusslowly,theladderseemedinterminableandthepitbottomless,yetherealizedwhenatlasthereachedthebottomthathecouldnothavedescendedmorethanfiftyfeet。
Thebottomoftheladderrestedonanarrowledgepavedwithwhatfeltlikelargeroundstones,butwhatheknewfromexperiencetobehumanskulls。Hecouldnotbutmarvelastowheresomanycountlessthousandsofthethingshadcomefrom,untilhepausedtoconsiderthattheinfancyofCaspakdateddoubtlesslybackintoremoteages,farbeyondwhattheouterworldconsideredthebeginningofearthlytime。ForalltheseeonstheWieroosmighthavebeencollectinghumanskullsfromtheirenemiesandtheirowndead——enoughtohavebuiltanentirecityofthem。
Feelinghiswayalongthenarrowledge,Bradleycamepresentlytoablankwallthatstretchedoutoverthewaterswirlingbeneathhim,asfarashecouldreach。Stooping,hegropedaboutwithonehand,reachingdowntowardthesurfaceofthewater,anddiscoveredthatthebottomofthewallarchedabovethestream。
Howmuchspacetherewasbetweenthewaterandthearchhecouldnottell,norhowdeeptheformer。Therewasonlyonewayinwhichhemightlearnthesethings,andthatwastolowerhimselfintothestream。Foronlyaninstanthehesitatedweighinghischances。BehindhimlayalmostcertainlythehorridfateofAn-Tak;beforehimnothingworsethanacomparativelypainlessdeathbydrowning。Holdinghishaversackabovehisheadwithonehandheloweredhisfeetslowlyovertheedgeofthenarrowplatform。
Almostimmediatelyhefelttheswirlingofcoldwaterabouthisankles,andthenwithasilentprayerhelethimselfdropgentlyintothestream。
GreatwasBradley’sreliefwhenhefoundthewaternomorethanwaistdeepandbeneathhisfeetafirm,gravelbottom。
Feelinghiswaycautiouslyhemoveddownwardwiththecurrent,whichwasnotsostrongashehadimaginedfromthenoiseoftherunningwater。
Beneaththefirstarchhemadehisway,followingthewindingcurvaturesoftheright-handwall。Afterafewyardsofprogresshishandcamesuddenlyincontactwithaslimythingclingingtothewall——athingthathissedandscuttledoutofreach。Whatitwas,themancouldnotknow;butalmostinstantlytherewasasplashinthewaterjustaheadofhimandthenanother。
Onhewent,passingbeneathotherarchesatvaryingdistances,andalwaysinutterdarkness。Unseendenizensofthisgreatsewer,disturbedbytheintruder,splashedintothewateraheadofhimandwriggledaway。Timeandagainhishandtouchedthemandneverforaninstantcouldhebesurethatatthenextstepsomegruesomethingmightnotattackhim。Hehadstrappedhishaversackabouthisneck,wellabovethesurfaceofthewater,andinhislefthandhecarriedhisknife。Otherprecautionstherewerenonetotake。
Themonotonyoftheblindtrailwasincreasedbythefactthatfromthemomenthehadstartedfromthefootoftheladderhehadcountedhiseverystep。HehadpromisedtoreturnforAn-Takifitprovedhumanlypossibletodoso,andheknewthatintheblacknessofthetunnelhecouldlocatethefootoftheladderinnootherway。
Hehadtakentwohundredandsixty-ninesteps——afterwardheknewthatheshouldneverforgetthatnumber——whensomethingbumpedgentlyagainsthimfrombehind。Instantlyhewheeledaboutandwithknifereadytodefendhimselfstretchedforthhisrighthandtopushawaytheobjectthatnowhadlodgedagainsthisbody。
Hisfingersfeelingthroughthedarknesscameincontactwithsomethingcoldandclammy——theypassedtoandfrooverthethinguntilBradleyknewthatitwasthefaceofadeadmanfloatinguponthesurfaceofthestream。Withanoathhepushedhisgruesomecompanionoutintomid-streamtofloatondowntowardthegreatpoolandtheawaitingscavengersofthedeep。
Athisfourhundredandthirteenthstepanothercorpsebumpedagainsthim——howmanyhadpassedhimwithouttouchinghecouldnotguess;butsuddenlyheexperiencedthesensationofbeingsurroundedbydeadfacesfloatingalongwithhim,allsetinhideousgrimaces,theirdeadeyesglaringatthisprofaningalienwhodaredintrudeuponthewatersofthisriverofthedead——ahorridescort,pregnantwithdireforebodingsandwithmenace。
Thoughheadvancedveryslowly,hetriedalwaystotakestepsofaboutthesamelength;sothatheknewthatthoughconsiderabletimehadelapsed,yethehadreallyadvancednomorethanfourhundredyardswhenaheadhesawalesseningofthepitch-darkness,andatthenextturnofthestreamhissurroundingsbecamevaguelydiscernible。Abovehimwasanarchedroofandoneitherhandwallspiercedatintervalsbyaperturescoveredwithwoodendoors。Justaheadofhimintheroofoftheaqueductwasaround,blackholeaboutthirtyinchesindiameter。
Hiseyesstillrestedupontheopeningwhenthereshotdownwardfromittothewaterbelowthenakedbodyofahumanbeingwhichalmostimmediatelyrosetothesurfaceagainandfloatedoffdownthestream。InthedimlightBradleysawthatitwasadeadWieroofromwhichthewingsandheadhadbeenremoved。Amomentlateranotherheadlessbodyfloatedpast,recallingwhatAn-Takhadtoldhimoftheskull-collectingcustomsoftheWieroo。
Bradleywonderedhowithappenedthatthefirstcorpsehehadencounteredinthestreamhadnotbeensimilarlymutilated。
Thefartherheadvancednow,thelighteritbecame。Thenumberofcorpseswasmuchsmallerthanhehadimagined,onlytwomorepassinghimbefore,atsixhundredsteps,oraboutfivehundredyards,fromthepointhehadtakentothestream,hecametotheendofthetunnelandlookedoutuponsunlitwater,runningbetweengrassybanks。
OneofthelastcorpsestopasshimwasstillclothedinthewhiterobeofaWieroo,blood-stainedovertheheadlessneckthatitconcealed。
Drawingclosertotheopeningleadingintothebrightdaylight,Bradleysurveyedwhatlaybeyond。Ashortdistancebeforehimalargebuildingstoodinthecenterofseveralacresofgrassandtree-coveredground,spanningthestreamwhichdisappearedthroughanopeninginitsfoundationwall。Fromthelargesaucer-shapedroofandthevividcoloringsofthevariousheterogeneouspartsofthestructureherecognizeditasthetemplepastwhichhehadbeenbornetotheBluePlaceofSevenSkulls。
ToandfroflewWieroos,goingtoandfromthetemple。
Otherspassedonfootacrosstheopengrounds,assistingthemselveswiththeirgreatwings,sothattheybarelyskimmedtheearth。Toleavethemouthofthetunnelwouldhavebeentocourtinstantdiscoveryandcapture;butbywhatotheravenuehemightescape,Bradleycouldnotguess,unlessheretracedhisstepsupthestreamandsoughtegressfromtheotherendofthecity。Thethoughtoftraversingthatdarkandhorror-riddentunnelforperhapsmileshecouldnotentertain——theremustbesomeotherway。Perhapsafterdarkhecouldstealthroughthetemplegroundsandcontinueondownstreamuntilhehadcomebeyondthecity;andsohestoodandwaiteduntilhislimbsbecamealmostparalyzedwithcold,andheknewthathemustfindsomeotherplanforescape。
Ahalf-formeddecisiontoriskanattempttoswimunderwatertothetemplewascrystallizinginspiteofthefactthatanychanceWierooflyingabovethestreammighteasilyseehim,whenagainafloatingobjectbumpedagainsthimfrombehindandlodgedacrosshisback。Turningquicklyhesawthatthethingwaswhathehadimmediatelyguessedittobe——aheadlessandwinglessWieroocorpse。Withagruntofdisgusthewasabouttopushitfromhimwhenthewhitegarmentenshroudingitsuggestedaboldplantohisresourcefulbrain。Graspingthecorpsebyanarmhetorethegarmentfromitandthenletthebodyfloatdownwardtowardthetemple。Withgreatcarehedrapedtherobeabouthim;
thebloodyblotchthathadcoveredtheseveredneckhearrangedabouthisownhead。Hishaversackherolledastightlyaspossibleandstuffedbeneathhiscoatoverhisbreast。Thenhefellgentlytothesurfaceofthestreamandlyinguponhisbackfloateddownwardwiththecurrentandoutintotheopensunlight。
Throughtheweaveoftheclothhecoulddistinguishlargeobjects。
HesawaWierooflapdismallyabovehim;hesawthebanksofthestreamfloatslowlypast;heheardasuddenwailupontheright-
handshore,andhisheartstoodstilllesthisrusehadbeendiscovered;butneverbyamoveofamuscledidhebetraythataughtbutacoldlumpofclayfloatedthereuponthebosomofthewater,andsoon,thoughitseemedaneternitytohim,thedirectsunlightwasblottedout,andheknewthathehadenteredbeneaththetemple。
Quicklyhefeltforbottomwithhisfeetandasquicklystooderect,snatchingthebloody,clammyclothfromhisface。Onbothsideswereblankwallsandbeforehimtheriverturnedasharpcorneranddisappeared。Feelinghiswaycautiouslyforwardheapproachedtheturnandlookedaroundthecorner。Tohisleftwasalowplatformaboutafootabovethelevelofthestream,andontothishelostnotimeinclimbing,forhewassoakedfromheadtofoot,coldandalmostexhausted。
Ashelayrestingontheskull-pavedshelf,hesawinthecenterofthevaultabovetheriveranotherofthosesinisterroundholesthroughwhichhemomentarilyexpectedtoseeaheadlesscorpseshootdownwardinitslastplungetoawaterygrave。
Afewfeetalongtheplatformacloseddoorbroketheblanknessofthewall。Ashelaylookingatitandwonderingwhatlaybehind,hismindfilledwithfragmentsofmanywildschemesofescape,itopenedandawhiterobedWieroosteppedoutupontheplatform。
Thecreaturecarriedalargewoodenbasinfilledwithrubbish。
ItseyeswerenotuponBradley,whodrewhimselftoasquattingpositionandcrouchedasfarbackinthecornerofthenicheinwhichtheplatformwassetashecouldforcehimself。TheWieroosteppedtotheedgeoftheplatformanddumpedtherubbishintothestream。Ifitturnedawayfromhimasitstartedtoretraceitsstepstothedoorway,therewasasmallchancethatitmightnotseehim;butifitturnedtowardhimtherewasnoneatall。
Bradleyheldhisbreath。
TheWieroopausedamoment,gazingdownintothewater,thenitstraightenedupandturnedtowardtheEnglishman。Bradleydidnotmove。TheWieroostoppedandstaredintentlyathim。
Itapproachedhimquestioningly。StillBradleyremainedasthoughcarvedofstone。Thecreaturewasdirectlyinfrontofhim。Itstopped。Therewasnochanceonearththatitwouldnotdiscoverwhathewas。
Withthequicknessofacat,Bradleysprangtohisfeetandwithallhisgreatstrength,backedbyhisheavyweight,strucktheWieroouponthepointofthechin。Withoutasoundthethingcrumpledtotheplatform,whileBradley,actingalmostinstinctivelytotheurgeofthefirstlawofnature,rolledtheinanimatebodyovertheedgeintotheriver。
Thenhelookedattheopendoorway,crossedtheplatformandpeeredwithintheapartmentbeyond。Whathesawwasalargeroom,dimlylighted,andaboutthesiderowsofwoodenvesselsstackedoneuponanother。TherewasnoWierooinsight,sotheEnglishmanentered。Atthefarendoftheroomwasanotherdoor,andashecrossedtowardit,heglancedintosomeofthevessels,whichhefoundwerefilledwithdriedfruits,vegetablesandfish。
Withoutmoreadohestuffedhispocketsandhishaversackfull,thinkingofthepoorcreatureawaitinghisreturninthegloomofthePlaceofSevenSkulls。
Whennightcame,hewouldreturnandfetchAn-Takthisfaratleast;butinthemeantimeitwashisintentiontoreconnoiterinthehopethathemightdiscoversomeeasierwayoutofthecitythanthatofferedbythechill,blackchanneloftheghastlyriverofcorpses。
Beyondthefartherdoorstretchedalongpassagewayfromwhichcloseddoorwaysledintootherpartsofthecellarsofthetemple。Afewyardsfromthestoreroomaladderrosefromthecorridorthroughanapertureintheceiling。Bradleypausedatthefootofit,debatingthewisdomoffurtherinvestigationagainstareturntotheriver;butstrongwithinhimwasthespiritofexplorationthathasscatteredhisracetothefourcornersoftheearth。Whatnewmysterieslayhiddeninthechambersabove?Theurgetoknowwasstronguponhimthoughhisbetterjudgmentwarnedhimthatthesafercourselayinretreat。
Foramomenthestoodthus,runninghisfingersthroughhishair;
thenhecastdiscretiontothewindsandbegantheascent。
InconformitywithsuchWierooarchitectureashehadalreadyobserved,thewellthroughwhichtheladderrosecontinuallycantedatananglefromtheperpendicular。Atmoreorlessregularstagesitwaspiercedbyaperturesclosedbydoors,noneofwhichhecouldopenuntilhehadclimbedfullyfiftyfeetfromtheriverlevel。Herehediscoveredadooralreadyajaropeningintoalarge,circularchamber,thewallsandfloorsofwhichwerecoveredwiththeskinsofwildbeastsandwithrugsofmanycolors;butwhatinterestedhimmostwastheoccupantsoftheroom——aWieroo,andagirlofhumanproportions。Shewasstandingwithherbackagainstacolumnwhichrosefromthecenteroftheapartmentfromfloortoceiling——ahollowcolumnaboutfortyinchesindiameterinwhichhecouldseeanopeningsomethirtyinchesacross。Thegirl’ssidewastowardBradley,andherfaceaverted,forshewaswatchingtheWieroo,whowasnowadvancingslowlytowardher,talkingashecame。
Bradleycoulddistinctlyhearthewordsofthecreature,whowasurgingthegirltoaccompanyhimtoanotherWieroocity。\"Comewithme,\"hesaid,\"andyoushallhaveyourlife;remainhereandHeWhoSpeaksforLuatawillclaimyouforhisown;andwhenheisdonewithyou,yourskullwillbleachatthetopofatallstaffwhileyourbodyfeedsthereptilesatthemouthoftheRiverofDeath。
EventhoughyoubringintotheworldafemaleWieroo,yourfatewillbethesameifyoudonotescapehim,whilewithmeyoushallhavelifeandfoodandnoneshallharmyou。\"
Hewasquiteclosetothegirlwhensherepliedbystrikinghiminthefacewithallherstrength。\"UntilIamslain,\"shecried,\"Ishallfightagainstyouall。\"FromthethroatoftheWierooissuedthatdismalwailthatBradleyhadheardsoofteninthepast——itwaslikeascreamofpainsmotheredtoagroan——andthenthethingleapeduponthegirl,itsfaceworkinginhideousgrimacesasitclawedandbeatathertoforcehertothefloor。
TheEnglishmanwasuponthepointofenteringtodefendherwhenadoorattheoppositesideofthechamberopenedtoadmitahugeWierooclothedentirelyinred。Atsightofthetwostrugglinguponthefloorthenewcomerraisedhisvoiceinashriekofrage。
InstantlytheWieroowhowasattackingthegirlleapedtohisfeetandfacedtheother。
\"Iheard,\"screamedhewhohadjustenteredtheroom。\"Iheard,andwhenHeWhoSpeaksforLu-atashallhaveheard——\"Hepausedandmadeasuggestivemovementofafingeracrosshisthroat。
\"Heshallnothear,\"returnedthefirstWierooas,withapowerfulmotionofhisgreatwings,helaunchedhimselfuponthered-robedfigure。Thelatterdodgedthefirstcharge,drewawicked-lookingcurvedbladefrombeneathitsredrobe,spreaditswingsanddivedforitsantagonist。Beatingtheirwings,wailingandgroaning,thetwohideousthingssparredforposition。
Thewhite-robedonebeingunarmedsoughttograsptheotherbythewristofitsknife-handandbythethroat,whilethelatterhoppedaroundonitsdaintywhitefeet,seekinganopeningforamortalblow。Onceitstruckandmissed,andthentheotherrushedinandclinched,atthesametimesecuringboththeholdsitsought。Immediatelythetwocommencedbeatingateachother’sheadswiththejointsoftheirwings,kickingwiththeirsoft,punyfeetandbiting,eachattheother’sface。
Inthemeantimethegirlmovedabouttheroom,keepingoutofthewayoftheduelists,andasshedidso,Bradleycaughtaglimpseofherfullfaceandimmediatelyrecognizedherasthegirloftheplaceoftheyellowdoor。HedidnotdareintervenenowuntiloneoftheWieroohadovercometheother,lestthetwoshouldturnuponhimatonce,whenthechanceswerefairthathewouldbedefeatedinsounequalabattleasthecurvedbladeoftheredWieroowouldrenderit,andsohewaited,watchingthewhite-robedfigureslowlychokingthelifefromhimoftheredrobe。
Theprotrudingtongueandthepoppingeyesproclaimedthattheendwasnearandamomentlatertheredrobesanktotheflooroftheroom,thecurvedbladeslippingfromnervelessfingers。
Foraninstantlongerthevictorclungtothethroatofhisdefeatedantagonistandthenherose,draggingthebodyafterhim,andapproachedthecentralcolumn。HereheraisedthebodyandthrustitintotheaperturewhereBradleysawitdropsuddenlyfromsight。Instantlythereflashedintohismemorythecircularopeningsintheroofoftherivervaultandthecorpseshehadseendropfromthemtothewaterbeneath。
Asthebodydisappeared,theWierooturnedandcastabouttheroomforthegirl。Foramomenthestoodeyingher。\"Yousaw,\"
hemuttered,\"andifyoutellthem,HeWhoSpeaksforLuatawillhavemywingsseveredwhilestillIliveandmyheadwillbeseveredandIshallbecastintotheRiverofDeath,forthusithappenseventothehighestwhoslayoneoftheredrobe。Yousaw,andyoumustdie!\"heendedwithascreamasherusheduponthegirl。
Bradleywaitednolonger。LeapingintotheroomheranfortheWieroo,whohadalreadyseizedthegirl,andasheran,hestoopedandpickedupthecurvedblade。Thecreature’sbackwastowardhimas,withhislefthand,heseizeditbytheneck。
Likeaflashthegreatwingsbeatbackwardasthecreatureturned,andBradleywassweptfromhisfeet,thoughhestillretainedhisholdupontheblade。InstantlytheWieroowasuponhim。Bradleylayslightlyraiseduponhisleftelbow,hisrightarmfree,andasthethingcameclose,hecutatthehideousfacewithallthestrengththatlaywithinhim。ThebladestruckatthejunctionoftheneckandtorsoandwithsuchforceastocompletelydecapitatetheWieroo,thehideousheaddroppingtothefloorandthebodyfallingforwardupontheEnglishman。
Pushingitfromhimherosetohisfeetandfacedthewide-eyedgirl。
\"Luata!\"sheexclaimed。\"Howcameyouhere?\"
Bradleyshrugged。\"HereIam,\"hesaid;\"butthethingnowistogetoutofhere——bothofus。\"
Thegirlshookherhead。\"Itcannotbe,\"shestatedsadly。
\"ThatiswhatIthoughtwhentheydroppedmeintotheBluePlaceofSevenSkulls,\"repliedBradley。\"Can’tbedone。Ididit。——
Here!You’remussingupthefloorsomethingawful,you。\"ThislasttothedeadWierooashestoopedanddraggedthecorpsetothecentralshaft,whereheraisedittotheapertureandletitslipintothetube。Thenhepickeduptheheadandtosseditafterthebody。\"Don’tbesoglum,\"headmonishedtheformerashecarriedittowardthewell;\"smile!\"
\"Buthowcanhesmile?\"questionedthegirl,ahalf-puzzled,half-frightenedlookuponherface。\"Heisdead。\"
\"That’sso,\"admittedBradley,\"andIsupposehedoesfeelabitcutupaboutit。\"
Thegirlshookherheadandedgedawayfromtheman——towardthedoor。
\"Come!\"saidtheEnglishman。\"We’vegottogetoutofhere。
Ifyoudon’tknowabetterwaythantheriver,it’stheriverthen。\"
Thegirlstilleyedhimaskance。\"Buthowcouldhesmilewhenhewasdead?\"
Bradleylaughedaloud。\"IthoughtweEnglishweresupposedtohavetheleastsenseofhumorofanypeopleintheworld,\"hecried;\"butnowI’vefoundonehumanbeingwhohasn’tany。
Ofcourseyoudon’tknowhalfI’msaying;butdon’tworry,littlegirl;I’mnotgoingtohurtyou,andifIcangetyououtofhere,I’lldoit。
Evenifshedidnotunderstandallhesaid,sheatleastreadsomethinginhissmiling,countenance——somethingwhichreassuredher。
\"Idonotfearyou,\"shesaid;\"thoughIdonotunderstandallthatyousayeventhoughyouspeakmyowntongueandusewordsthatIknow。Butasforescaping\"——shesighed——\"alas,howcanitbedone?\"
\"IescapedfromtheBluePlaceofSevenSkulls,\"Bradleyremindedher。\"Come!\"Andheturnedtowardtheshaftandtheladderthathehadascendedfromtheriver。\"Wecannotwastetimehere。\"
Thegirlfollowedhim;butatthedoorwaybothdrewback,forfrombelowcamethesoundofsomeoneascending。
Bradleytiptoedtothedoorandpeeredcautiouslyintothewell;
thenhesteppedbackbesidethegirl。\"Therearehalfadozenofthemcomingup;butpossiblytheywillpassthisroom。\"
\"No,\"shesaid,\"theywillpassdirectlythroughthisroom——theyareontheirwaytoHimWhoSpeaksforLuata。Wemaybeabletohideinthenextroom——thereareskinstherebeneathwhichwemaycrawl。Theywillnotstopinthatroom;buttheymaystopinthisoneforashorttime——theotherroomisblue。\"
\"What’sthatgotodowithit?\"demandedtheEnglishman。
\"Theyfearblue,\"shereplied。\"Ineveryroomwheremurderhasbeendoneyouwillfindblue——acertainamountforeachmurder。
Whentheroomisallblue,theyshunit。Thisroomhasmuchblue;butevidentlytheykillmostlyinthenextroom,whichisnowallblue。\"
\"ButthereisblueontheoutsideofeveryhouseIhaveseen,\"
saidBradley。
\"Yes,\"assentedthegirl,\"andthereareblueroomsineachofthosehouses——whenalltheroomsarebluethenthewholeoutsideofthehousewillbeblueasistheBluePlaceofSevenSkulls。
Therearemanysuchhere。\"
\"Andtheskullswithblueuponthem?\"inquiredBradley。
\"Didtheybelongtomurderers?\"
\"Theyweremurdered——someofthem;thosewithonlyasmallamountofblueweremurderers——knownmurderers。AllWieroosaremurderers。
Whentheyhavecommittedacertainnumberofmurderswithoutbeingcaughtatit,theyconfesstoHimWhoSpeaksforLuataandareadvanced,afterwhichtheywearrobeswithaslashofsomecolor——
Ithinkyellowcomesfirst。Whentheyreachapointwheretheentirerobeisofyellow,theydiscarditforawhiterobewitharedslash;andwhenonewinsacompleteredrobe,hecarriessuchalong,curvedknifeasyouhaveinyourhand;afterthatcomestheblueslashonawhiterobe,andthen,Isuppose,anallbluerobe。
Ihaveneverseensuchaone。\"
Astheytalkedinlowtonestheyhadmovedfromtheroomofthedeathshaftintoanallblueroomadjoining,wheretheysatdowntogetherinacornerwiththeirbacksagainstawallanddrewapileofhidesoverthemselves。AmomentlatertheyheardanumberofWieroosenterthechamber。Theyweretalkingtogetherastheycrossedthefloor,orthetwocouldnothaveheardthem。
Halfwayacrossthechambertheyhaltedasthedoortowardwhichtheywereadvancingopenedandadozenothersoftheirkindenteredtheapartment。
Bradleycouldguessallthisbytheincreasedvolumeofsoundandthedismalgreetings;butthesuddensilencethatalmostimmediatelyensuedhecouldnotfathom,forhecouldnotknowthatfrombeneathoneofthehidesthatcoveredhimprotrudedoneofhisheavyarmyshoes,orthatsomeeighteenlargeWierooswithrobeseithersolidredorslashedwithredorbluewerestandinggazingatit。Norcouldheheartheirstealthyapproach。
Thefirstintimationhehadthathehadbeendiscoveredwaswhenhisfootwassuddenlyseized,andhewasyankedviolentlyfrombeneaththehidestofindhimselfsurroundedbymenacingblades。
Theywouldhaveslainhimonthespothadnotoneclothedallinredheldthemback,sayingthatHeWhoSpeaksforLuatadesiredtoseethisstrangecreature。
AstheyledBradleyaway,hecaughtanopportunitytoglancebacktowardthehidestoseewhathadbecomeofthegirl,and,tohisgratification,hediscoveredthatshestilllayconcealedbeneaththehides。Hewonderedifshewouldhavethenervetoattempttherivertripaloneandregrettedthatnowhecouldnotaccompanyher。Hefeltratherallin,himself,moresothanhehadatanytimesincehehadbeencapturedbytheWieroo,forthereappearednottheslightestcauseforhopeinhispresentpredicament。Hehaddroppedthecurvedbladebeneaththehideswhenhehadbeenjerkedsoviolentlyfromtheirfanciedsecurity。
Itwasalmostinaspiritofresignedhopelessnessthathequietlyaccompaniedhiscaptorsthroughvariouschambersandcorridorstowardtheheartofthetemple。
Chapter4
Thefartherthegroupprogressed,themorebarbaricandthemoresumptuousbecamethedecorations。Hidesofleopardandtigerpredominated,apparentlybecauseoftheirmorebeautifulmarkings,anddecorativeskullsbecamemoreandmorenumerous。
Manyofthelatterweremountedinpreciousmetalsandsetwithcoloredstonesandpricelessgems,whilethickuponthehidesthatcoveredthewallsweregoldenornamentssimilartothosewornbythegirlandthosewhichhadfilledthechestshehadexaminedinthestoreroomofFosh-bal-soj,leadingtheEnglishmantotheconvictionthatallsuchwerespoilsofwarortheft,sinceeachpieceseemedmadeforpersonaladornment,whileinsofarashehadseen,noWierooworeornamentsofanysort。
AndalsoastheyadvancedthemorenumerousbecametheWieroosmovinghitherandthitherwithinthetemple。Manynowwerethesolidredrobesandthosethatwereslashedwithblue——averitablehiveofmurderers。
AtlastthepartyhaltedinaroominwhichweremanyWierooswhogatheredaboutBradleyquestioninghiscaptorsandexamininghimandhisapparel。OneofthepartyaccompanyingtheEnglishmanspoketoaWieroothatstoodbesideadoorleadingfromtheroom。
\"TellHimWhoSpeaksforLuata,\"hesaid,\"thatFosh-bal-sojwecouldnotfind;butthatinreturningwefoundthiscreaturewithinthetemple,hiding。ItmustbethesamethatFosh-bal-sojcapturedintheSto-lucountryduringthelastdarkness。
DoubtlessHeWhoSpeaksforLuatawouldwishtoseeandquestionthisstrangething。\"
Thecreatureaddressedturnedandslippedthroughthedoorway,closingthedoorafterit,butfirstdepositingitscurvedbladeuponthefloorwithout。ItspostwasimmediatelytakenbyanotherandBradleynowsawthatatleasttwentysuchguardsloiteredintheimmediatevicinity。Thedoorkeeperwasgonebutforamoment,andwhenhereturned,hesignifiedthatBradley’spartywastoenterthenextchamber;butfirsteachoftheWieroosremovedhiscurvedweaponandlaidituponthefloor。
Thedoorwasswungopen,andtheparty,nowreducedtoBradleyandfiveWieroos,wasusheredacrossthethresholdintoalarge,irregularlyshapedroominwhichasingle,giantWieroowhoserobewassolidbluesatuponaraiseddais。
Thecreature’sfacewaswhitewiththewhitenessofacorpse,itsdeadeyesentirelyexpressionless,itscruel,thinlipstight-drawnagainstyellowteethinaperpetualgrimace。Uponeithersideofitlayanenormous,curvedsword,similartothosewithwhichsomeoftheotherWierooshadbeenarmed,butlargerandheavier。
Constantlyitsclawlikefingersplayedwithoneortheotheroftheseweapons。
Thewallsofthechamberaswellasthefloorwereentirelyhiddenbyskinsandwovenfabrics。Bluepredominatedinallthecolorations。FastenedagainstthehidesweremanypairsofWieroowings,mountedsothattheyresembledlong,blackshields。
Upontheceilingwerepaintedinbluecharactersabewilderingseriesofhieroglyphicsanduponpedestalssetagainstthewallsorstandingoutwellwithintheroomweremanyhumanskulls。
AstheWieroosapproachedthefigureuponthedais,theyleanedfarforward,raisingtheirwingsabovetheirheadsandstretchingtheirnecksasthoughofferingthemtothesharpswordsofthegrimandhideouscreature。
\"OThouWhoSpeakestforLuata!\"exclaimedoneoftheparty。
\"WebringyouthestrangecreaturethatFosh-bal-sojcapturedandbroughtthitheratthycommand。\"
Sothisthenwasthegodlikefigurethatspokefordivinity!
Thisarch-murdererwastheCaspakianrepresentativeofGodonEarth!
Hisbluerobeannouncedhimtheoneandtheseeminghumilityofhisminionstheother。ForalongminuteheglaredatBradley。Thenhebegantoquestionhim——fromwhencehecameandhow,thenameanddescriptionofhisnativecountry,andahundredotherqueries。
\"Areyoucos-ata-lu?\"thecreatureasked。
Bradleyrepliedthathewasandthatallhiskindwere,aswellaseverylivingthinginhispartoftheworld。
\"Canyoutellmethesecret?\"askedthecreature。
Bradleyhesitatedandthen,thinkingtogaintime,repliedintheaffirmative。
\"Whatisit?\"demandedtheWieroo,leaningfarforwardandexhibitingeveryevidenceofexcitedinterest。
Bradleyleanedforwardandwhispered:\"Itisforyourearsalone;
Iwillnotdivulgeittoothers,andthenonlyonconditionthatyoucarrymeandthegirlIsawintheplaceoftheyellowdoorneartothatofFosh-bal-sojbacktoherowncountry。\"
Thethingroseinwrath,holdingoneofitsswordsaboveitshead。
\"WhoareyoutomaketermsforHimWhoSpeaksforLuata?\"
itshrilled。\"Tellmethesecretordiewhereyoustand!\"
\"AndifIdienow,thesecretgoeswithme,\"Bradleyremindedhim。
\"Neveragainwillyougettheopportunitytoquestionanotherofmykindwhoknowsthesecret。\"Anythingtogaintime,togettherestoftheWieroosfromtheroom,thathemightplansomeschemeforescapeandputitintoeffect。
ThecreatureturnedupontheleaderofthepartythathadbroughtBradley。
\"Isthethingwithweapons?\"itasked。
\"No,\"wastheresponse。
\"Thengo;buttelltheguardtoremaincloseby,\"commandedthehighone。
TheWieroossalaamedandwithdrew,closingthedoorbehindthem。
HeWhoSpeaksforLuatagraspedaswordnervouslyinhisrighthand。
Athisleftsidelaythesecondweapon。Itwasevidentthathelivedinconstantdreadofbeingassassinated。Thefactthathepermittednonewithweaponswithinhispresenceandthathealwayskepttwoswordsathissidepointedtothis。
Bradleywasrackinghisbraintofindsomesuggestionofaplanwherebyhemightturnthesituationtohisownaccount。Hiseyeswanderedpasttheweirdfigurebeforehim;theyplayedaboutthewallsoftheapartmentasthoughhopingtodrawinspirationfromthedeadskullsandthehidesandthewings,andthentheycamebacktothefaceoftheWieroogod,nowworkinginanger。
\"Quick!\"screamedthething。\"Thesecret!\"
\"Willyougivemeandthegirlourfreedom?\"insistedBradley。
Foraninstantthethinghesitated,andthenitgrumbled\"Yes。\"
AtthesameinstantBradleysawtwohidesuponthewalldirectlybackofthedaisseparateandafaceappearintheopening。
NochangeofexpressionupontheEnglishman’scountenancebetrayedthathehadseenaughttosurprisehim,thoughsurprisedhewasforthefaceintheaperturewasthatofthegirlhehadbutjustlefthiddenbeneaththehidesinanotherchamber。Awhiteandshapelyarmnowpushedpastthefaceintotheroom,andinthehand,tightlyclutched,wasthecurvedblade,smearedwithblood,thatBradleyhaddroppedbeneaththehidesatthemomenthehadbeendiscoveredanddrawnfromhisconcealment。
\"Listen,then,\"saidBradleyinalowvoicetotheWieroo。
\"Youshallknowthesecretofcos-ata-luaswellasdoI;butnoneothermayhearit。Leanclose——Iwillwhisperitintoyourear。\"
Hemovedforwardandsteppeduponthedais。Thecreatureraiseditsswordreadytostrikeatthefirstindicationoftreachery,andBradleystoopedbeneaththebladeandputhisearclosetothegruesomeface。Ashedidso,herestedhisweightuponhishands,oneuponeithersideoftheWieroo’sbody,hisrighthanduponthehiltofthespareswordlyingattheleftofHimWhoSpeaksforLuata。
\"Thisthenisthesecretofbothlifeanddeath,\"hewhispered,andatthesameinstanthegraspedtheWieroobytherightwristandwithhisownrighthandswungtheextrabladeinasuddenviciousblowagainstthecreature’sneckbeforethethingcouldgiveevenasinglecryofalarm;thenwithoutwaitinganinstantBradleyleapedpastthedeadgodandvanishedbehindthehidesthathadhiddenthegirl。
Wide-eyedandpantingthegirlseizedhisarm。\"Oh,whathaveyoudone?\"shecried。\"HeWhoSpeaksforLuatawillbeavengedbyLuata。Nowindeedmustyoudie。Thereisnoescape,foreventhoughwereachedmyowncountryLuatacanfindyouout。\"
\"Bosh!\"exclaimedBradley,andthen:\"Butyouweregoingtoknifehimyourself。\"
\"ThenIaloneshouldhavedied,\"shereplied。
Bradleyscratchedhishead。\"Neitherofusisgoingtodie,\"hesaid;\"atleastnotatthehandsofanygod。Ifwedon’tgetoutofherethough,we’lldierightenough。CanyoufindyourwaybacktotheroomwhereIfirstcameuponyouinthetemple?\"
\"Iknowtheway,\"repliedthegirl;\"butIdoubtifwecangobackwithoutbeingseen。IcamehitherbecauseIonlymetWierooswhoknewthatIamsupposednowtobeinthetemple;
butyoucouldgoelsewherewithoutbeingdiscovered。\"
Bradley’singenuityhadcomeupagainstastonewall。
Thereseemednopossibilityofescape。Helookedabouthim。
Theywereinasmallroomwherelayalitterofrubbish——tornbitsofcloth,oldhides,piecesoffiberrope。Inthecenteroftheroomwasacylindricalshaftwithanopeninginitsface。
Bradleyknewitforwhatitwas。Herethearch-fienddraggedhisvictimsandcasttheirbodiesintotheriverofdeathfarbelow。
Thefloorabouttheopeningintheshaftandthesidesoftheshaftwereclottedthickwithadried,darkbrownsubstancethattheEnglishmanknewhadoncebeenblood。Theplacehadtheappearanceofhavingbeenaveritableshambles。Anodorofdecayingfleshpermeatedtheair。
TheEnglishmancrossedtotheshaftandpeeredintotheopening。
Allbelowwasdarkaspitch;butatthebottomheknewwastheriver。Suddenlyaninspirationandaboldschemeleapedtohismind。Turningquicklyhehuntedabouttheroomuntilhefoundwhathesought——aquantityoftheropethatlaystrewnhereandthere。Withrapidfingersheunsnarledthedifferentlengths,thegirlhelpinghim,andthenhetiedtheendstogetheruntilhehadthreeropesaboutseventy-fivefeetinlength。Hefastenedthesetogetherateachendandwithoutawordsecuredoneoftheendsaboutthegirl’sbodybeneathherarms。
\"Don’tbefrightened,\"hesaidatlength,asheledhertowardtheopeningintheshaft。\"I’mgoingtoloweryoutotheriver,andthenI’mcomingdownafteryou。Whenyouaresafebelow,givetwoquickjerksupontherope。Ifthereisdangerthereandyouwantmetodrawyouupintotheshaft,jerkonce。Don’tbeafraid——itistheonlyway。\"
\"Iamnotafraid,\"repliedthegirl,ratherhaughtilyBradleythought,andherselfclimbedthroughtheapertureandhungbyherhandswaitingforBradleytolowerher。
Asrapidlyaswasconsistentwithsafety,themanpaidouttherope。
Whenitwasabouthalfout,heheardloudcriesandwailssuddenlyarisewithintheroomtheyhadjustquitted。TheslayingoftheirgodhadbeendiscoveredbytheWieroos。Asearchfortheslayerwouldbeginatonce。
Lord!Wouldthegirlneverreachtheriver?Atlast,justashewaspositivethatsearcherswerealreadyenteringtheroombehindhim,therecametwoquicktugsattherope。InstantlyBradleymadetherestofthestrandsfastabouttheshaft,slippedintotheblacktubeandbeganahurrieddescenttowardtheriver。
Aninstantlaterhestoodwaistdeepinwaterbesidethegirl。
Impulsivelyshereachedtowardhimandgraspedhisarm。
Astrangethrillranthroughhimatthecontact;butheonlycuttheropefromaboutherbodyandliftedhertothelittleshelfattheriver’sside。
\"Howcanweleavehere?\"sheasked。
\"Bytheriver,\"hereplied;\"butfirstImustgobacktotheBluePlaceofSevenSkullsandgetthepoordevilIleftthere。
I’llhavetowaituntilafterdark,though,asIcannotpassthroughtheopenstretchofriverinthetemplegardensbyday。\"
\"Thereisanotherway,\"saidthegirl。\"Ihaveneverseenit;butoftenIhaveheardthemspeakofit——acorridorthatrunsbesidetheriverfromoneendofthecitytotheother。
Throughthegardensitisbelowground。Ifwecouldfindanentrancetoit,wecouldleavehereatonce。Itisnotsafehere,fortheywillsearcheveryinchofthetempleandthegrounds。\"
\"Come,\"saidBradley。\"We’llhavealookforit,anyway。\"Andsosayingheapproachedoneofthedoorsthatopenedontotheskull-pavedshelf。
Theyfoundthecorridoreasily,foritparalleledtheriver,separatedfromitonlybyasinglewall。Ittookthembeneaththegardensandthecity,alwaysthroughinkydarkness。Aftertheyhadreachedtheothersideofthegardens,Bradleycountedhisstepsuntilhehadretracedasmanyashehadtakencomingdownthestream;butthoughtheyhadtogropetheirwayalong,itwasamuchmorerapidtripthantheformer。
WhenhethoughthewasaboutoppositethepointatwhichhehaddescendedfromtheBluePlaceofSevenSkulls,hesoughtandfoundadoorwayleadingoutontotheriver;andthen,stillintheblackestdarkness,heloweredhimselfintothestreamandfeltupanddownupontheoppositesideforthelittleshelfandtheladder。Tenyardsfromwherehehademergedhefoundthem,whilethegirlwaitedupontheoppositeside。
Toascendtothesecretpanelwastheworkofbutaminute。
HerehepausedandlistenedlestaWieroomightbevisitingtheprisoninsearchofhimortheotherinmate;butnosoundcamefromthegloomyinterior。Bradleycouldnotbutmuseuponthejoyofthemanontheoppositesidewhenheshoulddropdowntohimwithfoodandanewhopeforescape。Thenheopenedthepanelandlookedintotheroom。Thefaintlightfromthegratingaboverevealedthepileofragsinonecorner;butthemanlaybeneaththem,hemadenoresponsetoBradley’slowgreeting。
TheEnglishmanloweredhimselftotheflooroftheroomandapproachedtherags。Stoopingheliftedacornerofthem。
Yes,therewasthemanasleep。Bradleyshookhim——therewasnoresponse。HestoopedlowerandinthedimlightexaminedAn-Tak;thenhestoodupwithasigh。Aratleapedfrombeneaththecoveringsandscurriedaway。\"Poordevil!\"mutteredBradley。
HecrossedtheroomtoswinghimselftotheperchpreparatorytoquittingtheBluePlaceofSevenSkullsforever。Beneaththeperchhepaused。\"I’llnotgivethemthesatisfaction,\"hegrowled。
\"Letthembelievethatheescaped。\"
Returningtothepileofragshegatheredthemanintohisarms。
Itwasdifficultworkraisinghimtothehighperchanddragginghimthroughthesmallopeningandthusdowntheladder;butpresentlyitwasdone,andBradleyhadloweredthebodyintotheriverandcastitoff。\"Good-bye,oldtop!\"hewhispered。
Amomentlaterhehadrejoinedthegirlandhandinhandtheywerefollowingthedarkcorridorupstreamtowardthefartherendofthecity。ShetoldhimthattheWieroosseldomfrequentedtheselowerpassages,astheairherewastoochillforthem;butoccasionallytheycame,andastheycouldseequiteaswellbynightasbyday,theywouldbesuretodiscoverBradleyandthegirl。
\"Iftheycomecloseenough,\"shesaid,\"wecanseetheireyesshininginthedark——theyresembledullsplotchesoflight。
Theyglow,butdonotblazeliketheeyesofthetigerorthelion。\"
Themancouldnotbutnotetheveryevidenthorrorwithwhichshementionedthecreatures。Tohimtheywereuncanny;butshehadbeenusedtothemforayearalmost,andprobablyallherlifeshehadeitherseenorheardofthemconstantly。
\"Whydoyoufearthemso?\"heasked。\"Itseemsmorethananyordinaryfearoftheharmtheycandoyou。\"
Shetriedtoexplain;butthenearesthecouldgatherwasthatshelookedupontheWierooalmostassupernaturalbeings。
\"ThereisalegendcurrentamongmypeoplethatoncetheWieroowereunlikeusonlyinthattheypossessedrudimentarywings。
TheylivedinvillagesintheGalucountry,andwhilethetwopeoplesoftenwarred,theyheldnohatredforoneanother。Inthosedayseachracecameupfromthebeginningandtherewasgreatrivalryastowhichwasthehigherinthescaleofevolution。TheWieroodevelopedthefirstcos-ata-lubuttheywerealwaysmale——
nevercouldtheyreproducewoman。Slowlytheycommencedtodevelopcertainattributesofthemindwhich,theyconsidered,placedthemuponastillhigherlevelandwhichgavethemmanyadvantagesoverus,seeingwhichtheythoughtonlyofmentaldevelopment——theirmindsbecamelikestarsandtherivers,movingalwaysinthesamemanner,nevervarying。Theycalledthistas-ad,whichmeansdoingeverythingtherightway,or,inotherwords,theWierooway。Iffoeorfriend,rightorwrong,stoodinthewayoftas-ad,thenitmustbecrushed。
\"SoontheGalusandthelesserracesofmencametohateandfearthem。ItwasthenthattheWieroosdecidedtocarrytas-adintoeverypartoftheworld。Theywereverywarlikeandverynumerous,althoughtheyhadlongsinceadoptedthepolicyofslayingallthoseamongthemwhosewingsdidnotshowadvanceddevelopment。
\"Ittookagesforallthistohappen——veryslowlycamethedifferentchanges;butatlasttheWierooshadwingstheycoulduse。ButbyreasonofalwaysmakingwarupontheirneighborstheywerehatedbyeverycreatureofCaspak,fornoonewantedtheirtas-ad,andsotheyusedtheirwingstoflytothisislandwhentheotherracesturnedagainstthemandthreatenedtokillthemall。Socruelhadtheybecomeandsobloodthirstythattheynolongerhadheartsthatbeatwithloveorsympathy;buttheirverycrueltyandwickednesskeptthemfromconqueringtheotherraces,sincetheywerealsocruelandwickedtooneanother,sothatnoWierootrustedanother。
\"Alwaysweretheyslayingthoseabovethemthattheymightriseinpowerandpossessions,untilatlastcamethemorepowerfulthantheotherswithatas-adallhisown。HegatheredabouthimafewofthemostterribleWieroos,andamongthemtheymadelawswhichtookfromallbutthesefewWierooseveryweapontheypossessed。
\"Nowtheirtas-adhasreachedahighplaneamongthem。
Theymakemanywonderfulthingsthatwecannotmake。Theythinkgreatthoughts,nodoubt,andstilldreamofgreatnesstocome,buttheirthoughtsandtheiractsareregulatedbyagesofcustom——theyareallalike——andtheyaremostunhappy。
Asthegirltalked,thetwomovedsteadilyalongthedarkpassagewaybesidetheriver。Theyhadadvancedaconsiderabledistancewhentheresoundedfaintlyfromfaraheadthemuffledroaroffallingwater,whichincreasedinvolumeastheymovedforwarduntilatlastitfilledthecorridorwithadeafeningsound。
Thenthecorridorendedinablankwall;butinanichetotherightwasaladderleadingaloft,andtotheleftwasadooropeningontotheriver。Bradleytriedthelatterfirstandasheopenedit,feltaheavysprayagainsthisface。Thelittleshelfoutsidethedoorwaywaswetandslippery,theroaringofthewatertremendous。Therecouldbebutoneexplanation——theyhadreachedawaterfallintheriver,andifthecorridoractuallyterminatedhere,theirescapewaseffectuallycutoff,sinceitwasquiteevidentlyimpossibletofollowthebedoftheriverandascendthefalls。
Astheladderwastheonlyalternative,thetwoturnedtowarditand,themanfirst,begantheascent,whichwasthroughawellsimilartothatwhichhadledhimtotheupperfloorsofthetemple。Asheclimbed,Bradleyfeltforopeningsinthesidesoftheshaft;buthediscoverednonebelowfiftyfeet。Thefirsthecametowasajar,lettingafaintlightintothewell。Ashepaused,thegirlclimbedtohisside,andtogethertheylookedthroughthecrackintoalow-ceiledchamberinwhichwereseveralGaluwomenandanequalnumberofhideouslittlereplicasofthefull-grownWierooswithwhichBradleywasnotquitefamiliar。
Hecouldfeelthebodyofthegirlpressedclosetohistrembleashereyesrestedupontheinmatesoftheroom,andinvoluntarilyhisarmencircledhershouldersasthoughtoprotectherfromsomedangerwhichhesensedwithoutrecognizing。
\"Poorthings,\"shewhispered。\"Thisistheirhorriblefate——tobeimprisonedherebeneaththesurfaceofthecitywiththeirhideousoffspringwhomtheyhateastheyhatetheirfathers。
AWierookeepshischildrenthushiddenuntiltheyarefull-grownlesttheybemurderedbytheirfellows。Thelowerroomsofthecityarefilledwithmanysuchasthese。\"
Severalfeetabovewasaseconddoorbeyondwhichtheyfoundasmallroomstoredwithfoodinwoodenvessels。Agratedwindowinonewallopenedaboveanalley,andthroughittheycouldseethattheywerejustbelowtheroofofthebuilding。Darknesswascoming,andatBradley’ssuggestiontheydecidedtoremainhiddenhereuntilafterdarkandthentoascendtotheroofandreconnoiter。