The Prince of Mars Returns
Philip Francis Nowlan (1940)
Country of origin: U.S.A.
Available texts by the same author here
Chapter 15: Condemned by Gakko
Immediately on our arrival, we were hustled through the triangular gate in the base of the castle, on into a tunnel of the same shape, the walls coming together at an angle above to form the room.The passage inclined upward, curving about until it emerged between bastioned walls of the castle proper on top of the base. Our party was halted here by a shrill order from the commander of a unit of several sturdy young Amazons of Gakko's personal guard.
With some little military ceremony, and a malevolent glance at me, the Eps handed us over to the girl guard, and with his followers turned back down the ramp.
We were immediately seized and shackled. Noting the fetters that were in readiness, Lil-rin threw me a meaning glance. I knew what she meant. This was but another evidence that our arrival was expected.
The girl in command surveyed us with interest, but gave me most of her attention. Evidently with my greater height and more muscular build than the average Martian, I was more of a novelty even than a girl warrior of the Ta n'Ur.
These young Amazons were clad in armor, and little else. Each wore upper and forearm guards on the right arm with a large round shield protecting the left. A curiously fashioned corselet or shot cuirass, held up by broad straps, protected the shoulders. Underneath was a broad girdle of heavy leather and metal plates, from which hung thigh guards and a kind of braconniere, a kilt of chain mail.
Shin guards and sandals completed the equipment, except for the short, curved, heavy-bladed swords they carried.
"Come!" commanded their leader shortly. She led the way briskly through a smaller triangular gate into the castle, and there was much resonant clashing of metal in the guard's armor as we followed.
Lil-rin spoke in low tones to the girl who marched beside her.
"'I didn't know there were any girl warriors in the Northern Cities. I thought that only we of the Ta n'Ur, and the other clans of the desert ring—"
"We are the War Wives of Gakko," the girl explained shortly.
"How many wives has he?" I broke in.
The women, God bless 'em! Ask them for a little confidential information and they'll spill the beans every time.
"Thirty-one," she replied, her whole manner becoming more friendly.
"That is, thirty-one War-Wives. The rest don't matter. They are merely slaves, playthings. We rank as Epsin and have all the privileges of men."
Then, after a pause, "Most of us War-Wives are from the clans south of Gakalu, on the other side of the desert ring from the Ta n'Ur. Gakko will probably make you one of us."
Lil-rin bent her head quickly to mine, "He will not!" she whispered tensely.
"You're telling me!" I whispered back reassuringly.
"Are you really Danan-lih?" the girl on the other side of us now asked me.
"I am Dan Hanley," I replied. "Sorry to have to meet you under such, er, disadvantageous circumstances." When I want to turn on the charm, it really gushes.
Warrior or no warrior, the girl was pleased. "Yes, that is what they call you Danan-lih. And there are lots, too, who believe in you, and think Gakko should not oppose your becoming Alar-Lur."
And she gave me a look that meant plenty!
Further conversation, however, was interrupted by a curt command from the leader as we approached a grille. Through this we could glimpse a great hall decorated with luxurious and colorful hangings, magnificent carvings and statuary, and a riot of immense, brilliant Martian flowers.
There came to us the murmur of many voices, with the occasional shouts of men and the shrieks of women drunk with lilquok.
We were motioned to stay where we were. The girl in command approached a section of the grille and pressed on it with her hand. A cleverly concealed little triangular gate opened. She went in, leaving it ajar.
Through this opening we caught a better view of the great tables, of the men and women lounging or sprawling about on the benches and couches. The girl beside me sniffed contemptuously.
"It's like this every day, since Gakko first hinted at his plan to be Alar-Lur," she said. Lil-rin looked at her sharply and then nudged me. I managed to get in a knowing wink in reply.
In a moment the leader of our captors returned, followed by an impressive figure of a man. The girl leader of the guard waved her hand toward us imperiously.
"Here they are, Gakko. They were just brought in."
Gakko, though neither as tall nor as heavy as I, was nonetheless a commanding individual among Martians. He was possessed of somewhat more than their normal height and breadth of shoulder. I judged him to be a man of about forty.
His face, though showing the signs of his dissipated, licentious life, nevertheless indicated both intellect and strength of will. He folded his arms casually and surveyed us with a kind of detached interest.
"So this," he mused, "is the famous Danan-lih, who threatens the peace and security of a whole world because of a silly ancient tradition."
I started to make a reply, but the girl leader shrieked a sudden command to "be silent in the presence of the Alar" and struck me sharply on the mouth. So I had to keep silent, especially since Gakko, for all his assumed carelessness of manner, took care to keep several of the girls between himself and us. But for an instant I was on the point of whipping out my concealed automatic and ending the matter then and there.
Gakko continued to gaze cynically at me as his glance swept me insolently from head to foot. For an instant a gleam lightened the lazy arrogance of his eyes. Presently he permitted himself to pronounce upon my fate.
"The man is to be placed in a cell, just as he is, with food to eat and water to drink. But give him no other clothing, and do not let him bathe."
Suddenly conscious of my somewhat tattered garb, with the desert's red grime still upon me, I glanced down, puzzled as to the meaning of this strange order. For the life of me I couldn't tell what he was driving at.
Then for the first time Gakko turned and gazed directly at Lil-rin.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, an expression of evil anticipation breaking over his face. "Another recruit, eh, girls?"
He laughed carelessly at the unfriendly glances the jealous young War-Wives threw at Lil-rin.
"Let her have every comfort," Gakko commanded. "And bring her to me in the morning at the Council in bridal garb, for I shall wed her and then ... but, we shall see about that later. And, oh yes, bring the man to me at the same time."
And turning casually, he sauntered back through the grille, which closed with a little click behind him.
There was an agony of pleading in Lil-rin's eyes as she turned to me. The young warrior girls seemed puzzled and uncertain. They glanced at Lil-rin uneasily. Clearly they saw in her a rival for Gakko's favors, and probably a successful one at that. They were at once jealous and fearful of her possible future position.
As the girl guards marched us along another corridor, Lil-rin spoke in low tones to the leader. The girl shook her head in emphatic refusal at first; but Lil-rin pleaded, and at last the leader relented. The party halted. Half of the girls dropped back a little distance at their leader's command and the rest went on a few paces, leaving Lil-rin and me alone together.
Lil-rin stood very close to me. "I asked her for just a moment, to say farewell. This is the end, Danan-lih. Do you realize it?"
There were tears in the green-blue eyes that looked up at me so forlornly from a white, drawn little face.
Paralyzed by a sudden rush of feeling, I stood motionless, half dazed, in the first true realization of my very real love for this girl.