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Luud saw Ghek following the strange warrior into the cha "Strike down the stranger and your life shall be yours"

Gahan glanced at the hideous face of the king

"Seek not his eyes," screa; but it was too late Already the horrid hypnotic gaze of the king kaldane had seized upon the eyes of Gahan The red warrior hesitated in his stride His sword point drooped slowly toward the floor Tara glanced toward Ghek She saw the creature glaring with his expressionless eyes upon the broad back of the stranger She saw the hand of the creature's rykor creeping stealthily toward the hilt of its dagger

And then Tara of Helium raised her eyes aloft and poured forth the notes of Mars' er froirl Luud's glance wavered from the eyes of the man to the face of Tara, and the instant that the latter's song distracted his attention from his victim, Gahan of Gathol shook himself and as with a supreme effort of will forced his eyes to the wall above Luud's hideous head Ghek raised his dagger above his right shoulder, took a single quick step forward, and struck The girl's song ended in a stifled scream as she leaped forith the evident intention of frustrating the kaldane's purpose; but she was too late, and well it was, for an instant later she realized the purpose of Ghek's act as she saw the dagger fly frouard in the soft face of Luud

"Come!" cried the assassin, "we have no tih which they had entered the chalance was arrested by the for's rykor; the most beautiful, the most powerful, that the breeders of Bantoom could produce Ghek realized that in his escape he could take with hile rykor, and there was none in Bantoo here Quickly he transferred hireat, inert hulk Instantly the latter was transfor life and alert energy

"Now," said the kaldane, "we are ready Let whoso would revert to nothingness impede me" Even as he spoke he stooped and crawled into the cha Tara by the arirl looked him full in the eyes for the first time "The Gods of my people have been kind," she said; "you came just in time To the thanks of Tara of Helium shall be added those of The Warlord of Barsooreatest desires"