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Turan the panthan approached the strange city under cover of the darkness He entertained little hope of finding either food or water outside the wall, but he would try and then, if he failed, he would attempt to make his way into the city, for Tara of Helium must have sustenance and have it soon He saw that the walls were poorly sentineled, but they were sufficiently high to render an attee of underbrush and trees, Turan ed to reach the base of the ithout detection Silently he ate which effectively barred even the slightest glimpse within the city beyond It was Turan's hope to find upon the north side of the city away frorew the crops of the inhabitants, and here too water fro that seely interminable wall he found no fields nor any water He searched also for soress to the city, yet here, too, failure was his only reward, and now as he went keen eyes watched him from above and a silent stalker kept pace with him for a time upon the summit of the wall; but presently the shadower descended to the paveer without

He ca and before the doorway of the building a warrior standing guard He spoke a few quick words to the warrior and then entered the building only to return almost immediately to the street, followed by fully forty warriors Cautiously opening the gate the fellow peered carefully along the wall upon the outside in the direction from which he had come Evidently satisfied, he issued a feords of instruction to those behind him, whereupon half the warriors returned to the interior of the building, while the other half followed the atehere they crouched low aatehich they had left open Here they waited in utter silence, nor had they long to wait before Turan the panthan caate he came and when he found it and that it was open he paused for a ; then he approached and looked within Assured that there was none within sight to apprehend hiateway into the city

He found himself in a narrow street that paralleled the wall Upon the opposite side rose buildings of an architecture unknown to his were packed closely together there seemed to be no two alike and their fronts were of all shapes and heights and of many hues The skyline was broken by spire and dome and minaret and tall, slender towers, while the walls supported ht of Cluros, the farther moon, no in the west, he saw, to his surprise and consternation, the figures of people upon the balconies Directly opposite hi upon the rail of the balcony looking, apparently, directly at hin