Page 183 (1/1)

Would Turan's pro,service She heard the virtues of O-Tar extolled and the beauties of the bride The n of Turan But what could he acco the throne room, other than to die with her? There could be no hope of rescue

The dignitary lifted the golden handcuffs from the pillow upon which they reposed He blessed the could go no further, for alive or dead, by all the laws of Barsoom she would be the wife of O-Tar of Manator the instant the tere locked together Even should rescue come then or later she could never dissolve those bonds and Turan would be lost to her as surely as though death separated them

Her hand stole toward the hidden blade, but instantly the hand of the groouessed her intention Through the slits in the grotesque uessed the sardonic smile that the mask hid For a tense moment the two stood thus The people below them kept breathless silence for the play before the throne had not passed un-noticed

Dramatic as was theof the doors leading to The Hall of Chiefs All eyes turned in the direction of the interruption to see another figure fra the half-adjusted harness hurriedly in place-the figure of O-Tar, Jeddak of Manator

"Stop!" he screa the aisle toward the throne "Seize the iroom before the throne They saw hiolden mask, and Tara of Helium in wide-eyed incredulity looked up into the face of Turan the panthan

"Turan the slave," they cried then "Death to hi his sword, as a dozen warriors leaped forward

"Wait!" screamed another voice, old and cracked, as I-Gos, the ancient taxideruests and reached the throne steps ahead of the foreht of the old reat veneration a the peoples of Barsooion is based to any extent upon ancestor worship But O-Tar gave no heed to hi instead swiftly toward the throne "Stop, coward!" cried I-Gos