第63章

This last, I knew, was a very vulgar word; I had heard Rador use it in a moment of anger to one of the serving maids, and it meant, approximately, "kitchen girl," "scul-lion." Beneath the insult and the acid disdain, the blood rushed up under Lakla's ambered ivory skin.

"Yolara"--her voice was low--"of no use is it to question me.I am but the messenger of the Silent Ones.And one thing only am I bidden to ask you--do you deliver to me the three strangers?"Lugur was on his feet; eagerness, sardonic delight, sinister anticipation thrilling from him--and my same glance showed Marakinoff, crouched, biting his finger-nails, glaring at the Golden Girl.

"No!" Yolara spat the word."No! Now by Thanaroa and by the Shining One, no!" Her eyes blazed, her nostrils were wide, in her fair throat a little pulse beat angrily."You, Lakla--take you my message to the Silent Ones.Say to them that I keep this man"--she pointed to Larry--"because he is mine.Say to them that I keep the yellow-haired one and him"--she pointed to me--"because it pleases me.

"Tell them that upon their mouths I place my foot, so!"--she stamped upon the dais viciously--"and that in their faces I spit!"--and her action was hideously snakelike."And say last to them, you handmaiden, that if YOU they dare send to Yolara again, she will feed YOU to the Shining One! Now --go!"The handmaiden's face was white.

"Not unforeseen by the three was this, Yolara," she re-plied."And did you speak as you have spoken then was Ibidden to say this to you." Her voice deepened."Three _tal_have you to take counsel, Yolara.And at the end of that time these things must you have determined--either to do or not to do: first, send the strangers to the Silent Ones;second, give up, you and Lugur and all of you, that dream you have of conquest of the world without; and, third, for-swear the Shining One! And if you do not one and all these things, then are you done, your cup of life broken, your wine of life spilled.Yea, Yolara, for you and the Shining One, Lugur and the Nine and all those here and their kind shall pass! This say the Silent Ones, 'Surely shall all of ye pass and be as though never had ye been!' "Now a gasp of rage and fear arose from all those around me--but the priestess threw back her head and laughed loud and long.Into the silver sweet chiming of her laughter clashed that of Lugur--and after a little the nobles took it up, till the whole chamber echoed with their mirth.O'Keefe, lips tightening, moved toward the Handmaiden, and almost imperceptibly, but peremptorily, she waved him back.

"Those ARE great words--great words indeed, _choya_,"shrilled Yolara at last; and again Lakla winced beneath the word."Lo, for _laya_ upon _laya_, the Shining One has been freed from the Three; and for _laya_ upon _laya_ they have sat helpless, rotting.Now I ask you again--whence comes their power to lay their will upon me, and whence comes their strength to wrestle with the Shining One and the beloved of the Shining One?"And again she laughed--and again Lugur and all the fair-haired joined in her laughter.

Into the eyes of Lakla I saw creep a doubt, a wavering; as though deep within her the foundations of her own belief were none too firm.

She hesitated, turning upon O'Keefe gaze in which rested more than suggestion of appeal! And Yolara saw, too, for she flushed with triumph, stretched a finger toward the hand-maiden.

"Look!" she cried."Look! Why, even SHE does not believe!"Her voice grew silk of silver--merciless, cruel."Now am I minded to send another answer to the Silent Ones.

Yea! But not by YOU, Lakla; by these"--she pointed to the frog-men, and, swift as light, her hand darted into her bosom, bringing forth the little shining cone of death.

But before she could level it the Golden Girl had released that hidden left arm and thrown over her face a fold of the metallic swathings.Swifter than Yolara, she raised the arm that held the vine--and now I knew this was no inert blos-soming thing.

It was alive!