Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction; Tarzan (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
Janzara, Zoanthrohago and Oratharc he gave their liberty and permission
to remain in Trohanadalmakus, and then Komodoflorensal drew Talaskar to
the foot of the throne.
"And now for myself I ask a boon, Adendrohahkis," he said. "As
Zertolosto I am bound by custom to wed a prisoner princess taken from
another city; but in this slave girl have I found the one I love. Let
me renounce my rights to the throne and have her instead."
Talaskar raised her hand as though to demur, but Komodoflorensal would
not let her speak, and then Adendrohahkis rose and descended the steps
at the foot of which Talaskar stood and taking her by the hand led her
to a place beside the throne.
"You are bound by custom only, Komodoflorensal," he said, "to wed a
princess; but custom is not law. A Trohanadalmakusian may wed whom he
pleases."
"And even though he were bound by law," said Talaskar, "to wed a
princess, still might he wed me, for I am the daughter of Talaskhago,
king of Mandalamakus. My mother was captured by the Veltopismakusians
but a few moons before my birth, which took place in the very chamber
in which Komodoflorensal found me. She taught me to take my life before
mating with anyone less than a prince; but I would have forgotten
her teachings had Komodoflorensal been but the son of a slave. That
he was the son of a king I did not dream until the night we left
Veltopismakus, and I had already given him my heart long before, though
he did not know it."
Weeks passed and still no change came to Tarzan of the Apes. He was
happy in his life with the Minunians, but he longed for his own people
and the mate who would be grieving for him, and so he determined to
set forth as he was, pass through the thorn forest and make his way
toward home, trusting to chance that he might escape the countless
dangers that would infest his way, and perhaps come to his normal size
somewhere during the long journey.
His friends sought to dissuade him, but he was determined, and at
last, brooking no further delay, he set out toward the southeast in
the direction that he thought lay the point where he had entered the
land of the Minuni. A kamak, a body consisting of one thousand mounted
warriors, accompanied him to the great forest and there, after some
days' delay, the son of The First Woman found him. The Minunians bid
him good-bye, and as he watched them ride away upon their graceful
mounts, something rose in his throat that only came upon those few
occasions in his life that Tarzan of the Apes knew the meaning of
home-sickness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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