Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction; Tarzan (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
During the brief passage through the city Tarzan came to the conclusion
that the black inhabitants were the servants, perhaps slaves; the
brown men, the soldiers and shopkeepers, while the whites formed the
aristocratic or patrician class.
Well within the city the company turned to the left into another broad
avenue and shortly afterward approached a great circular edifice
constructed of hewn granite blocks. Arched apertures flanked by
graceful columns rose tier upon tier to a height of forty or fifty
feet, and above the first story all of these arches were open. Through
them Tarzan could see that the enclosure was without a roof and he
guessed that this lofty wall enclosed an arena, since it bore a marked
resemblance to the Colosseum at Rome.
As they came opposite the building the head of the column turned and
entered it beneath a low, wide arch and here they were led through
numerous corridors in the first story of the building and down a flight
of granite steps into gloomy, subterranean chambers, where, opening
from a long corridor, the ends of which were lost in darkness in both
directions, were a series of narrow doorways before which swung heavy
iron gates. In parties of four or five the prisoners were unchained and
ordered into the dungeons that lay behind.
Tarzan found himself with Lukedi and two other Bagegos in a small room
constructed entirely of granite blocks. The only openings were the
narrow, grated doorway, through which they entered, and a small, grated
window in the top of the wall opposite the door, and through this
window came a little light and air. The grating was closed upon them,
the heavy padlock snapped, and they were left alone to wonder what fate
lay in store for them.
_Chapter Eight_
Mallius Lepus conducted von Harben from the quarters of the captain
of the gate in the south wall of the island city of Castrum Mare and,
summoning a soldier, bade him fetch Gabula.
"You shall come with me as my guest, Erich von Harben," announced
Mallius Lepus, "and, by Jupiter, unless I am mistaken, Septimus
Favonius will thank me for bringing such a find. His dinners lag for
want of novelty, for long since has he exhausted all the possibilities
of Castrum Mare. He has even had a black chief from the Western forest
as his guest of honor, and once he invited the aristocracy of Castrum
Mare to meet a great ape.
"His friends will be mad to meet a barbarian chief from Germania--you
are a chief, are you not?" and as von Harben was about to reply,
Mallius Lepus stayed him with a gesture. "Never mind! You shall be
introduced as a chief and if I do not know any different I cannot be
accused of falsifying."
Von Harben smiled as he realized how alike was human nature the world
over and in all periods of time.
"Here is your slave now," said Mallius. "As the guest of Septimus
Favonius you will have others to do your bidding, but doubtless you
will want to have your own body-servant as well."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account