Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction; Tarzan (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
Ja-don's hand leaped to his knife, but the warriors next him laid
detaining fingers upon his arms. "You are in the temple of
Jad-ben-Otho, Ja-don," they cautioned and the great chief was forced to
swallow Lu-don's affront though it left in his heart bitter hatred of
the high priest.
And now Ko-tan turned toward Lu-don. "What knoweth my daughter of this
matter?" he asked. "You would not bring a princess of my house to
testify thus publicly?"
"No," replied Lu-don, "not in person, but I have here one who will
testify for her." He beckoned to an under priest. "Fetch the slave of
the princess," he said.
His grotesque headdress adding a touch of the hideous to the scene, the
priest stepped forward dragging the reluctant Pan-at-lee by the wrist.
"The Princess O-lo-a was alone in the Forbidden Garden with but this
one slave," explained the priest, "when there suddenly appeared from
the foliage nearby this creature who claims to be the Dor-ul-Otho. When
the slave saw him the princess says that she cried aloud in startled
recognition and called the creature by name--Tarzan-jad-guru--the same
name that the slave from Kor-ul-lul gave him. This woman is not from
Kor-ul-lul but from Kor-ul-JA, the very tribe with which the Kor-ul-lul
says the creature was associating when he first saw him. And further
the princess said that when this woman, whose name is Pan-at-lee, was
brought to her yesterday she told a strange story of having been
rescued from a Tor-o-don in the Kor-ul-GRYF by a creature such as this,
whom she spoke of then as Tarzan-jad-guru; and of how the two were
pursued in the bottom of the gorge by two monster gryfs, and of how the
man led them away while Pan-at-lee escaped, only to be taken prisoner
in the Kor-ul-lul as she was seeking to return to her own tribe.
"Is it not plain now," cried Lu-don, "that this creature is no god. Did
he tell you that he was the son of god?" he almost shouted, turning
suddenly upon Pan-at-lee.
The girl shrank back terrified. "Answer me, slave!" cried the high
priest.
"He seemed more than mortal," parried Pan-at-lee.
"Did he tell you that he was the son of god? Answer my question,"
insisted Lu-don.
"No," she admitted in a low voice, casting an appealing look of
forgiveness at Tarzan who returned a smile of encouragement and
friendship.
"That is no proof that he is not the son of god," cried Ja-don. "Dost
think Jad-ben-Otho goes about crying 'I am god! I am god!' Hast ever
heard him Lu-don? No, you have not. Why should his son do that which
the father does not do?"
"Enough," cried Lu-don. "The evidence is clear. The creature is an
impostor and I, the head priest of Jad-ben-Otho in the city of A-lur,
do condemn him to die." There was a moment's silence during which
Lu-don evidently paused for the dramatic effect of his climax. "And if
I am wrong may Jad-ben-Otho pierce my heart with his lightnings as I
stand here before you all."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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