O-Tar motioned his followers from the room.  “I would speak alone with the Princess of Helium,” he said.  The company and the slaves withdrew and once more the Jeddak of Manator turned toward the girl.  “O-Tar of Manator would be your friend,” he said.

Tara of Helium sat with arms folded upon her small, firm breasts, her eyes flashing from behind narrowed lids, nor did she deign to answer his overture.  O-Tar leaned closer to her.  He noted the hostility of her bearing and he recalled his first encounter with her.  She was a she-banth, but she was beautiful.  She was by far the most desirable woman that O-Tar had ever looked upon and he was determined to possess her.  He told her so.

“I could take you as my slave,” he said to her; “but it pleases me to make you my wife.  You shall be Jeddara of Manator.  You shall have seven days in which to prepare for the great honor that O-Tar is conferring upon you, and at this hour of the seventh day you shall become an empress and the wife of O-Tar in the throne room of the jeddaks of Manator.”  He struck a gong that stood beside him upon the table and when a slave appeared he bade him recall the company.  Slowly the chiefs filed in and took their places at the table.  Their faces were grim and scowling, for there was still unanswered the question of their jeddak’s courage.  If O-Tar had hoped they would forget he had been mistaken in his men.

O-Tar arose.  “In seven days,” he announced, “there will be a great feast in honor of the new Jeddara of Manator,” and he waved his hand toward Tara of Helium.  “The ceremony will occur at the beginning of the seventh zode* in the throne room.  In the meantime the Princess of Helium will be cared for in the tower of the women’s quarters of the palace.  Conduct her thither, E-Thas, with a suitable guard of honor and see to it that slaves and eunuchs be placed at her disposal, who shall attend upon all her wants and guard her carefully from harm.”

* About 8:30 P. M. Earth Time.

Now E-Thas knew that the real meaning concealed in these fine words was that he should conduct the prisoner under a strong guard to the women’s quarters and confine her there in the tower for seven days, placing about her trustworthy guards who would prevent her escape or frustrate any attempted rescue.

As Tara was departing from the chamber with E-Thas and the guard, O-Tar leaned close to her ear and whispered:  “Consider well during these seven days the high honor I have offered you, and—­its sole alternative.”  As though she had not heard him the girl passed out of the banquet hall, her head high and her eyes straight to the front.

After Ghek had left him Gahan roamed the pits and the ancient corridors of the deserted portions of the palace seeking some clue to the whereabouts or the fate of Tara of Helium.  He utilized the spiral runway in passing from level to level until he knew every foot of it from the pits to the summit of the high tower, and into what apartments it opened at the various levels as well as the ingenious and hidden mechanism that operated the locks of the cleverly concealed doors leading to it.  For food he drew upon the stores he found in the pits and when he slept he lay upon the royal couch of O-Mai in the forbidden chamber sharing the dais with the dead foot of the ancient jeddak.