Shades Of Memnon

CHAPTER 4: "WELCOME BACK, CHILDREN OF MEMNON"

  It was a clear early morning on the golden beach of the Island of the Ka. The sea was calm and the water bright blue-green as we stood between our small boat and the great serpent. It was with great sadness that Neftiji and I restocked our vessel in preparation for leaving. Tears filled my eyes as I carefully wrapped my greatest possession, The Book of Knowing The Creatures of the Taut, in cloth and papyrus for the trip.

  Kam-Atef lifted his head high to scan the waters and flicked his huge tongue out to test the wind. The rays of Aten bounced off his glowing scales, reflecting light onto the golden sand and waters of the sea. He had never looked quite so beautiful to me.

  "It is a good day to sail," Kam-Atef said with a nod.

  Neftiji and I looked at each other, but said nothing as we placed jugs of water and bags of food into the boat. Knowing one day we would have to leave, we had repaired the small vessel during our stay on the island. But as we stood there on the glowing golden sand, neither of us realized how difficult we would find leaving the presence of the great serpent.

  Noting the sad looks upon our faces, he tried his best to cheer us up. "Come now," bellowed Kam-Atef heartily. "Still your hearts! Be at peace with your destiny, for you have achieved great things during your stay here!"We put down our jugs of water and ran to him, rubbing our hands all over his scales in a futile attempt at hugging his huge bulk. Lowering his head, he gently shook his immense frame, causing the musical chimes of his scales to fill our ears.

  "Ahhh, little ones," Kam-Atef said affectionately. "I am very fond of you also. But we all have our duty. Go back to the world with what you have learned. Be strong, for the Children of Geb need you.

  "Great serpent," Neftiji said sadly, "we will miss you so."

  I stepped back and looked up into the face of Kam-Atef.

  "Could destiny bring us back to this island, great serpent? Will we ever see you again?"

  "It is possible, it is possible," Kam-Atef said with a smile. "It is more likely, though, that you will never come back. But there is a way for us to always speak to one another, if you choose to accept it."

  "What is it, great one?" Neftiji asked. "How is it that you can always speak to us?"

  "You can accept my venom," Kam-Atef replied.

  "It will allow me to be with you in spirit and speak to you in times of need."

  "How do we take the venom, great serpent?" I asked, the answer to the question dawning upon me as soon as I spoke the words.

  "Step back," Kam-Atef said.

  Neftiji and I did as he bid as the great serpent's lowered his head to our height and opened his mouth. Four long fangs I had never noticed before jutted from his jaws. As they came close I couldn't hold back a gasp of instinctive fear.

  Kam-Atef pulled back asking, "Do you not trust me, little one?"

  "Yes..." I said, having to think for a moment, "yes, I trust you."

  Lowering his head again, he bit lightly into my shoulder with two sharp fangs. There was a sharp pain that was quickly gone, and a peculiar sensation of cold liquid entering my body. Withdrawing the fangs left not a trace of blood, only two small marks shaped like a crescent moon.

  After he bit Neftiji he coiled himself before us and spoke. "Memna-un and Neftiji, there is now a sacred bond between us that can never be broken. Not even by death."

  Neftiji and I looked at each other in astonishment. The words Kam-Atef spoke now came into our minds before they reached our ears.

  "We are now connected across all spaces. Still your heart and call my name, and I will answer to give you guidance...if it is safe to do so."

  "How might it not be safe to answer?" I asked.

  "If the forces of the evil ones are near, they may hear me," Kam-Atef said gravely. "They would be able to use our communications to track you down. You would be in great danger."

  "We thank you for this gift, great serpent," Neftiji said.

  "We will cherish it above all worldly possessions," I added, "and will take care not to abuse it."

  We boarded the boat and Kam-Atef nosed us gently into the waters of the sea. As soon as we unfurled the sails, a gust of wind flew into them, carrying us swiftly away from the island. Kam-Atef stood there as we sailed further away, getting smaller and smaller in the distance. Finally, we saw him turn around and head back into the hills and forests of his enchanted island, but we heard his voice in our minds as his form disappeared into the trees. "Farewell, little ones. Farewell!"

  We sailed north for many days, with greater ease this time since Kam-Atef had taught us more about using the stars to guide us on our journey. We had been on the Island of the Ka for a full year, and wondered what was going on back home. We longed to see a trade vessel or diplomacy ship going to or from a port of Kamit, to get news and finally speak to familiar people. One day, three quarters of a moon into our journey home, I spied a ship in the distance.

  "Neftiji! " I cried. "Look, a ship! "

  Neftiji stood up with me and we watched it come closer. It was a large vessel, as large as any trading ship from Canaan or Saba, and it seemed to be going the same way we had come. This meant it was probably traveling to the incense-rich lands of the southern queens of Saba or Ta Neter.

  As the ship grew closer, Neftiji waved a white cloth, signaling to them that we wished to come aboard. They spotted our signal and veered towards us, when a strange feeling suddenly seized me, and I snatched down Neftiji's waving arm. While she looked at me in confusion, a wave of horror and recognition washed over me. I had recognized the ship too late.

  Suddenly the deck was lined with archers. All were Tamahu, pale northerners with red and yellow hair, aiming their bows carefully to cut us to pieces with their arrows. Cold chills swept over me when I saw a dark Kushite emerge among them. It was Kho-An-Sa.

  "At last, young panther!" he shouted down with a wicked smile. "We have been looking for you!"

  They threw down a ladder and two men scampered down. I thought of fighting, but there was nothing I could do. Neftiji stood motionless, her mouth open and eyes filled with fear. I had to shake her as the warriors stepped into the boat.

  "Be brave, my sister," I whispered. "We will find a way out of this. For now, do as they say."

  I hugged her as the two warriors stepped towards us, swords drawn. Then they shoved us up the ladder, climbing after us with the points of their weapons at our backs. As soon as our feet touched the deck, other men scampered down to retrieve our belongings. We were then shoved toward the middle of the boat. There Kho-An-Sa sat in a throne-like chair, his hands folded in his lap, and evil glint of diabolic joy in is eyes.

  "Welcome back, children of Memnon," he said coldly.

  "How did you find us?" I cried. "Why don't you leave us alone?"

  "My...devices told me that you had never left the south Desher Sea," he replied, "and that somewhere you still lived."

  "You have been out here," I asked, "for a whole year, looking for us?"

  Kho-An-Sa leaned forward in his chair, pointing at me menacingly. "I told you, young panther, you are destined to serve me."

  "No!" I cried. "I will never serve you. I would die first."

  He stood up and clapped his hands and several warriors seized me, while others snatched Neftiji away from my side.

  They dragged her towards Kho-An-Sa who asked cruelly, "It is clear that you have no fear of death, young panther, but what of the life of your sister?"

  Neftiji struggled against her captors. "Memna-un, don't do it! "

  "Don't hurt my sister!" I cried.

  Kho-An-Sa turned to the warriors near his chair and gestured. From among them stepped the largest man I had ever seen. He was a veritable giant, harshly pale, with a thick red beard and a strange horned helmet topping his bright red hair. A thick leather corselet encased his massive frame, and the skin of a large beast served as a cloak. He walked towards Kho-An-Sa and bowed, then turned toward Neftiji and drew the largest sword I had e
ver seen. The double-bladed weapon was a hand and a half wide, big enough to cut down a small tree, and he held it against the throat of my sister.

  "No, young panther," Kho-An-Sa said. "I have not just been prowling the Desher Sea looking for you. Your departure forced me to seek a new warrior from the north to serve me, and he will cut your sister in half at my bidding. What say you?"

  Neftiji was petrified with fear as she looked up into the bestial face of the Tamahu warrior. I had no choice but to bow my head to Kho-An-Sa.

  "Leave her be," I muttered. "I will do as you say."

  "Very good, young panther," Kho-An-Sa said. He waved his hand at the men holding my sister and they dragged her away. The huge man sheathed his sword and stood motionless.

  "Where are they taking her?" I cried. "Leave her with me! Why do you take her away?"

  "Not this time, young panther," Kho-An-Sa replied. "You will not see your sister again until I am sure you will obey me."

  The warriors let me go as Kho-An-Sa whispered into the ear of the huge Tamahu. He then walked towards me and began pushing me roughly towards the hold of the ship, the same hold I had escaped from a year ago. He pushed me once too roughly and I whirled around to confront him. My anger overcoming me, I slapped his hand away and raised my fist threateningly.

  Growling like a beast, the Tamahu seized my neck like a stick and lifted me from the deck with one hand, choking me and waving me about like a small child. As I kicked him and pawed at his arm, the light began to dim before my eyes, until a word from Kho-An-Sa released me from his deadly grip. I fell to the deck, dizzy from the lack of air. Suddenly Kho-An-Sa's face appeared over me, and the ring given to me by the Anu was roughly jerked from my finger.

  "You are mine now, young panther," he said, turning the ring over in his fingers, "as are all your possessions. You will join this northerner in service to Kho-An-Sa, and you will never escape me again."

  I sat in the hold for many days, pondering the destiny that brought us back into the clutches of this evil magician. I thought of many plans for escape, but none seemed workable because I knew not where they kept Neftiji, and because of the presence of the huge warrior outside my locked door. As constant as the waves bouncing against the ship, he stood there day and night, never seeming to rest or sleep.

  When he opened the door to pass in my morning and evening meals, his strange blue eyes were ever alert and penetrating. His heavy breathing and the odor of the putrid skins he always wore were a constant reminder of his presence. I could see why Kho-An-Sa had chosen him to guard me, for he had the qualities of a hunting animal. A dangerous, deadly beast.

  Three quarters of the moon passed as I languished in the hold of the ship. Then one morning I heard a commotion on deck, and felt the ship come to a stop and lower anchor. Later the door swung open and my huge guard beckoned me to follow him.

  On deck the whole crew was preparing to depart, furling sails and lowering barrels to the shore for restocking. I looked out at the small town where we had docked. It was an ordinary trading center, with long streets filled with creaking wagons and colorful markets. Several taverns and gambling houses were nearby, indicating the sort of loose administration under which this port must operate.

  I was escorted off the ship and loaded into a wagon along with my huge guard and several other warriors. In a nearby wagon I caught a glimpse of Neftiji. She saw me also and turned to speak, but was jerked roughly by two men sitting near her. At the head of her wagon I spied Kho-An-Sa.

  We left the town and traveled across sandy plains towards the east. As we traveled along, I looked for any opportunity to escape, but my ever-vigilant guard seemed never to sleep.

  Each time I woke up, his piercing blue eyes would be there, boring into mine.

  After several days, we could see the outlines of a large city. To the south I saw fertile fields and huge monuments of stone rivaling those of Kamit. To the north, the fields gave way to trackless desert and endless brushy wastelands. It looked much like parts of Kamit, but the huge monuments had been built differently. The name of the place came to me as I recognized the tremendous temple towards the middle of the city.

  Hundreds of Kushites and Shashu were marching around a tremendous stone building, chanting, their heads lowered in reverence. Even from this long distance I could hear the worshippers' litanies as they praised the name of Allat, Mut Goddess of the Sabaens, and her gift inside the temple, the holy black Kaaba Stone. We had reached the sacred city of Makka, in the fabled land of Araby.

  We stopped near the northern side of the city, got out of the wagons and went inside a large building that bustled with activity. Kho-An-Sa went ahead with Neftiji and a few warriors, leaving the rest of us near the large entrance with the piles of trade items stacked against the walls and the men who guarded them.

  There were many sorts of people milling about the area- Kushites, Shashu and even some Tamahu. Most ran to and fro with tablets of clay and pieces of papyrus in hand, no doubt keeping track of trade agreements and sale items. Finally a guide came and escorted us down a long corridor and into a small room. Inside Kho-An-Sa was seated at a table with a Shashu man with wily eyes and a crafty demeanor.

  "Ah," said Kho-An-Sa. "This is the one I spoke of....

  "Where is my sister, Kho-An-Sa?" I demanded.

  "She is safe, young panther," he answered. "Look, Khalibar, see my latest warrior, the son of the great Memnon of Troy."

  The Shashu looked at me. Nodding his head, his narrow eyes appraised me from head to toe. "The son of Memnon," he said. "He is worth much on the open market..."

  Kho-An-Sa looked at Khalibar suspiciously.

  "Do not think of it, Khalibar," he said. "He is to be my warrior. Soon he will fight for me."

  Khalibar's eyes shifted nervously.

  "No, my dear friend," he replied. "I would never betray you. It is simply my mercantile instinct...."

  "I want to see my sister, Kho-An-Sa," I interrupted.

  "Young panther," Kho-An-Sa answered, "you will see your sister when I say. For now, I must attend to business in the Sabaen lands south of here. You will stay here under the watch of Khalibar, and your guard, Cronn."

  "But where is my sister?"

  A vicious expression appeared on the face of the evil magician.

  "You will see your sister later, son of Memnon! Alive if you obey Khalibar, dead, if you disobey him or attempt any foolishness. Is that clear?"

  I lowered my eyes.

  "Is that clear, young panther?"

  "Yes," I answered.

  "Good," he said. "When I return, we journey to the city of Petra. There your training shall begin."

  They locked me in a room inside Khalibar's storehouse and stationed Cronn as my guard once again. One small window allowed me to see the wastelands to the north, where I watched the sands blow for hour after hour. Many lonely days went by as I wondered about the fate of my sister and contemplated ways to escape. Despair was my daily companion, and as I sat on the floor of my cell, worrying about Neftiji, the days on Kam-Atef's Island of the Ka seemed a distant dream. One day I saw the great serpent's face in my mind, imagined his voice and longed to hear him, and then suddenly his voice came into my head.

  "Yes, little one, I am here."

  I jumped to my feet. "Kam-Atef! Is it really you?"

  "Yes, little one. Are you troubled?"

  "Oh Kam-Atef, things have gone terribly wrong...."

  "Tell me, little one."

  I told Kam-Atef of our second capture by Kho-An-Sa and about our present situation. I asked him if Neftiji had contacted him.

  "No, I have not heard from Neftiji," he said. "And there is no one nearby who I can send to assist you, little one. I am sorry."

  I sank back down to the floor, holding my head in my hands. "I cannot send you direct assistance," Kam-Atef said, "but listen Memna-un...trust no one you meet in that land of the Shashu, and if you can escape, flee to the court of the Queen of Saba. She is
a just ruler and even the power of Kho-An-Sa cannot stand against her. Flee south to the Queen of Saba if you can, little one."

  As the voice of Kam-Atef faded, I found renewed hope, a rise in my spirit to keep fighting. Peering from the window again, I watched the rays of Aten grow dimmer, and felt assured that our chance to escape would come.

  When Aten's rays disappeared beneath the horizon, I heard a loud thump near the door. Turning around, I expected to see Cronn handing me my evening meal. But the Shashu merchant, Khalibar stepped through the door instead. "Come, young one. I will take you to your sister."

  At first I hurried to the door, but then remembered Kam-Atef's words and hesitated. "Where is Cronn?" I asked suspiciously.

  Khalibar smiled and pointed to the floor near the door.

  "Ha, ha!" the Shashu laughed. "The filthy barbarian lies here, the victim of drugged wine."

  I walked toward the door and peered out onto the floor. There the huge Tamahu lay face down in a pool of spilled wine. A tumbled flask lay nearby.

  "He will bother you no more," said Khalibar. "Death will take him within moments. Come! Why do you hesitate?"

  I followed Khalibar through the doorway. We stepped over the still body of Cronn and hurried down the corridor.

  "Careful, young man," Khalibar said. "There are men in Kho-An-Sa's employ still about."

  We came to a large room filled with clothing of many forms and fashions.

  "Choose a robe for concealment," said Khalibar.

  I picked a long brown robe with a hood, pulling it tightly about me. With the hood pulled over my head, no one could distinguish me from the many pilgrimagers to the great stone of Makka.

  Khalibar thrust another robe into my hands. "For your sister," he said.

  Seizing the robe from him, I stuffed it inside my own. We walked rapidly out into the moonlight, heading towards the north end of the city. I watched Kahlibar's manner as he greeted those he knew along the way. Even if Kam-Atef had not warned me, I would have had deep suspicions about him. He was Sebek-Tem, crafty and dangerous.

  "Why do you do this for us?" I asked. "I thought you were a friend of Kho-An-Sa?"

  "Young one," he replied, "profit is my only friend. And rest assured, this will require payment..."

  I stopped immediately and demanded, "What form of payment?"

  Khalibar stopped ahead and turned around.

  "Kho-An-Sa told me that a book he found in your possession indicates you have been to the Island of the Ka. The land of golden shores! Ruby hills and streams lined with diamonds!"

  I nodded. "Yes, we have been there..."

  "Then you must lead me there. I must have the riches of this island! "

  "But Khalibar..." I began.

  Raising his arms, he clenched his fists greedily and hissed, "The island, young one! The island for your freedom and for the life of your sister! You will lead me there. You will do it! Or I will leave you in the clutches of Kho-An-Sa!"

  I said nothing as we resumed walking. Presently we came to a huge stone building with torches burning at each corner. The guards outside the front doors knew Khalibar and let us through. Inside were trade items from the ships, no doubt stored to be taken overland to market. As we approached a small room toward the rear, I saw two more Tamahu warriors Iying on the floor. Both were soaked with wine and neither was breathing. A Shashu man wearing desert clothing stood over them. He saluted Khalibar with a bow, said something in the Shashu language, then turned toward the door the men had been guarding.

  I strode forward and thrust it open and there stood Neftiji, holding a vase over her head and about to strike me. I pulled down the hood, then the vase tumbled from her hands and she rushed into my arms.

  "Memna-un, Memna-un," she sobbed.

  "Are you well, sister?" I asked, handing her the extra robe. "Did they harm you?"

  "I am well," she replied, looking at Khalibar. "Who is this with you?"

  "This is Khalibar," I replied. "He will lead us away from here."

  "Hurry!" said Khalibar, while he and his friend looked around nervously.

  "We must go. Now!"

  As Khalibar and his man walked ahead toward the door, I reached down and stealthily snatched a sword from one of the dead guards, quickly concealing it in the folds of my robe. We then caught up with the Shashu at the entrance. But when we walked out we found the guards barring our way with their spears lowered.

  Khalibar spoke to them in a different language, similar to Kamitian, but I could not make it out. He turned to me and translated.

  "They were told that the girl was the property of Kho-An-Sa. They want to know why we are taking her."

  I prepared myself to fight, reaching inside the robe to pull out the concealed sword. But before I could draw it forth, Khalibar spoke to them again and they smiled. Reaching into his pocket, he produced two small bags and tossed one to each guard. Then they stepped out of our way, falling back into place near the door. One guard stared at his feet, while the other averted his eyes towards the moon.

  "We must go to the northern edge of Makka," said Khalibar, as we walked rapidly away. "We will find a caravan waiting there to take us to a northern port. From there we will gather a ship and supplies for the voyage to the Island of the Ka."

  Neftiji looked at me incredulously and I gestured for her to keep silent. She and I both knew that the sacred island could not be reached by normal means, but we had to deal with the more immediate concerns first. I had spent many days watching the sands blow towards the northern wastelands and I knew they were barren and dangerous. I had no wish to journey into them.

  "Why can we not acquire a vessel at the port nearby?" I asked. "Let us save the trip through the northern deserts."

  Khalibar shook his head. "By now they must know of all the dead warriors," he answered, "as well as the missing gold I stole to finance this venture. I can never again go back to Makka or to the nearby docks. But about these things I no longer care, for the riches of the enchanted island are soon to be mine."

  Once again Neftiji looked at me in disbelief, but said nothing. We reached the edge of Makka, and, as Khalibar had said, there was a small caravan waiting to transport us. Two wagons pulled by asses were filled with supplies and several men. A third wagon was empty, except for a few sleeping mats, a small amount of provisions and a driver. Several men astride camels and armed with spears rode ahead and behind them.

  The moon was high and bright as we boarded the empty wagon and headed north. Khalibar sat across from Neftiji and I, and as we jostled along into the night, he began to doze. The torchlight from the front of the wagon was playing along the side of his sweaty face when I decided to whisper to Neftiji.

  "My sister," I explained, "I would never promise the sacred island to anyone, least of all to a man like him."

  Neftiji looked across at Khalibar, shaking her head in disapproval.

  "Then why does he think we will take him there?', she asked.

  "I had to go along with his madness to get him to free us..."

  "I understand," she said, "but what must we do now?

  "We must escape from him also, and make our way to the Queen of Saba in the South. Kam-Atef says she is a just ruler..."

  "Kam-Atef?" she replied. "You have been talking to Kam-Atef?"

  As I opened my mouth to answer, a loud, horrified scream echoed through the night air. The caravan came to a halt and Khalibar bolted upright. A mounted warrior came racing up to the wagon, speaking the Shashu language and sounding terrified. Khalibar gave orders to the man and then translated for us.

  "A huge beast has appeared. It snatched Ali off his camel and broke the animal's neck. Ali has been dragged off into the darkness...."

  While he was talking, another scream pierced the night air. Khalibar shouted orders to his men and the wagons closed into a defensive triangle. We got out and made camp in the middle, while riders came in close and the men in the wagons got out their weapons. Sitt
ing close around the camp's fire, we peered up into the moonlit sky.

  "Some beast stalks us," said Khalibar. "Another man was just taken."

  Neftiji huddled closer to me. "What is it?" she asked. "What kind of beast?"

  "The men don't know," Khalibar answered. "It behaves like a lion, but they were all hunted down generations ago. Besides, I have never heard of a lion breaking a camel's neck with one blow. My men are very afraid."

  Another man screamed horribly and a camel bleated. Both cries ended abruptly.

  "The fool!" Khalibar said as he stood up from the fire. "I told them all to close ranks near the wagons."

  A mounted warrior rode up to us, shouting desperately. Khalibar shouted orders back and his riders gathered closer to the caravan. Suddenly the crafty Shashu was holding a spear and handing me one also. "This beast is tearing my men apart!" he shouted. "Prepare to fight, son of Memnon!"

  In each wagon five men stood holding spears and peering into the darkness. Suddenly, a cloud covered the moon and a huge dark beast charged a wagon, toppling it sideways and sending men flying in all directions. The warriors in the other wagons screamed curses as their spears sliced through the night air. Just then, a tremendous roar of bestial rage rolled across the sand, causing the camels to rear up uncontrollably and throw their riders. One unlucky man who landed out in the darkness screamed suddenly, his voice accompanied by the sound of breaking bones.

  Standing back to back in the middle of the three wagons, we waited for the creature's next charge. Gradually the clouds moved away from the moon, flooding the desert with dim, but welcome light. Long minutes went by, and there was only silence from the wasteland. Khalibar shouted and his men answered back from all sides.

  "It seems that the beast is gone," he said with relief.

  We sat down near the fire again as Khalibar's men put right the wagon and took a count of heads. They shouted the number back to him and he shook his head bitterly.

  "Five dead," he said. "And we still don't know what sort of beast it was. Praise to Allat that it is gone."

  The camp was tense for the rest of the night with all of us peeking into the darkness, afraid and still wondering about the strange beast. No one slept as we all waited for the light of day, and when the rays of Aten broke over the desert horizon, the men gladly prepared to leave.

  I cradled Neftiji in my arms as she dozed, while I watched the activities of the breaking camp. In the distance I saw two men piling sand over the dead bodies. As I watched, a large figure approached them from out of the desert. The two men leapt at the figure, who pulled a huge sword and killed them immediately. They fell atop the bodies they had been burying.

  As two camel riders rushed towards the killer with their spears raised, I realized who it was and gave Neftiji a nudge. "It is Cronn," I whispered. "Be prepared to flee."

  Khalibar now stood watching as his warriors fought the giant Tamahu.

  "It is that big barbarian," Khalibar said in astonishment. "I gave him enough poison to kill five men! Why is he still alive?"

  We watched in amazement as Cronn battled his way toward the caravan, swinging his huge blade as he dodged the thrusts from the camel rider's spears. One flashing sweep cut down a rider, sending him sprawling to the sand, clutching his gushing wound. More men ran out to oppose him, but the huge warrior was unstoppable, ripping through them all with his flashing sword.

  As Khalibar's men fell like stalks of wheat, fear flashed into his eyes.

  "That man is possessed by evil things," he said. "Come, young ones, we must go."

  We jumped into a wagon and left the caravan with only two of Khalibar's men accompanying us, the driver and the man who had helped get Neftiji from the storage house. The rest he abandoned to fight the huge northerner.

  I looked upon Khalibar with utter contempt for leaving his warriors to die while he escaped. He noticed this and shrugged his shoulders, smiling maliciously. "They do not matter, young one," he huffed. "The only thing that matters is the treasure of the Island of the Ka. I will be richer than all the Queens of Saba!"

  I waved my hand in disgust. I was tired of this man's pettiness and greed. "Khalibar, there is no treasure," I said, finally.

  "What!" he shouted. "What are you saying?"

  "No one can get to the Island of the Ka for treasure," I answered.

  "You lie!" Khalibar screamed. "You lie! You want to go back for it yourselves! Driver! Stop!"

  The wagon halted and Khalibar stood, drawing a long curved sword. His face was twisted with anger.

  "If this is true then why did you not tell me before?"

  I stood up between Neftiji and the mad merchant, sliding my hand into my robe. "You were our only way to escape...and I never promised you! I never promised you anything!"

  Khalibar raised his blade. "Then I will take profit out of your hide! A queen's ransom can be had for the son of Memnon of Troy! "

  I pulled my sword out just in time to block his downward stroke. Khalibar's man leapt down to assist him, but I booted him away before his feet could hit the ground. When his lackey tumbled to the sand, Khalibar howled with rage. "Take my treasure?" he screamed. "Take my treasure, will you!? Die, young fool! Die!"

  He sliced wildly at me and I managed to block each stroke, but the momentum tumbled me from the wagon. When I rose he had his sword raised over Neftiji, who held her hands before her, helplessly looking up at her doom.

  Leaping up quickly, I stabbed Khalibar's leg. His painful scream filled the desert air. "Aaaaaiiie!!!!"

  He fell from the wagon, his sword dropping from his hand. I leapt forward to finish him, but his man was suddenly there, thrusting at me with a spear. As he jabbed at me, he turned his back toward the wagon, giving Neftiji the chance to seize his face and scratch his eyes. As he cursed at her, I pushed the spear aside and thrust my blade through his chest. He crumpled to the ground before us.

  When I turned back to Khalibar, he had gotten back to his feet and had retrieved his weapon. At first he stood his ground with his sword raised, spitting upon us horrible curses and jeers. Then a fearful look came over him and he turned to flee, dropping his sword in his blind panic. Stumbling pitifully due to the wound I had inflicted, Khalibar looked back with an expression of total terror.

  Realizing he was not looking at me, I turned around to see his wagon driver falling to the sand, clutching a heavily bleeding wound. Standing over the dying man was Cronn, holding his huge blood soaked sword.

  The giant walked past me and I stepped aside, watching carefully as he stalked toward Khalibar. The merchant was now crawling along pitifully, muttering in fear. Reaching desperately into his robe, he withdrew pouch after pouch of golden shekels, tossing them before the approaching giant.

  "No!" Khalibar screamed in terror. "No!! Here take it! Take it all! Just spare me. Spare meeee!"

  Cronn ignored the pleas and the pouches, treading them into the sand as he approached his trembling victim. Finally he stood over Khalibar and roared terribly, sounding strangely like the beast that attacked the caravan.

  Khalibar held his hands before him, quaking in helpless fear.

  "The beast!" he screamed. "The beast! Aaaaahhh!"

  Cronn's sword came down in a gleaming arc, cutting Khalibar precisely in half and spattering blood in all directions. The giant roared again, kicking Khalibar's remains viciously while flicking the blood from his blade across the dead man's face. Then he turned back to me.