Tarrano the Conqueror

  CHAPTER XXX

  _The Monster_

  I stood frozen with horror; but as my brain cleared--awake at last tofull rationality and consciousness--beneath the horror came a surgingjoy of the knowledge that at last Elza was near me. The scream wasrepeated; inactive no longer, I dashed the thicket branches apart withmy arms and plunged forward through the darkness.

  Ahead of me the thickets opened into a sort of clearing. I saw the sky,the stars--paling stars with the first flush of dawn overpowering them.I stood at the edge of an open space in the dim, flat-grey illuminationof morning twilight.

  Elza! She was there, standing near a huge isolated tree; Elza, pale,trembling, a hand pressed against her mouth in terror; disheveled, hergarments dirty and torn with her wanderings through the forest.

  A swift glimpse as momentarily I paused; a second or two only, but thescene was impressed upon my brain as actinic light upon a photo-screen.Close by Elza, partially behind her, I saw something small, no tallerthan Elza's waist. A naked thing of sleek, glistening skin. Themonstrosity of a human child; a bulging head, wavering upon a neckincapable of supporting it; a thick round body; twisted, misshapenlimbs. A face ... human? It made my gorge rise with its gruesomesuggestion of humanity. Nostrils--no nose; a mouth, lipless, but redlike a curved gash with upturned corners to make the travesty of a grin;a triangle of watery eyes, goggling. Senselessly, it stood watching Elzawith a dull, vacant curiosity. Not human, this thing! Yet monstrouslyrepulsive in its hideous suggestion of an idiot child.

  Elza was not facing it; my gaze instinctively followed hers to the tree.Crowning horror! The adult of this thing upon the ground hung swaying bya thick hand and arm from a low limb; hung, then dropped. Growling,mouthing as though it would try and form human words of menace, itpicked itself up and shambled toward Elza.

  I leaped for them. Elza seemed too terrified to run. The thing reachedher, towered over her; seized her in its arms. She screamed--the agonyof revolt and terror; but over her voice rose my own shout of rage, andabruptly the thing dropped her and turned to confront me. Snarling,glaring with its three hideous blood-shot eyes; waving its thick, bentarms.

  I had no weapons save those with which nature had endowed me. The regretof that came as a fleeting thought; and then I crashed into the thing;my fist, passing its awkward guard, struck it full in the face. Isickened. Even in the heat of combat a nausea swept me. For no solidflesh and bone met my blow, like the shell of an egg, my fist crashedinto and through its face.

  Warm, sticky moisture ... a stench ...

  The thing had toppled backward, with me sprawling upon its bloated bulk.It struggled, writhed ... Its arms gripped me, its huge fingers clutchedmy throat ... I caught a glimpse of its smashed face ... so close, Iturned away ... a face of yellow-white pulp ...

  My fist cracked and sank into its chest. I pounded, smashed; broke theshell of its distended body ... noisome ... the revulsion, the nausea ofit all but overcame me.

  At last the thing lay still; and from the wet, sticky foulness of it Irose and stood shuddering. Elza lay on the ground; but she had risenupon one elbow and I saw that she was unharmed save for the shock ofterror through which she had passed--a mitigated shock with theknowledge now that I was with her, and that I too was uninjured.

  The infant thing had vanished. I hastened forward.

  "Elza! Elza, dear--"

  Joy lighted her face.

  "Jac!"

  I would have lifted her up; but the consciousness of my ownfoulness--the yellow-white slime streaked with red which smeared myarms, splattered my clothing--gave me pause. In the growing light,beyond the clearing, I caught the silver sheen of water. Without a wordI ran for it; a shimmering pool the existence of which no doubt haddrawn these grewsome beings of the forest into its vicinity. To thecleansing water I ran, plunged in, purged myself of that horriblefoulness which human senses could not endure.

  When I returned, Elza was upon her feet. Recovered at last she flungherself into my arms. Impulsive; seeking protection as she clung to me;fear; the let-down of overwrought nerves as she stood and clung andsobbed upon my shoulder.

  It was all of that; but oh! it was more than that as well. My Elza,raising her tear-stained face and kissing me. Murmuring, "Jac, I loveyou!" Murmuring her love: "Jac dear, you're safe! I've wanted so long tobe with you again--I've been so frightened--so frightened--"

  Giving me back my kisses unreserved; holding me with eagerarms ... Tarrano? The memory of him came to me. How foolish my fears,my jealousy! That man of genius ... conqueror of worlds ...

  But my Elza loved _me_!...