Adventure Magazine Cover — page 76: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

70 Drowsily, Nada nodded, resting her head on her arm. “Aye, my Falcon, and if he finds a city and a strange people, he will make himself master of them, as he did of the Muscovites. When the Turkoman riders were seen com- ing toward us on the plain, he robed his followers in rich coats and sables and took the scepter in his hand, greeting the dog- thieves as servants come to his aid.” She laughed delightedly. ‘Kaz, so it happened they were astonished and a little afraid—when six wild geese flew up from the grass at their coming. T saw it. Luck played into the hand of Gregory Otrépiev, but his boldness saved my life.” Now she glanced fleetingly at the silent Cossack. “OQ White Falcon, I made him a promise that if he should make himself king of the people beyond the mountain I would then bend the head to him and sit at his feet as queen.” “That was ill said.” From beneath long lashes dark eyes took stock of the young warrior and his growing anger. Nada fairly purred. ** “Why did’st thou in this fashion?’ So the Cossack says in his heart, being blind as a wounded ox. Have you tamed me, Cos- sack? Have you bound my tongue?” “Tt was ill done, to send Otrépiev astray!” This seemed to please her the more. “Til done! It was his fate that he should go! A new kingdom to be conquered! What if he had but one man to ride at his heel, his treasure lost, his courtiers slain? The rampart is high—the more reason to climb it; the city beyond is unknown—so he went to find it. That is his way. Besides,’ she added tranquilly, ‘“‘where else could he go? You have seen and Arslan has growled it out, that only the mountain pass was open to him.”’ “Nay, yours was the spur that sent him forward.” “True! How much better for him if he had lingered at that first camp, eating mut- ton until you came, with your sword, on a Tatar’s pony—”’ Kirdy winced, because the diminutive beasts of the Golden Horde were ill-suited to his height, and Nada, secure on the great limbed charger had pointed this out more than once. “and cut him to pieces,” the girl con- HAROLD LAMB cluded pleasantly. into the unknown.” “You led him across the dry lands—” “Should I leave him for the kites? Nay, he could never have found the way. And you blame me for that?” Now in his heart Kirdy had no blame for any act of the girl; a blind rage was seizing him. Al-TAbir had said that Nada had joined the company of Otrépiev because she knew that, sooner or later, Kirdy would come up with them. Rage whispered that Al-Tabir lied, to curry favor—that Nada loved the false Tsar and the glitter of his deeds. Jealousy whispered that Nada was now riding at his side, not because she wished to be with him, but because she sought to lead him astray from his pursuit. And in this moment Nada’s mood changed, as a leaf blown by the wind whirls and rushes back upon the gust. Her long eyes, intent on the fire, grew troubled and she put her hand lightly on the Cossack’s arm. Under her fingers the man’s muscles were like iron, and he did not dare look at her, for the anger in him. “Kirdy,” she said after a moment, “look!” She pointed up, beyond the dark network of the forest, to the wall of darkness that was the bare, rocky heights above the timber line. Out of this black wall rose at intervals the snow peaks, gleaming in the clear starlight. To the girl—as well as to Arslan—they resembled watch towers built upon a wall of sheer immensity. “Tevakel Khan is old and wise,” she whispered. “Do as he counseled. Go back to the Horde. Your wounds have not closed; there is fever in you.” Now he looked at her, with burning eyes, his lips set upon clenched teeth. And she frowned and tried to shake his arm. “Go back, Kirdy. You did not hear the tale of the wife of Tevakel Khan. Only now—’” she hesitated, then, ‘I fear that Gregory Otrépiev will indeed be master of the country beyond, and blood will fall be- tween us—yours or mine.”’ Once Kirdy laughed and at the sound of it she drew back, lips parted. “Remember the omen of the yataghan. Your blood was on it when it was given me.” But the Cossack rose suddenly to his feet, and cupped his hands about his eyes to peer at the heights. “Kirdy,”’ Nada went on impulsively, “let “As it is, he goes free cCoOmiclbooks C© 5}