Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 28, 1928 — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

THE RULER OF ZEM-ZEM. At dawn next day the prisoners ea- gerly inspected the great granary with its four solid corner towers and the massive walls round whose base ran a narrow parapet. “ Not a hole through which a lizard could wriggle out!” was Durning’s ver- dict. ‘“‘ Not even a damned centipede could climb up those walls either! Curses on the blighter who built this place, whoever he was!” “He had a genius for the art of defense,” said Cardell. “ Wish he’d been a moron!” was the bitter response as Durning’ paced rest- lessly up and down the narrow parapet. “Six months, perhaps, before old Jim can return!” “No good counting on his return at all. I doubt if he can do that terrific journey twice in six months. It’s a bad trail to Algiers.” “ Old Abou Koi will score, anyhow; our death would compensate him for the emerald.” Ves, he’s a devil—a devil!” Car- dell responded, his eyes on a wheeling flock of great birds which were circling over Zem-Zem and dropping down among the huddle of roofs at some dis- tance from the granary. Durning followed the other’s glance, and after a moment the significance of what he saw dawned on him. * Some of the leper’s little canary birds come for their morning seed! Looks as though they knew their way about this city all right!’ “The birds!’ said the native in an- swer to Cardell’s inquiry when the former came at noon to bring water and a mess of rice and fat mutton in wooden bowls. “ You will see them better one day, white men. When the great Shekh grows weary of keeping you alive, you will be put in the square and tied fast. Then will come the birds —and they are hungry—always they are hungry!’ And the man leered up into their faces. The prisoners put no more questions, and a week dragged on interminably, O71 one burning day after ancther, until a sort of apathy began to blunt their feel- ings to their danger and their misery. V. On the seventh day, however, they were taken with much ceremony back to the palace. Here, Abou Koi awaited them, gibbering and grinning on a mar- velous throne of black and white ivory; his shapeless feet on a footstool of solid gold, in which a skull was set. “You shall speak with me of those strange countries from which you come, O dogs of Unbelievers!’’ wheezed the leper. “‘ There is much I would learn before thy brother returns with the jewel—if he does return!” he added with a twist of his swollen lips. “Of America and of Europe I would learn—therefore speak.” Abou Koi’s brain was razor-keen, and it was indescribably revolting to feel the superhuman strength and pas- sion and energy of the man pent up within that rotten mass of flesh. For a long, terrible hour he questioned his prisoners on politics, art, literature, amusements, schools, prisons, religions, and the private life of the various na- tions—and in the end he dismissed them with jeers and scorn. “It is as I thought—there is no wis- dom or strength or greatness among the Unbelievers; dogs and slaves to be trodden under the feet of the multi- tude !’’ After that first interview the leper sent weekly for his captives, until at last they felt that the birds themselves —the vultures which came daily for their living rations—would be prefer- able to that awful corruption which awaited them on his ivory throne, mocking them as they stood in their bonds before him, to answer his inter- minable questions. The sixth month, the fatal month of Ramadan, dawned at last, and still Montgomery gave no sign, and still the COPMICLOOOKS (E@)