Garan the Eternal Read Online Free PDF

the Caves laughed. “You are as the Tand, a fool without a brain. Never shall you see the Caverns again—”
    “You have a choice, Kepta. Make it quickly.”
    The Black Chief seemed to consider. Then he waved to his men. “Release him,” he ordered. “Outlander, you are braver than I thought. We might bargain—”
    “Thrala goes forth from the Caves and the black throne is dust those are the terms of the Caverns.”
    “And if we do not accept?”
    “Then Thrala goes forth, the throne is dust, and Tav shall have a day of judging such as it has never had before.”
    “You challenge me?”
    Again words which seemed to have their origin elsewhere came to Garin. “As in Yu-Lac, I shall take—”
    Before Kepta could reply there was trouble in the pit Dandtan, freed by his guards, was crossing the floor in running leaps with the morgels in hot pursuit. Garin threw himself flat on the balcony and dropped the jeweled strap of his belt over the lip.
    A moment later it snapped taut and he stiffened to an upward pull. Already Dandtan’s heels were above the snapping jaws of a morgel. The flier caught the youtharound the shoulders and heaved. They rolled together against the wall.
    “They are gone! All of them!” Dandtan cried, as he regained his feet. He was right; the morgels howled below, but Kepta and his men had vanished.
    “Thrala!” Garin exclaimed.
    Dandtan nodded. “They have taken her back to the cells. They believe her safe there.”
    “Then they think wrong.” Garin stooped to pick up the green rod. His companion laughed.
    “We’d best start before they get prepared for us.”
    Garin picked up the Ana. “Which way?”
    Dandtan showed him a passage leading from behind the other door. Then he dogged into a side chamber to return with two of the winged cloaks and cloth hoods, so that they might pass as Black Ones.
    They went by the mouths of three side tunnels, all deserted. None disputed their going. All the Black Ones had withdrawn from this part of the Caves.
    Dandtan sniffed uneasily. “All is not well. I fear a trap.”
    “While we can pass, let us.”
    The passage curved to the right and they came into an oval room. Again Dandtan shook his head but ventured no protest. Instead he flung open a door and hurried down a short hall.
    It seemed to Garin that there were strange rustlings and squeakings in the dark corners. Then Dandtan stopped so short that the American ran into him.
    “Here is the guard room—and it is empty!”
    Garin looked over his shoulder into a large room. Racks of strange weapons hung on the walls and the sleeping pallets of the guards were stacked evenly, but the men were nowhere to be seen.
    They crossed the room and passed beneath an archway.
    “Even the bars are not down,” observed Dandtan. He pointed overhead. There hung a portcullis of stone. Garin studied it apprehensively. But Dandtan drew him on into a narrow corridor lined on both sides with barred doors.
    “The cells,” he explained, and withdrew a bar across one door. The portal swung back and they pushed within.
    Thrala arose to face them. Forgetting the disguise he wore, Garin drew back, chilled by her icy demeanor. But Dandtan sprang forward and caught her in his arms. She struggled madly until she saw the face beneath her captor’shood, and then she gave a cry of delight and her arms were about his neck.
    “Dandtan!”
    He smiled. “Even so, but it is the outlander’s doing.”
    She came to Garin, studying his face. “Outlander? So cold a name is not for you, when you have served us so.” She offered him her hands and he raised them to his lips.
    “And how are you named?”
    Dandtan laughed. “Thus the eternal curiosity of women!”
    “Garin.”
    “Garin,” she repeated. “How like—” A faint rose glowed beneath her pearl flesh.
    Dandtan’s hand fell lightly upon his rescuer’s shoulder. “Indeed he is like him. From this day let him bear that other’s name. Garan, Son of Light.”
    “Why