THE UNFORGIVEABLE KISS
The day passed slowly. Still the Princess in her cabin. Alan passed Waiko with his smile, and the student and white at of the healthy man, who he had been to serquor. Kulmervan in his near the princess, and had his him there. Waz-Y-Kjesta that something was wrong, but as Alan did not in him, he no to out the of his friend’s restlessness.
“My Waz,” said Alan suddenly, “is it possible for me to see the Ipso-Rorka? I wish to speak to her.”
“Not unless she sends for you, my friend. It is else.”
“It is a of import,” said Alan earnestly. “To me, to her—”
“Nothing can custom, my friend. If she sends for you—well. Otherwise—” and he his expressively. Alan, however, was to speak with Chlorie by means or fair. Her was in the of the ship, and it was a in just above the level of the deck.
He this of the ship the whole day, only at from his self watch. Never once did the Princess appear. The Kymo was setting, the sky was with colours; the sea was and calm. A fish out of the water of fluid, in the glow. Alan sat, out of sight, still 257watching the door. Suddenly it opened and Morar, the Princess’ personal appeared. She looked around hastily. “All is quiet, my Princess,” she cried. “No one is in sight. The is in his cabin, no against you and yours.” Chlorie came through the doorway. Her was gleaming, and her of up the of her skin.
“I am stifled, Morar. ’Tis to so many hours without a of air. Watch you the other side, and should you see the one appear, me, and I will again take within.”
With a low Morar vanished, the door her. The Princess up and the balcony, a Keemarnian lullaby. Still Alan and watchful, from the rail. Morar returned. “There is no of Alan the one,” said she, “but Taz-Ak Kulmervan an audience.”
“Bid him come hither,” said the Princess with a sigh. “Tell him I am weary, and must of him to be quick about his business.” She seated herself on a lounge, just above Alan, who almost the of her presence, the of her breath.
“Sweet Cousin,” said Kulmervan entering.
“Nay, Kulmervan, say what you have to say quickly. My is tired—my weary.”
“You have not been out to-day, my Chlorie?”
“Not until this evening. I have your instructions. Were my father here, I should not care. But I not any in his absence. How is Waiko?”
“Still very weak, my Princess. This one, this Alan, had his work well. When I Waiko a was his mouth, his were with wool, and had I not entered when I did, would have set in and Waiko would no more have laughed and played.”
“Oh, it’s terrible,” the Princess. “Why has thus entered our land? I have of treasons, and plots and miseries; but so we 258have escaped. What is this stranger’s object, my Kulmervan?”
“I know not all his treachery, my Chlorie, but—”
“Why on Waiko’s family, and upon you, his friend?”
“I do not understand, but his are throughout. I him tell his Desmond, that the person of Chlorie herself was not to him, provided he his will.”
“That is enough, Kulmervan,” she haughtily. “I will keep my as you advise. Had I in time, I should not have home in his company. The Rorka, my father, will with this stranger, and the Hall of Sorrows will him safely, until he has been clean. Now good night.”
“Chlorie,” said Kulmervan passionately. “I say much to you to-night. Will you not offer me the flower of love? I not ask you to me—you are Ipso-Rorka—’tis for you to choose. But know I love you, love you with all my soul. Will you not me by me for your mate?”
“Kulmervan,” said the Princess gently. “Why make me sad by all this talk? It can be. I can place my hand in only one man’s—him I love. Him, alas, I have not yet met, but I do not love you, my Kulmervan. I shall. Think, we played together in Hoormoori as babes, of by the sea, flowers and our pets. We as and sister until you to study with the Djoh, and I had to learn the lesson of royalty. No, my kinsman. I love you ’tis true, but not as a should love the man she mates, not as wife for husband, lover for lover. Let this be the last time you speak of such things, my Kulmervan. I will forget, and—”
“But I want you—you—you—,” and Kulmervan close to her and his arms about her.
“Let me go,” the girl—but his were hers.
“No—no—no,” she cried. “Not my lips—Kulmervan be merciful. My are until I 259wed—spare my lips.” But Kulmervan’s had gone. “My one,” he murmured, and ran his through her of hair. He her his hands, and in the of her face. Her were open wide in terror, her compressed, her power of movement gone. Nearer, nearer he drew. His came in upon her cheek. Her under his kisses. Her as his touched them. With one she to herself.
“In the name of Mitzor the Great, my lips,” she cried, but the of was upon him. He in his power, laughed at her struggles, at her impotence. Roughly he her still closer to him, but the Princess was in his arms—the was too much for her, and had come to her. There was the of sounds. Alan, the still, over the rail, and Kulmervan by the of his him on to the ground. Tenderly he the Princess in his arms—she was as light as a feather—and into her cabin.
“Morar,” he called. “Morar.” The appeared, as she saw her in the arms of “the one.”
“Your has had a fright,” said Alan thickly. “Show me her couch.” Without a word the little the way into the sleeping apartment, and he his on the of blue. “Look after her,” said he, “she has fainted.” With arms across his and his in jerks, he waited the door. Presently Morar appeared. “The Ipso-Rorka has recovered,” she said, “and has now asleep. What shall I do?”
“Allow no one to enter her at all. I will send a to her in the morning. Can I on your it to her?”
“Yes. I can see you are not evil,” said the little maid. “Some mistake has been made. You are her friend.”
260“I am her friend,” said Alan grimly. “Remember, Morar, no one is to enter these without the Ipso-Rorka’s permission. You understand?” and he out on to the balcony. Kulmervan had gone, and he over the rail and to his cabin. As he opened the door he the sweet, that he had once before. So! He must be on his guard. Kulmervan and Waiko would stop at nothing—a had come over them, a of the earth!
Holding his he across the room, and opened the windows, then the door him, into the big saloon. Waz-Y-Kjesta as he entered. “Where have you been, my friend? I looked for you everywhere.”
“Resting,” said Alan grimly. That night he to bed, but waited for what might happen. He was left in peace, however, and toward slept fitfully. When he woke, he this to Chlorie.
“Chlorie—The Ipso-Rorka.
I of you, see me, just once we at Hoormoori. I the of Kulmervan, and you to see me, if only to clear myself of the your has against me. In any case, that I am your always. Command me—I will obey.
Alan”
He took the to Morar himself. “I will wait while the Ipso-Rorka reads it,” said he.
In a moment she had returned. “She will answer you later.” There were only four more nights to be on the Chlorie, but much might in that time. There was no of the enemy—all Alan do was to wait for their next move.
That night, again, he had no sleep. Soon after he retired, the same the cabin. Again he out of the window until the had passed; this time they were and took a 261longer time to dispel. He smiled—it was to be a to the end, and he needed all his about him. Certainly, Keemarnians of the “madness” were more formidable, more crafty, more enemies, than men to Terra. Another night passed—no had come from Chlorie. Alan, of his vigil, to keep awake, but him, and his last was to himself to the window, and with his in the pure air. Again the sweet entered the room, but Alan had himself. The next night passed without the enemy their hand. They him proof against “serquor” and would take other methods to themselves of his presence. Suddenly in the of the night, a noise his musings. There was a jerk—a crash—and the shivered. Alan out of his and met Waz-Y-Kjesta.
“What is it?” he cried.
“Nothing to be about, my friend. Something has to the engine. I have not what, yet—we shall be to make a descent. Luckily there is an near; we will there, and put the right. We shall be only a very time, I think.”
The machine in and jumps with many and groanings, but the ground in safety.
“I will Morar, and tell her to the Ipso-Rorka with this news,” said the Waz. The whole day passed, and the Y-Kjesta called Alan in dismay. “I cannot it,” said he. “There is a missing here, and that waste pipe has been with refuse. It means taking the whole of the to pieces, and two days at least.” But Alan who had planned this work, and that night he vigil—not in his own room, but the Princess’.
Waz-Y-Kjesta was puzzled. “Yesterday I up the for the valve,” said he, “yet to-day it has gone again. Surely I couldn’t have it—yet it not go without hands.”
262“Perhaps some one has moved it, purposely, for spite,” Alan.
Y-Kjesta laughed. “Not in Keemar. Besides what for? Who do such a thing?”
True, the of a Keemarnian was wonderful. Alan to in him—yet not. For the second time he a mistake. Alan saw Morar and asked her if the Princess’ were safe from intruders.
“Quite,” said she. “There is only a very small window, and the doors have bars.”
“She always them locked?”
“Always.”
That night Alan in his own cabin, and out with watching, asleep at his open window. He had a so that he it was real, and with a start. Chlorie—the lady of his had appeared to him, arms outstretched, with tears—“My Lord,” she whispered. “The Cave of Whispering Madness—the Cave—” Her voice away, something dark came his eyes, there was the of a scuffle, a small cry, he a pain, and he awoke. It was daylight, and his door was open wide and Waz-Y-Kjesta, so and calm, was at him and calling him in distress.
“My Alan! Awake! I of you—”
“What is it?”
“The Ipso-Rorka—is gone.”
“Gone?”
“Gone! She has disappeared.”
“Are you sure?”
“Morar, her maid, left her as last night. This she as for the Princess to open the door, which by the way, she always barred, but she no answer. Thinking her had she to look in at the window. The was empty—Chlorie was not there”
“Where is Kulmervan?” asked Alan thickly.
“Kulmervan?”
263“Yes. Is he on the boat?”
“I do not know”
“Go and see at once, and I’ll go to Morar”
The Ipso-Rorka’s little was bitterly. Without any Alan the door. The was and rough; the and torn—Chlorie had not gone without a struggle!
Waz-Y-Kjesta came to Alan, with all over his face. “Three are missing altogether” said he “Can some have taken them? Kulmervan and Waiko are to be found”
“I as much” said Alan savagely. He the room. A of papers on a desk. He them out. There, in a little to himself, was a from his dear one. He opened it quickly.
“My Lord, (it ran)
Since you saved me from my kinsman, Kulmervan my has once more himself into my presence. He is of a madness. I of you save me from him. I have looked at you often and I know now I was by him when he of your doing. I trust you implicitly. I do as you me. I your help.
Chlorie”
Then was written,
“He has spoken to me again through my window. He me with dishonour—disgrace. He talks of the Cave of Whispering Madness. Come to me on receipt of this”
“The cur” Alan. He to Y-Kjesta. “Where is the Cave of Whispering-Madness?”
“I have of it, my Alan”
“Listen. I am going to Chlorie. Wait for me here with the air bird. Should I fail to come by the time the Kymo has ten times—go at once to the Rorka, and ask him to send his here”
“Where then, is Chlorie?”
264“I don’t know, but I’m going to do my best to out. This isn’t very big—ten miles square at the most, and I to search every of it if necessary, to her”
“What about Kulmervan and Waiko?”
“Should you see them, put them under restraint. Bar their windows, and prevent their escape. They are of the madness—but there, I if you’ll see them. Where Chlorie is—there shall I also Kulmervan and Waiko”
“Can I come too?”
“No, my friend. You here and watch in case Chlorie comes. I go now—I shall take no with me—fruit will be my meat, and the of the water tree my drink. Farewell” and Alan over the and from in the thick and of the island.
265
