THE WRAITHS OF THE RORKAS
Alan motionless, the little from his ken. He was hard. Kulmervan had so got the of him, but the game was not yet won. It might be check to the King, but Alan was from being mated. His the beach—there was nothing in sight; neither boat, craft. He looked him at the many entrances. He was still in as to the one which to the Cave of Whispering Madness. He his hands together till the white—there he was, alone on an island, impotent, useless—while the woman he loved was in the hands of a madman, and in danger, not of death as he it, but of dishonour, disgrace, and itself.
There was a at sea, and already the little had been up in its folds—nothing was in on the of water. He looked above him—he saw no air bird in the heavens, its in the light. On the there was no of but himself. Hope away. Then he Kulmervan’s words. “Take the most path, my Waiko. Always to the East.” Unconsciously he to the left, and walked across the sands. A great of out him, from the next little bay. He it, and it was to it. Already the water was too deep, so he up his mind to it. Clambering up the rocks, he at length the top. There him the whole of line. 283Tiny bays; little narrow and themselves at last in the sea; headlands, and all took their place in the picture. None of these things, themselves upon his mind; one thing only he saw, and one thing only him over the rocks. A boat, almost like the Rob Roy he in his ’varsity days, high up on the beach, and near it, a little was at the water’s edge.
Hurriedly he his way to the little hut, and on the door. There was no reply and he it; it opened at his touch. He entered it—it was deserted, but he soon had proof of its owner. Upon the a painting of Chlorie—and it was “Kulmervan, from his kinswoman. Chlorie.” On a table by the window was a of books, and on the of nearly every one was in a hand, “Kulmervan, Taz-Ak of the House of Pluthoz.” Mostly the books were on Astronomy and Alan noticed with one was called “Quilphis, or the most Planet.” Quilphis—Terra! His world, once his all—now nothing.
He looked the room, a door on one to the sleeping apartment, and on the other to the and offices. The whole place was and of use. Alan to the seashore—the little was called the Chlorie. He into it, and pushed off. In the he saw a engine with three levers. He was already with the Keemarnian machinery, so he one with assurance. Instantly the along the water at a speed. Hastily he touched the second, a slower resulted, and the third stopped the altogether. With the speed on, he out to the horizon. He see no of Kulmervan. The sea was and bare. He hopeless. Had Kulmervan the boat, and were he and Chlorie now at the of the sea? Death! He the Jovians had no death—yet surely they were not from drowning? 284Perhaps they would on the sea’s bed—serquor. The him, and he the this way, then that, in his to the fugitives. Kymo had sunk, was setting in—he see the of the hut. Suddenly two of light out from its windows, which were as obscured. Kulmervan had returned. Quickly he the shore; he close in and her without a sound. Quietly he up to the open window and moved the so slightly.
There was Kulmervan in his easy chair, reading a book—but he was alone. A and a man appeared.
“Do you want now, my lord?” he asked.
“Yes, Arrack. At once.”
“Shall I take to the lady, your mate?”
“No, Arrack. But stay—take her a of wine, and,” on his table—“melt this in it. She will asleep. When she is asleep, her and place her in my room. ’Tis my wedding night, Arrack. I have an it’s true, but Pirox the Killer, my shall she be this night.”
Arrack evilly. “’Tis well, my lord. I will do bidding.”
“When you have her hither, at the ledge. If Alan the Evil should appear, him down, him and me. Should that to him, then Pirox the Killer again will have a victim.”
Silently Arrack left the room to return almost with a with food.
“Where did you go this midday, Arrack?” asked his master.
“To the Cave of Whispering Madness, my master. I the the altar. Everything is in readiness. I you so soon. Two Kymos should have passed you came.”
“The is ready? Good! But what did you with the Chlorie?”
285“’Tis on the beach as it always is.”
“Nay,” said Kulmervan, “when I at the bay, I my by way of the beach. The Chlorie was not there, and I you must have to the for food.”
“It is there I swear, my lord.”
Kulmervan looked puzzled. “Could Alan have it and—” he began—then—“Go quickly, Arrack, and see.”
Alan the of the hut, and in the with the wall, hidden. He saw the of Arrack to the beach, him into the boat, and as return. He his of in time to Arrack say, “It is there, my lord. I saw and touched it. It has moved its position slightly, but the wind has been high to-day; otherwise it was as I left it.”
“That girl has taken my away,” Kulmervan. “I can think of but her. Go, Arrack, her here. But remember, give her the first. When she awakens, she will have my mate,” and he hoarsely.
Alan was in a quandary, he what to do. Was the way into the place where Chlorie was hidden, in the or not? He his way the hut, and as he did so, he saw a door open, and in the of light a to a little lean-to shed, that had been against some high ground. He gave Arrack a moment or two of and then him in. There on the was an open door with some steps leading from it into the unknown below. A length of was in a of the shed, Alan it up and then Arrack. At the of the steps, a passage for some distance, and then opened out into a large cave. He it—it was the one under the in the Cave of Whispering Madness.
He saw Arrack in of him—he had taken a key from his and had a heavy, metal door. Silently Alan nearer and nearer to him. He 286heard the of liquid being into a glass. He Chlorie’s word of thanks. Now he see the tragedy. Chlorie had the wine, and was now to and fro; she and on to a low in a of her prison. Arrack her until he was she was fast asleep, then he put the bottle and over the girl. He no more—a him unconscious, and Alan up his foe, and left him upon the ground.
Tenderly he Chlorie and over her—he was to her sweet lips, but he her cry, “Not my lips, Kulmervan, not my lips.” No, until she offered them of her own free will, they should to him. He she would sleep for some time, so he his quarters. Chlorie’s was out of the solid rock, with nothing in it but a chair, a table and a settee. There was the passage leading to the cabin; the one with the of light that he to the sea shore; and the one to the above. To the right, there was a passage that looked almost like a in the rock. He through—it on into the distance, and he was to try that. Arrack had a lamp which gave a good light. Alan it up, Chlorie gently, and started the passage. He it would lead to safety, or to more than many of those he had been through. He Chlorie tightly; he was not to her again. Again the passage opened out into a cave—narrowed, and a still larger came into view. He saw a high up in the wall, and with his burden, he managed to it in safety. He himself on a high narrow ledge, where they in safety from the of Kulmervan.
Chlorie to her supported by a arm, and her hands two ones. She looked up. “Alan,” she breathed, and a movement him. “My Chlorie,” he murmured, 287and their met in one warm long kiss. “Oh, my darling, you love me?” he said at last.
“My Alan, I know not the of your world. In mime, it is to a who offers her she is wed. Indeed, a would be thus,” and she from the circle of his arm—“even were she to wed. I know not your customs, my Alan, but I am Ipso-Rorka, and my father’s child. I—I love you, Alan—”
“And you’ll be my wife?” he asked tenderly.
Shyly she her on his “In truth, my Alan,—’tis to be asked, than ask. I am you are of a different world—for your is and yet more sweet than ours. Oh, willingly, willingly, Alan, will I you.”
Alan had at last met and his ideal, and he and sweet to her, until they they were fugitives—forgot that a would soon be on their trail—forgot but the of the present, and the of the future. Chlorie herself first. Shyly she her little hand into Alan’s. “My loved one,” said she. “My father the Rorka of Kulmervan and his sin. We must escape, him, and for the safety of the community, for the of our dear land, we must send Kulmervan to the Hall of Sorrows.”
“My Chlorie, nothing will him of his sin. He is mad—quite mad.”
“But he must go away all the same. See what he has already—see what he may do in the future!”
“You are right. He must be put away. He has money, position and cunning.”
“Where are we, my Alan?”
“I know not where this leads,” said Alan, “but it is the only road I take.”
Hungry, and worn, they on along the little narrow ledge. Suddenly a cave, from without through in the wall, on their view, and Chlorie gave a exclamation. “The Hall 288of our Fathers,” she cried, “I have been here before.”
“What is it?”
“This is the place where the of each Rorka is placed, together with his throne, when he has left the land of Keemar, through the Sacrament of Schlerik-itata.” Round the were of all descriptions—some in marble—others in gold with jewels; others just simple, thrones, that their antiquity.
“Down, on your knees,” Chlorie, and Alan that the had alive with figures. The were by men who of gold and jewels, and who and in their hands. The that had been and cold only a minute before, was now alive. But there was no sound; all was and still, and the were and unreal. “Oh my Mitzor,” Chlorie. “The joy! To think I should have been permitted to this scene—to see the of my forefathers. My Alan, watch—read a meaning in this visitation, for it well.”
Alan unable to move. He was at the him—at the of years gone by. Slowly the Rorkas—kings of æons past—rose from their and walked in single file to the end of the cave. There they themselves on either of a of rock. They themselves, and Alan saw a thin and like a out from the little stage. Then it lifted, and through the he saw themselves the scenery. Then, all at once, he that he was of himself and Desmond and Mavis. He saw their little at Arroch Head; he their in the Argenta; once more he saw the of the world, his world. But this time it was different. Like a star it white and bright, then it shivered, red like a of fire in the sky, into a thousand different pieces, and then from sight. And as it the again, 289and the of out the picture from his sight. The changed—once more he saw himself as an actor on the stage, but this time he was a minor in the drama. Kulmervan was the villain, and played the character. He their meeting in the little lane—he the of the air bird, Chlorie—the descent, and the of the Ipso-Rorka. So the play on until one more picture him. He saw Chlorie—Chlorie in a of white with a of gold upon her head. By her he stood, and with in hand; and them a child—a man child who of his mother’s and his father’s strength. Then came upon the scene, and Alan his love still closer him.
Then the of the Rorkas and misty, and when next he looked, they had from sight.
“We shall win through, my Alan,” said Chlorie. “The of our Rorkas themselves to the few.”
“Do you know the way out from here?”
“Yes. Straight through a passage leads to the sea. We are not from Hoormoori. The is Waro—the Isle of Joy. It is a safe place for Kulmervan to have for his madness—no one would have for here.”
“How is Hoormoori then?”
“From where we into the light, we shall see the and towers of my home. Oh Alan—the moment when I can take you by the hand and lead you to my father—my one—my love.”
“How shall we the mainland?”
“We must light a on the shore. Fire is a signal, and some one will across to us.”
In a while they through a door out on to the beach. They and them upon each other until they were man high, and then set the ablaze. At length came a from the where white in the light, and rose high 290in the air. There rose against the of the tall of and smoke.
“Their answer,” said Chlorie. “Some one will soon come now.”
They a put out to sea—they saw the green and nearer. Soon they the crew. Chlorie ran to the sea’s edge, and her hands.
The little with a and a and a Waz out. “We saw your signal,” he began, then a look of came over his and he on one and the Princess’ hand and a upon it. “Oh my Ipso-Rorka,” he cried. “We have you as serquor. No we of you. Mournings and have been in Hoormoori for ten and one Kymos. The Rorka has himself the of his palace, and neither eats drinks; but always alone—silent, and quiet, and drear.”
“Thank you for your welcome, my Waz. I have had since I left my father’s house. These I will tell my people when the right moment arrives. But lead me to my father.”
The to the a very space of time, and Waz Okoyar a for the Ipso-Rorka.
“I shall not you, Waz Okoyar,” said Chlorie. “Reward shall be you for your to me.”
“Nay, my Princess, it is a to have you.”
Hoormoori proved to be more than Minniviar—the were and the more magnificent. The stopped a marble building. “I told him to stop here,” Chlorie. “It is that I the news to my father myself, of my safe return.” They passed through a into a garden. “Our own private apartments. I shall be able to to my father unnoticed.”
Through a little door, up a of stairs, and a narrow corridor. A of a doorway. Chlorie it gently. 291Alan back. Much as he loved her, he not at such a moment.
“Father!”
“My child! My child!”
There was the of kissing—a conversation, and then Alan his name. Slowly he entered the room, and at last was to with the Rorka—King of all Jupiter, but above all, father of his loved one. The of the Rorka him, and he his in homage.
“Nay, rise,” said a voice, musical, benign, soothing. “Rise and me, oh my Alan, for Chlorie has told me you are to be my son.”
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