As Thorndyke watched the flying machine that was bearing his friend away a genuine feeling of pity went over him. Poor Johnston! He had been haunted all day with the belief that he was to meet with some misfortune from which Thorndyke was to be spared, and Thorndyke had ridiculed his fears. When the air-ship had become a mere speck in the sky, the Englishman turned back into the palace and strolled about in the vast crowd.
A handsome young man in uniform approached and touched his hat:
"Are you the comrade of the fellow they are just sending away?" he asked.
"Yes. Where are they taking him?"
"To the 'Barrens,' of course; where do you suppose they would take such a man? He couldn't pass his examination. You are not a great physical success yourself, but they say you pleased the king with your tongue.""To the Barrens," repeated Thorndyke, too much concerned over the fate of his comrade to notice the speaker's tone of contempt;"what are they, where are they?"
The Alphian officer changed countenance, as he looked him over with widening eyes.
"Your accent is strange; are you from the other world?""I suppose so,--this is a new one to me at any rate.""The world of endless oceans?"
"Yes."
"And the unchanging sun--forever white and ----?""Yes; but where the devil is the Barrens?"
"Behind the sun, beyond the great endless wall.""Do they intend to put him to death?"
"No, that would be--what do you call it? murder; they will simply leave him there to die of his own accord. And the king is right. Inever saw such a weakling. He would taint our whole race with his presence."Without a word Thorndyke abruptly turned from the officer and hastened toward the apartment of the king. He would demand the return of poor Johnston or kill the king if his demand was not granted. In his haste and perturbation, however, he lost his way and wandered into a part of the palace he had not seen. At every step he was more and more impressed with the magnificent proportions of the structure and the grandeur of everything about it.
Passing hurriedly through a large hall he saw an assemblage of beautiful women and handsome men dancing to the music of a great orchestra. Further on--in a great court--a regiment of soldiers were drilling, their rapid evolutions making no more sound than if they were moving in mid-air. In another room he saw a great body of men, women and children in vari-colored suits bathing in a pool of rose-colored, perfumed water.
He was passing on when a woman, closely veiled and simply dressed, touched his arm.
"Be watchful and follow me," she said, in a low, guarded tone.
The heart of the Englishman bounded and his blood rushed to his face, for the speaker was the Princess Bernardino. She did not pause, but glided on into the shade of a great palm tree, and, behind a row of thick-growing ferns of great height and thickness, she waited for him.
She lowered her veil as he approached and looked at him from her deep brown eyes in great concern. He stood spell-bound under the witchery of her beauty.
"I came to warn you, Prince," she said, and her soft musical voice set every nerve in Thorndyke's body to tingling with delight.
"My father has banished the faithful slave that you love, but you must not show the anger that you feel, else he will kill you. You must be exceedingly cautious if you would save him. My father would punish me severely if he knew that I had sought you in this way. I was obliged to come in disguise; this dress belongs to my most trusted maid.""And you came for my sake?" blurted out the Englishman, much embarrassed; "I am not worthy of such a high honor."She smiled and tears rose in her eyes.
"Oh, Prince, don't speak to me so! You are far above me. I am weak. I know nothing. I never cared for other men than the king and my brothers till I saw you today, but now I would willingly be your slave.""I am yours forever, and an humble one," bowed the courteous Englishman. "The moment I saw you at the throne of your father my heart went out to you. You wound it up in your music and trampled it under your dancing feet. I have been over the whole world, and you are the loveliest creature in it. It is because I saw you, because you are here, that I do not want to leave your country.
They may do as they will with me if they only will let me see you now and then."The princess was deeply moved. The blood rushed to her face and beautified it. Her eyes fell beneath his admiring glance.
Thorndyke could not restrain himself. He caught her slender hand and pressed it passionately to his lips, and she made only a slight effort to prevent it.
"I am your obedient slave; what shall I do?" he asked.
"Do not try to rescue him now," she said softly. "I shall come to you again when we are not watched--you can know me by this dress.
There is no need for great haste, he could live in the Barrens several days; I shall try to think of some way to save him, though such a thing has never been done--never."Footsteps were heard on the other side of the row of ferns. A man was passing and others soon followed him. The bathers were leaving the great pool.
"I must leave you now," she whispered. "If the king honors you again by talking of his kingdom, continue to act as you did; your fearlessness and good humor have pleased him greatly.""Could I not persuade him to bring Johnston back?""No; that would be impossible; those who are pronounced physically unfit are obliged to die. It has been a law for a long time; you must not count on that. I have, however, another plan, but Icannot tell you of it now, for they may miss me and wonder where Iam, and then, too, my father may be looking for you. He will naturally desire to see you soon again."Bowing, she turned away and passed on toward the apartments of the king, which the Englishman now recognized in the distance.
Thorndyke went into the bathing-room to watch those remaining in the great pool of rose-colored water. The sight was beautiful. The waves which lapped against the shelving shores of white marble were pink and white, and the deeper water was as red as coral.
