Let
him be dragged thither then for trial."
"The son of Jad-ben-Otho will be dragged nowhere," cried Tarzan.
"But when this trial is over it is possible that the corpse of
Lu-don, the high priest, will be dragged from the temple of the
god he would desecrate. Think well, then, Lu-don before you commit
this folly."
His words, intended to frighten the high priest from his position
failed utterly in consummating their purpose. Lu-don showed no
terror at the suggestion the ape-man's words implied.
"Here is one," thought Tarzan, "who, knowing more of his religion
than any of his fellows, realizes fully the falsity of my claims
as he does the falsity of the faith he preaches."
He realized, however, that his only hope lay in seeming indifference
to the charges. Ko-tan and the warriors were still under the spell
of their belief in him and upon this fact must he depend in the
final act of the drama that Lu-don was staging for his rescue from
the jealous priest whom he knew had already passed sentence upon
him in his own heart.
With a shrug he descended the steps of the pyramid. "It matters
not to Dor-ul-Otho," he said, "where Lu-don enrages his god, for
Jad-ben-Otho can reach as easily into the chambers of the temple
as into the throneroom of Ko-tan."
Immeasurably relieved by this easy solution of their problem
the king and the warriors thronged from the throneroom toward the
temple grounds, their faith in Tarzan increased by his apparent
indifference to the charges against him.
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