And all this he did because of his
friendship for Om-at, who is gund of Kor-ul-ja and with whom I
should have mated had the Ho-don not captured me."
"He was indeed a wonderful man to look upon," mused O-lo-a, "and
he was not as are other men, not alone in the conformation of his
hands and feet or the fact that he was tailless, but there was that
about him which made him seem different in ways more important than
these."
"And," supplemented Pan-at-lee, her savage little heart loyal
to the man who had befriended her and hoping to win for him the
consideration of the princess even though it might not avail him;
"and," she said, "did he not know all about Ta-den and even his
whereabouts. Tell me, O Princess, could mortal know such things as
these?"
"Perhaps he saw Ta-den," suggested O-lo-a.
"But how would he know that you loved Ta-den," parried Pan-at-lee.
"I tell you, my Princess, that if he is not a god he is at least
more than Ho-don or Waz-don. He followed me from the cave of Es-sat
in Kor-ul-ja across Kor-ul-lul and two wide ridges to the very cave
in Kor-ul-gryf where I hid, though many hours had passed since I
had come that way and my bare feet left no impress upon the ground.
What mortal man could do such things as these? And where in all
Pal-ul-don would virgin maid find friend and protector in a strange
male other than he?"
"Perhaps Lu-don may be mistaken--perhaps he is a god," said O-lo-a,
influenced by her slave's enthusiastic championing of the stranger.
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