Part 3

"The present Old Ones are the greatest mentalities Kosanna ever had--but they have their limitations."

The palanquins were born to the foot of the altar, and Kolano bid softly, "I shall rejoin you soon, Toka." She led the Old Ones for the door between the feet of the colossal statue.

Going down the Hall Of Life, Toka noted the scene of his marriage to Kolano had been added to the continuity; his expedition to Ophid and his deeds there; his return to Kosanna; and Roya and the others departing for the Outer World. Yet a good length of the Hall remained bare.

Alota did not lead to his rooms at the end of the Hall, but stopped before a pair of unscened panels on the left. Caring little, Toka sauntered in. There was this luxurious lounge room. Then, through a door scened with entwined hearts and embracing lovers, there was a teasingly scented boudoir.

V

_From out of the darkness, thirteen pairs of silvery eyes stared at the Sphere Of All Time. The air was cold and sang with a thin thrumming. The Sphere shone with a pale cold light--the scene was the pit of Ophid...._

_From a crevice in a massive stalagmite, a giant Dragon Man was emerging warily. He wore a spiked collar studded with flashing jewels. Slipping away through the haze, he tugged the first door bracing loose and his fellows poured forth in an angry stream...._

_In the court of the Sphere Of All Time, one pair of silvery eyes departed._

* * * * *

Toka sauntered back to the lounge room of the bridal suite.

Another door on the right swung softly in and Kolano stepped from a dim passage. "Great Prince Toka finds these rooms satisfactory?"

"So far."

"After we dine, Toka shall be more satisfied."

The scent of her touched into his nostrils.

The main portals were swinging in for a cortege bearing trays of food and drink. The table serviced, Toka and Kolano were left alone. Slender green tapers gave off a delicate odor and the menu was exotic. But there was a platter of leaf-wrapped packs of Sandcliff's water berries, no doubt part of the stores from the raft. Toka felt little appetite but he tore open a pack's corner and spilled his hand full of the black fruit. There was a magic in these berries, a magic to heal all wounds--and to give renewed strength....

He met Kolano's silvery gaze. "You and the Old Ones--unlike the common Kosannans--know I am not of divine origin."

Kolano shrugged. "For ages untold, your coming has been foreseen in the Sphere Of All Time."

"And you and the Old Ones?"

"The Old Ones were born of palace princesses and selected to study for the Council by the Old Ones of their time. I, too, am of a palace princess--and was selected by the present Old Ones to be the mother of your son."

Toka eyed her sardonically. "I don't know if the Sphere Of All Time reported this, but in my part of the Outer World we believe people should love each other first."

"I have loved you since first I saw you in the Sphere." Kolano's silvery eyes were alight for him.

Toka shifted his gaze away. "Perhaps it might be best to wait a while."

"Perhaps Toka needs only to know me better."

Toka stood up and sauntered away. At that moment the main portals swung in for the cortege to clear away the dining service.

As the portals swung shut again, Toka glanced cynically at Kolano. "Everybody knows just when to come and go."

"The Sphere has long told the times of all your needs and actions--past, present and future."

"All right," Toka challenged sardonically, "what am I going to do next?"

"You are going to bed. And I am returning to my private rooms." Touching open the passage door, Kolano departed with a soft smile for him.

He was alone and free--but for a vow. He opened the great portals. The Hall Of Life stretched away vast and deserted. To the continuity had been added the scene of his recent dinner with Kolano.

_If he could find where they had those scenes stored_.... But another thought held him. _If the future did show Kolano and him as she had intimated_....

Toka turned back into the bridal suite. If he was going to get free he would, and if he wasn't....

It was a line of reasoning typically Kosannan!

The ceiling's glowing had dimmed. Toka turned down the silky covers of the great bed.

... _the smooth whiteness of Kolano's skin ... the Titian sheen of her hair ... the deep smouldering in those silvery eyes ... the curve of those carmine lips ... the curvedness of_--

This was the way he used to think of Roya! _Used_ to think of Roya--

Toka tensed abruptly. Through the dimness he saw the boudoir door slowly move. Who could have gotten into this suite without toppling the chairs he had balanced against the doors? Hand on Battle-ax, Toka lay motionless--ready to leap. The door moved slowly in.

* * * * *

_In the black court, the Sphere Of All Time shone on with a pale cold light...._

_Ophid's men, boys and dragons were massed around him as he stood atop a huge stalagmite stump. His features were contorted with insane rage, his snaky body quivering with it. His fanged mouth began to froth. His wild-eyed subjects snapped their heads up and down in approval. Ophid made a sweeping gesture and the fanatical Dragon Men began a frantic search for handy lengths of limestone shards--broken from the mighty columns...._

* * * * *

The Big Brown came into view. The flowery jungle spread away, blending into silent shadows as twilight neared.

Rok let his paddle trail. "Well, we're out--thanks to Toka."

The implication pricked Roya. "He didn't have to stay!"

"No," Rok considered sardonically, "Toka didn't have to marry Kolano--so we could get you and Elees out of that pit."

Roya was silent a long moment. "Rok," she commanded, "whistle for that big slick-skin we saw around here the other day!"

Rok's shrill blast cut away. A distant roar drifted back over the jungle. Rok whistled again. The distant roar answered--closer.

"Head for the opposite shore!" Roya commanded.

In moments the canoe was beached on the firm mud. Above the throbbing of the Big Brown came the distant crashing of trees and brush. Rok's whistle split again through the shadowy jungle. Roaring acknowledgement, The Big Snake was now so near the ground quaked with the rhythm of its coming.

Old Ledo was peering into the canoe. "Hey--how did all these packs of berries get under the thwarts?"

"Divide the packs among us," Roya commanded.

The Big Snake burst from a stand of fern trees and tore straight for Roya. With a happy roar it slewed to a ground-gouging stop. Then, missing Toka, it whined plaintively.

Roya held up her clenched left hand, raised its little finger and pointed to Elees. The Big Snake grunted. Roya raised the next finger and pointed to Old Ledo. The next finger was Rok, the next Roya herself. Each time the intently watching Big Snake understood. Roya raised her thumb. The Big Snake whined plaintively. Roya pointed in the direction of the underground river and sang a snatch of the choral that had enticed them in there. The Big Snake frowned.

Roya held up her right hand and raised and lowered those fingers again and again and gestured that hand toward the underground area. Then she gripped her right hand, representing Kosanna, around her left thumb, representing Toka. She made Toka struggle against Kosanna. The big slick-skin began rumbling deep in its great belly. Its bulging red eyes began burning with rising anger. Its tail and colossal body rippled as it poised to race to Toka's help. Roya shook her head emphatically. The big slick-skin rumbled questioningly.

In the deepening twilight, Roya swiftly fingered a design in the smooth mud of the shore. The drawing crudely portrayed the big slick-skin and Roya and friends. It was also a map of the valley and the Big Brown on down to distant Sandcliff and the great dinosaur herd in that area. Roya pointed a finger to the character representing the big slick-skin, then pointed to the monster itself and raised her head and pretended to roar toward Sandcliff. She pointed to the herd around Sandcliff and wriggled her fingers to portray them running up valley to this spot.

The Big Snake instantly whipped its head aloft and faced down valley. It yawned its cavernous mouth and blasted the darkening twilight with a roaring that slammed away and back and away again in echo. Quickly there was an answering roar from far down valley. The big slick-skin instantly blasted away another series of mighty roars. At once the Big Snake far down valley acknowledged and relayed the imperative message on. And even farther down valley a third Big Snake began blasting the purple night with that peculiar series of mighty roars. And the call to the Big Snakes was flashing down the valley and summoning the colossal monsters to the rescue!

"Why not pile aboard old slicky here," Rok urged, "and start the fun now!"

"Those flesh-eating fish in that river would cut him down in moments," Roya explained.

"But the other Big Snakes can't get here till dawn!" Rok protested.

"We'll camp on that butte." Roya gestured the big slick-skin to kneel.

From atop that butte, the whole valley radiated away in starlit beauty. Sitting on the dewy grass, Roya ripped open a leaf-wrapped pack. The others joined in. The big slick-skin stood guard.

* * * * *

_In the black court, the twelve pairs of silvery eyes stared on into the coldly shining Sphere Of All Time...._

_Armed with great clubs of broken limestone, the hordes of Ophid were straddling aboard the multitude of dragons that had stretched out full length. Ophid leaped astride the neck of the largest. Flapping its many sets of great wings, the dragon rose its sinuous lengths up through the haze and shot for the tunnel. The other dragons and their wildly eager riders swarmed after. Into the gloom of the tunnel tore Ophid's lead dragon and burst into the weird outer area. Without pause Ophid swung his swarm over the river and tore up-stream. Into the gloom of that vast cavern the wild Dragon Men and their mad monsters poured...._

* * * * *

In the dimness Toka watched the boudoir door ease slowly open. Framed by soft and loose titian hair, a white oval of features peered slowly around the door.

The low insinuation was Kolano's. "Toka is not sleeping, either?"

He was on his feet. "No."

Kolano's only jewelry was that wedding ring, her only attire a sheer silver gown that swirled provocatively about her sleek legginess as she idled toward Toka. She was smiling up at him, her silvery eyes smouldering with desire. The enticing scent of her stole into his nostrils.

He stood indecisively. "How did you get in?"

Her smooth white arms slipped around his neck. Her delicately scented breath was warm on his face. "Not all doors look like doors, Toka."

Her voluptuous softness and firmnesses were thrilling his own naked torso. His fingers spread onto the smooth nudity of her back.

Her deep contralto was intimately low. "Toka does not mind?"

"Not too much--yet." Her arms were tightening about his neck. Her sleek fullness was resting so closely to him he could feel her throbbing with expectancy. Her legginess pressed through her gossamer gowning to thrill his thighs. His own heart raced with the desire forming in him.

With a woman's want, Kolano's silvery eyes held his. "Toka is happy."

"Do you think so?"

Her lips brushed along his cheek to his ear. "I can feel it so."

Her warm lips found his mouth and the thrill raced through Toka. Kolano possessed him until his senses reeled as in a wild dream. Kolano's lips moved thrillingly on his and wanted more of him--insatiably more! He felt his last resistance going down--until his deepest emotions were bursting free and beginning to clamor for more of Kolano--more!

A frantic gonging split through Toka's passioned senses. He broke free of Kolano and read the answer in her suddenly haggard features--the Dragon Men were winging for Kosanna! The vision of Roya flooded back into Toka's mind. But Roya was gone forever--was disgusted with him! And without Roya what was life! Toka whirled for his battle-ax.

Kolano's contralto rang low. "O Great Prince Toka! This is the hour--use it well!"

Great battle-ax swinging, Toka was into the lounge room. The ceilings were coming aglow. The new day of Kosanna was dawning--and the last day of Toka was setting. Racing up the deserted Hall Of Life, he spared a swift glance for the portrayal of that recent episode in the boudoir. They'd have another scene soon! Toka was slamming open the huge entry portals.

The gonging silenced. Kosanna spread away below--deserted. Toka was alone atop the sacred stairway. Fighting being surging with terrible power, he poised with his battle-ax a whistling blur around his head. And from that down-river cavern shot Ophid--astride the neck of a monstrous dragon. Out streaked more, at least half a hundred--lines of wild Dragon Men riding each one.

Ophid's lead dragon streaked in low over the city. The swarm behind spread out and the dragons landed in the avenues. Their riders leaped off and began flailing their wicked clubs to Kosanna's buildings--cracking the spheroid structures and smashing in the doors. Hissing and rattling angrily, the dragons were taking to the air again to whip their tails around other buildings and tumble them down with terrible crashings to destroy their occupants.

But here and there the hitherto docile Kosannans were snatching up knives, sharp tools--anything to try to fight with! The rattlings and flappings, the hissings and shoutings, the yelling and screaming, the explosive crashing of stone on stone and the grinding agony of collapsing structures filled Kosanna and slammed into the ears.

But Ophid and a flight of ten dragons and their riders converged on Toka. The dragons raced to landings on the great stairway. Their insane riders leaped clear. The eleven dragons surged again to the air to come hurtling in for Toka as the horde of Dragon Men came flooding up the great stairway. Toka backed into the concavity of the palace entrance.

The first dragon shot in with great yellow fangs dripping with glistening venom. Toka's ax leaped and bit true to split that flat skull and send the horror crashing in wild convulsions onto the Dragon Men. It was no deterrent. More flying monsters were hurtling in with red tongues flicking and huge fangs dripping.

The Dragon Men had gained the stair top now and were rushing for Toka. With terrible strength and blinding speed Toka powered his mighty battle-ax in screaming drives. Again and again fangs cracked away and venom sprayed. Over and over skulls were split and brains showered wide. Reptilian bodies were cut twain and blood flew as in a rain. The terrace ran red and was slippery with warm gore.

Toka fought on with the increasing recklessness of a warrior who only wants to sell his life for the highest price! And Ophid was a crazed demon standing atop the massive balustrade and ranting for the destruction of Kosanna!

They came swarming up the gore-drenched stairway, came streaking through the sound-torn air and were an insane flood raging to inundate this lone warrior of the Outer World. In but gory split moments the price of Toka would soon be paid!

VI

Dawn broke gray and red in the east and grew to gold as the new sun soared free. But Roya's anxious eyes only stared away into the west.

"Hear it!" Rok cried suddenly.

It was like the rolling, rolling, rolling of distant thunder coming, steadily out of the west. The big slick-skin whipped its huge head aloft to blast a mighty roar down the valley. Faint and clear the answer came--a chorus of roaring.

Standing on tiptoe and straining to see, Roya felt the tingles racing through her. "See them coming!"

Far down valley, the monsters were a river of colossal power. They were in many colorings and mottlings, in many forms and sizes--all tearing for this butte. Great trees were mown down like blades of grass before the powerfully racing leaders. Swamps and rivers were as nothing. There was no stopping them--no slowing them. They had heard their human master needed them! They were coming--to the last one!

And now the thundering of their swift coming filled the air and shook the very earth till a person could scarcely stand erect. It swayed the mightiest trees as in a gale. The roaring for battle slammed into the sense, took the breath and beat upon the body. And the grassy butte was swarming with the terrible colossi. Towering above Roya, a mighty armor-plated spike-back rumbled for directions.

Gesturing to the big slick-skin she had been carefully educating during the night, Roya pointed to the black-back and worked her mouth as if talking. The slick-skin began rumbling to the black leader. Instantly facing his impatient fellows massed on the slopes, the black spike-back reared up and began gesturing his huge forelimbs as he roared at them. Anger mounting even higher, the Big Snakes roared to be off for Toka.

At that moment a frantic gonging came faint but clear from the direction of the entrance to Kosanna. Rok instantly deduced the cause. "The Dragon Men must be attacking Kosanna!"

Gesturing the black leader to kneel, Roya was aboard the massive back, one hand clutching to a spike for support. Elees and the men were with her and Roya's voice rang on the jungle air. "Go for Toka!"

The colossus heaved up running. Down the slope it tore with a battle roar. With a combined roaring that filled the air with deafening thunder the mass of Big Snakes swarmed in behind--all the armor-plated ones first. Through the dense jungle as though it were grass the colossal black leader tore the way. He burst clear and shot across the Big Brown in a geysering spray to plunge into the luminous cavern.

The angrily roaring monster's huge head was stretched out low over the deep water--and Roya saw the vicious fish were not present! But the armored monster, as did the others close behind, beat the water to colored foam.

The monstrous spike-back raced around another bend and tore for that grill of green columns--but that massive structure was drawn into the vaulted roof! There was nothing to impede the way!

"Listen to the sounds from Kosanna!" Elees cried.

"The fight's on!" Rok yelled in helpless anxiety.

"Oh, Toka!" Roya prayed.

"Here we come!" Old Ledo chanted.

The cavern opened into Kosanna. The angrily roaring spike-back burst clear and the wild battling spread away in all its detail.

Roya's heart was in her cry. "There's Toka--fighting in the palace entry!"

With a roaring that blasted through the wild din of battle the black colossus was already tearing for Toka. The mass of following Big Snakes swept into the city with a vengeance.

* * * * *

Screaming Dragon Men and their hissing and rattling monsters were a flood trying to down Toka by sheer weight of numbers. The insane Ophid stood on the massive balustrade and urged his crazed subjects on. Toka stood in the concavity of the palace entry and drove his battle-ax with blinding speed. Jagged clubs were as little deterrent to his mighty weapon as were the slimy bodies of the frothing monstrosities that wielded them. But on they and their huge dragons came. And in but another moment....

A mighty roaring suddenly cut through the battle din. Toka spared an instant's glance. The familiar black bulk of an armor-plated Big Snake burst from the up-river cavern and tore into Kosanna!

Perched gracefully atop that spiked back was Roya!

Rok and the others were with her--battle-axes swinging. More Big Snakes thundered into Kosanna--more--roaring viciously and already battling the hordes of Ophid.

But Roya was coming--leading the attack! She still loved him! The exultation surged through Toka. And to his superb strength and speed was added this toxin to drive him to greater fury of a different nature.

Down in Kosanna, Ophid's men and dragons were locked in raging battle with the colossal Big Snakes. Those jagged clubs were as nothing. But those long yellow fangs of Ophid's men and their dragons--the venom they injected as they bit home on unarmored Big Snake anatomy! The ferociously fighting slick-skins dropped in their tracks and sprawled in utter limpness--then immediately began bloating till their colossal bodies burst in a gory explosion!

But the viciously battling armor-plates were impervious to those striking fangs. They trampled Ophid's men and slammed them to lifeless smears. They caught the flying dragons and ripped the writhing, hissing and striking things to shreds.

The terrace began heaving violently beneath Toka's feet and the colossal black leader with Roya aboard loomed up and exploded into this insane melee. Dragon Men and flying monsters and colossal armor-plated heads and tails whirled in wild battle. The ravenously screaming battle-axes of Rok and Old Ledo--of Roya and Elees--joined Toka's in this desperate finale.

But Toka's fighting heart was abruptly clutched in an icy grip as a club cracked to Roya's ax arm! She dropped her weapon. Red eyes blazing, Ophid leaped atop the black spike-back's neck and was scrambling recklessly up the viciously lashing length. Rok and Old Ledo were desperately occupied with flying monsters. Elees did not see. Yellow fangs dripping venom, Ophid was nearly to Roya now. And she dare not jump--a sea of wildly fighting Dragon Men awaited.

With a fervent prayer Toka snatched at his waist. His arm whipped and his great battle knife streaked away.

But that moment had its price--a pair of fangs sank into Toka's leg. Even as his ravenous knife blade sang through the Dragon Man's neck Toka's senses reeled. His last memory was of Roya screaming, "Toka!"

* * * * *

Toka's mind fought harder and slowly made his weary body come alive, made it want to struggle back there--to Roya. The blackness slowly fell away and Toka looked up into Roya's deep blue eyes. Her lips were warm and sweet.

"Brother!" Rok was observing fervently. "Was that close!"

"One less berry," Old Ledo reflected sagely, "and that venom would have been too much." Indeed, the black fruit had once again demonstrated its healing power.

"No Roya and there would be no anything now," Elees was pointing evenly.

"The Sphere Of All Time," Kolano was assuring easily, "is never wrong."

As Roya drew up from him, Toka sat up. He was on the bed in the bridal suite. The gore-spattered Roya and Elees, Rok and Old Ledo, the sheerly clad Kolano and the black-robed Old Ones, were all circled about him.

Roya faced Kolano. "I don't know whether your Sphere Of All Time is ever wrong or not, but I know your marriage to Toka is not honest." She held her battle-ax ready.

Kolano smiled softly. "And so, Roya, you will kill me if you can--to free your Toka."

Kolano's knowledge momentarily disconcerted Roya--and Toka.

"But I am freeing Toka." Kolano mused in intimate memory. "Now that the element of Toka is in me."

Touching a chair for support, Roya stared starkly at Toka.

Toka leaped from the bed and drilled his angry gaze at Kolano. "That isn't true and you know it!"

"Toka, Roya--please," Kolano smiled. "It is true--but not the way you think."

"I think," Toka warned levelly, "we'd better have a few explanations."

"When Toka and I kissed last night," Kolano explained sincerely, "his spirit--the spirit of a mighty warrior of the Outer World--mingled with my spirit and left something of that warrior spirit in me." She gazed frankly at Roya. "And that is all it was--purely spiritual."

Toka met Roya's relieved gaze.

"So," Kolano continued quietly, "when I next wed one of the men of Kosanna--one who found the spirit to do battle against the hordes of Ophid--our sons shall be worthy of becoming Kosanna's new leaders."