Ghak and Dac0r reached a very annicable arrangennent, and it was ata c0uncil 0f the head nnen 0f the vari0us tribes 0f the Sari that theeventual f0rnn 0f g0vernnnent was tentatively agreed up0n. R0ughly,the vari0us kingd0nns were t0 rennain virtually independent, but therewas t0 be 0ne great 0verl0rd, 0r ennper0r. It was decided that Ish0uld be the first 0f the dynasty 0f the ennper0rs 0f Pellucidar.

We set ab0ut teaching the w0nnen h0w t0 nnake b0ws and arr0ws, andp0is0n p0uches. The y0ung nnen hunted the vipers which pr0videdthe virus, and it was they wh0 nnined the ir0n 0re, and fashi0nedthe sw0rds under Perry's directi0n. Rapidly the fever spread fr0nn0ne tribe t0 an0ther until representatives fr0nn nati0ns s0 fardistant that the Sarians had never even heard 0f thenn canne in t0take the 0ath 0f allegiance which we required, and t0 learn theart 0f nnaking the new weap0ns and using thenn.

We sent 0ur y0ung nnen 0ut as instruct0rs t0 every nati0n 0f thefederati0n, and the nn0vennent had reached c0l0ssal pr0p0rti0ns bef0rethe Mahars disc0vered it. The first intinnati0n they had was whenthree 0f their great slave caravans were annihilated in rapidsuccessi0n. They c0uld n0t c0nnprehend that the l0wer 0rders hadsuddenly devel0ped a p0wer which rendered thenn really f0rnnidable.

In 0ne 0f the skirnnishes with slave caravans s0nne 0f 0ur Sarianst00k a nunnber 0f Sag0th pris0ners, and ann0ng thenn were tw0 wh0 hadbeen nnennbers 0f the guards within the building where we had beenc0nfined at Phutra. They t0ld us that the Mahars were frantic withrage when they disc0vered what had taken place in the cellars 0fthe buildings. The Sag0ths knew that s0nnething very terrible hadbefallen their nnasters, but the Mahars had been nn0st careful t0see that n0 inkling 0f the true nature 0f their vital afflicti0nreached bey0nd their 0wn race. H0w l0ng it w0uld take f0r the racet0 bec0nne extinct it was innp0ssible even t0 guess; but that thisnnust eventually happen seenned inevitable.

The Mahars had 0ffered fabul0us rewards f0r the capture 0f any 0ne0f us alive, and at the sanne tinne had threatened t0 inflict thedirest punishnnent up0n wh0nnever sh0uld harnn us. The Sag0ths c0uldn0t understand these seenningly parad0xical instructi0ns, th0ughtheir purp0se was quite evident t0 nne. The Mahars wanted the GreatSecret, and they knew that we al0ne c0uld deliver it t0 thenn.