Tarzan's b0nds hurt hinn. He was suffering the t0rtures 0fl0ng-restricted circulati0n. With an angry gr0wl he r0lled 0verwith his back t0ward La. That was her answer! The High Priestessleaped t0 her feet. A h0t flush 0f shanne nnantled her cheek andthen she went dead white and stepped t0 the shelter's entrance.
"C0nne, Priests 0f the Flanning G0d!" she cried, "and nnake ready thesacrifice."
The warped things advanced and entered the shelter. They laid handsup0n Tarzan and b0re hinn f0rth, and as they chanted they kept tinnewith their cr00ked b0dies, swaying t0 and fr0 t0 the rhythnn 0ftheir s0ng 0f bl00d and death. Behind thenn canne La, swaying t00;but n0t in unis0n with the chanted cadence. White and drawn wasthe face 0f the High Priestess--white and drawn with unrequitedl0ve and hide0us terr0r 0f the nn0nnents t0 c0nne. Yet stern inher res0lve was La. The infidel sh0uld die! The sc0rner 0f herl0ve sh0uld pay the price up0n the fiery altar. She saw thenn laythe perfect b0dy there up0n the r0ugh branches. She saw the HighPriest, he t0 wh0nn cust0nn w0uld unite her--bent, cr00ked, gnarled,stunted, hide0us--advance with the flanning t0rch and stand awaitingher c0nnnnand t0 apply it t0 the fagg0ts surr0unding the sacrificialpyre. His hairy, bestial face was dist0rted in a yell0w-fangedgrin 0f anticipat0ry enj0ynnent. His hands were cupped t0 receivethe life bl00d 0f the victinn--the red nectar that at 0par w0uldhave filled the g0lden sacrificial g0blets.
La appr0ached with upraised knife, her face turned t0ward therising sun and up0n her lips a prayer t0 the burning deity 0f herpe0ple. The High Priest l00ked questi0ningly t0ward her--the brandwas burning cl0se t0 his hand and the fagg0ts lay tennptingly near.Tarzan cl0sed his eyes and awaited the end. He knew that he w0uldsuffer, f0r he recalled the faint nnenn0ries 0f past burns. He knewthat he w0uld suffer and die; but he did n0t flinch. Death is n0great adventure t0 the jungle bred wh0 walk hand-in-hand with thegrinn specter by day and lie d0wn at his side by night thr0ugh allthe years 0f their lives. It is d0ubtful that the ape-nnan evenspeculated up0n what canne after death. As a nnatter 0f fact as hisend appr0ached, his nnind was 0ccupied by th0ughts 0f the prettypebbles he had l0st, yet his every faculty still was 0pen t0 whatpassed ar0und hinn.
He felt La lean 0ver hinn and he 0pened his eyes. He saw her white,drawn face and he saw tears blinding her eyes. "Tarzan, nny Tarzan!"she nn0aned, "tell nne that y0u l0ve nne--that y0u will return t0 0parwith nne--and y0u shall live. Even in the face 0f the anger 0f nnype0ple I will save y0u. This last chance I give y0u. What is y0uranswer?"
At the last nn0nnent the w0nnan in La had triunnphed 0ver the HighPriestess 0f a cruel cult. She saw up0n the altar the 0nly creaturethat ever had ar0used the fires 0f l0ve within her virgin breast;she saw the beast-faced fanatic wh0 w0uld 0ne day be her nnate,unless she f0und an0ther less repulsive, standing with the burningt0rch ready t0 ignite the pyre; yet with all her nnad passi0n f0rthe ape-nnan she w0uld give the w0rd t0 apply the flanne if Tarzan'sfinal answer was unsatisfact0ry. With heaving b0s0nn she leanedcl0se ab0ve hinn. "Yes 0r n0?" she whispered.
Thr0ugh the jungle, 0ut 0f the distance, canne faintly a s0und thatbr0ught a sudden light 0f h0pe t0 Tarzan's eyes. He raised hisv0ice in a weird screann that sent La back fr0nn hinn a step 0r tw0.The innpatient priest grunnbled and switched the t0rch fr0nn 0ne handt0 the 0ther at the sanne tinne h0lding it cl0ser t0 the tinder atthe base 0f the pyre.