READ THE NOVEL- Chapters 1-31 - ERBzine

Tarzan on Mars
XXIV
THE TYRANT OF TARNATH
AS Tarzan passed behind the arras and faced the passage
which led to Tario's former sleeping quarters, his attention
was attracted by an architectural peculiarity of the entrance
archway. On top of the accentuated keystone was a pot-bellied
gargoyle. Its mouth was open wide, disclosing a dark
cavity inside.
From the moment when he had considered disguising
himself as a Thern, he had been concerned about protecting
the Great Star of Issus from discovery, and now this yawning
gargoyle appeared to offer him the best possible hiding place
until he could return for it when the need arose.
Therefore, he sprang lightly upward and grasped the
keystone, exploring the gargoyle's mouth carefully with one
free hand, he discovered that it was of ample size to conceal
the diadem. In the next moment, he had extracted the great
glittering piece of priceless jewelry from the USAF mitt at his
side and deposited it within the hiding place; whereupon, he
dropped easily to the floor again and proceeded to follow Kar
Komak, not realizing at the moment how symbolic a thing it
was—to place the very fulcrum of Barsoomian history upon
a keystone.
Nor did he know that the gargoyle was a representation
of Uln, the ancient god of prophecy, of revelation, and of
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