The Humanite's olive face was flushed with excitement, his black eyes eager. He held two of the thought-crowns in his hand.
"You're ready?" he said to Nelson. "Then we'll get Tark. But first put on the thought-crowns — you two must wear them constantly."
They went out and down the torchlit corridors with him, Li Kin looking mournfully after them from the doorway. Shan Kar led them through the vaulted ways of the building to a torchlit passage that had sentries posted in it. The doors here had massive wooden bars, set in crude, heavy metal hooks. This row of rooms had been converted thus into a prison-wing.
Eric Nelson was struck again by the contrast between the primitive ways of the present inhabitants of L'Lan and the marvelous, alien beauty and splendor of the ancient cities they inhabited. Truly these people had lost the knowledge of their ancient forebears!
Shan Kar unbarred and opened a door. The great wolf Tark rose soundlessly inside, and looked at them with inscrutable green eyes. Again, Nelson had the eery experience of hearing the wolf's projected thought through the instrument of ancient science that he wore upon his head.
"Before I go, I must see Barin," came Tark's thought.
"No!" said Shan Kar instantly.
"Then I do not go!" flashed the wolf. "For how am I to know but what you've killed him already?"
Shan Kar hesitated. "Very well. You can see him. But you're not to plot with him, Tark!"
The wolf trotted soundlessly beside them as they went down the corridor to the farthest barred door. Nelson noticed that Lefty Wister never took his eyes off the beast. The Cockney's pinched face glared his fear and hatred.