Savage Lands by Andy Briggs Page A

weight of the female over his shoulder.
    Goyad was ready to spring as the huge flaming bowl hit the ground with a terrible crack of stone on rock. Tarzan tensed, unable to judge which way the heavy stone would fall. His heart pounded and the floor under his feet trembled when the rim of the bowl sliced between them. Tarzan let out a snort of victory as the concave bowl rolled away from him, spilling a mass of flames toward Goyad. Blazing rocks burned patches of the ape’s fur away to the pale skin beneath. He howled in pain and raced away from the flames spreading across the floor. With a powerful kick, the albino ape leaped for the sanctuary of a wall projecting from the nearest ruin.
    The huge stone bowl continued rolling on its rim and Tarzan ran with it as it scythed through the lines of Targarni. They ignored Tarzan, more concerned about avoiding the fire or being crushed as the bowl steamrolled toward them. Tarzan saw several unfortunate Targarni fully ablaze, rolling on the floor screaming as they tried to quell the flames. He grinned—he couldn’t have planned a more destructive revenge. Tarzan made it across the plaza and vaulted up the steps two at a time with ease, even with the female thrown over his shoulders.
    Halfway up the steps the bowl finally teetered over. It managed one mighty grinding spin before thundering to a halt. By this time Tarzan was already in the cavern above and sprinting across the narrow stone bridge.
    â€¢ • •
    T he Targarni did not follow. Tarzan was panting heavily as he raced up the final steps between the lion’s claws. He could not afford to rest now. Goyad might not have immediately given chase, but Tarzan was sure the ape and his cohorts would soon be scouring the area. He didn’t see the point in testing his luck any further.
    He checked the female he had saved. She had been unnaturally quiet during the escape and when he carefully laid her on the forest floor her head slumped to the side. Tarzan hoped she wasn’t dead; other than annoying Goyad, that would have made his entire adventure a waste of time. But he did not know the woman, so if she lived or died Tarzan would accept that nature had chosen her path. There were few beings he cared for outside his tribe and, as he examined the woman, he was reminded it had been some days since he had last seen Jane. Moving to new feeding grounds with his family had been a necessity, and he only hoped Jane hadn’t got into any trouble while he had been away. He tried to put that distraction from his mind as he focused his attention on the woman.
    He felt a pulse in her neck; it was slow but strong. She must have passed out from sheer terror at the thought of what was about to happen to her. Her hair was black, her skin darker than Tarzan’s own, and she wore the familiar khaki uniform most jungle explorers chose. As far as he could judge, she was older than Jane, but not by much.
    Tarzan listened for any signs of pursuit, but only the jungle’s twilight chorus could be heard. The sky was already growing dark, and the first stars appeared in the deep blue, shining their ancient light. But there was another glow to the air, a tinge of red reflecting from the few clouds. And now that he was listening for it, Tarzan could tell the continuous rumble from the mountain was a little louder. Perhaps it was angered by the chaos he had caused deep below?
    Carrying the woman over his shoulder, he trudged on through the jungle, back toward the Mangani. The mountain’s business with Goyad and the apes was not his, and he didn’t care how much the earth grumbled. He was lord of the jungle. He had nothing to fear.
    â€¢ • •
    R obbie had been more than irritated when Clark suggested he and Jane leave so the adults could discuss business terms with Lord Greystoke. It was clear he thought they would try to sabotage negotiations, and the others were still unaware that Jane had been awake during