arth,
their skins now the exact color of the grasses across which they rode,
thus causing their stads to appear unmounted and unguided.

All the nations of Tarth were represented, drawn toward the tower by a
century-old legend, a legend which Retoc the Abarian clarified as he
rode at the head of his own proud group.

He waved a hand, indicating the vast plain and spoke to Hultax, his
second in command, saying, "Little would one think that this flat,
empty land was once the site of a vast and powerful nation. One of the
greatest upon all Tarth!" A smile of cruelty and satisfaction played
upon his handsome features as he surveyed the plain.

"Aye," Hultax replied. "The realm of the Ofridians. Truly they were a
great nation."

"But we Abarians were greater," Retoc snapped. "We not only defeated
them but we leveled their land until not one stone stood upon
another."

"All save the tower," Hultax said. "No weapon known could so much as
scratch its surface."

* * * * *

A new voice cut in. "Quite true. Portox's scientific skill was too
great for you." Both Abarians turned quickly to scowl at the newcomer,
Bontarc of Nadia, who had swung close in his one-man car and was
hovering by their side.

Retoc's hand moved toward the hilt of his long whip-like sword, driven
there by the look of contempt in Bontarc's eyes. But Retoc hesitated.
A formidable squadron of Bontarc's Nadian fighting men hovered nearby
and the Abarian had no taste for a battle in which the odds were close
to even.

"We defeated the Ofridians fairly," he said.

"And slaughtered them fairly? Cut down the men and women and children
alike until the entire nation was obliterated?"

The systematic annihilation had taken place a century before when
Bontarc had been but a child and Retoc a young man. Karnod, Retoc's
father, now dead, had planned the war that defeated the Ofridians, his
winning card having been spies in the court of Evalla, Queen of Ofrid.
Karnod had been fatally wounded during the last battle and had
delegated to his son the task of annihilating the Ofridians and
levelling their nation. This task, Retoc accepted with relish,
reserving for himself the pleasure of slaying Queen Evalla. Details of
the torture to which Retoc subjected the beautiful Evalla were
whispered over the planet and it was said the sadistic Retoc had taken
photographs of the Queen in her agony to enjoy in later years.

It had been the