Adventure Magazine Cover — page 134: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Grand Cham holy garden itself in the paradise of Asia?” “How do you know the Grand Cham is a magician?” Clavijo smiled, shrugged and hesitated, but one of the councilors spoke up. “The good Fra Odoric of Pordenone him- self visited these regions con pelegrino—as a pilgrim. Did he not see great piles of human skulls raised to the sky and the horns of beasts stuck upright upon mountaintops? Also divers wonders such as a city upon the sand which vanished as he walked toward it? Aye, and he mentioned that the sand spoke © with a human voice.” Hereupon Clavijo drew a long breath of satisfaction and twiddled his curled beard. ‘“‘As I myself have said,’ he reminded Contarini, who alone among the councilors seemed to weigh his testimony doubtfully. The punishment by the Maritime Council of one who gave false testimony before it was no light thing. “These miracles have my eyes beheld. Lo, I sat upon such a pile of human skulls, reaching a thousand lance-lengths toward the sky—the bones of those who aforetime sought the earthly paradise and failed.”’ “The Grand Cham must be a potent monarch,’ mused Contarini. “Aye, I mind me Fra Odoric spoke of a great Khan of Tatary who was the most merciless warrior upon the face of the earth.” Michael strained his ears to catch the rest of the sentence, but Contarini had bent over a globe-map and was silent. ““Khan’ signifies ‘Cham’ in the pagan tongue,” put in Clavijo, who seemed to be better pleased with the way things were going now. pig MAPS were produced and it was =aks found that Ptolemy had outlined a kingdom beyond the Sarai Sea, under the star Taurus,°-and named it Chin, or Chinae. “Which is verily the Chitae of Fra Odoric and my Cathay,’ pointed out the Spaniard. Sweeping his hand across the table in an elo- quent gesture, he raised his voice. “Here lies the power and magic of the East, signorz. Alone, my comrades dead, I crawled from the brazen walls to bear this message to you. Others, like the good fra, have heard of the Grand Cham—or seen the city at a distance. But I—I have walked under the gold trees and heard the song of the slaves of a hundred races laboring in the 133 mines in the bowels of the earth. I have looked upon the riches of pearls, emeralds, topazes set into the walls of houses.. Beside the city of the Grand Cham Constantinople is a rook’s nest and Venice—pardon, but Venice is no more than a village.” Perceiving that his voice fell into ready ears, he folded his arms, his uneasiness vanished. “T have spoken of jewels. My lords, upon the person of the Grand Cham and his radiant women there are solid plaques of emeralds and rubies, greater than those that you have brought in your galleys from Persia. And these jewels the Cathayans value not, save as handsome ornaments.” “What do the Cathayan folk value—in trade?” . ‘““Perchance weapons, rare steel, cunning inventions such as the sand clock and musi- cal organs.” Bembo, who was still shivering from ap- prehension, now noticed that Michael’s shoulders were quivering as if the Breton were stricken with the ague and that his hand was pressed against his mouth, Within the council hall Contarini rose as if satisfied. “Messer Clavijo,” he said gravely, “if your tale had proved a lie you would have had a taste of the iron beds of San Giorgio Mag- giore. But we are well content with the news you bring, and it is now fitting that we announce to you the result of our delibera- tions before your examination. This morn- ing I had speech with a French mariner of the name of Bearn who warned me that the Turkish power threatens the safety of the great city of Constantinople and Venice. That is idle talk and the council is con- cerned only with trade, not ‘politics. Yet this foe of the Turks confessed that some- where beyond the Sarai Sea is a Khan of Tatary who must be a potent monarch.” He paused and Bembo saw again that Michael grimaced strangely. “The council has planned an expedition into the terra incognita,” went on Contarini. ‘A jealous merchant will be sent with proper escort. By fair means or foul—mark me— he-must win us wealth from the Cham. Our galleys will bear the voyagers safely through the Turkish pirates. You will be the leader of the expedition.” Clavijo was a graven figure of amazement. iyo? “Verily. Venice will honor fittingly the Eomichbooksrco