Marching Sands
"They had no right to come where they did," asserted the mandarin blandly.
"They were coming to Sungan."
Wu Fang Chien smiled and waved his brown hand, as if brushing aside the protest of a child.
"Foreign devils without a god. You were warned to keep away."
The white man's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I came to find a woman of my people that you seized. She is here in Sungan."
Bassalor Danek looked up quickly. "When did she come to Sungan?"
"Several days ago. And Wu Fang Chien kept her. He planned to bring me here, in order to kill me." Gray met the gaze of the old man squarely. "This woman and I, Bassalor Khan, are descended from the same fathers as your race. We were coming to Sungan to seek you. And this man has tried to prevent that. A score of men have lost their lives because of it."
The mandarin would have spoken, but the Gur-Khan raised his hand.
"This is a matter, Wu Fang Chien," he said with dignity, "that cannot be decided in a wind's breath. I will keep this stranger. I will hear his story! At this time to-morrow, after sunset, come alone to the hall and I will announce my decision. Until then I will think."
Wu Fang Chien frowned, but accepted the ver-
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