 Tarzan and the Diamond of Archer. In Captain the Lava Beds of Tu and Bacca, Tarzan and his friends are surrounded by a shadowy band of Hestarians, the people of the savage face. Archeru, leader of the troop, informs Tarzan that he and his companions are expected in the forbidden city of Archer by Su-10, Arctef, of Hesseheria. Nearing the foot of Tu and Bacca, Archeru, who is well in the lead of the little party and its escort of skeleton massed warriors, is attacked by a huge flying arat or python. The red swoops down on great bat-like wings to enfold Hesseherian noble in its bone-crushing coils. Do not shoot! That swaying head is too near Archeru! Do not shoot, Dono! Wait! As the eight-man speaks, the reptilian head of the winged horror stops its swaying. Its wide-fanged mouth opens, preparing to strike. In an instant, Tarzan springs his bow, puts an arrow from the pivot at his back, fits it into place. The great muscles of his arm tense as he draws the deadly shaft back to its head. An instant pause while the keen eye gauges the distance. Then the flying missile screams through the air to embed itself squarely between the eyes of the great serpent. The writhing, sinuous black coils tremble, struggle to retain their grip. Slowly, the hideous mass relaxes, slides to the ground, inert, dead. Archeru lifts his arms. He turns, walks slowly back to meet Tarzan. Oh Tarzan, man of might! Thou hast slain this death from the sky? Thou and I, flying stick? Yeah, it was Tarzan all right. And what a shot! With a pull and arrow! Hey, Tate, bend good shots with a rifle. But to split a snake's skull with an arrow? Hmm, that means something! They are three days on the Indian frontier of Afghanistan. They are known to be the world's greatest marksmen with the bow. But their best shot could not have hit such a target. There are no bones broken, Archeru. Nay, O Tarzan. The winged monster harmed me not. And I, the Atan Archeru, thank thee for my life. Thou hast preserved it. It is thine. If ever I can help thee, it shall be done. I'll remember that. And now do we go on? I, the Senute, there at the foot of the rails, is ready. By Buddha, it is a car large enough to hold fifty men. How it shines in the sun, like burnished iron. But that track leading up the mountainside is almost perpendicular. Where does the power come from to move that car? Well, it's too much for me, Lieutenant. I don't understand it. Archeru, do we go up in this car with you? Yes. I don't like it, Tarzan. What is it you don't like now, Larson? They ain't been afraid of anything in the jungle. But those skeleton masks, look at them. Climbing in that car without making a sound. You know they're only masks, Larson. You're sure. But what's under them? In due time, he of the yellow beard will see what lies beneath the savage faces of the hessie hair. Well, I can say that I like to hide here either, Larson. But if we don't go up, what will we do down here, aloo? Gun. The warriors of the hessie hair are waiting. Ye of the outer world ride with Archeru. Permit-i-moi, Margaret. This step here is high. Be careful. No, you will see yourself there, Margaret. Thank you. You are there, all right. May, aloo! We have the observation seat. Nice spot. Do you see, Dono, the entire car is sheathed in metal. And look from these windows how far one can see. Sure. Larson, Larson, can see his finish. Dono, these hessieharians are removing their masks. What? Dono, dono, dono! They are white-skinned and handsome. Are you satisfied, Larson? Yeah. Been satisfied, almost. Why the masks, Archeru? Thou hast saved my life, O Tarzan of the Apes. But even though mayst not speak lightly of the ancient warrior masks of the people of the savage face, there are few of the outer world who have ever beheld an hessieharian continent. This new travel's fast, Archeru. I, Artan Tom, like the wind. Why, yeah. Why, yeah, we are moving. No, don't know. We are going at a speed of at least 80 kilometers. Well, Tarzan Tom makes the thing go. There it is, Wolf. He uses that lamp with the slaughter car. Not to make it go. Let's go, Tarcero, at this speed. At the end of these copper rails on the rim of Tuanbaka, there is a great stone. The most ancient writings of our priests mention this stone. It had been there scores of centuries. And what name do you give to this great rock? It is called the stone which hath the power to pull. Well, hey, pain around this world plenty, but they never see such a stone. You have very likely hit upon the answer, Larson. This stone is not of this earth. Probably it is a meteorite. We, we say, satom. What the English call a lodestone. This car being sheathed in iron is attracted by the magnetic pull of that stone up there. Hakeru breaks the car to keep it from leaving rails. Is that not right, Hakeru? It is so, Tarantorn. Listening in the sunlight like some giant, prehistoric, silver-colored beetle, the bulky conveyance rushing up the smooth side of Tuanbaka at breathtaking speed. Presently, the outline of the great meteorite can be clearly seen. Hundreds of tons of black rock balanced on the rim of the volcano. As they near the top, Hakeru pulls back on the level with all his strength to be reluctant to stop the huge car quivers. The clanking wheels turn slower. The pussied coach comes to a halt. The Hesseherians climb out, followed by Tarzan and his friends. They skirt a huge meteorite and approach the inner rim of the volcano. Far below them, on the floor of the crater of Tuanbaka, lies the forbidden city of Archer. The city of Inbremon Magra, the vegetation, the entire valley is as green, green as a flashing emerald. What's the large building in the center of the city, Hakeru? That, O Tarzan, is the sacred temple of Mahatshu, father of diamonds. Oh, touch. Careful, Wolf. Do you see, Darno, how perfectly the city is oriented? Each street runs exactly north and south or east and west. Archer is the city of wisdom, of happiness, content. But we tarry over long. Come, follow me. Another car. This one takes us down to the city, I suppose. If the meteorite pulled us up, how will this other car take us down against the pull of the stone? He will learn presently, Atanton. Look, there are rails completely encircling the load stone. And here comes an old fella pushing a flat car. What is that on it? Looks like the biggest piece of crystal I ever saw. Oh, I begin to understand. Hey, muatom, it is the answer to your question. You see, that must be a gigantic sheet of non-conducting quartz, or as Wolf says, crystal. Placed between the meteorite and the car, the load stone cannot exert then its power. If we, we coast down the inside of the crater. Even so, Paul Darno. And now enter the sanute. We descend. With the speed of an arrow, the great car and its burden slides down top a rail. All the captive parties save Tarzan, grip their wooden benches to the knuckles of their hands, to fight through hot skin. Ear-spitting shriek of the clumsy breaks, and the journey to the forbidden city of mystery, our share is ended. Without a word of command from their leader, the white-clad warriors form a hollow square around Tarzan and his companions. Come, O Tarzan of the Apes, to the Temple of Machu. Lovely, beautiful city it is. Hey, Paton, magnificent. May, where are the inhabitants? I see no one in the streets. The populace must remain within their house until you have audience with suten, a teff of hessie hair. See those copper plates at the street intersections, Darno. Above each one is a small death-head mask. I saw those long ago. Don't these people know how to carve anything else? I thought you're a Champs-Élysées in Paris, a fine street, Darno. Can't compare with this. Strange, exotic trees, those rolling cupboards of grass. Oh, yes, Tarzan, it is wonderful. These houses behind the walls, they are white marble. They see a wonder where they got it. Oh, that temple we're coming to ain't white marble. It's black as the shades of apodon. And built in the shape of a pyramid. What bend that on top of it? See how it's shining. It looks like a great ball of burnished copper. It is just that magra, exactly. But what its object is, I do not know. Tarzan of the apes, I have made a vow to aid thee, and so I shall. Suten, the great is provoked. Strangers, be not welcome in the city of Archer. We are sufficient unto ourselves. That is why the few who know of us, name Archer the forbidden city. Answer me, with truth upon thy tongue, come ye here for plunder, or solely in search of your friends? We came because we believed Helen Gregory and her brother were here. For no other reason. And Tarzan does not lie. It is well. I shall intercede for ye at the feet of Suten. Look at those doors in that temple. Solid copper. And they must be twenty feet wide, and twice as high. Listen, that pain seeming. What ye hear, strangers? Slowly, majestically, the mighty copper doors swing open, moved by some unseen force. Louder swells the minor primitive wail. A chant of many voices. Tarzan and his friends pause. They stare into the face of Hakeru. The blood drains from the Hesseherian nobles' countenance, leaving it as if cast in a mold of ivory. He turns slowly to meet the questioning gaze of Tarzan. It is the chant of death. Mahachu, the father of diamonds, demanded the sacrifice of human blood.