 Tarzan and the Diamond of Arshere! Tira, Queen of the Hesse Hair, offers Tarzan and his friends their freedom in exchange for the father of diamonds, the Hesseharian talisman. Tarzan brings her the great gem and instead of freedom is imprisoned with Tom and Dono, Helen and Magra, in the Tower of the Sun. As the young women step out of their chamber in the upper part of the tower, under a hanging grill outside their window, they are attacked by the savage flying chowse of Tuenbaca. Monsters, descendants of the prehistoric pterodactyls swoop down on widespread wings, great-talent feet, giant black beaks curved and sharp as knives ready to sink into the soft flesh of their prey. Below in the small high-walled court outside the chamber in which they have been confined, Tarzan, Dono and Tom, attracted by the screams and the flapping of great wings look up. Quick as thought the man's bow was strong, an arrow fitted, pulled back to its head by the mighty arm. With the speed of light, the winged messenger of death flashes upward to bury itself full length in the heart of the foremost vulture-like monster. Back into your room, Agra. Helen, keep off that waiting. The others, they are diving down on the one you killed, Tarzan. Tears and feet on it. It is like the torture of the ancient parsees who placed their victims on iron grills and left them for the vultures. The word of that evil-hearted woman that we should go free in exchange for the diamond was worthless. Yes, Dono. I'm going up that wall as soon as I can bring Margaret Helen down here. But how? We can not open the door from the inside. Up the wall. Impossible. Even if you could make it, how could you get them down again? If I only had my rope, if I haven't, I'll carry them down. Such an attempt can only result in a fall which would kill you, Tarzan, as well as your burden. I think not, Tom. I have seen Tarzan go up walls. However, perhaps our Kiru can get a rope. Of course. I hadn't thought of that. By the way, where is he? He has gone back to the temple to see what happened after we left, but he promised to return at once. If you were so fortunate as to succeed in getting Helen and Margaret down here, what do you intend doing then? Leave the city somehow. Go inside and see what he has to report. Bien, Akiru, what happened? It is as I thought. The Council of Thirteen is now with Tira. Tsu-Ten has been deposed and confined under God. Tira had the father of diamonds and is all powerful. Ye three and I are to be sent to the deep mines. The young women... What about them? They are to be sacrificed to the God March... When? On the morrow, at the hour of sunset. There'll be no sacrifice tomorrow night, Akiru. Nor are we going to those mines. What can Stau do, Tarzan? Get out of the city. Escape. I would help you to escape. To escape the wrath of Tira, my friend. Ask Thau a plan. Akiru, you get hold of a long rope. I, after dark, put woods down with a rope. I am going up the wall to the great and let Helen and Margaret down here. It were easier to use the stairs. But we cannot open the door to get through them. Akiru were to leave the doors open on his departure. Oh, I see. If I help thee to escape, Tarzan, will Thau in turn help me cover the father of diamonds from Tira so that I may restore it to the rightful and legitimate ruler of Hescaria? The Artef, Suten? How can we help you? If Akiru will get me into Tira's quarters unobserved, I will vouch for the return of the diamond. He is right. You remember, you remained behind to see where Tira concealed it when she sent us through the passage to Suten's quarters? Right. Then while I go after Helen and Margaret, Thau will get the diamond. And what of Brian Gregory? I have forgotten him for the moment. He'll have to be brought here. He can do you no good in his present condition. But is there no way that spell can be broken? Yes, there is a way, Paul Darno. How? In the golden disc behind the father of diamonds, there is a cavity. It containeth a file wherein is a liquid, the formula known only to the priesthood. Some of that liquid were forced between Brian Gregory's lips. Ah, the more reason why we must have the diamond. Can you get brought Gregory out of that temple, Akiru? It may perhaps be done. With the help of one man, I shall go to him. He may be relied upon. But Atan Tom, the golden disc is weighty. How will Thau carry it alone? He's right, Tom. You can't handle it. May, rappele-vous, it took three of Tira's men to carry it? Yes, I suppose you are right. I could manage it alone, but two of us, Darno and I- Darno will go with you. When you get the disc, bring it here. Nay, O Tarzan. I shall take Brian Gregory to the Sinut, which will carry ye to the rim of Tu and Baka. Atan Tom and Darno will bring the father of diamonds there. And Thau Tarzan of the Apes must await us there, with Helen Gregory and the Maid Magra. Right. Too many of us leaving this place together might attract attention. Yes, that's better, Akiru. As soon as you are out, I'll go after Helen and Magra. Then the plan is for all of us to meet at the Sinut car. And may our specious omen guide our movements. We'll do our best, Tom, and let the omen stay care of themselves. Meanwhile, Helen and Magra, confined in the upper chamber of the Tower of the Sun, three floors above Tarzan and his companions, realize that in place of having the freedom of the city, they are again prisoners. And this time of the cruel, jealous queen of hessie hair. Oh, that queen. How I hate her. She's a cruel, wicked woman, Magra. Yes, but I expected nothing else from her. She was too agreeable to us there in the ceremonial hall. And while she talked and smiled at Tarzan, and gave us the freedom of the city, she was planning this. And if it hadn't been for Tarzan, neither of us would be alive now. Those awful birds, so huge and... The door. The queen. And the guard. We tear off the hessie hair. Gritty women of the outer world. I thank you. These quarters are not quite as lavish as those you previously occupied, as prospective guides. But you shall not tarry long here. We thank you again. Our former quarters were not of our choosing. We would have been better pleased to have been left with our friends. Two of whom are dead, and the other three shall soon be worse than dead. So much for the world of a queen. Hold thy tongue, woman. Speak when art spoken to. I come to tell ye, too, that on the moral, at the hour of sunset, ye are to be offered to Marchu, the father of diamonds, in sacrifice. Thank you so much for the information. You are a wicked woman. I only hope that the time will come when those flying beasts you hope to feed us to, and from which Tarzan saved us, will tear the flesh from your bones. The mighty Tarzan will soon be in no position to help anyone. And for your speech, my magra, I shall be the one to wield the sacrificial knife over thy heart. Peace, until the hour of sunset on the moral. Through narrow dark alleys and dim-lit streets, Haqeru, Tome, and Dono make their way quickly to a dark building near the great temple of Marchu. At the pressure of the Hesperian's hand, a bronze door swings open. At a sign from Haqeru, they descend the dark stone stairway, pass through a long, narrow tunnel illuminated by the blue-flamed lamps, ascend a second flight of stairs to enter at last a high-vaulted gloomy corridor. A few quick, cautious paces, and they pause before a narrow bronze door concealed by a projection in the wall. Ye are now in the temple of Marchu. Behind this door lie a passage used only by the queen herself. It leads us directly to Tira's inner chamber. Good. Will you return the way we came? Aye. It is the longer way, but ye are less likely to be met by temple gods or priests. The house through which we came belongs to a member of the Council of Thirteen. Only he uses the passage. Go ye now. And may the gods of Hesseharia be with us this night. We should be a man. Condano. Bonjour, Haqeru. Good luck. Grasso, dear, this passage is lighted. We at least can see what is before us. Only if only Tira is not in that inner chamber. Let us hope that she has not removed the diamond from where you saw it. Tonerra, I wish I had mine automatic. There should be weapons in Tira's room. One of those bronze swords, or at least in... However, I still have my pistol. Ecute. Don't. There, parallel. Look there. A snake in the middle of the passage. A great plan. May Dilma protege what the monster... Animals in this strange country all appear to come oversized. That great expanded hood. It bite from that fellow, Dono, and... And to reach our goal, we must pass him. Sausage impossible at home without touching him. He is directly in our back. Come, my friend, we must. It is the only way. Go ahead, Dono. If he attacks, I shall use my pistol. Slowly, slowly, carefully. His eyes fixed upon the great swaying hood inches above his own head. Dono cautiously, step by step, moves along the wall. The perspiration stands in great beads on the Frenchman's brow as he approaches the huge, deadly reptile barring his path. Suckly, the great head stopped swaying. Poises itself for a breathless instant, and strikes directly at Dono's face.