Heavy jowls hung pendulous, dragging down the corners of the thick lipped, brutal mouth into a deep graven, unchanging sneer.
As he gazed at Norhala a flicker of lust shot like a licking tongue through his eyes.
Yet from him pulsed power; sinister, instinct with evil, concentrate with cruelty--but power indomitable.

Such was Cherkis, descendant perhaps of that Xerxes the Conqueror who three millenniums gone ruled most of the known world.
It was Norhala who broke the silence.
"Tcherak! Greeting--Cherkis!" There was merciless mirth in the buglings of her voice.

"Lo, I did but knock so gently at your gates and you hastened to welcome me.

Greetings--gross swine, spittle of the toads, fat slug beneath my sandals." He passed the insults by, unmoved--although I heard a murmuring go up from those near and Kulun's hard eyes blazed.
"We will bargain, Norhala," he answered calmly; the voice was deep, filled with sinister strength.
"Bargain ?" she laughed.

"What have you with which to bargain, Cherkis?
Does the rat bargain with the tigress?
And you, toad, have nothing." He shook his head.
"I have these," he waved a hand toward Ruth and her brother.