. Epilogue

      For the equivalent of a about a month, Clive Jahlanna, and their comrades spent their time in Sari, recuperating. There was much to talk about, and many long tales to tell. There was some speculation as to what became of Lu-gor, but everyone assumed he was dead since the thipdar had carried him off.  And that Jarn and Jarla were therefore free to return to their homeland in peace. The Nu-al boy had proven himself a true hero. Though the boy was known for his fabrications, Clive and Jahlanna had been there to back it up, as they would when they reached O-lar, and there was any question remaining over whether Jarn would prove a worthy suitor to Jarla. The queen of O-lar would have no further reason to trust Lu-gor, either. That Lu-gor had proven treacherous in the extreme was something that both Jahlanna and her mate could attest very well to. But excepting the small chance that the brutal caveman had somehow, survived being devoured by the pterodactyl or fed to its squalling brood of young, he was out of all their lives for good. 

        As for Zara, she had no real desire to return to the land of Azeer. She had never gotten along with Queen Zeera, or the even the other girls, given her rebellious nature. She had, curiously, taken a certain liking to Hug-lo, and it seemed as though a romance of sorts was starting to bloom between these two. Or perhaps it was not so curious, as Zara, like all Amazon women of Azeer, was very tall for a girl her age, and had she had grown some since her adventure started, now practically reaching young womanhood. 
Her newfound interest in Hug-lo had dissipated the jealousy she had felt toward Jarn and Jarla, and now had become more teasing and friendly with the boy. 

     Grunth, the bison man of ganakland had died, and everyone who had fought alongside him remembered and mourned him. Tarok and Valkara were officially wed in Sari, following the tradional tribal custom of the Sarians, which was not unfamiliar to that of Nu-al, or most other Pellucidaran tribes. They were uncertain, however, where they should settle down. Remaining in Sari was one possibity, and returning to Nu-al was another. At last, they decided that they would return to the North and Valkara’s people, and see how it worked out. If it did not, they could always choose to return to Nu-al, or somewhere else of their own choosing. 

      Throughout their time in Sari, Allistair Simmons busied himself in pouring over the ancient records of the Mahar race, which had been recovered long ago. Abner Perry, David Innes’ old comrade, who had first suspected the existence of Pellucidar, was invaluable in teaching him the writings of the Mahar. The two aged scientists got along well. Perry revealed to Simmons that the records of Phutra indicated that the Mahars had discovered a means of replicating themselves—what is known now as “cloning”, taking the nuclei of adult cells form existing Mahars, and injecting them into he developing eggs. This was their Great Secret. Though the actually method was contained within their Book, the references to it among the collected scrolls of the Mahar scientists were many. Therefore, every female Mahar that had been birthed by the artificial process was a genetic copy of another individual. But the scrolls also revealed that they had since discovered a method of genetically altering the DNA of each cell in order to create variance among their species. Since a revolution of sorts had taken place since the Mahars were driven from the empire, the Outcast males had returned. The Mahars were reproducing sexually once again. This seemed to make them even more dangerous. Though the technology behind the Great Secret had boosted the Mahar’s knowledge, it had its foundations in ideology, and had left them genetically and reproductively weak. Now that the males had returned, the seemed a greater threat then ever, and it was through the intervention of male scientists, that the reptiles had nearly whelmed and conquered Sari. However, Clive’s experience with Ka-ul-na gave him hope that a resolution could indeed be reached. No one trusted the winged reptiles completely, however, and scouts sent by David Innes, would frequently scan the skies beyond Sari for sign of the flying reptiles. The empire was safe for the moment, it seemed, and the proposed invasion of the surface world at an end. But it was inevitable that the interests of the Mahar and those of the Empire met sometime in the future. It was only a question of when.

     Clive and Jahlanna were made at home in the palace of David Innes, and his own mate Dian the beautiful, a princess in her own right, and quite as lovely as Jahlanna was. The two girls spoke little to one another, perhaps to avoid mutual jealousy. The warrior Dangar, also had a mate who was also a tribal princess, an African girl of the surface. The story between her and Dangar’s meeting was quite a strange one. All of them spent what must have been long ours in the comfortable palace, telling retelling adventures, and sipping fermented wine brought on trays by the palace serving girls. 

         At last, it came time to depart for home. 

        Jarn, for one had made himself quite at home in Sari, and had adjusted well to life in the city. He was making fast friends with other lads, and had taken to a recent activity among Sarian boys known as “street gambling,” in which the Nu-al boy had beaten some of the others at their own game. Jarn had taken instantly to the concept of money, something unknown through the remainder of Pelluicdar’s tribes, and was quick finding skills on how to acquire it. But upon Jarla’s desire to return to her homeland, the boy conceded—and found that he was missing his own land Nu-al much as well, despite his love of discovery and new lands. 

     So it was that Clive, Jahlanna, Simmons, Jal-mar, and Jarn and Jarla were given a great tandor form the Imperial stables. They bid their comrades fare well, and set out for the land of Nu-al, where Clive desired to spend the remainder of his days with his princess. There, he was certain, they would raise many fine sons and daughters. 

       As they rode off toward distant Nu-al, Jahlanna held her warrior tightly, her lovely face pillowed against his shoulder. She was safe at last, with the man she truly loved, as at long last her homeland beckoned. 

THE END