Part 29 (2/2)

Ol his great head about and stared at Tascela who posed negligently in the curtained doorway, one hand on her srip, and when sheher supple spine New experiences were flooding Valeria's proud soul that night Recently she had learned to fear a man; now she knehat it was to fear a wo under his swarthy skin Tascela brought her other hand froold vessel

”I feared she would not like your wine, Olht soo from the shores of Lake Zuad do you understand, Olmec?”

Beads of sweat stood out suddenly on Olmec's brow His muscles relaxed, and Valeria broke away and put the table between theh reason told her to dart from the room, some 254

fascination she could not understand held her rigid, watching the scene

Tascela ca walk that was , but her eyes gleahtly

”You are selfish, Oluest to yourself, though you kneished to entertain her You are much at fault, Olmec!”

The mask dropped for an instant; her eyes flashed, her face was contorted and with an appalling show of strength her hand locked convulsively in his beard and tore out a great handful This evidence of unnatural strength was noof the hellish fury that raged under her bland exterior

Ol like a bear, his

”slut!” His boo voice filled the room ”Witch! She-devil! Tecuhltli should have slain you fifty years ago! Begone! I have endured too much from you! This white-skinned wench is hed and dashed the blood-stained strands into his face Her laughter was lessof flint on steel

”Once you spoke otherwise, Olmec,” she taunted ”Once, in your youth, you spoke words of love Aye, you were o, and because you loved me, you slept in my arms beneath the enchanted lotus and thereby put into my hands the chains that enslaved you You know you cannot withstand aze into your eyes, with the o, and you are powerless You reht beneath the black lotus that waved above us, stirred by no worldly breeze; you scent again the unearthly perfumes that stole and rose like a cloud about you to enslave you You cannot fight against ht as you shall be so long as you shall live, Olmec of Xuchotl!”

HER voice had sunk to a h starlit darkness

She leaned close to the prince and spread her long tapering fingers upon his giant breast His eyes glazed, his great hands fell limply to his sides

With a smile of cruel malice, Tascela lifted the vessel and placed it to his lips

”Drink!”

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Mechanically the prince obeyed And instantly the glaze passed from his eyes and they were flooded with fury, coaped, but no sound issued

For an instant he reeled on buckling knees, and then fell in a sodden heap on the floor

His fall jolted Valeria out of her paralysis She turned and sprang toward the door, but with apanther, Tascela was before her Valeria struck at her with her clenched fist, and all the power of her supple body behind the blow It would have stretched a man senseless on the floor But with a lithe twist of her torso, Tascela avoided the blow and caught the pirate's wrist The next instant Valeria's left hand was iether with one hand, Tascela calirdle Valeria thought she had tasted the ultito the sensations that now shook her supple frame Valeria had always been inclined to despise the otherto encounter another woman who could handle her like a child She scarcely resisted at all when Tascela forced her into a chair and drawing her bound wrists down between her knees, fastened the over Olmec, Tascela walked to the bronze door and shot the bolt and threw it open, revealing a hallithout

”Opening upon this hall,” she re to her feminine captive for the first time, ”there is a chamber which in old times was used as a torture rooht most of the apparatus with us, but there was one piece too heavy toorder I think it will be quite convenient now”

An understanding flame of terror rose in Olripped him by the hair

”He is only paralyzed temporarily,” she remarked conversationally ”He can hear, think, and feel aye, he can feel very well indeed!”

With which sinister observation she started toward the door, dragging the giant bulk with an ease that made the pirate's eyes dilate She passed into the hall andwith her captive into a chamber that opened into it, and whence shortly thereafter issued the clank of iron

Valeria swore softly and tugged vainly, with her legs braced against the chair The cords that confined her were apparently unbreakable

Tascela presently returned alone; behind her aissued from the chamber She closed the door but did not bolt it Tascela was beyond the grip of habit, as she was beyond the 256

touch of other hu the woman in whose slim hands, the pirate realized, her destiny now rested

Tascela grasped her yellow locks and forced back her head, looking ilitter in her dark eyes was not ireat honor,” she said ”You shall restore the youth of Tascela Oh, you stare at that! My appearance is that of youth, but through e, as I have felt it a thousand times before I airl once, and a priest of Stygia loved aveHe died, then some said by poison But I dwelt inyears touched ia desired ht me to this land Olreater than a princess I alorious youth shall restore”

Valeria's tongue clove to the roof of her eneracy she had anticipated

The taller woman unbound the Aquilonian's wrists and pulled her to her feet It was not fear of the doth that lurked in the princess' li captive in her hands It was the burning, hypnotic, terrible eyes of Tascela

VII

HE COMES FROM THE DARK

”WELL, I'lared down at theon that thing?”

Incoherent sounds issued fro a bellow of fear from the captive; for his action caused the iron ball to lurch down until it nearly touched the broad breast

”Be careful, for Set's sake!” begged Olmec

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”What for?” demanded Conan ”Do you think I care what happens to you? I only wish I had tiuts out But I'ed Olmec ”I will tell you all!”

”Tell me first”

”Never!” The prince's heavy jaws set stubbornly

”All right” Conan seated himself on a near-by bench ”I'll find her myself, after you've been reduced to a jelly I believe I can speed up that process by twistingthe weapon experimentally

”Wait!” Words came in a rush from the captive's ashy lips ”Tascela took her fro but a puppet in Tascela's hands”

”Tascela?” snorted Conan, and spat ”Why, the filthy ”

”No, no!” panted Olmec ”It's worse than you think Tascela is old centuries old She renews her life and her youth by the sacrifice of beautiful young wo that has reduced the clan to its present state She will draw the essence of Valeria's life into her own body, and blooor and beauty”

”Are the doors locked?” asked Conan, thue