Part 34 (1/2)
A narrow ridge formed a natural ramp that led upward After she had ascended soround because of the intervening leaves The trunks of the trees did not crowd close to the crag, but their s it with their foliage She climbed on awhile in leafy obscurity, neither able to see above or below her, but presently the leaves thinned, and she came out on a flat shelf-like su away under her feet That roof which looked like a floor froe-point was as ilanced ard, in the direction froreen ocean stretching away and aith only a vague blue line in the distance to hint of the hill-range she had crossed days before, to plunge into this leafy waste
North and south the vieas the sa in those direction
She looked eastward, and stiffened suddenly, as her foot struck so in the litter of fallen leaves which carpeted the low shelf She kicked some of the leaves aside and looked down on the skeleton of a man She ran an experienced eye over the bleached fran of violence The h why he should have cliine
She mounted to the peak and looked eastward She stiffened Off to the east, within a fewway to a bare plain, where only a few stunted trees grew And in the midst of that plain rose the walls and towers of a irl swore in amazement This passed belief She would not have been surprized to have sighted human habitations of another sort the beehive-shaped huts of the black people, or the cliff-dwellings of the end declared inhabited so surprize to see a walled city here soweeks marches from the nearest outposts of any sort of civilization
Her thoughts were scattered by the rustling of the leaves below her She wheeled like a cat, catching at her hilt; and then she frozewide-eyed at the man before her
He was a tall, powerfully-built arb was similar to hers, except that he wore a broad leather belt instead of a girdle Broadsword and poniard hung from this belt
”Conan, the Ci on rinned hardly, and his fierce blue eyes burned with a light any woure, lingering on the swell of her splendid breasts beneath the light shi+rt, and the clear white flesh displayed between breeches and boot-tops
”Why, hell, girl,” he laughed, ”don't you know? Haven't I made my admiration for you clear ever since I first saw you?”
”A stallion could have made it no clearer,” she answered disdainfully ”But I never expected to encounter you so far from the ale-barrels and meat pots Did you really follow me frohed at her scorn and flexed his h knaves to whip rinned ”Of course I followed you Lucky thing for you, too, wench! When you knifed that fellow, you lost Zarallo's friendshi+p, and you earned his brother's hatred”
”I know it,” she replied sullenly ”But what else could I do? You knohat reed ”If I'd been there, I'd have knifed him myself But if a wos”
Valeria stamped her booted foot and swore
”Why will not er eyes roved her
”hell, girl, that's obvious! But you ise to flee the camp Zarallo would have had you skinned The fellow's brother followed you; faster than you thought He was not far behind you when I caught up with hiht you and cut your throat within a few more miles”
”Well?” she demanded
”Well what?” he seemed puzzled
”What of him?”
”Why, what do you suppose?” he demanded ”I killed him, of course, and left his carcass for 304
the vultures That delayed h, and I almost lost your trail when you crossed the rocky spurs of the hills Otherwise I'd have caught up with you long ago”
”And now you think you'll drag me back to Zarallo's camp?” she sneered
”You know better than that,” he retorted ”Coirl, don't be such a spitfire I'm not like that fellow you knifed, and you know it”
”A penniless vagabond,” she taunted
He laughed at her
”What are you? You haven't enoughme with your disdain You know er shi+ps andpenniless hell, what rover isn't at times?
I've been rich a thousand tiain I've squandered enough gold in the sea-ports of the world to fill a galleon You know that, too”
”Where are the fine shi+ps and the bold lads you commanded, now?” she sneered
”At the bottom of the sea, and in hell, aran royal squadron sank is I burned the town of Valadelad, but they caught me before I could reach the Barachas I was the only man on board who escaped with his life
That's why I joined Zarallo's Free Coold is scanty and the wine is poor and I don't like black women And that's all who cas in their ears and their teeth filed bah!
”Why did you join Zarallo?”
”Red Ortho killed the captain I was sailing with, and took our shi+p,” she answered sullenly
”The dog wanted ht and swam ashore ere anchored off the Kushi+te coast Off Zabhela it was There I ent for Zarallo He told uard the Darfar border for the Stygians I joined an east-bound caravan and eventually came to the camp”
”And noe've both left Zarallo to shi+ft for hie into the south as you did but wise, too, for Zarallo's patrols never thought to look for you in this direction Only the brother of the man you killed came this way, and struck your trail”
305
”And nohat do you intend doing?” she deh the forest,” he answered ”I've been this far south, but not this far east
Many days' travelling to the ill bring us to the open savannahs, where the black tribes live I have friends aet to the coast and find a shi+p I'le myself”
”Then be on your way,” she advised ”I have other plans”
”Don't be a fool,” he answered, showing irritation for the first time ”You can't survive in this forest”
”I have for ?”
”That's none of your affair,” she snapped
”Yes, it is,” he answered calmly ”I've followed you this far, do you think I'll turn around and ride back e to har back, whipping out her sword
”Keep back, you barbarian dog! I'll spit you like a roast pig!”
He halted, reluctantly