Part 35 (1/2)
”That's a city, right enough,” he , when you tried to send me off alone to the coast?”
She nodded
”Well, who'd have thought to find a city here? So far as I know the Stygians never penetrated this far Could it be black people? I see no herds on the plain, no sign of cultivation, or peopleabout”
”How could you hope to see all that, at that distance?” she deed his shoulders and stepped down from the pinnacle Suddenly he swore ”Why in Cro her question, he descended to the belt of leaves and stared down through the with the frightful patience of the 310
reptile folk Conan spat a curse at hi branches Presently he had three long slender shafts, about seven feet long, but each no larger than his thuht for spear handles, and creepers no thicker than cords,” he repeated a previous stateth in union that's what the Aquilonian renegades used to tell us Cimmerians when they came into the hills to raise an arht by clans and tribes”
”What the devil has that got to do with those sticks?” she deths of vines he placed the sticks together, and drawing his poniard, wedged the hilt between them at one end Then with the vines he bound them into a compact bundle, and when he had coth, with a sturdy haft seven in length
”What good will that do?” she demanded ”You told me that a blade couldn't pierce his scales ”
”He doesn't have scales all over hi a panther”
Moving down to the edge of the leafy belt he reached the spear up and carefully thrust it through one of the Apples of Derketa, drawing carefully aside to avoid the darkly purple drops that dripped from the pierced fruit Presently he withdrew the blade and showed her the blue steel stained a dull purplish crimson
”I don't knohether it will do the job or not,” quoth he ”There's enough poison there to kill an elephant almost instantly but well, we'll see”
Valeria was close behind hi the poisoned pike away froh the leaves and addressed thedown there for, youof a parent of questionable morals?” was one of his ain, you long-necked bastard or do you want itimate spine?”
There was more of it some of it couched in eloquence thatthe sea-farers And it had its effect on theworries and enrages more constitutionally silent animals, so the clamorous voice of a e in others
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Suddenly, and with appalling quickness the s and elongated its neck and body in an effort to reach this vociferous pig the pried his distance precisely Sohty head crashed terribly but futiley through the leaves And as the reat snake, Conan drove his spear into the red angle of the hinge of the jawbone He struck doith all the strength of both ar poniard blade deep into flesh bone andthe triple-woven shaft and al Conan froirl behind hirasp He clutched at a rocky projection and grinned his thanks back at her
Down on the ground thewith pepper in its eyes He shook his head from side to side, pawed at it, and opened his ot a huge front foot on the stu as the author of his annoyance, he threw up his head, jaide and spouting blood and glared up at the crag with such concentrated and intelligent fury that Valeria tre roars, thethat was the citadel of his eneh the leaves, snapping vainly on eainst the rock, until it vibrated froripped it with his front legs like a round bodily
This exhibition of primordial fury chilled the blood in Valeria's veins, but Conan was too close to the pri but a fascinated interest To the barbarian, no such gulf existed between himself and other men, and the animals, as existed in the conception of Valeria The monster below the from himself mainly in shape He attributed to it characteristics sis were merely counterparts of the curses he had bestowed upon it Feeling a kinshi+p with all wild things, even dragons, it was impossible for him to experience the sick horror that assailed Valeria at the sight of the monster's wrath
He watched it tranquilly and pointed out the various changes that were taking place in its voice and its actions
”The poison's taking hold,” he said with conviction
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”I don't believe it” To Valeria it see could have any effect on that mountain of muscle and ferocity
”There's pain in his voice,” declared Conan ”First he wasin his ja he feels the bite of the poison Look! He's staggering! He'll be blind in a few more on had lurched about and went crashi+ng off through the underbrush
”Is he running away?” inquired Valeria uneasily
”He'sfor the pool The poison ets back, if he does get back But if he can , and smell us, he'll sit there until he dies, and others of his kind o!”
”Down there?” Valeria was aghast
”Sure! We'll make for the city! We may run into a thousand of the brutes, but it's sure death to stay here Doith you, in a hurry! Followonly to aid his slower companion, who, until she saw the Cimmerian cli of a shi+p, or on the sheer of a cliff
They slid silently to the ground, though Valeria felt as if the beating of her heart must surely be heard forand lapping that indicated that the dragon was drinking at the spring
”As soon as his belly is full he'll be back,” muttered Conan ”It may take hours for the poison to work”
So to the horizon The forest was a ripped Valeria's wrist and glided away fro a the tree-trunks, but Valeria felt as if her soft boots spoke of their flight to all the forest
”I don't think he can follow a trail,” et our body-scent if it bleard hirant that the wind blow not,” she breathed She gripped her sword in her free hand, but the feel of the shagreen-bound hilt inspired only a feeling of helplessnes in her
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It was little over a e of the forest They had coveredand crashi+ng behind them Valeria bit her lip to check a cry
”He's on our trail!” she whispered fiercely, galvanized
Conan shook his head
”He didn't sh the forest, trying to pick up our scent Come on! There's no safety for us in this forest He could tear down any tree we'd climb Make for the plain! If he doesn't catch our scent, we'll make it! The city is our only chance!”
They stole on until the trees began to thin out Behind them the forest was a black i still sounded behind theon blundered in his erratic course
”There's the plain ahead,” breathed Valeria ”A little more and we'll ”
”Crom!” swore Conan
”Mitra!” whispered Valeria
Out of the east a wind had sprung up It blew over them directly into the black forest behind them Instantly a horrible roar shook the woods The aied to a purposeful crashi+ng as the dragon caht toward the spot from which the scent wafted