Part 38 (1/2)
Or perhaps they did not return at all, or returned only as severed heads cast down before the bolted bronze doors It was particularly ghastly, these people, shut off froether like rabid rats in a trap, butchering each other through the years, crouching and creeping through the sunless corridors to maim andeyes of the woman Tascela fixed for ever upon her
”And we can never leave the city,” said Olate, except the viction And of late years even that has been discontinued Once the dragon came from the forest to bellow about the wall We ere born and raised here would fear to leave it, even were the dragon not there”
”Well,” grunted Conan, ”with your leave, we'll take our chance with the dragons This feud is none of our business, and we don't care to get ate, we'll be on our way”
Tascela's hands clenched and she started to speak, but Olhtfall Wait at least until ht, you will certainly fall prey to the dragons”
”We crossed it last night without seeing any,” answered Conan ”But perhaps it would be better to wait untilBut no later than that We wish to reach the west coast, and it's a march of many weeks, even if we had horses”
”We have jewels,” offered Olmec
”Well, listen,” said Conan ”Suppose we do this: we'll help you clean out those Xotalancas, and then we'll all see e can do about wiping out the dragons in the forest”
They were showed into ornate chahts
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”Why don't the Xotalancas colass?” Conan demanded
”It can not be broken,” answered Techotl, who had accompanied him into his chamber
”Besides the roofs would be hard to claes”
”Who is this Tascela?” Conan asked ”Ollanced about hi
”No She is Tascela! She was the wife of Xotalanc the wo?” de and beautiful Are you trying to tell o?”
”Aye! She was a full-grooman when the Tlazitlans journeyed froe of perpetual youth but a grisly knowledge it is I dare not say lided from the chamber
Valeria awoke suddenly on her couch There were no fire-gems in the room, but illulow of the fire-ge over her She are of a delicious, sensuous langour stealing over her that was not like natural sleep Soht of the diure as the sullen Yasala, Tascela's maid, she was on her feet Yasala whirled lithely, but before she could run, Valeria caught her wrist and wrenched her around to face
”What the devil were you doing bending over me? What's that in your hand?”
The woht to cast the object away Valeria twisted her arreat black exotic blossoreen stem
”The black lotus!” said Valeria between her teeth ”You were trying to drugame?”
Yasala maintained a sulky silence, and with an oath Valeria whirled her around, forced her to her knees and twisted her arm up behind her back
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”Tell me, or I'll tear your aruish as her arly up between her shoulder blades, but a violent shaking of her head was the only answer she made
”slut!” Valeria cast her from her to sprawl on the floor The pirate bent over her prostrate figure, her eyes blazing Fear and theall her ruthless anger and tigerish instinct of self-preservation The chambers were as silent as if Xuchotl were in reality a deserted city A thrill of panic throbbed through Valeria, rendering her ood reason,” she ure with its lowered head ”There's soue Did Tascela send you? Does Olmec know you came?”
No answer Valeria cursed venomously and slapped the woman first on one side and then the other The blows resounded in the room
Valeria turned and tore a handful of cords fro
”You stubborn bitch!” she said between her teeth ”I' to strip you naked and tie you across that couch, and whip you withhere”
”Why don't you scream?” she asked sardonically ”Who do you fear? Tascela or Olmec, or Conan?”
”Mercy,” whispered the woman presently ”I will tell”
Valeria released her Yasala was quivering, her li the vessel on the ivory table with a tre hand ”Let me drink then I will tell you” She rose unsteadily as Valeria picked up the vessel She took it, raised it to her lips and then dashed the contents full into the Aquilonian's face Valeria reeled backward, shaking and clawing the stinging liquid out of her eyes, and her h to let her see Yasala dart across the roo back a bolt, throw open the door and run down the hall The pirate was after her instantly, sword out and murder in her heart
The woman turned a corner in the corridor and when Valeria reached it, she only an eaped blackly A damp moldy scent reeked up from it, and Valeria shi+vered That must be the door that led to the catacoe there
Valeria advanced to the door and looked down the flight of steps that vanished quickly into utter blackness She shi+vered slightly at the thought of the thousands of corpses lying in their stone nitches down there, wrapped in theirher way down Yasala doubtless knew every turn and twist of the subterranean passages
Valeria was drawing back, baffled, when a sobbing cry welled up frouishable, and the voice was that of a woman: ”Oh, help! Help, in Set's naht she heard the echo of a fiendish tittering
Valeria felt her skin crawl What had happened to Yasala down there in the thick blackness?
That it had been she who cried out, the pirate did not doubt But what peril could have befallen her? Was one of the Xotalancas lurking down there? Olmec had assured them that the south end of the catacombs alled off froh fro had not sounded like a hu at all Valeria closed the door and hurried back down the corridor She regained her chamber and shot the bolt behind her She was detere hiht their way out of that city of devils But even as she reached the door, a long-drawn screah the halls
CHAPTER
It was the yelling offrom his couch, broadsword in hand and wide awake In an instant he had reached the door and flung it open, even as Techotl rushed in, eyes blazing, sword dripping and blood streaash in the neck
”The Yotalancas!” he croaked, his voice hardly human ”They are within the doors!”
Conan thrust past hied from her chamber