Part 38 (2/2)

”What the devil is it?” she called

”Techotl says the Xotalancas are in,” he answered hurriedly ”That racket sounds like it”

They ran into the throne-room and burst upon a wild scene of blood So, and the white skulls glea on their breasts, were locked in coer nuht as 337

madly as the reater number of which were Tecuhltli

Olmec, without his robe and naked but for a breech-clout, was fighting before his throne, and as Conan and Valeria entered, Tascela ran from an inner cha nightmare of steel The feud came to a bloody end there The losses of the Xotalancas had been greater, their position more desperate than the Tecuhltli had realized

Driven to frenzy by the word, gasped by a dying man, that mysterious white-skinned allies had joined their eneh how they gained entrance into Tecuhltli re and savage The surprize had aided the Xotalancas and seven of the Tecuhltli were down before they knew their foes were on them But still they outnumbered the Xotalancas, and they too were fired by the realization that it was the death-grip at last, and heartened by the presence of their allies

In a melee of this sort no three Tlazitlans were a er and quicker than they, heforce of a hurricane Valeria was as strong as a man, and her quickness and ferocity outmatched any that opposed her

Only five women ith the Xotalancas and they were down and their throats cut before Conan and Valeria reached the fighting And presently only Tecuhltli and their allies lived in the great throne roo set up aof triumph

”How ca his sword

”It was Xatash across his shoulder

”He heard a noise and placed his ear against the door while I went to the mirrors to look I saw the Xotalancas outside the door and one played on a pipe Xatainst the door, as if paralyzed by the strains of h the panels

”Then suddenly theand Xatony and like a madman he tore opened the door and rushed out, with his sword lifted A dozen blades struck hiuard-room”

”The pipes of madness,” muttered Olmec ”They were hidden in the city old Tolkes found theic hidden in this city if we could only find it”

338

”Are these all of theed his shoulders Only thirty of his people were left Men were driving twenty new crimson nails into the ebony coluo to Xotalanc and see,” said Conan ”No, you won't, either,” his to Valeria ”You've got a stab in your leg You'll stay here and get it bandaged Shut up, will you? Who'll go and guide o!”

”No, you won't You're wounded”

A o with the Cimmerian Their nah silent chambers and halls until they came to the bronze door that erly and it opened under their fingers Awedly they stared into the green-lit chambers For fifty years no oing to a hideous doom

Conan strode in and they followed They found no living men, but they found evidences of the feud

In a chalass-like cases And in these cases were human heads, perfectly preserved scores of theht in his wild eyes

”There is my brother's head,” he murmured ”And my sister's son, and my father's brother!”

Suddenly he went er Howling and frothing he turned and drove his sword to the hilt in Topal's body Topal went down and Yanath turned on Conan The Cimmerian saw the man was hopelesslya cut that severed shoulder bone and breast, and dropped thevictiht the er at the Cimmerian's breast

339

”Crom!” swore Conan ”Are youto Tecuhltli ” and with the name of his clan on his lips, Topal died

Conan rose, scowling Then he turned and hurried back through the halls and chambers, toward Tecuhltli His prily back the way they had come

And as he approached Tecuhltli he are of soasped and panted and advanced with a floundering noise Conan sprang forward and saw Techotl crawling toward hiash in his breast

”Conan!” he cried ”Olht to stay hiht he had slain o! He lied to you!

There was but one dragon in all the forest, and if you slew it, there is no fear but you can win through to the coast! For many years orshi+pped it as a God, and offered up victims to it!

Haste! Olmec has taken her to the ”

His head slu up, his eyes like live coals So that hy Olht have knoas going on in that black-bearded degenerate'shis opponents in his mind There could not be e he felt able to account for the whole clan single-handed

But craft conquered, or rather controlled, his berserk rage He would not attack through the door by which the Xotalancas had coher or a lower level

Doubtless half a century of habit would cause all the doors to be locked and bolted, anyway

When Topal and Yanath did not return, it ht rouse fears that some of the Xotalancas still survived

He went doinding stair, and heard a low groan ahead of hiure strapped to a rack-like frame A heavy iron ball was poised over his breast His head rested on a bed of iron spikes When this became unbearable the wretch lifted his head and a strap fastened to his head worked the iron ball Each time he lifted his head, the ball descended a few inches toward his hairy breast Eventually it would crush hinized him It was Olmec, prince of Teculhtli

When Valeria retired into the chaed the stab in the calf of her leg Silently that woman retired and as a shadow fell across 340

her, Valeria looked up, to see Ol down at her She had laid her blood-stained sword on the couch

”She has done a clu over the bandage ”Letin one of his bulk, he snatched her sword and threw it across the chaiant arms

Quick as he was, she alrabbed her her dirk was in her hand and she stabbed ht her wrist and then began a savage wrestling ht finally told She was crushed down on a couch, disar up at hih prince of Tecuhltli, Oled and bound her and carried her along corridors and hallways to a secret chamber There, before he could have his will of her, cairl, and he had a clash of ith Tascela, in which she persuaded him to drink ith her He did so and was instantly paralyzed She dragged him into a torture room and stretched him on the rack where Conan found him