Part 9 (1/2)

”There was so in the Temple he wished to examine”

”But why should he come here alone, and in so much secrecy?”

”Because it was not his property It arrived in a caravan fro of it, except that it had been placed with theia, and was meant for Kalanthes of Hanumar, priest of Ibis The master of the caravan had been paid by these other men to deliver it directly to Kalanthes, but he's a rascal by nature, and wished to proceed directly to Aquilonia, on the road to which Hanuht leave it in the Tereed, and told him he himself would send a runner to inforone, and I spoke of the runner, Kallian forbadeover what the men had left”

”And as that?”

”A sort of sarcophagus, such as is found in ancient Stygian tombs, but this one was round, like a coveredlike copper, but lyphics, like those found on the ia

The lid was made fast to the body by carven copper-like bands”

”What was in it?”

”The men of the caravan did not know They only said that the ave it to the the tombs far beneath the pyramids and sent to Kalanthes, 'because of the love the sender bore the priest of Ibis' Kallian Publico believed that it contained the diades, of the people elt in that dark land before the ancestors of the Stygians can carved on the lid, which he sas the shape of the diades wore

”He determined to open the Bowl and see what it contained He was like a ht of the fabled diadee jewels known only to that ancient race, a single one of which is worth more than all the jewels of the ainst it But he stayed at ht, he ca in the shadows until the watch, then letting himself in with his belt-key I watched him from the shadows of the silk shop, saw him enter the Temple, and then returned toelse of great value, he intended hiding it soain Then on thethat thieves had broken into his house and stolen Kalanthes' property None would know of his prowlings but the charioteer and I, and neither of us would betray him”

”But the watch seen by him; he planned to have him crucified as an accoulped and turned pale as this duplicity of his eus?” asked Derunted

”So! The very room in which Kallian must have been attacked”

Promero turned pale and twisted his thin hands

”Why should a ift? Ancient Gods and queer mummies have come up the caravan roads before, but who loves the priest of Ibis so well in Stygia, where they still worshi+p the arch-de the toht Set since the first dawn of the earth, and Kalanthes has fought Set's priests all his life

There is sous,” commanded Demetrio, and Pro Conan, as apparently heedless of the wary eye the guardsmen kept on hih the torn hangings and entered the roohted than the corridor Doors on each side gave into other chaes, Gods of strange lands and far peoples And Promero cried out sharply

”Look! The Bowl! It's open and ee black cylinder, nearly four feet in height, and perhaps three feet in diameter at its widest circumference, which was half-way between the top and bottom The heavy carven lid lay on the floor, and beside it a hammer and a chisel Delyphs, and turned to Conan

”Is this what you came to steal?”58

The barbarian shook his head

”How could I bear it away? It is too big for one man to carry”

”The bands were cut with this chisel,” mused Demetrio, ”and in haste There are marks where misstrokes of the hammer dinted the metal We may assu nearby possibly in the hangings in the doorway When Kallian had the Bowl open, the ht have killed Kallian and opened the Bowl hi,” shuddered the clerk ”It's too ancient to be holy Who ever saw metal like it in a sane world? It seems less destructible than Aquilonian steel, yet see how it is corroded and eaten away in spots Look at the bits of black lyphics; they smell as earth smells from far below the surface And look here on the lid!” The clerk pointed with a shaky finger ”What would you say it is?”

Den