Part 12 (1/2)
”You killed the soldier?
”Of course I slid over the hen he was on the other side of the garden I hid in the bushes;he heardover, it was no trick at all to get behind hirip his neck and choke out his fool's life He was like ood thief should have eyes like a cat”
”You rily
”I? I, a ed the body into the bushes
”Said the novice to the uard until pastfor him now, and find his body, they would flee at once to Yara, bellowing the news, and give us ti up the bushes and catch us like rats in a trap”
”You are right,” agreed Conan
”So Now attend We waste tiuards in the inner garden huh there are sentinels even more deadly It was their presence which baffled , but I finally discovered a way to circumvent them
”73
”What of the soldiers in the lower part of the tower?”
”Old Yara dwells in the chao, I hope Never ed a way We'll steal down through the top of the tower and strangle old Yara before he can cast any of his accursed spells on us At least we'll try; it's the chance of being turned into a spider or a toad, against the wealth and power of the world All good thieves o as far as anyoff his sandals
”Then follow ht the wall and drew hi his bulk; he see Conan followed hi flat on the broad top, they spoke in hispers
”I see no light,” Conan muttered The lower part of the tower seearden a perfect, gleas
”There are cleverly constructed doors and s,” answered Taurus, ”but they are closed
The soldiers breathe air that coue pool of shadohere feathery bushes and low spreading trees waved darkly in the starlight Conan's wary soul felt the aura of waiting lare of unseen eyes, and he caught a subtle scent that made the short hairs on his neck instinctively bristle as a hunting dog bristles at the scent of an ancient enemy
”Follow me,” whispered Taurus, ”keep behindwhat looked like a copper tube frohtly to the sward inside the wall Conan was close behind him, sword ready, but Taurus pushed him back, close to the wall, and showed no inclination to advance, hiaze, like Conan's, was fixed on the shadowy mass of shrubbery a few yards away This shrubbery was shaken, although the breeze had died down Then two great eyes blazed frolinted in the darkness
”Lions!” muttered Conan74
”Aye By day they are kept in subterranean caverns below the tower That's why there are no guards in this garden”
Conan counted the eyes rapidly
”Five in sight; e in a moment ”
”Be silent!” hissed Taurus, and heon razors, lifting the slender tube Low ru eyesjaws, the tufted tails lashi+ng tawny sides The air grew tense the Cie and the irresistible hurtling of giant bodies Then Taurus brought thejet of yellowish powder shot from the other end of the tube and billowed out instantly in a thick green-yellow cloud that settled over the shrubbery, blotting out the glaring eyes
Taurus ran back hastily to the wall Conan glared without understanding The thick cloud hid the shrubbery, and from it no sound came