Part 17 (2/2)
”The slaves and soldiers are quartered in another part of the citadel,” re away, they doubtless lie drunk on wine or lotus-juice”
Conan glanced through an arched, golden-silledthat let out upon a broad balcony, and swore in surprize to see the dark-blue star-flecked sky It had been shortly after sunrise when he was thrown into the pits Noas past round He was suddenly aware of thirst and a ravenous appetite Pelias led the way into a gold-domed chamber, floored with silver, its lapis-lazuli walls pierced by the fretted arches of h Pelias sank onto a silken divan
”Gold and silks again,” he sighed ”Tsotha affects to be above the pleasures of the flesh, but he is half devil I aood cheer that's how Tsotha trapped ht me helpless with drink Wine is a curse by the ivory bosom of Ishtar,
107even as I speak of it, the traitor is here! Friend, please pourI will pour”
”The devil with that,” growled Conan, filling a crystal goblet and proffering it to Pelias Then, lifting the jug, he drank deeply froh of satisfaction
”The dog knows good wine,” said Conan, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand ”But by Crom, Pelias, are we to sit here until his soldiers awake and cut our throats?”
”No fear,” answered Pelias ”Would you like to see how fortune holds with Strabonus?”
Blue fire burned in Conan's eyes, and he gripped his sword until his knuckles showed blue
”Oh, to be at sword-points with hilobe from an ebony table
”Tsotha's crystal A childish toy, but useful when there is lack of tiher science Look in, your majesty”
He laid it on the table before Conan's eyes The king looked into cloudy depths which deepened and expanded Slowly i on a fa river, beyond which the level lands ran up quickly into a maze of low hills On the northern bank of the river stood a walled town, guarded by a moat connected at each end with the river
”By Croe it!”
The invaders had crossed the river; their pavilions stood in the narrow plain between the city and the hills Their warriors swar palely under the moon Arrows and stones rained on theain
Even as Conan cursed, the scene changed Tall spires and glea domes stood up in the mist, and he looked on his own capital of Tahts of Poitain, his staunchest supporters, riding out of the gate, hooted and hissed by theand rioting, and nia of Pellia, h the e, he saw the dark, triues faded
”So!” raved Conan ”My people turn on me the moment my back is turned ”
108”Not entirely,” broke in Pelias ”They have heard that you are dead There is no one to protect them from outer enemies and civil war, they think Naturally, they turn to the strongest noble, to avoid the horrors of anarchy They do not trust the Poitanians, re forest prince of the central provinces”
”When I co on Traitor's Coround his teeth
”Yet before you can reach your capital,” reminded Pelias, ”Strabonusyour kingdoed lion ”With the fastest horse I could not reach Shaood except to die with the people, when the town falls as fall it will in a few days at most From Shamar to Tamar is five days' ride, even if you kill your horses on the road Before I could reachat the gates; because raising an ar to be hell all my damnable nobles will have scattered to their own cursed fiefs at the word of my death And since the people have driven out Trocero of Poitain, there's none to keep Arpello's greedy hands off the crown and the crown-treasure He'll hand the country over to Strabonus, in return for a mock-throne and as soon as Strabonus' back is turned, he'll stir up revolt But the nobles won't support hi the kingdos to fly like lightning to Ta the jade table-top with his finger-nails, halted suddenly, and rose as with a definite purpose, beckoning Conan to follow The king cohts, and Pelias led the way out of the chaold-worked stairs that let out on the pinnacle of the citadel, the roof of the tallest tower It was night, and a strong as blowing through the star-filled skies, stirring Conan's black hts of Khorshely farther away than the stars above them
Pelias seereatness with the company of the stars
”There are creatures,” said Pelias, ”not alone of earth and sea, but of air and the far reaches of the skies as well, dwelling apart, unguessed of ns and the Knowledge underlying all, they are not nant nor inaccessible Watch, and fear not”
He lifted his hands to the skies and sounded a long weird call that see and fading, yet never dying out, only receding farther and farther into some unreckoned cosmos In the silence that followed, Conan heard a sudden beat of wings in the stars, and recoiled as a huge bat-like creature alighted beside hireat calm