Part 57 (1/2)

He called to Octavia, and the new note in his voice brought her up to her feet and to his side alasped

”Don't stop to talk!” He caught her wrist ”Come on!” The chance for action had transformed him; his eyes blazed, his voice crackled ”The knife!” he irl down the stair in his fierce haste ”The ic Yuetshi+ blade! He left it in the dome! I ” his voice died suddenly as a clear reat room where stood the copper throne sweat started out on his body The only way to that doh that roo that slumbered in it

But he did not hesitate Swiftly they descended the stair, crossed the chareat din of the colossus Halting before the great bronze-valved door, Conan caught Octavia by her shoulders and shook her in his intensity

”Listen!” he snapped ”I' into that room and fasten the door Stand here and listen; if Khosatral coo, run as though the devil were on your heels which he probably will be Make for that door at the other end of the hall, because I'll be past helping you I' for the Yuetshi+ knife!”

Before she could voice the protest her lips were frah the valves and

317shut the that it could be worked frori the throne with its loathsome coils He saw a door behind the throne and knew that it led into the dome But to reach it he must mount the dais, a few feet froreen floor would have lued on the sleeping reptile he reached the dais and lass steps The snake had notfor the door

The bolt on the bronze portal clanged and Conan stifled an awful oath as he saw Octavia coloo Then she saw his shadowy figure and ran toward the dais, crying: ”I want to go with you! I'm afraid to stay alone oh!” She threw up her hands with a terrible scream as for the first tie-shaped head had lifted fro neck

Then with a san to ooze fro in the direction of the paralyzed girl

Conan cleared the space between hi with all his power And with such blinding speed did the serpenthis limbs and body with half a dozen coils

His half-checked stroke fell futilely as he crashed down on the dais, gashi+ng the scaly trunk but not severing it

Then he rithing on the glass steps with fold after sli hiet no purchase to strike a killing blow, and he knew one blowconvulsion ofon his te, tortured knots, he heaved up on his feet, lifting alht of that forty- foot devil

An instant he reeled on wide-braced legs, feeling his ribs caving in on his vitals and his sight growing dark, while his sih the scales and flesh and vertebrae And where there had been one huge writhing cable, now there were horribly two, lashi+ng and flopping in the death throes Conan staggered away from their blind strokes He was sick and dizzy, and blood oozed fro in a dark asped for breath

318

”Next tiasped, ”you stay!”

He was too dizzy even to knohether she replied Taking her wrist like a truant schoolgirl, he led her around the hideous stumps that still looped and knotted on the floor So, but his ears were still roaring so that he could not be sure

The door gave to his efforts If Khosatral had placed the snake there to guard the thing he feared, evidently he considered it ample precaution Conan half expected so of the door, but in the diue sweep of the arch above, a dully glealiratification he scooped it up, and did not linger for further exploration He turned and fled across the rooreat hall toward the distant door that he felt led to the outer air He was correct A few ed into the silent streets, half carrying, half guiding his companion There was no one to be seen, but beyond the western wall there sounded cries andwails that made Octavia tremble He led her to the southwestern wall, and without difficulty found a stone stair that mounted the rareat hall, and now, having reached the parapet, he looped the soft strong cord about the girl's hips and lowered her to the earth Then,one end fast to a merlon, he slid down after her There was but one way of escape from the island

the stair on the western cliffs In that direction he hurried, swinging wide around the spot from which had come the cries and the sound of terrible blows

Octavia sensed that grim peril lurked in those leafy fastnesses Her breath caly and she pressed close to her protector But the forest was silent now, and they saw no shape of ure standing on the edge of the cliffs

Jehungir Agha had escaped the dooiant sallied suddenly froate and battered and crushed them into bits of shredded flesh and splintered bone When he saw the swords of his archers break on that ernaut, he had known it was no hu in the deep woods until the sounds of slaughter ceased Then he crept back to the stair, but his boat for hi nervously, had seen, on the cliff above theantic arir ca the reeds beyond ear-shot Khosatral was gone had either returned to the city or was prowling the forest in search of the man who had escaped hiir was just preparing to descend the stairs and depart in Conan's boat, when he saw the hete froealed his blood and alir's intentions toward the kozak chief The sight of the ratification He was astonished to see the girl he had given to Jelal Khan, but he wasted no ti his bow he drew the shaft to its head and loosed Conan crouched and the arrow splintered on a tree, and Conan laughed

”Dog!” he taunted ”You can't hitof Turan!”

Jehungir did not try again That was his last arrow He drew his simitar and advanced, confident in his spired helmet and close- whirl of swords The curved blades ground together, sprang apart, circled in glittering arcs that blurred the sight which tried to follow the, did not see the stroke, but she heard its chopping i from his side where the Cimmerian's steel had sundered his mail and bitten to his spine