Part 5 (1/2)

'You lie!' Xaltotun's laugh was e 'It is a poisonous serpent! What a fool you are, to wear a reptile about your waist!'

With distended eyes the man looked down; and to his utter horror he saw the buckle of his girdle rear up at him It was a snake's head! He saw the evil eyes and the dripping fangs, heard the hiss and felt the loathso about his body He screamed hideously and struck at it with his naked hand, felt its fangs flesh themselves in that hand--and then he stiffened and fell heavily Tarascus looked down at hiirdle and the buckle, the pointed tongue of which was stuck in the guardsaze on Tarascus' squire, and theinterposed: 'Nay, we can trust hi the horses around

'See that this piece of work remains secret If I am needed, let Altaro, Orastes' servant, suht him I will be in your palace at Belverus'

Tarascus lifted his hand in salutation, but his expression was not pleasant to see as he looked after the departing mesmerist

'Why should he spare the Cihtened squire

'That I arunted Tarascus

Behind the ru chariot the dull roar of battle and pursuit faded in the distance; the setting sun rimmed the cliffs with scarlet fla up out of the east

4

'Fro ride in the chariot of Xaltotun, Conan knew nothing He lay like a dead man while the bronze wheels clashed over the stones of rass of fertile valleys, and finally dropping down fro the broad white road that winds through the rich meadowlands to the walls of Belverus

Just before dawn so of life touched hies Through a slit in the cloak that covered hireat black arch of a gateway, and the bearded faces offire from their spearheads and heler voice, in the Neue

'Well indeed,' was the curt reply 'The king of Aquilonia lies slain and his host is broken'

A babble of excited voices rose, drowned the next instant by the whirling wheels of the chariot on the flags Sparks flashed fro rih the arch But Conan heard one of the guardsmen mutter: 'From beyond the border to Belverus between sunset and dawn! And the horses scarcely sweating! By Mitra, they--' Then silence drank the voices, and there was only the clatter of hoofs and wheels along the shadowy street

What he had heard registered itself on Conan's brain but suggested nothing to him He was like a mindless autohts and sounds flowed y, and was only dih-walled court, and he was lifted fro stone stair, and down a long dim corridor Whispers, stealthy footsteps, unrelated sounds surged or rustled about hi was abrupt and crystal-clear He possessed full knowledge of the battle in the ood idea of where he was

He lay on a velvet couch, clad as he was the day before, but with his limbs loaded with chains not even he could break The roonificence, the walls covered with black velvet tapestries, the floor with heavy purple carpets There was no sign of door or , and one curiously carven gold laht over all

In that light the figure seated in a silver, throne-like chair before him seemed unreal and fantastic, with an illusiveness of outline that was heightened by a filmy silken robe But the features were distinct--unnaturally so in that uncertain light It was al the bearded face into bold relief, so that it was the only definite and distinct reality in that nificent face, with strongly chiseled features of classical beauty There was, indeed, so about the calestion of e, of a profound certitude beyond human assurance Also an uneasy sensation of familiarity twitched at the back of Conan's consciousness He had never seen this man's face before, he well knew; yet those features re in the flesh sohterently, struggling to a sitting position in spite of his chains

'Men call olden voice

'What place is this?' the Ci Tarascus, in Belverus'

Conan was not surprised Belverus, the capital, was at the saest Nemedian city so near the border

'And where's Tarascus?'

'With the arrowled Conan, 'if you et it over with?'