Part 18 (2/2)

But Conan shook his head 'There is no nobler land on earth than Poitain But it cannot stand alone, bold as are its sons'

'It _did_ stand alone for generations,' retorted Trocero, with the quick jealous pride of his breed 'We were not always a part of Aquilonia'

'I know But conditions are not as they were then, when all kingdoms were broken into principalities which warred with each other The days of dukedoms and free cities are past, the days of e ith'

'Then let us unite Zingara with Poitain,' argued Trocero 'Half a dozen princes strive against each other, and the country is torn asunder by civil wars We will conquer it, province by province, and add it to your doarans ill conquer Argos and Ophir We will build an eain Conan shook his head 'Let others dream imperial dreams I but wish to hold what is ether by blood and fire It's one thing to seize a throne with the aid of its subjects and rule then realm and rule it by fear I don't wish to be another Valerius No, Trocero, I'll rule all Aquilonia and no '

'Then lead us over the mountains and ill sloith appreciation

'No, Trocero It would be a vain sacrifice I've told you what I dom I must find the Heart of Ahriman'

'But this is s of a heretical priest, the s of a mad witch-woman'

'You were not in lancing at his right wrist, on which blue marks still showed faintly 'You didn't see the cliffs thunder down to crush the flower of my army No, Trocero, I've been convinced Xaltotun's no ainst hi to Kordava, alone'

'But that is dangerous,' protested Trocero

'Life is dangerous,' ru of Aquilonia, or even as a knight of Poitain, but as a wandering ara in the old days Oh, I have eneh south of the Alimane, in the lands and the waters of the south Many on't knowof Aquilonia will remember me as Conan of the Barachan pirates, or Amra of the black corsairs But I have friends, too, and men who'll aid rin touched his lips

Trocero dropped his hands helplessly and glanced at Albiona, who sat on a near-by divan

'I understand your doubts, my lord,' said she 'But I too saw the coin in the temple of Asura, and look you, Hadrathus said it was dated five hundred years _before_ the fall of Acheron If Xaltotun, then, is the man pictured on the coin, as his Majesty swears he is, that means he was no common wizard, even in his other life, for the years of his life were numbered by centuries, not as the lives of other men are numbered'

Before Trocero could reply, a respectful rap was heard on the door and a voice called: 'My lord, we have caught aabout the castle, who says he wishes to speak with your guest I await your orders'

'A spy froer, but Conan lifted his voice and called: 'Open the door and let me see hirasped on either hand by stern-looking men-at-arms He was a slender man, clad in a dark hooded robe

'Are you a follower of Asura?' asked Conan

The lanced hesitantly at Trocero

'The word came southward,' said the oes no farther southward, but stretches eastith the Khorotas But this I have learned: the thief who took the Heart of Ahriman from Tarascus never reached Kordava In the mountains of Poitain he was slain by robbers The jewel fell into the hands of their chief, who, not knowing its true nature, and being harried after the destruction of his band by Poitanian knights, sold it to the Kothic alvanized 'And what of Zorathus?'

'Four days ago he crossed the Alios, with a sara in such times,' said Trocero

'Aye, times are troublous across the river But Zorathus is a bold reat haste to reach Messantia, where he hopes to find a buyer for the jewel Perhaps he hopes to sell it finally in Stygia Perhaps he guesses at its true nature At any rate, instead of following the long road that winds along the borders of Poitain and so at last coht across eastern Zingara, following the shorter and more direct route'

Conan sreat board quivered