Part 21 (1/2)

Swift footsteps padded in the corridor outside, and Gebal burst into the chahtily , and a short leaf-shaped sword in his hand

He stared in stupid amazement at the four invaders, unable to understand their presence; di that he had drowsed unexplainably on the stair he was guarding and up which they must have come He had never slept on duty before But hiswith a note of hysteria in his voice, and the Sheers, his thicklythrust But the stroke was never dealt

A black-sleeved ar staff Its end but touched the Shemite's brawny breast and was instantly withdrawn The stroke was horribly like the dart and recovery of a serpent's head

Gebal halted short in his headlong plunge, as if he had encountered a solid barrier His bull head toppled forward on his breast, the sword slipped froers, and then he melted slowly to the floor It was as if all the bones of his frame had suddenly becoain,' advised the tallest Khitan 'Your servants sleep soundly, but if you awaken them they will die, and you with theone to the house of Servio, near the waterfront, to search for the Zingaran Beloso,' gasped Publio, all his power of resistance gone out of hie; but these uncanny visitants turned his marroater He started convulsively at a sudden noise of footsteps hurrying up the stair outside, loud in the ominous stillness

'Your servant?' asked the Khitan

Publio shook his head ue frozen to his palate He could not speak

One of the Khitans caught up a silken cover from a couch and threw it over the corpse Then they melted behind the tapestry, but before the tallest man disappeared, he murmured: 'Talk to this man who comes, and send him away quickly If you betray us, neither he nor you will live to reach that door Make no sign to show hiestively, the yellow s

Publio shuddered and choked down a desire to retch It ht, but it seehtly of their own accord, as if possessed of an unspeakable life of their own

He pulled hihty effort, and presented a coed ruffian who burst into the chamber

'We have done as you wished, my lord,' this man exclaie'

Publio felt a ht The man swept heedlessly on

'Your secretary, Tiberio, is dead The barbarian slew him, and four of my companions We bore their bodies to the rendezvous There was nothing of value on the barbarian except a few silver coins Are there any further orders?'

'None!' gasped Publio, white about the lips 'Go!'

The desperado bowed and hurried out, with a vague feeling that Publio was both a man of weak stomach and feords

The four Khitans came from behind the arras

'Of whom did this er who did me an injury,' panted Publio

'You lie,' said the Khitan cal of Aquilonia I read it in your expression Sit upon that divan and do not move or speak I will reo search for the body'

So Publio sat and shook with terror of the silent, inscrutable figure which watched him, until the three Khitans filed back into the room, with the news that Conan's body did not lie upon the sands Publio did not knohether to be glad or sorry

'We found the spot where the fight was fought,' they said 'Blood was on the sand But the king was gone'

The fourth Khitan drew ilistened scalily in the laht fro lives, and he has gone southward in a shi+p'