Part 14 (1/2)
Gardens and pleasure villas surrounded the walls of Belverus Drowsy slaves, sleeping by their watchure that scaled walls, crossed alleysbranches of trees, and threaded a noiseless way through orchards and vineyards Watch-dogs woke and lifted their deep-boo shadow, half scented, half sensed, and then it was gone
In a chamber of the palace Tarascus writhed and cursed on a blood-spattered couch, under the deft, quick fingers of Orastes The palace was thronged ide-eyed, tre lay was eade priest
”Are you sure he still sleeps?” Tarascus deainst the bite of the herb juices hich Orastes was bandaging the long, ragged gash in his shoulder and ribs ”Ishtar, Mitra and Set! That burns like the molten pitch of hell!”
”Which you would be experiencing even now, but for your good fortune,” remarked Orastes
”Whoever wielded that knife struck to kill Yes, I have told you that Xaltotun still sleeps Why are you so urgent upon that point? What has he to do with this?”
”You know nothing of what has passed in the palace tonight?” Tarascus searched the priest's countenance with burning intensity
”Nothing As you know, I have been eesoteric volues into script he can read He ell versed in all the tongues and scripts of his day, but he has not yet learned all the newer languages, and to save time he has e has been discovered since his tiht until he sent for me and told me of the battle Then I returned to my studies, nor did I know that you had returned until the claht me out of ht the king of Aquilonia a captive to this palace?”
Orastes shook his head, without particular surprize
”Xaltotun merely said that Conan would oppose us no more I supposed that he had fallen, but did not ask the details”
”Xaltotun saved his life when I would have slain him,” snarled Tarascus ”I saw his purpose instantly He would hold Conan captive to use as a club against us against A as Conan lives he is a threat, a unifying factor for Aquilonia, that ht be used to compel us into courses ould not otherwise follow I un to fear him
”I followed him, some hours after he had departed eastward I wished to learn what he intended doing with Conan I found that he had imprisoned him in the pits I intended to see that the barbarian died, in spite of Xaltotun And I accomplished ”
A cautious knock sounded at the door
”That's Arideus,” grunted Tarascus ”Let him in”
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The saturnine squire entered, his eyes blazing with suppressed excitement
”How, Arideus?” exclaimed Tarascus ”Have you found the man who attacked me?”
”You did not see him, my lord?” asked Arideus, as one ould assure hinize him?”
”No It happened so quick, and the candle was out all I could think of was that it was soic ”
”The Pythonian sleeps in his barred and bolted room But I have been in the pits” Arideus twitched his lean shoulders excitedly
”Well, speak, man!” exclaimed Tarascus ieon,” whispered the squire ”The corpse of the great ape!”
”What?” Tarascus started upright, and blood gushed from his opened wound
”Aye! The one!”
Tarascus was gray of face as he ain and the priest reneork upon his led flesh
”Conan!” he repeated ”Not a crushed corpse escaped! Mitra! He is no ht Xaltotun was behind this wound I see now Gods and devils! It was Conan who stabbed me! Arideus!”
”Aye, your Majesty!”
”Search every nook in the palace He ry tiger Let no niche escape your scrutiny, and beware It is not a civilized th and ferocity are those of a wild beast Scour the palace-grounds and the city Throw a cordon about the walls If you find he has escaped from the city, as he may well do, take a troop of horsemen and follow hih the hills But haste, and you may yet catch him”
”This is a matter which requires more than ordinary human wits,” said Orastes ”Perhaps we should seek Xaltotun's advice”
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”No!” exclaimed Tarascus violently ”Let the troopers pursue Conan and slay hiainst us if we kill a prisoner to prevent his escape”
”Well,” said Orastes, ”I am no Acheronian, but I am versed in some of the arts, and the control of certain spirits which have cloaked themselves in material substance Perhaps I can aid you in this matter”
The fountain of Thrallos stood in a clustered ring of oaks beside the road a mile from the walls of the city Its h the silence of the starlight He drank deep of its icy stream, and then hurried southward toward a sreat white horse tied ah he reached it with one stride a linting, ht This was no pluuardsray chain-mail one of the Adventurers, a class of warriors peculiar to Nemedia; hthood, or had fallen fro their lives to war and adventure They constituted a class of their own, so troops, but the Conan knew that he could have been discovered by nothe shadows convinced hihtly, digging his toes into the turf, as his thews coiled tensely
”I was riding for Belverus on A warily The starlight was a long sheen on the great two-handed sword he bore naked in his hand ”A horse whinnied to e a steed should be tethered here I waited and lo, I have caught a rare prize!”
The Adventurers lived by their swords
”I know you,”of Aquilonia I thought I saw you die in the valley of the Valkia, but ”
Conan sprang as a dying tiger springs Practised fighter though the Adventurer was, he did not realize the desperate quickness that lurks in barbaric sinews He was caught off guard, his heavy sword half lifted Before he could either strike or parry, the king's poniard sheathed itself in his throat, above the gorget, slanting doard into his heart With a choked gurgle he reeled and went down, and Conan ruthlessly tore his blade free as his victim fell The white horse snorted violently and shi+ed at the sight and scent of blood on the sward
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Glaring down at his lifeless ene on his broad breast, Conan poised like a statue, listening intently In the woods about there was no sound, save for the sleepy cheep of awakened birds But in the city, a mile away, he heard the strident blare of a trumpet
Hastily he bent over the fallen e the ht have borne was intended to be conveyed by word of mouth But he did not pause in his task It was not many hours until dawn A fewthe white road, and the rider wore the gray mail of a Nemedian Adventurer
VII
THE RENDING OF THE VEIL
Conan knew his only chance of escape lay in speed He did not even consider hiding somewhere near Belverus until the chase passed on; he was certain that the uncanny ally of Tarascus would be able to ferret hiht or an open chase, either suited his te start, he knew He would lead the race for the border