Part 32 (1/2)

The door swung outward, and two S'tarra entered, dragging Hordo unconscious between them. Straight to the third set of chains they took him, and manacled him there. Without looking at either of the other two men they left, but the door did not close. Instead, Amanar came to stand in the opening. The golden robe had been replaced by one of dead black, encircled with embroidered golden serpents. The mage fingered something on his chest through the robe as he surveyed the cell with cold black eyes.

”A pity,” he murmured, almost under his breath. ”You three could be more use to me than all of the rest together, with the sole exception of Karela herself, yet you all must die.”

”Will you imprison us all, then?” Conan said, jerking his head at Hordo. The one-eyed bandit stirred, and groaned.

Amanar looked at him as if truly realizing he were present for the first time. ”No, Cimmerian. He meddled where he should not, as you did, as the man Talbor did. The others remain free. Until their usefulness ends.”

Haranides' chains clinked as he s.h.i.+fted. ”Mitra blast your filth-soaked soul,” the captain grated.

The ebon-clad sorcerer seemed not to hear. His strange eyes remained on Conan's face. ”Velita,” he said in a near whisper, ”the slave girl you came to free, awaits in my chamber of magicks. When I have used her one last time, she will die, and worse than die. For if death is horrible, Cimmerian, how much more horrible when no soul is left to survive beyond?”

The big Cimmerian could not stop his muscles from tensing.

Amanar's laugh curdled marrow in the bone. ”Interesting, Cimmerian. You fear more for another than for yourself. Yes, interesting. That may prove useful.” His h.e.l.lborn laugh came again, and he was gone.

Haranides stared at the closed door. ”He fouls the air by breathing,”

he spat.

”Twice now,” Conan said softly, ”have I heard the taking of a soul spoken of. Once I knew a man who could steal souls.”

The captain made the sign of the horns, against evil. ”How did you know such a man?”

”He stole my soul,” Conan said simply.

Haranides laughed uncertainly, not sure if this were a joke. ”And what did you do than?”

”I killed him, and took back my soul.” The Cimmerian s.h.i.+vered. That reclaiming had not been easy. To risk the loss again, perhaps past reclaiming, was fearful beyond death. And the same would happen to Velita, and eventually to Karela, could he not prevent it.

Hordo groaned again, and sat up, sagging his broad back against the stone wall. At the clank of his chains he stared at his manacles, then closed his eye.

”What happened, Hordo?” Conan asked. ”Amanar had you brought hence by S'tarra, saying you meddled. In what?”

Hordo's scarred face contracted as if he wished to cry. ”She was gone so long from the camp,” he said finally, ”and you, that I became concerned. It was near dark, and the thought that she must either remain the night in this place or find her way to camp through that blackness .... At the gate they let me in, but reluctantly, and one of the scaled ones ran calling for Sitha. I found the chamber where thrice-accursed Amanar, may the worms feast long on him, sat on his throne of golden serpents.” His one eye closed again, but he spoke on, more slowly. ”Musicians played, men, though their eyes never left the floor. Those snake-skinned demon-sp.a.w.n came, and beat me down with clubbed spears. The mage shouted for them to take me alive. Two of them I killed, before my senses went. Two, at least, I know.”

He fell silent, and Conan prodded him. ”Surely Amanar didn't have you imprisoned merely for entering his throne room?”

The bearded face contorted in a grimace of pain, and Hordo moaned through clenched teeth. ”Karela!” he howled. ”She danced for him, naked as any girl in a zenana, and with as wild an abandon! Karela danced naked for the pleasure of that....” Sobs wracked his burly form, choking off his words.

The hackles stood on Conan's neck. ”He will die, Hordo,” he promised.

”He will die.”

”This Karela,” Haranides said incredulously, ”she is the Red Hawk?”

Redfaced, Hordo lunged to the full extent of his chains. ”She was ensorceled!” he shouted. ”She knew me not. Never once did she look at me, or cease her dancing. She was spell-caught.”

”We know it,” Conan said soothingly.

The one-eyed man glared at Haranides.