Part 31 (1/2)

Conan nodded, feigning more understanding than he actually felt. Still, it began to seem that the piper's magic might be of a kind he had never heretofore met, or even heard of. It was magic to prevent what might otherwise happen rather than to cause unnatural events such as rivers flowing backward, mountains splitting, or dead G.o.ds waking up to ravage the world of men.

No doubt such magic could in time corrupt its wielder, as with any sorcerer. But the corruption might come more slowly. Slowly enough, perhaps, for Conan and Raihna to use Marr's aid in rescuing the princess and making a safe escape.

”We had best move to a safer place, as you suggested,” the piper continued. ”Then, before we move on, we must consider fresh ways of rescuing the princess. Wylla has brought news that I did not expect.”

”I thought that our old scheme was good enough,” Conan said. ”Unless your ankle will keep you from climbing the valley walls,” he added, turning to Raihna.

”Climbing down, no. Climbing up-” She shrugged. ”That monster on my trail may count for more than a sore ankle.”

”We may need to do much less climbing than we expected,” the piper said. ”Wylla thinks that we have a friend among the Pougoi.” The woman whispered to the piper, and he nodded. ”Or at least a man who is no enemy to the princess, even if he serves Count Syzambry.”

”What?” Conan would have bellowed louder than the bear had Raihna not put a hand over his mouth. More quietly, he said, ”This demands even more explaining than your climbing trees to make music while we fought the bear!”

”I shall explain when we are a safe distance from here,” Marr said.

”The thoughts of the bear may not have reached the Star Brothers.

Indeed, I believe they did not. I am less sure about the bear's kin. Do you fancy a fight against them?”

By the time Wylla and Marr finished telling of ”Lord Aybas” and his curious conduct, it was too late to reach the valley before daylight.

The four travelers covered some two thirds of the distance, then found a sleeping place in a stand of fir trees so dense that an army might not have discovered them.

The tale would have been longer still and much less convincing had Wylla not decided that Conan and Raihna could be trusted. So she revealed her knowledge of the lowland speech and told most of the tale herself. This, in turn, left Conan and Raihna more willing to believe it.

Not that the tale was easy to believe at best, as Raihna made plain when she and Conan were clearing a place for their blankets. ”Aybas may be playing some game too deep for Wylla to understand, it seems to me,”

she said.

”Then it would be too deep for our musical magician, and if he's not a master of intrigue, I'm a Stygian,” Conan said.

”He may know only what Wylla has told him,” Raihna suggested.

”True enough,” Conan replied. ”But we can't turn about and run for home with our tails between our legs after coming this far. We'll go on down. If it's a trap, we can at least cut Aybas's throat in due time.”

”Yes, and Wylla's.” Raihna embraced him. ”It does you honor that you'll not harm a woman. But I've sworn no such oath, and if Wylla betrays, us, she'll go with us. I've always fancied having a serving maid, in this world or some other.”

Conan returned the embrace, but he could not entirely avoid the thought that any man who made an enemy of Raihna would be lucky to live long.

Did Decius know this small truth about the lady he was courting?

Chapter 14.

Aybas awoke, at first certain that a new nightmare afflicted him. A giant loomed over him, so black that he seemed to devour light except for his eyes, which gleamed an icy blue. Others were present in the nightmare, but Aybas could make out only little of them.

Then he sensed cold steel against his skin and a sharp point at his throat. Either the demons who rode by night had new powers over the minds of men, or he was no longer asleep.

Aybas chose to think himself awake, and he asked a question that could at least do no harm: ”What do you want of me, friends?”

”Hah!” the giant said. ”Leave the last word off your tongue or give over pandering for a usurper.”

That made it evident who the visitors were: folk loyal to King Eloikas.