Part 21 (1/2)

”Wobeku,” the Kwanyi warrior said, ”a reat crack in the earth”

Wobeku sat up and shook sleep froht use so hie?”

”He smells smoke”

”Smoke, as froirded himself for battle When that was done, he was fully awake It was also then that he noticed that the jungle was ht birds and insects did not live down by the Kwanyi shore, but the jungle was neither lifeless nor silent under the moon

Until now Wobeku felt a chill in his loins He sensed that he was about to be called on to fight a foe not wholly of this earth

”See that the druuards at the lesser crack drive the logs we have ready into it” That would be of no avail against unearthly foes, but if anyone huht of ax-work before he succeeded

”Gather the guards about the great crack,” he concluded ”Not too close, but every e boys and the woes At once!”

The esture of respect to a chief before he re it Instead, he nodded and ran off

Wobeku did not run, but he moved at a brisk trot as he headed down the trail tohat he knewbefore he was halfway to his post

SIXTEEN

Conan's band would have gladly run from the smoke faster than they had run from the Golden Serpent There was no need to stop and thrust a spear at the swirling purple wall hard on their heels

If only they could breathe! Heat followed the s tendrils of both sle vines Conan ventured a look behind him, took one of the tendrils squarely in the face, and nearly coughed hi by a will of their own, however, until his wits ruled theain He did not falter or fall, and neither did most of the band Those who did, their co

No one wanted to see a coine living within that purple e shapes lurked there Conan had seen them, Valeria had seen them, and even Emwaya and Dobanpu admitted they were there

The two Spirit-Speakers did not, however, say what those shapes ht be That was about as much as Conan expected of any sorcerer, and he was notrude to those who had saved his life So he followed E

”Here we turn,” Dobanpu called He pointed at a narrow slit in the wall to the right Dried le rot warred with the s But Dobanpu seemed confident, and so far, he had proven trustworthy Also, Conan had no wish to wait for the fire to burn itself out Already there was i in all these caves could have produced Magic was in this fire, ic of a kind that sensible men escaped as quickly as possible, even if they did have a momentarily friendly sorcerer in coap It was a measure of his authority, or of their desperation, that four warriors plunged in without hesitation Four ear Before any o, Emwaya darted in

Dobanpu's howl caused her to thrust her head back into view ”Father, I can climb faster than you Who knohat lies above, or what arts we ainst it? Be ready to help me if I call”

Then she vanished Dobanpu looked about wildly, no longer a sorcerer, but a father seeing his child plunge into danger ”Valeria!” Conan called ”I'll take the rear You join the vanguard and see to Emwaya!”

Valeria left with the next handful of warriors Theso fast that Conan wondered if the way to the surface was easier than he had dared believe If they found stairs- ”Conan!” Valeria called ”There are stairs up to the surface, and open sky above! Make haste!”

Conan needed no urging The tendrils of smoke seemed to curl about his ankles, then his knees, then his waist He drew his sword and hacked at the foes, and saw the hot to his touch, and he knew that if the main mass of smoke surrounded him, he was lost Dobanpu shouted three harsh syllables, then reeled against the wall as if the blood had rushed from his head Conan watched the wall of smoke draw back as the Golden Serpent had done, and felt the heat diap and followed him

The stairs were there, and-incredibly-the Cied Dobanpu toward the rise, but the Spirit-Speaker held back

”I asped, ”or the ser will follow us, catch us halfway up, burn us inwith a sorcerer waswith one The Ciuments with few

This spell called for more than three tiap behind them was yet dark with smoke, but the tendrils did not escape The air in the stairwell remained musty but clean as Conan and the Spirit-Speaker ht up with the rearmost warrior when, from above, Emwaya screaanko's canoe Everyone in the three leading canoes heard it, but only Seyganko heard it in his e in the screaer? Where are you?

No answer came He knew that for her cry to reach him this far out in the lake, she had to be close to the shore Also, she had to be on or close to the surface of the earth

This gave neither knowledge nor consolation He thrust his paddle in deep and looked behind hiave his war cry with all the breath in his body, and thrust again with his paddle

Without th and their sweat, the other warriors were overtaking hione to the mainland, to defend the herds and crops Of the rest, four hundred had taken to their canoes to challenge the Kwanyi on their own shore Only a handful reanko's war cry had been a signal, torches sparked to life in the bows of the onco across the lake behind Seyganko

He held his paddle aloft like a spear until the leading canoes were alht it, and gave his war cry again This tiave it back to hiht and the lake, from shore to shore If the Kwanyi had not knoas coanko began paddling again The brief sense of triu more from Emwaya, neither with his ears nor with his mind

Conan took the stairs two at a tirown Once he nearly ripped a root with one hand and caught hirape

The stairs ended at a ht from the surface, but to picked Ichiribu warriors, that distance was but a child's leap; they had already reached solid ground by the ti he saas a warrior falling with a Kwanyi spear in his thigh

Conan snatched the man's shi+eld and drew his oord, then whirled, searching for Emwaya and Valeria

He found thenarled, twisted roots, each root thicker than the Golden Serpent Valeria was hacking at the spears of half a dozen Kwanyi warriors, while two other warriors already had Eer to close with Valeria not blocked theirl

The warriors whirled to face Conan, tangling their shi+elds one with another in their haste This was fatal to one warrior left unshi+elded Conan brusquely slashed the ive him room to fall

The rest of the Kwanyi formed their shi+eld-line In the next moment, they learned that others besides thee of Chabano the Great Conan beat down one spear with his sword, hooked his shi+eld around the edge of a second man's spear, and kicked upward He was barefooted, but his soles were as tough as leather and the kick had all the power of his leg behind it

The ainst a comrade, who fell out of position Conan feinted at thathim to raise his shi+eld Then he slashed under the shi+eld, taking thebelow the knee

A spear thrust past Conan's ribs, nearly gouging his side, and he whirled again to chop the spear-shaft in tith his sword Then he charged the ainst his opponent's chest until the ht was of Conan's broadsword descending to split his headdress, hair, and skull