Part 29 (1/2)
Her calotten!”
E, she faced him with fists on hips and feet apart
Almost he could see the jeweled tulwar at her hip as it had been
”Now that you're no longer being the Lady Tiana,” he said grimly, ”why in Zandru's Nine hells do you want me dead?”
”Why?” she screeched in furious astonish me naked and chained, on hest?”
”There was the matter of the oath you made me swear, Karela Never lift a hand to save-”
”Derketo blast you and your oaths, Cimmerian!”
”Besides which, I had four coppers in one for so paltry a price?”
”You lie!” she spat ”I would not heel at your command, so you let me be sold!”
”I tell you-”
”Liar! Liar!”
Conan snarled wordlessly and clenched his teeth on any further explanation He would not argue with her Neither would he plead That last he had never learned to do
Pacing angrily, Karela hurled her words as if they were daggers, never looking at him directly ”I want you to know my humiliations, Cimmerian Know them, and remember them, so the memory will be a blade to prick you constantly when you are in theproclaims pardons for all who have served a certain tiold in the proper hands so that one prisoner will be forgotten”
”I knew you would escape,” Conan muttered ”As you obviously did”
Her emerald eyes squeezed shut for a moht by a merchant named Haffiz, and placed in his zenana with two score other women That very day did I escape
And that very day was I brought back and given the bastinado, the cane across the soles of my feet I would not cry, but for ten days I could only hobble The second ti returned, I was put to scrubbing pots in the kitchens”
Despite his position Conan chuckled ”A fool he was, to think to tame you so”
She turned to face him, and if her words were soft her eyes heldthe wall I spat in Haffiz' face, told hihed I thought I was a ht differently Henceforth I was to be allowed no waking hour that I was not dressed as if about to be presented to a rances, kohl on e on my lips and cheeks I must learn to dance, to play instruments, to recite poetry Failure in any of these, failure to be pleasing at all ti girl learning to be a woman, no punishment would I receive not suitable for a child How he roared with laughter”
Conan threw back his head and roared as well ”A child!”
Raising a fist as if she wished it had strength to knock hied ”What do you know of it, fool? Having my buttocks turned up for the switch ten times a day Spoons of ca'teen oil forced down h, you barbar oaf! For a year was I forced to endure, and hoish I could make you live a year in the ed to control his ht you would escape in half a year, perhaps less But the Red Hawk turned to a thrush in a silver cage”
”Day and night was I watched,” she protested ”And I did escape, with a sword insent to your bed with no supper?” Chuckles reverberated in his massive chest
”Derketo blast your eyes!” Karela howled She raced forward to pound her sreat chest ”Erlik take you, you Cied, clutching hiainst his chest; he was astounded to see a tear at the corner of her eye ”I loved you,” she whispered
”I loved you”