Part 13 (1/2)

”Ah, my stalwart man is awake at last,” came a voice

Conan turned It was her, the woh for purposes of looks, there seemed little difference, save for the lack of hair and the blue tint to her skin She wore a red wrap he had last seen bunched at her feet

More torches had been set aflaht, and when the Pili wohtly and the wrap gaped wide down her front, revealing again the bare breasts and other delights he had noticed before

”I see you find ht, she cold not help but notice that He shi+fted his position slightly

The Pili wohed When she moved closer, Conan could see that her eyes were catlike, the pupils narrow and diah he spent little ti at that portion of her, since her sloalk caused other parts of her toh the squarish pattern of the cage's bars would allow Conan to reach through therasp ”I am Thayla, Queen of the Pili,” she said ”Welcoes?”

”Usually But fear not, you shall be released soon How may I address you, my stalwart man?”

”I am Conan, of Cie?” She waved at hiht there was more to her comment than it seemed He must be mistaken

”Nay”

”Then I must consider myself especially blessed to be able to take you in,” she said ”Why have you come here?”

”To fetch the boy” He nodded at Hok ”The selkies stole hied”

”I have nothing of value save my sword,” Conan said

She shty weapon”

Conan looked at where his sword lay, on the floor behind the queen, but she was looking at him

What, he wondered, did the queen wish of hier in her eyes see for food

The ay that had been littlestreaed past, a churning brown river ofat a heady speed Even Changed, the selkies would be hard-pressed toon this would be tricky, Kleg realized

The leader of the selkies dispatched a scout to watch for the arrival of the lizard men He would have his troops wait until the lastthe turbulent waters for their attack

Kleg hi of the current at his legs He dropped the water's embrace, shi+fted his form as quickly as he could, and swam across to the opposite bank It was a difficult task, as powerful as he was When he attained the far shore, he had been carried hundreds of spans downriver

After resu walked back to the river's narroidth, the place the lizards would logically-land dwellers arid poor swimmers, the pursuers would likely atte across the river by some bravo would be followed by a thicker rope, and a raft constructed to be worked along the rope There were plenty of trees about, but even so, the raft would take several hours to build, at least, and that in itself should buy Kleg enough time to be safely away and far ahead of the lizards When the raft was overturned and at least some of the lizards turned into carrion, it would take more ti figured he could count on at least half a day gained thusly, perhaps rinned He waved at his troops,for them to move upriver, to allow for the current They would hide there in the thick brush and wait for the lizards; once the raft was constructed, they would slip into the water and attack It was a good plan, Kleg felt

Being the author of such a tactic pleased Kleg, and he felt it only right that he stay and watch it put into practice An hour ain a dozen times that; what survivors remained would never catch hi they even bothered to continue