Part 21 (1/2)

Abruptly she cursed to herself The Cier the same man who had emprisoned a part of her and carried it aith hi of him as he hen she first knew hith of his sword arm Now he commanded erous pack than the hounds she led

”Was he alone?” she demanded ”An you've led his Free-Company here, I'll have your hides for boots!”

”Didn't see nobody else,” Tenio muttered ”That means there weren't nobody else” A small, ferrery man with a narrow face and sharp nose, he spat a tooth into his pal broken ribs and knife gashes growled assent

Marusas, her Zaers

”Let us wake hi time before he died”

Instantly all of thefor one course or the other

”Kill hierous!”

”He's just a man Flay hiht him out there! You don't know!”

”He cut orio's ars!” Karela roared, and the bickering ceased as they turned to stare at her ”I say who dies, and I say he doesn't Not yet, at least! Do any of you y curs care to dispute me? To your kennels!”

She put a hand to her scireen eyes One by one they dropped their eyes fro or to tend their wounds Jae, shaven-headed Kushi+te with shoulders broader than Conan's and the thick fingers of a wrestler, was the last to reer A split of his cheek shohere Conan's fist had landed in the struggle

”Well, Jamaran?” she said She kneanted to replace her, and take her to his bed as well, though he did not know she are of his desires He had thoughts about the proper place for women; sooner or later she would have to show him the error of his ways or slay hili srowled ”I will tell you when, my red-haired pretty” His black eves ran over her body like a caress, then with incredible lightness on his feet for a man of his size he stalked to the nearest table and snatched up aback his head to drink deeply

Karela quivered in shocked outrage as she glared at his broad back

Never before had he been so open She would have to kill hiht, after this But it could not be done now The temper of her band was too delicately balanced Asmove now could wreck all she had labored for With a snarl she released her sword

It was not like the days in Zarie her word, or to think of her as a woed her in some way she did not understand, soed He had woven a thread of weakness into her fabric, and other hts of hiroaned and stirred

”Gag him,” she ordered ”Wove, Derketo curse you! I'll not be bothered by his babblings!”

Conan shook himself as Tenio and Jamaran knelt beside him ”Karela,” he said desperately, ”listen toan evil-”

Tenio tried to shove a rag into his mouth, and screamed as the Cimmerian sank teeth into his hand Jamaran smashed a fist into Conan's jaw; the ferret-faceddrops of blood as he shook it Before Conan could speak again Jaot to his feet the shaven-headed man kicked Conan in the ribs and pulled back his booted foot for another Tenio drew his dagger with his undaleam in his eyes

”Stop that,” Karela commanded ”Did you hear me? Leave him!” Slowly, reluctantly, the two dreay from the Cimmerian

She could feel those sapphire eyes on her He shook his head furiously, fighting the gag, , she turned her back to stare into the fire

Karela knew she could not afford to let herself listen to the young giant He had always been able to talk her into anything Did he put his hands on her, her will melted This time, she told herself, this tiht went slowly for her, and she are that it was because of Conan's eyes on her back The rest of the bandits took the blankets about them on the stone floor, but sleep would not cooad that aze