Part 2 (2/2)

Khusrol Mulai! Hop to it, if you do not want your heads hung up in their devil-devil huts! And I hope to Crom you've left me some of that wine!”

The Bloodstained God --------------------

Conan continues his service as a soldier of Turan for a total period of about two years, traveling widely and learning the eleanized warfare As usual, trouble is his bedfellow After one of his more unruly episodes-said to have involved the mistress of the co-Conan finds it expedient to desert fro for loot in the Kezankian Mountains, along the eastern borders of Za alley dohich Conan of Ciroped on a quest as blind as the darkness around him Had there been anyone to witness, they would have seen a tall and enorir khilat, over that a ir cloak of camel's hair His mane of black hair and his broad, somber, youthful face, bronzed by the desert sun, were hidden by the Zuagir kaffia

A sharp, pain-edged cry smote his ears

Such cries were not unco alleys of Arenjun, the City of Thieves, and no cautious or ti in an affair that was none of his business But Conan was neither cautious nor timid His ever-lively curiosity would not let hi for certain ht be a clue to their whereabouts

Obeying his quick barbarian instincts, he turned toward a beaht that lanced the darkness close at hand An instant later he peered through a crack in the close-drawn shutters of ain a thick stone wall

He was looking into a spacious roos and couches About one of these couches a group of men clustered-six brawny Zamorian bravos and two more who eluded identification On that couch another man was stretched out, a Kezankian tribesh he was a powerful ripped each wrist and ankle Between the four of theled on the couch, unable toknots on his lilealistened with sweat As Conan looked, a supplecoal fros and poised it over the quivering breast, already scarred from similar torture

Another man, taller than the one with the red turban, snarled a question Conan could not understand The Kezankian shook his head violently and spat savagely at the questioner The red-hot coal dropped full on the hairy breast, wrenching an inhuman bellow froht against the shutters

The Cimmerian's action was not so impulsive as it looked For his present purposes he needed a friend ae, a people notoriously hostile to all strangers And here was a chance to get one The shutters splintered inith a crash, and he hit the floor inside feet-first, sciir sword-knife in the other The torturers whirled and yelped in astonishar kaffia drawn about his face Over his mask his eyes blazed a volcanic blue For an instant the scene held, frozen, then melted into ferocious action

The iant lunged tointruder The Zaed he rippedsci the knife, flew fro narrow blade in Conan's left hand sliced through the ony

Over the cru corpse the Cimmerian leaped at Red Turban and his tall companion Red Turban drew a knife, the tall man a saber

”Cut hi before the Ciht ”Zal, help here!”

The man called Jillad parried Conan's slash and cut back Conan avoided the sith a shi+ft that would have sha panther, and the saht him within reach of Red Turban's knife The knife shot out; the point struck Conan's side but failed to pierce the shi+rt of black ringConan's knife that the lean blade slit his silken vest and the skin beneath He tripped over a stool and fell sprawling, but before Conan could follow up his advantage, Jillad was pressing hi bloith his saber

As he parried, the Ci with a heavy poleax, while Red Turban was scra to his feet

Conan did not wait to be surrounded A swipe of his scimitar drove Jillad back on his heels Then, as Zal raised the poleax, Conan darted in under the blow, and the next instant Zal was dorithing in his own blood and entrails Conan leaped for the o of thetheir tulwars

One struck at the Kezankian, who evaded the blow by rolling off the bench Then Conan was between hi at the Kezankian:

”Get out! Ahead of s!” screamed Red Turban ”Don't let them escape!”