Part 4 (2/2)
The Kezankians, about a score of them, reined up as the bows of the Za them Soe to dish to be carried by a e One saddle was ee with its rider
”Theyus,” snarled Zyras ”Conan, you lied!
That is no hundredhis sword ”And Keraspa can send for reinforcerowled: ”We have a chance behind this wall I believe it was built by the same race that built the red God's temple Save your arrows for the rush”
Covered by a continuous discharge of arrows from four of their number on the flanks, the rest of the Kezankians ran up the slope in a solid ht bucklers Behind theed his ed into the ures were left behind on the slope, but the rest ca in hairy fists
The defenders shot their last arrows into thesteel The ainst the wall Some tried to boost their fellows up to the top; others pushed sainst the foot of the wall to provide steps Along the barrier sounded the s blows, the rasp and slither of steel, the gasping oaths of dying men Conan hewed the head from the body of a Kezankian, and beside him saw Sassan thrust his spear into the open mouth of another until the point came out the back of theknife into the belly of one of the Za Kezankian lunged, hurling hiiant Cimmerian took a cut on his left arm and crushed in theover the body, he hewed into the ht was going on either side Zyras was cursing in Corinthian and Arshak in Hyrkanian Soorilla-like hands on Conan's thick neck, but the Cimmerian tensed his neck ain until with a moan the Kezankian released hi for air, Conan looked about hi that the pressure had slackened The few re down the slope, all strea blood Corpses lay piled deep at the foot of the wall All three of the Za with his back against the wall, his hands pressed to his body while blood seeped between his fingers The prince's lips were blue, but he achieved a ghastly s behind a rock wall! No matter-it is fate There is a curse on the treasure-all men who rode on the trail of the blood stained God have died” And he died
Zyras, Conan, and Sassan glanced silently at one another: three griures, all splashed with blood All had taken minor wounds on their limbs, but their mail shi+rts had saved them from the death that had befallen their co off!” snarled Zyras ”He'll et the whole tribe on our trail Let usit out of the h treasure for all”
”True,” growled Conan ”But give me back my map before we start”
Zyras opened his mouth to speak, and then saw that Sassan had picked up one of the Zamorians' bows and had drawn an arrow on him ”Do as Conan tells you,” said the Iranistani
Zyras shrugged and handed over a crumpled parchment ”Curse you, I still deserve a third of the treasure!”
Conan glanced at the ht; I'll not hold a grudge You're a swine, but if you play fair with us we'll do the saathered up a quiverful of arrows
The horses of Zyras' party were tied in the pass behind the wall The three men mounted the best beasts and led the three others, up the canyon behind the pass Night fell, but with Keraspa behind them they pushed recklessly on
Conan watched his coerous tiolden statue and no longer needed each other's help Then Zyras and Sassan ht approach hih the Cimmerian was, his barbaric code of honor would not let him be the first to try treachery
He also wondered what it was that the maker of the map had tried to tell him just before he died Death had come upon Ostorio in the ush of blood from his mouth
The Neht-but of what?
Dawn broke as they cae into a steep-walled valley The defile through which they had entered was the only way in
It ca a bowshot above it on one side and falling away to an unmeasurable depth below There seemed no way down into the mist-veiled depths of the valley far below The ht ahead drove hunger and fatigue frolea sun It was carved out of the sheer rock of the cliff, its great portico facing thee
What race or culture it represented Conan did not try to guess He unfolded theto discover athe door
But Sassan slipped froreed
”Fool!” grunted Zyras, swinging down froin of thehis toll”