Part 20 (2/2)
”I see that I did not credit Tananda with her full measure of suspiciousness,” said Tuth an instruirl, but not every shaft strikes the butt
The question, however, is: what shall we do next? Has anyone seen Ageera?”
”Nay,up that riot against Tananda-very prudently, if I may say so Some say he has left Meroe; so divinations by day and night”
”If our divine queen had the wit of a worm,” sneered Tuthmes, ”she would invade that devil-devil house with a few stout guards the priests to their own rooftree” His two companions started and shi+fted their eyes uneasily ”I know; you are all terrified of their spells and spooks Well, let us see The girl is now useless to us If Tananda failed to wring our secrets froentler ht of interest to us anyway She must die forthwith Muru, can you send your deuards, to make aith the wench?”
”That I can, master,” replied the Kordafan ”Should I not command it to stay there until Conan returns and slay hi whilst Conan lives As long as he holds his present post, he will fight like a devil to protect the queen, his leardless of how he and she ot rid of Tananda, Conan would still stand in our way Hehi of Kush now-the queen's confidant and lover His guards that despite his white skin he is really a black man like themselves inside”
”Good,” said Tuthmes ”Let us dispose of the twain at the sa the torture of Aahmes in the main square, so that none shall say that I had a hand in the slaying”
”Why not set the demon on Tananda, also?” asked Shubba
”It is not yet tin the other nobles behind my claim to the throne, and this will not be easy Tooof Kush Until er, my hold on the throne would be as insecure as Tananda's now is So I a herself by her own excesses”
7 The Fate of a Kingdom
In the main square of the Inner City, Prince Aahmes was tied to a stake in the center Aah man, whose very innocence in matters of politics, it seemed, had enabled Afari to trap him by a false accusation
Bonfires in the corners of the square and lines of torches illuminated an infernal scene Between the stake and the royal palace stood a low platforuards were ranked three deep
The fires shone redly on the long blades of their spears, their shi+elds of elephant hide, and the plumes of their headdresses
To one side of the square, Conan sat his horse at the head of a couards rippled through high-piled clouds
In the center, where Lord Aahuardsmen kept a space clear In the space, the royal executioner was heating the instrue The rest of the square was jaled in one vast, indiscriht picked out white eyeballs and teeth against dark skins Tuthmes and his servants formed a solid clu with dark foreboding All had been orderly so far; but who kneould happen when pried at the back of his mind As time passed, this anxiety beca queen, but on the Neirl whole servant, a black woathering in the square
In the few hours he had known Diana, Conan had becoin, she contrasted in every ith the fiery, te Tananda's lover was certainly exciting, but after a tiht prefer so Tananda, he would not have put it past her to have sent one of her servants to murder Diana while Conan was otherwise occupied
In the center of the square, the executioner blew on his little charcoal fire with a bellows He held up an instruht cherry red in the dark He approached the prisoner Conan could not hear over the mur Aahmes for details of his plot The captive shook his head
It was as though a voice were speaking inside Conan'shim to return to his house In the Hyborian lands, Conan had listened to the speculations of priests and philosophers They had argued over the existence of guardian spirits and over the possibility of direct co convinced that they were all mad, he had not paid ht he knehat they were talking about He tried to disination; but it returned, stronger than ever
At last Conan told his adjutant: ”Mongo, take coo you, Lord Conan?” asked the black
”To ride through the streets, to be sure no gang of rascals has gathered under cover of darkness Keep things under control; I shall soon be back”
Conan turned his horse and trotted out of the square The crowd opened to let hier than ever He clucked his steed to an easy canter and presently drew rein in front of his dwelling A faint rumble of thunder sounded
The house was dark, save for a single light in the back Conan dismounted, tied his horse, and entered, hand on hilt At that instant he heard a frightful screanized as the voice of Diana
With a sulfurous oath, Conan rushed headlong into the house, tearing out his sword The screa roole candle that burned in the kitchen