Part 17 (1/2)
”But what other path is there for me, oh Gods?”
Neither the skies, the wind, nor the rocks beneath, answered Aybas's cry
Conan had hopes of taking the Second Company out into the field to put a final polish on its new skills Decius had other plans
”If Syzaeneral said, ”we have no hope against hiuard the palace, the less haruard the palace, the more we leave the count a free hand everywhere else,” Conan replied ”I'er here I don't kno many friends Eloikas has outside the palace-”
”That's King Eloikas to you, Cier here”
”A stranger who's seen his share of battles and intrigues,” Conan reminded the older man ”Such a share that His Majesty made ue against that, or are you regretting it now?”
That was pushi+ng a her rank rather hard, but not harder than necessary, or so it see a boy's passion for Raihna addle the man's and the captain's wits-
Decius shook his head ”I spoke for you then, and I will speak for you nohatever you say to me Just think before you speak, if you have it in you to do so”
Conan gave Decius a tiger's grin ”Well enough, my lord I think that His Majesty must have some friends in this realm Otherwise, Syzambry would have pluo”
”Not unlikely”
”Cursed near certain, I'd say Noill these friends say if they see us hiding in the palace like a 's no coward You know the king's no coward What about our friends? Even if they think that the king's worth helping, ill they do if Syzambry's men are free to roaive the count a sour look, they'll be dead, or running for their lives Running to us for help, e've enough to do for ourselves”
Decius looked the Cirown bright-blue scales or a long, spiked tail Then he shook his head again
”Conan,” he said, ”if you ever 'plump your arse' down upon a throne, I would not like to be the ed ”I've seen a few men win thrones or lose the I've learned is that a throneone The day my arse and a throne do make friends, you can call me a fool!”
”Small chance that either of us will ever have the chance,” Decius said ”But it isus soon Your company's work for now is to make sure that our hospitality is worthy of hiain”
”Later,” it seee of the world for all Conan heard of the matter in the next few days He had little tiiven to the Second Coalley slaves
Oyzhik's traps were many, but for the most part they were poorly made, and too often poorly concealed Conan wondered if Oyzhik had planned this to be sure that histhe traps even if he could not wreck theht of the attack
Be that as itand well-concealed trap orth a dozen that any child could avoid Conan made sure that no child would find any of the ones he set Some were Oyzhik's deadfalls-pits, hidden crossbows and the like-done over with greater skill and bloody intent
Others were altogether new Conan had to be cautious there The palace was vast, built in days when the Border Kingdom bore another name and its main defense lay with armies that marched where other realms now held sway It was also ancient, and it had been several generations since the Border kings had had the gold to paywalls
There were parts of the palace unvisited by any living ed that the count would seek entry by these long-unused paths, and he gave most of his attention to the suspicious traces Stillentire corridors or chambers down on the heads of the workers instead of on the count'sthe noon uard, sword, and a liberal coating of dust and plaster, sitting with a co's labor yawned before her, a pit with a spiked log in the bottom
”When we've closed the pit, we'll lay on another surprise,” Conan said, pointing toward a side hall ”An old catapult cord with a trip release and a barrel of tar We'll have a lighted candle in a clay pot set into the barrel When the barrel breaks and spills the tar, the candle falls into the tar and the whole chamber's ankle-deep in flames”
Several of the Guards cheered at the picture Others called greetings to Raihna, inviting her to join theet into our workin' garb,” one added
Raihna clapped her hand to her sword hilt and stepped back, nostrils flaring in mock fury She set a boot heel into a pile of rubble, and dust flew up like shed, then began sneezing