Part 36 (1/2)
It was Raihna, all but screa her up onto the path, then leaped hi under his feet, and he nearly fell as he landed
He did not fall, however, and both he and Raihna overtook the others in moments None of them paused until they were halfway up the path Then they stopped to look back
No one would be pursuing them across the top of the dam any too easily, even should the beast die in the next ap wider than a royal road lay open in the top of the dah it
Mist seemed to rise even from the foam, and the lake itself was all but invisible
The fires beneath the water tinted the ht the beast seehostly shapes of h the mist at intervals
Conan turned to speak to Marr He did not expect an answer, or even wish the ainst the beast
He did want to assure hiht Conan opened his ered as if struck on the head Then he toppled sideways
Only Conan's hand gripping his tunic kept hi, and had he fallen, he would have rolled off the path and down the cliff toward the lake
Screams told Conan that others had not been so fortunate He clutched Wylla's ankle as she sprawled face down, then held on until she dug in fingers and toes so as to keep her place
Raihna needed no help, and Aybas had fallen sitting He was cursing and rubbing his ru so loudly could be hurt
Oyzhik was doomed Barely aware of the world around hiic, he had no hope when that ic ceased Conan saw the traitorous captain roll down the hill toward a vertical drop, ar like those of a child's doll
The captain never took the final plunge A tentacle lunged out of the h to wind around Oyzhik three tie crushed his chest and belly Mouths opened in the tentacle to suck in the blood Then tentacle and prey vanished into the mist
As Oyzhik vanished, Conan realized that he had not seen the princess or her babe He braced hiainst a stunted tree and exa rocks could have crushed them The Cimmerian also saw no place where they could have fetched up safe once they began rolling-
A dark-haired head see, shapely arm waved frantically Conan thanked the Gods that his eyes had deceived hied down the slope
He reached the princess only a few paces ahead of Raihna They were both ready, swords drahen another tentacle took shape out of theprey Then it roared louder as both Conan and Raihna slashed at the tentacle The beast was flesh and blood It could feel pain and cry out
Conan and Raihna gave the creature a good deal of pain in the next fewa blade so fast or so hard in his life, for all that each blow jarred his ar now, in rhythm with the roars of the beast
Greenish ichor spurted from the wounds, and yellow foa the Cirip on the sharkskin hilt of his sword uncertain The stenchcha of flesh that held the end of the tentacle to the ave way under a furious stroke from Raihna The main body of the tentacle drew back, and not only mist but foam spewed up fro soe of the drop, a fleece-wrapped bundle that Conan realized carried Prince Urras, awake now that Marr's spells no longer held him asleep
”Hold on to him and I'll pull you both up!” Conan shouted
”Mistress Raihna! Take the babe!” The princess was adamant, and Raihna responded to her appeal Before Conan could reach for Chienna's hands, Raihna knelt, picked up the babe, and darted up the slope
Conan knelt in turn, gripped long-fingered hands, and heaved The princess was no dainty court lady, and it burdened even the Ciround
It also did Chienna's attire no good Conan had seen tavern dancers at the end of their dance wearing less than she wore now He had also seen tavern dancers less worthy of being so clad With the greater part of her clothes in rags, she no longer appeared so thin-flanked
The princess seemed to want to throw herself into the Ciripped his shoulders with both hands and laid her head on his chest They were standing thus when Raihna's voice shrilled froain!”
Conan conte for them He contemplated the battered sword in his hand He conteave her a firm shove on the rump with his free hand She scrambled up the slope tohere Wylla held her babe as Raihna leaped down for a last stand beside Conan