Part 6 (1/2)
Deek moved quickly, but with added caution He trusted One Eye less than the distance he could fly like a bat, which was to say, not at all
Together, cyclops and worm started for the tunnel
In his cha bubble
In her bed, Chuntha's agitation at being kept waiting blossous
”Which way?” Conan asked as the three fleeing hu of tunnels
Tull scratched at his beard ”I dunno,” he said ”I never took this route afore”
”One is as good as another,” Elashi+ said ”The center path”
Before either man could speak, the desert wo eyebrow at Conan
Conan shrugged ”She is like that I have found it better not to argue It saves much time” The two men followed Elashi+
”Best you slon,” Conan called to Elashi+ She was perhaps ten spans ahead of the Ci nearly full out
”Can't keep up, Conan?” she called back
”No, it is just that-”
His words were interrupted by Elashi+'s scream She dropped suddenly from view, and her disappearance was followed almost immediately by a splash Conan increased his speed and skidded to a halt on the damp rock just short of where the desert woe of the largest cavern yet, balanced on a rocky lip overlooking a vast lake; he could not see the far shore as the fungal glow faded rapidly with distance, the water being illuood ten spans above
A span or so below Conan, Elashi+ carinned down at her ”I can keep up It is just that we don't know these tunnels and weunexpected,” he said
”I hate you!” Elashi+ said
Tull slid to a stop next to Conan, overbalanced and nearly fell but was stopped by an outthrust brawny ar his breath ”The Sunless Sea”
”You know this place?”
”I have seen it froe point, but yes” To Elashi+, Tull said, ”Best you exit the water, lass
There are certain creatures who live in it-”
Whatever ending Tull intended to his sentence was lost in the splashi+ng Elashi+ made as she frantically left the water To Conan's left was a kind of beach a few steps away, and it was but four heartbeats before Elashi+ attained this drier vantage point A short ledge led fro the rock wall to the beach, and Conan and Tull made their way down to the shore to join the woing it out as she did so
”Give ed to keep hiarht, but it was probably best to refrain fro it thus She wrapped herself in the cape, which was hardly drier than her own clothing
”So,” Conan said, ”what of this sea?”
”I know only a little about it,” Tull answered ”It widens as you see here, and narrows to a so on for e lake 'n a truesea-the water ain't brine I learned this from a White I captured once”
”Go on”
”No one knows for certain where the sea ends, but it round”
Conan looked at the still water ”That would be reason enough to follow it”
”Had we but a shi+p and rowers,” Elashi+ put in Sarcastically, as usual
”That ht be possible,” Tull said ”After a fashi+on”
”How so?” Conan asked
”There are creatures in the water A for as a house, if the White could be believed”
”So?”
”In reat western rivers,” Tull said ”These bottoe bladders filled with air When the creatures die, they will float for a tiht e bones as paddles”
”All well and good,” Elashi+ said, ”but how are we to collect this monster fish?”
”We have your swords and my knife,” Tull said ”A sure stroke in a vulnerable spot would slay one”
”And what is to draw one of these fish to a place where we could slay it?” she continued ”We have no bait”
Conan and Tull glanced at each other, then back at Elashi+ The two rinned Whatever else the desert woman was, she was not sloit ”Ha! You are both mad!”
”The other choice is to stay here forever and face the worms, bats, Whites and cyclopes,” Conan said, ”not to mention the wizard and the witch”
”Then one ofyou may act as bait!”
Tull said, ”I ans of the creature”