Part 9 (1/2)
”You jest,” Red said ”You are pulling ”
”Perhaps a sample for your edification?”
With that, the Harskeel produced a small brass bowl from its purse and held it out for the bat to inspect
Red took the bowl and looked at it carefully ”This is eainst thea hollow clink ”I see no blood”
The Harskeel retrieved the bowl ”I wished you to be assured there was no trickery involved” The Harskeel pushed its shi+rt-sleeves back, showing its arms to be bare, and held the san to speak quietly in a language that it knew none around it could understand
The Harskeel finished its incantation
The bowl began to fill Dark liquid welled quickly, reaching the bri a meniscus
The Harskeel handed the bowl to Red, who sniffed it
”Why, it smells just like-”
”-blood,” the Harskeel finished ”Go ahead, taste it”
Red looked at the blood and his feeding tube started to flick out, then stopped, ”How do I know it is not poisoned?”
The Harskeel smiled ”You do not However, why should I bother? If I had wanted you dead, I could have easily had you impaled upon three pikes earlier”
Red considered this ”Thattube and inserted it into the bowl of liquid Faster than it had come, the blood vanished
”Why, this is excellent! The best I have ever tasted!”
”So glad you liked it”
”This spell, ould it take to obtain it? And how ht get to that The spell has liet as much as, oh, six or seven barrels” ”Sevenbarrels ? How hoonderful! We could feast a hundred of us on that”
”Of course the spell will recharge itself after a few days, and be able to make that !”
The Harskeel grinned Truly these bats were not adept at trading In fact, the spell would produce a half dozen barrels of blood, but only once Were this fluid not consu it totally useless Of course by the tione
”I a someone who escaped via this body of water,” the Harskeel said ”I require a boat, and someone who can tow it as well”
”That's all?”
”I alanced at the empty bowl ”Well, I must confess that there is little free wood in the caves Boats are normally made fro, so long as it floats”
”Hmm I am certain that we can come up hat you require I shall convey this offer toYou, ah, ait right here until I return?”
”Indeed I shall”
”I shall hurry” Red gathered hiht want to tell Zate to stay his pike”
The Harskeel laughed ”No problem, Red, my friend”
With that, the bat zipped into the air and darted away
The Harskeel watched the bat flit off through the nearest exit It was very pleased with itself A small spell that would buy hih If all of the bats were as gullible as Red, the transaction would be as slass They could be easily bluffed and tricked; Zate's skill with a pike, for instance, was such that he would be et at two paces,bat at five times that distance Pikes were not er e such a task
”This river seeo on forever,” Elashi+ said
”Aye,” Conan responded ”And it seeht”
”Best hope we co point soon,” Tull said ”Look”
Conan and Elashi+ followed the direction of Tull's pointing finger Conan sahat the h Elashi+ did not ”What?” she asked ”I see nothing amiss”
”The fish rides lower in the water,” Conan said ”Observe the'steps' I cut out”
Indeed, it was obvious that their boat was sinking, albeit slowly; several of the steps nearest the edges of the great fish were under the water
”Why is it doing that?” Elashi+ asked
Conan shrugged He knew little of such things
Tull said, ”Perhaps other fishy predators were at the bottoed”
”Can we do anything about it?”
”Find a good spot to start walking, I should think,” Tull said ”Although we can probably get another day or two out of it before it goes under for good”
An hour later Conan shook his head ”I like this not,” he said
”What now?” Elashi+ asked
”We have turned almost back in the sans of that How can you know this?”
Conan shrugged again He had an innate sense of direction, had had it as long as he could reet lost, of course, but souide usually oriented his