Part 9 (2/2)
”Well, it does not reallyus will have to take the same ay So it loops and twists a bit, so much the better-we shall be harder to find and see for that”
Conan did not speak to this Perhaps Elashi+ was right He had no logical reason to feel trepidatious; still, some atavistic sense stirred within him, and he prepared himself for the worst
Rey was surprised as he entered the breeding cave of the Bloodbats: the place was virtually es, in any event The floor showed signs of a fairly active stour: the dessicated bodies of several Blind Whites and men lay strewn carelessly about, as well as a number of slain bats Hmm It seemed that his prey had passed this way But where were the bats who nors? There were only a few of theine the re their cave over such trifles A little blood never bothered the bats
Rey laughed, amused by his own joke Blood did not bother the bats That was a good jest! He would have spoken it aloud, but he realized that his escort of cyclopes would likely see little humor in it Stupid creatures, one and all, and fit only for thralls Yes, well, that was all fine and good, but he had business to which he otten off so, and he would likely discover that purpose eventually
Besides, that was not the primary reason for his trip by any means No, and the presence in the cave of dead ury One had to wonder who they were and how they had gotten here, and in ere they connected to the ones Rey sought That a connection existed he doubted not at all He had not lived as long as he had by trusting coincidence any farther than he could pitch a cyclops one handedly
Rey waved, and the pair of cyclopian chair-carriers bent and lifted his sedan froh
In that grating-over-rock voice her thralls had, the advance wore in the bats' breeding cave That news did not bother the witch a whit, but the worm also bespoke a h the cave, along with a nuo
Chuntha shi+fted uneasily on the wor was definitely out of order in the caves if that sluglike wizard would bother to stir his indolent self and go venturing about That he wanted to steal her barbarian she knew; the lengths to which he would go to thwart her surprised her somewhat
The witch's resolve hardened So be it If the wizard wanted a fight, fine She would give it to hiile wisp to be bloay by his hot air She would see about this!
Her an his segain
The other worms initiated their own crawls, and the party moved on
Perhaps two-score bats arrived at the Harskeel's location, dragging by lines behind thee wooden doors
The bat named Red flitted down to stand before the Harskeel ”Your boat,” he said
The Harskeel observed the ancient planking ”You call these things a boat?”
The bat shrugged ”You said it need ht and that of my men”
”If it does not, no matter We shall fly above and support the difference asthe thing”
The Harskeel considered that In point of fact, it had little choice, were it to continue its pursuit of Conan and his co the ”boat,” surely they would ood speed ”Very well,”
the Harskeel said ”Let us asse his needle-pointed teeth ”We would fly rinned So, the creatures were not quite as trusting as he had at first thought Ah, well
No matter ”Have you a container?”
”As it happens, there is a depression in the rock, just over there” Red pointed with a wing tip ”The cleft at the bottom of the declivity should hold about a barrel's worth of liquid, if I as”
”When it comes to liquid, I bow to your expertise,” the Harskeel said ”Come, then, and allow me to offer you some nourishment”
The bats flocked around the Harskeel as it filled a hole in the rock with blood After they had finished drinking, all of the bats agreed that it was quite the best-quality meal they had ever had Pro compared to this, they said They were the Harske'el's friends forever!
”Tell me more about this witch and wizard,” the Harskeel said
Gladly, the bats replied Anything for such a fine friend Anything at all
Eleven
The passage in which the three steered the slowly sinking fish narrowed, although Conan could see that it widened considerably up ahead A few e Allanced around and saw the cause of his worry
Behind theh which they had just e Conan stopped his paddling
”What is it?” Tull asked
”Observe,” Conan said, pointing with the paddle
Tull and Elashi+ turned to look behind them
”Uh~oh,” Tull said
”What is the e holes in a wall Is there sonize this place? You were set on entering one over the other not so long ago”
Elashi+ shook her head ”Whatare you babbling about?”
The big Cies behind them ”We have made a loop,” he said
”Yesterday we entered that passage on the left Noe have returned to the same spot If there is any pursuit, likely it will come from the direction in whichtravel”
”Oh!” Elashi+ said ”Oh, dread”
Dread indeed, Conan thought It seeround via this ay ”What are we to do now?” Elashi+ asked
”I think it best we beach this stinking fish corpse and resume our travels on foot,” Conan answered ”As I recall, there were a series of ss on the wall only an hour or so ahead”
Tull said, ”Aye, right, lad Our boat should get us that far”
”The faster, the better,” Conan said
Boththeir makeshi+ft paddles into the water deeply The sodden fish moved slowly, but move it did