Part 12 (1/2)
”W-hy n-not?”
The clier for Deek When they finally attained the orifice, Wikkell noted that it was rather dark within
”I shall go back down and scrape up sous”
”N-n-no n-need I c-c-can s-s-see ell e-enough” ”I shall follow your lead, then”
The two of thes of the first four bats to swoop at Conan The first attacker becathwise by the Cimmerian's blade The second and third bats pulled out of their dives to avoid the deadly sword, but in so doing, they fleithin range of the plants and their sticky lines; the plants wasted no ti the hapless bats in their ropes The fourth batas he avoided a line cast by the Webspinners The grin disappeared as Conan slashed again, re body sailed into the first pike him flat
Elashi+ and Tull cut with their oeapons Conan had time to see Tull open the belly of a bat and Elashi+'s steel take the wing and leg of another
The racket s h the dank air Even so, he grinned This was so he could deal with, a direct threat, and it was far better toabout in these blasted caves forever
With that, Conan stepped forward and whipped his blade back and forth at the next wave of bats
One of the pikeed toward Tull and Elashi+, pike extended to impale them Conan smiled as he saw his two friends leap aside, except that Tull stuck his foot out and tripped the attacker The unfortunatebut only after he had run a good dozen overbalanced paces onto the silken floor covering A pair of sticky ropes flew and connected with the pikeman Plant food he was, and nobody's fault save his own
No time to think about that Back to the business at hand!
The Harskeel was altogether enraged: two of its men were down; the other two hopped around like dancers, failing to engage the barbarian and his friends; and the bats were dropping like cut wheat The Harskeel had drawn its own blade, but it felt no confidence in its ic, it decided, and quickly!
In the Harskeel's belt pouch were two glass vials: one was of shroud powder, the other of sundust
Tossed against a hard surface, the former would explode into pitch blackness, the latter into brilliant light
Were the Harskeel to use the sundust here in the cave, that brightness would certainly blind any who gazed upon it Conan and the other tould be easier to deal ere they sightless
The Harskeel pulled the vial fro in its direction for the ic to work, so attention must be paid
”Conan!” the Harskeel screalanced away fro Conan also drew looks from the man and woman next to him Good! The Harskeel threw the vial
On the Sunless Sea, Katamay Rey felt a disturbance in the air It was a distance ahead, but he was certain that it concerned his quest To his bearers he said, ”Faster! Your best speed!”
The twp cyclopes who carried hi extensions of itself at whatever the speed of its occupants, the party began to move at a run, a pace considerably faster than anyraft at a turning in the ay and stepped ashore She moved to the cover of a boulder half eaten away by water dripping fro, and peeped around the rock to see how far ahead Rey's party had moved She expected to see him no more than a short distance away, but she was surprised The wizard had gained considerably; more, he and his one-eyed trolls nowat earlier Sensha curse him! What was he up to now?
The witch ran back to her raft and increased the turning of the screw that powered her craft Whatever he had in mind, she would not be left behind!
The raft of worms churned out into the ay and -Gods D-d-daiant worm halted his slither and spoke to Wikkell ”I-it's a-a d-d-dead e-end,” he said ”Th-the p-p-passage n-n-narrows j-just a-a-ahead”
”Is there no alternate passage?”
”N-n-none”
”Well, Misha curse it We will have to go back and try the next passage”
”L-l-let u-us h-h-hurry”
Indeed, Wikkell thought, let us do precisely that
The vial that the Harskeel tossed flew through the air to sainst the rock exactly where it had aimed The Harskeel closed its eyes and further covered the flash One, two, three, that should do it!
But when the Harskeel jerked its arreeted it was blackness as thickas cold tar
Curse all the Gods! It had thrown the wrong damned vial!
The cave suddenly went black, and Conan spun about in wonder That creature, the Harskeel, had tossed soht But why? It was h, and potent, but how could darkness favor the Harskeel?
Conan did not want to wait around to find out He whispered ”Elashi+! Tull!”
”Here,” Elashi+ whispered back
”And here,” Tull said
”Move toward me I think I can lead us past the about in the darkness as various beings tried toa wall or each other The bats had a certain expertise, but even they must have relied somewhat upon their eyes Conan heard thuht that had enveloped them
”Conan?”
”Here, Elashi+”
The woman was very near, and Conan reached out and found her His hand touched her breast