Part 13 (1/2)
”Th-that p-p-puts it m-mildly”
”Nor can I return to my own caves, since the wizard himself had to come and fetch those I was sent after He has no use for failure”
”Wh-what a-are e to d-do, th-then? Live as o-o-outcasts?”
”Well, better outcasts than not at all, but I confess that scrounging a living on our own has little appeal for ree”
Wikkell nodded, and the idea that had been nebulously floating about in his head took on more solidity
”Ever wonder how much better off ould all be had not the witch and the wizard ever come to reside here in the caves?”
”M-m-more th-than o-once”
”Or, since that is wishful thinking, were they to leave, or perhaps destroy each other?”
”M-”
”Perhaps not Neither of us can go hoain while those cursed two inhabit the caves Our lives are practically worthless As such, ht benefit both our peoples?” ”A-a-are y-you s-suggesting r-r-revolution?”
”I am indeed What have we to lose?”
Deek considered this Wikkell's idea, which would have seemed hopelessly absurd only a few days past, did not now sound quite so insane Not when the only other choice was to spend the re froainst the day when either Chuntha or Katamay Rey would discover and thus put a quick end to thee on it, Deek, but it is either thehts on the ree,” Deek said And why not?
”Well, then, let us see e can do to gather help”
Every so often Conan tensed hishi his arrip like iron, and he was in no position to kick them where it would hurt the most
Elashi+ and Tull fared no better, and Conan's smiles did not seem to particularly reassure thehtly at the ain, the Cimmerian had been in difficulties at least this bad before and had survived to live another day Who could say? There was little point in worry since it would not help, and he would better spend his energies preparing to seize any opportunity to better their situation Even free and with his blade, defeating these giant one-eyed beings, not tohe had ever done, but one had to assu was possible
Chuntha watched from concealment as the wizard and his troop went past The time was not yet ripe, but it would happen before Rey reached the safety of his own caves She would e of Bloodbats reached the mouth of the tunnel that led to the Sunless Sea in ti the scene Red identified the wizard and indicated that irritating the same would be paid with dire consequences
The Harskeel thought it would explode froed to keep its temper Why did the Gods thwart it so? Was that a part of the curse, somehow kept secret from it?
”Very well, we shall follow them and seek an opportunity”
”An opportunity to dowhat ?” Red asked
”Never et the boat into the water”
As the Harskeel and the bats entered the water and started after the wizard, Deek and Wikkell watched froe-looking ures into all this Doubtless you recall him or her or it, whatever it is, from the encounter in the bat cave?”
”I-I-I r-recall A-a p-p-puzzle”
For his part, Kata very pleased with himself He had captured the three with iven Wikkell's failure to do so He looked forward to inspecting and questioning them at his leisure once in his own chambers, and doubtless that would provide hi one, especially, should last quite a while before he gave up the spirit
Then the ceiling of the cave just ahead rue rocks into the water, splashi+ng the dock-walkers Al apparition fell froht at them!
Rey's surprise was such that even the most basic defensive spells escaped hi-off e the path of the shrieking htly, so that it missed the dock and hit the adjacent water Still, the attack was enough to startle all those who beheld it These included the cyclopes attending to the prisoners
Rey's attention to the attack frole beat too long
Conan's guards had relaxed their hold enough for hirip, but unfortunately for hi his booted foot into contact with the ht species The cyclops, for all his size and power, gave voice to an alirlish screech at the strike and suddenly found better uses for his hands than holding on to Conan The cyclops clutched at himself, doubled over, and le cyclops holding Elashi+ and repeated the strike that had worked so well before This cyclops was faster, but in order to protect his ability to sire children, he let go of Elashi+ to block Conan's foot That was all the Cimmerian needed, and at the last ht instead into a shove Big as the cyclops was, he was too close to the edge of the dock to withstand Conan's full weight The hapless cyclops teetered on the edge of the dock and then fell into the water
Elashi+,the attack froed to collect the swords and Tull's knife She tossed Conan his blade, and the brawny Ci it back and forth at the Cyclopes holding Tull Said guards wanted no part of Conan's sword, and they hastily released their charge
”Into the water!” Conan yelled
Tull and Elashi+ obeyed, the latter despite her inability to swim
Despite the noise and surprise, they stood little chance of escaping since the wizard was beginning torecover his wits, and there was, after all, no place for the three to go Conan surfaced, towing Elashi+ with his sword held over her chest, and paddled furiously for the nearest shore He expected a bolt of y to sear hi
Chuntha saw her chance So down almost on top of the Wizard, and while he and his troops eous ed to free theive Rey so else to keep his attention while the three attained the shore; she could then collect them later
The witch increased the speed of her worical dock just ahead She res a cork-and-wax-stop-pered cera spell She sht of her
”It's the witch! I knew this was her doing!”
The wizard raised his hands to cast a spell, but Chuntha beat hi boiled out explosively She quickly recorked the jar, but in an instant the area around both worrayness, effectively rendering both wizard and witch invisible to each other
”Set curse you, bitch!”
”And you, you bastard!”
A , but Chuntha countered with another blast of fog from the jar Between those actions and the forces needed to ic in the i any heavy spellwork for a while, not here
Ti, fine-lookingthe shore of the ay, the Harskeel saw the fog in the distance Nohat? it wondered Where was that cursed bat when it needed him? It quickened its pace