Part 17 (1/2)
Wikkell considered that for a moment ”You said the worms sao of the men There were others, as I recall”
”A-at l-least o-one”
”I should not wonder that while the guards chased those two, the witch uards a-a-re s-s-stupid Wh-why, th-this c-c-cave is f-full o-of th-thieves!”
Wikkell laughed, and had to stop hi too loud ”Let us be about our business, Deek old slug Find us so we can use to keep our necks-you do have a neck?-safe” Nineteen The Harskeel arrived near the witch's quarters in ti a cyclops bound at the wrists frouard Moving back out of sight, the Harskeel called to Red for an explanation
”You walk too slowly,” Red said ”The ether ”Where?”
”Not far Two of themto uard worms ahile the second pair entered the witch's chas”
The Harskeel shook its head Thieves, and bold ones, to risk the witch's domain Not that it mattered It would have whatever had been stolen after it had the four slain Which ought to happen soon, could the bats be believed
”Which way?” the Harskeel inquired
”Followat the rendevouz point but a fewtwo bulging sacks
”Aht it certain you tould have becoround his teeth, but Conan only sedom,” Elashi+ said ”And I shall allow you to carry my share” She thrust the two leather sacks at Conan
The big Cimmerian smiled and shook his head ”I would rather keep my sword arm free,” he said ”Just perchance I should need it” He took one of the sacks from her and hefted it Unfortunately, the rotted leather, unable to withstand this littering torrent upon the rocky floor
”Now look what you have done!” Elashi+ said
Conan did not bother to respond verbally He e handful of the fallen stones and tucked them into his belt pouch Then he stood
”What of the rest?” Tull asked, gesturing at the valuable gems strewn over the floor
”I have all I can comfortably carry,” Conan said
”As Elashi+ has pointed out to reedy, if such makes one stupid” ”But all that wealth-”
”-will be worthless unless we escape these caves Should I be attacked, I would not haveelse”
”Look,” Lalo said, pointing ”One of the bats”
Conan glanced at the creature which quickly flitted back the way it had coht ”One is no threat but there may be others,” he said ”Best we depart” With that, he turned and started off
Tull, Elashi+, and Lalo stared at the fallen gems for a moment, then reluctantly followed the out-lander
Elashi+ bent and retrieved a particularly large e up to Conan, she offered hiood to leave,” she said
Conan looked at the stone Aye, it was a fine specimen He took the jewel froers with a kind of subtle vibration He tucked it into his pbuch and thought no more about it
The witch's ensorceled insect returned to her, bearing the news that the wizard oodly speed This did not appeal to Chuntha in the least Blast hiht well prove too great for her to iven the top speed of her worm raft
Well, no problem was insurmountable In this case, there was a way, albeit a soe Chuntha had held back on utilizing the method earlier, since the risk to her was considerable, but now it seemed the tierous conditions had arisen in the caves than ever she had faced before, and she e whatever she could ere there was nothing left to save
Chuntha caused her living raft toshore with such speed that it partial-ly beached itself Utilizing her e together, freeing her thralls into individuals once again
”Return to my chambers as best and as quickly as you can,” she ordered the for connective tunnels that ht lead them home, the witch removed from her packet of spells one she had used but once in the last two hundred years The parchment upon which the spell was inked had beenextinct from the world of men This creature had been one of the last of its kind, discovered in a hidden valley deep in the fetid jungles east of Xuchotl, in the Black Kingdospan of such a beast dwarfed that of the largest known bird, save that of the roc; the toothed head resembled that of a crocodile; and the curved, black talons on its feet were like unto knife blades
When the spell's words were properly uttered, the parchment would become a cloak; this cloak, rapped around one, ed the wearer into a near-exact replica of that toothed and winged reptile Fearso monster need fear no earthly nemesis; unfortunately, the spell had athe ht stay coed it off hours, or even days, later; too, the cloakcould fail abruptly after a few ht find hi lost the ability to fly Such a hazard required judicious use of the spell; failure at a sufficient height would occur but once
Despite her varied repertoire of ics, Chuntha had only this one spell that would allow her to fly She could not effect aher descent should the cloak suddenly lose its effectiveness There was one rather coht, but by the time she could intone the first feords of it, she would likely be a bloodyas not
The witch selected a high, rocky spire and began to cli only the reptilian parchs had flown and soared beyond coround, so Chuntha deelide
At the top of the spire she squatted and unrolled the scaled parchic words
Katamay Rey could not say that he was totally pleased with his situation, but he felt a certain confidence
A report froe that the witch floated on her worm raft far behind him By the time she understood her error, both Rey and their rasp
Only e shadow passed over the wizard He glanced up, but the air under the high ceiling appeared empty No, wait there, ahead as that? Before he could dothe wizard to surmise
”What was that?” he said aloud
The nearest cyclops, who had noted his ed ”A bat, perhaps?”
”'Twould be the largest one ever,” Rey said ”I think not” But, he thought to himself, if not a bat, then what?
Perhaps the apparitionPerhaps it held no threat to hiination But deep in his black heart, Rey felt another dagger-stab of worry
Deek and Wikkell were feeling very pleased with theone as smoothly as a baby worm's topside The two of theical implement from the witch's arh fro undue interest, the pair halted and Deek explained its operation
The device looked like nothing socard with a tiny hole in one end and a small lever on its side