Part 21 (2/2)

”You want es another of those lightninglike bolts?” ”I hope that it does,” Lalo said ”At the chains that bind us Where is your oman? And hurry, in case the wizard has heard the noise and co and filling the chaht, Elashi+ picked up the ical rod and scurried back toward Lalo and Tull

In the guise of the flying reptile, Chuntha soared high around a wide turning in one of the ht: beloas a collection of Blind Whites, hurrying along the corridor

Behind the Whites and not

What misdeed was this? Whites and bats, intent on soether?

Chuntha puzzled over the event, heretofore unseen

There was athering of giant wor as if they had been born of the same mothers instead of enemies for scores upon scores of years

Oh, dear

Whatever the cause of this phenomenon, Chuntha immediately knew that such a collaboration of the cave's inhabitants wasnot to her advantage In fact, she reasoned that it couldbut disaster

The only place they could be going was her chambers, and from the look of them, they did not intend to fall down and worshi+p her when they arrived

Sensha's damnation! That prophesy of unnamed disaster had come forth despite all of her efforts to thwart it!

Given her present circuevity could not be depended upon, Chuntha had no desire to see if the weight of herical apparati lay back at her chaht, likely not

Conan had sohtening, to think that a man without any apparent sorcery about his Not only had he resisted her carnal ics, but now this

The e of when to stay and when to leave, and no doubt about it, it was tiet about Conan, the wizard, the caves, and everything connected with the, but she was less fond of the idea of dying

Unseen bythose below, the ical creature fleith increased speed

Elashi+ pointed the end of the rod at the chains holding Lalo to the wall She closed her eyes and pressedthe stud

Nothing happened

The desert woain A kind of thin whine came from the rod

”So much for that idea,” Tull said ”Looks like it only had one bolt in it”

”Maybe not,” Lalo said ”Maybe it just needs to gather ain unless you have pressing matters elsewhere to which you ain pointed the rod at Lalo's chains and touched the knob She expected nothing, but Lalo's surht bolt zapped forth and struck the iron links Elashi+ again dropped the device, but the force of theLalo to the wall ring had shattered under the iy

”The wizard ic rod

”Perhaps he is out,” Lalo said, ”looking for flies fros” He picked up the rod and examined it ”Patience, Tull old fool We shall have you free in a few moments”

Lalo waited for what he considered an appropriate length of tiain True to his words, the thing functioned as it had twice before, and Tull's chains fell away They were free!

Rey had been sleeping soundly, but even so, the use of potent ic so near had roused him He felt rather than heard it, and swa he noticed was the s cloth

What had caused that? Fire wasin them was too damp to burn without difficulty But that was definitely the stench of scorched wool, and very near

The captives Theythey should not have been able to do

Rey sighed He could not even gather a few h of this

He had planned to keep theuarantee the capture of their comrade, Conan, but not if it meant he had to suffer for it He would kill them now and take his chances on the barbarian's recovery

Rey arose from his bed and went to the chamber where he had left the prisoners

He very nearly ran into theet free of their chains! They were but a few spans fro to leave He raised his hands in a curse-casting posture

”Stop where you stand!” he ordered

One of the in Rey's direction The wizard i rod If it had sufficient charge to send a bolt, he could be in trouble ”Hot!” Rey yelled, waggling his fingers

The grinning e from the small spell Rey had cast upon it

”You have caused h trouble,” Rey said ”I aards to the daain to melt the three, a noise intruded on his concentration It sounded as if so the entrance to his chambers from the main corridor A lot of so with Conan already? No, it was too soon Who, then?

The noise grew quite loud A kind of droning chant

Best he go see what it was; the two guards out front could not be trusted to handle anything

”Stay here!” Rey coret it”

With that, Rey turned to go see what all the noise was about