Part 23 (2/2)

Burning with the fires of outrage and insult, Conan bunched his powerful thews in a final, total effort He lunged, slowly for all his strength, but a definite surge forward

The point of Conan's blued-iron sword touched the rotting form of the wizard on the chest over his black heart, paused for the briefest of instants, then plunged through and sliced open the throbbing pu Conan

After what seehts winked out, the hu stilled

The silence after Rey's fall was alible

Then the quiet was broken Without a trace of irony in his voice, Lalo said quietly, ”Well, I stand corrected”

nobody had anything to say for quite a while after that

Twenty-six

Wikkell and Deek moved to where the remains of the wizard lay on the rock and stared at the spot A thin black powder covered the floor there, all that was left of the once-powerful e

Several more of the cyclopes and worms moved in to look upon the dust and ash that had been wizard and witch ”We have won,” Wikkell said

”I-i-indeed”

Soent of worms moved with them

What, they asked, do we do now?

As easily as that, Wikkell and Deek found themselves cast in the role of rulers

Conan sheathed his sword and went to his Mends

Lalo had arisen and moved to stare into the wizard's chaone,” he said

”And the wizard and the witch are both dead, thanks to you, Conan You are most resourceful”

The Ci hie? He waited for the verbal slash, but none ca even

Elashi+ spoke first ”Lalo! Your face!”

Lalo reached up to touch his mouth The smile returned, but it was different this tione!”

Elashi+ ran to Lalo and elanced at each other Tull said, ”The wizard's dying must have done it”

Conan nodded He looked on as Lalo and Elashi+ hugged, but he felt no sense of jealousy They seeed from that of the desert woman's soon in any event

Lalo and Elashi+ broke their eard Conan Each looked abashed

Conan grinned ”Nay,” he said ”You two shall have ht coue is as sharp as yours was, and without any spell to drive it

Wikkell and Deek approached the Cimmerian The cyclops smiled ”We owe you much, Conan” he said ”Without you, ould still be enslaved How can we repay you?”

That question needed no contemplation whatsoever ”Show us the way out of here,” Conan said

”D-d-done,” the worm said

So it was that Conan, Tull, Elashi+, and Lalo were taken along a twisted corridor that wound upward

Against the di white light stabbed down at the end of the tunnel: sunshi+ne, from the world above

”There,” Wikkell said ”There is the entrance to your world”

Conan nodded and extended his right hand Wikkell understood the gesture, and his own huge hand enveloped the Cimmerian's hand in a powerful squeeze The two smiled at each other ”Go in peace, Conan”

”F-f-farewell,” Deek added

Tull, Elashi+, and Lalo had already hurried up the incline and out of the cave when Conan turned away from the worm and the cyclops and walked toward the exit In his belt pouch he still had a handful of valuable geh to h to keep theh the duel itch and wizard exhausted, but alive and unharlad to see the end of an adventure

Striding boldly, Conan of Cimmeria walked into the sunshi+ne and out of the dihtness of the day

A few spans away his friends awaited him, but for the moment Conan was content to stand with the war his dark hair Free! At last!

Then he smiled and walked away from the entrance to the vast caves He did not look back