Part 3 (1/2)

'-What you had come after, yourself!' finished Demetrio 'You have told me more than you intended! You came here with a definite purpose You did not, by your own adoods are generally stored You knew the plan of the building - you were sent here by so!'

'And to kill Kallian Publico!' exclaimed Dionus 'By Mitra, we've hit it! Grab hi!'

With a heathen curse Conan leaped back, whipping out his sith a viciousness that -lives!' he snarled, his blue eyes blazing 'Because you dare to torture shopkeepers and strip and beat harlots to make them talk, don't think you can lay your fat paws on a hillman! I'll take some of you to hell with uts with ht's work is over!'

'Wait!' interposed Des off, Dionus I'm not convinced that he is the murderer You fool,' he added in a whisper, 'wait until we can su down his sword' Dee of his civilized e to a physical basis, where the wild beast ferocity of the barbarian runted Dionus grudgingly 'Fall back, men, but keep an eye on him'

'Give me your sword,' said Demetrio

'Take it if you can,' snarled Conan Deed his shoulders

'Very well But don't try to escape Four men with crossboatch the house on the outside We always throw a cordon about a house before we enter it'

The barbarian lowered his blade, though he only slightly relaxed the tense watchfulness of his attitude Deled,' he le him when a sword-stroke is so much quicker and surer? These Cimmerians are a bloody race, born with a sword in their hand, as it were; I never heard of the a man in this manner'

'Perhaps to divert suspicion,' muttered Dionus

'Possibly' He felt the body with experienced hands 'Dead possibly half an hour,' he muttered 'If Conan tells the truth about when he entered the Temple he would hardly have had time to co - he ht have broken in earlier'

'I clirowled

'So you say' Demetrio brooded for a space over the dead man's throat, which had been literally crushed to a pulp of purplish flesh The head sagged awry on splintered vertebrae Demetrio shook his head in doubt

'Why should a murderer use a pliant cable apparently thicker than a man's arm?' he muttered 'And what terrible constriction was applied to so crush the man's heavy neck'

He rose and walked to the nearest door opening into the corridor

'Here is a bust knocked from a stand near the door,' he said, 'and here the polished floor is scratched and the hangings in the doorway are pulled awry as if a clutching hand had grasped them - perhaps for support Kallian Publico must have been attacked in that rooed the felloith hily out into the corridor where the murderer must have followed and finished him'

'And if this heathen isn't the murderer, where is he?' demanded the prefect

'I haven't exonerated the Ciate that roo From the street had sounded a sudden rattle of chariot wheels, which approached rapidly, then ceased abruptly

'Dionus!' snapped the Inquisitor 'Send twothe driver here'

'From the sound,' said Arus, as familiar with all the noises of the street, 'I'd say it stopped in front of Promero's house, just on the other side of the silk-merchant's shop'

'Who is Promero?' asked De him here with the chariot driver,' snapped Demetrio 'We'll wait until they couardsmen clomped away De policeure of brooding menace Presently sandalled feet re-echoed outside, and the two guardsly built, dark-skinned man in the helmet and tunic of a charioteer, with a whip in his hand; and a s individual, typical of that class which, risen frohthand men for wealthy merchants and traders

This one recoiled with a cry fro bulk on the floor

'Oh, I knew evil would come of this!'

'You are Promero, the clerk, I suppose And you?'

'Enaro, Kallian Publico's charioteer'

'You do not seeht of his corpse,' observed Demetrio

'Why should I be moved?' the dark eyes flashed 'Soed to do'

'So!' murmured the Inquisitor 'Are you a free man?'

Enaro's eyes were bitter as he drew aside his tunic, showing the brand of the debtor-slave on his shoulder

'Did you know your ht the chariot to the Te for him as usual He entered it and I drove toward his villa But before we came to the Palian Way, he ordered itated in his mind'

'And did you drive him back to the Temple?'

'No He badeht'

'What time was this?'

'Shortly after dusk The streets were almost deserted'

'What did you do then?'

'I returned to the slave quarters where I remained until it was tiht there, and your men seized me as I talked with Promero in his door'

'You have no idea why Kallian went to Promero's house?'

'He didn't speak of his business to his slaves'

Demetrio turned to Pro' The clerk's teeth chattered as he spoke

'Did Kallian Publico come to your house as the charioteer says?'

'Yes'