Part 15 (1/2)

At the crest Conan laid Olivia down, and turned to glare back at the gulf of shadows they had just quitted The leaves shook in a sudden breeze; that was all He shook his htened child Her eyes looked up at him, dark wells of horror

'What are we to do, Conan?' she whispered

He looked at the ruins, stared again into the woods below

'We'll go to the cliffs,' he declared, lifting her to her feet 'Tomorrow I'll ain'

'It was not - not they that destroyed our boat?' It was half question, half assertion

He shook his head, grimly taciturn

Every step of the way across thatterror for Olivia, but no black shapes stole subtly fro ruins, and at last they reached the foot of the crags, which rose stark and gloomily majestic above the a place sheltered by a broad ledge, nowhere near any trees

'Lie down and sleep if you can, Olivia,' he said 'I'll keep watch'

But no sleep ca the distant ruins and the wooded rim until the stars paled, the east whitened, and dawn in rose and gold struck fire frorass-blades

She rose stiffly, her ht In the ination Conan strode over to her, and his words electrified her

'Just before dawn I heard the creak of tie and oars A shi+p has put in and anchored at the beach not far away - probably the shi+p whose sailyesterday We'll go up the cliffs and spy on her'

Up they went, and lying on their bellies a up beyond the trees to the west

'An Hyrkanian craft, fro,' muttered Conan 'I wonder if the crew-'

A distantto the southern edge of the cliffs, they saw athe western rim of the plateau, and stand there a space in debate There wasof swords, and loud rough argument Then the whole band started across the plateau toward the ruins, at a slant that would take them close by the foot of the cliffs

'Pirates!' whispered Conan, a grialley they've captured Here - crawl a these rocks

'Don't show yourself unless I call to you,' he instructed, having secreted her to his satisfaction a the crest of the cliffs 'I's If I succeed in my plan, all will be well, and we'll sail aith them If I don't succeed - well, hide yourself in the rocks until they're gone, for no devils on this island are as cruel as these sea-wolves'

And tearing hi quickly down the cliffs

Looking fearfully from her eyrie, Olivia saw the band had neared the foot of the cliffs Even as she looked, Conan stepped out froave back with yells of lare at this figure which had appeared so suddenly from the rocks There were some seventy of them, a wild horde made up of men from many nations: Kothians, Zamorians, Brythunians, Corinthians, Shemites Their features reflected the wildness of their natures Many bore the scars of the lash or the branding-iron There were cropped ears, slit noses, gaping eye-sockets, stuman as well as scars of battle Most of theold-braided jackets, satin girdles, silken breeches, tattered, stained with tar and blood, vied with pieces of silver-chased ars, and in the hilts of their daggers

Over against this bizarrecontrast with his hard bronzed limbs and clean-cut vital features

'Who are you?' they roared

'Conan the Cie of a lion 'One of the Free Companions I mean to try my luck with the Red Brotherhood Who's your chief?'

'I, by Ishtar!' bellowed a bull-like voice, as a huge figure swaggered forward: a giant, naked to the waist, where his capacious belly was girdled by a wide sash that upheld voluminous silken pantaloons His head was shaven except for a scalp-lock, his mustaches dropped over a rat-trap mouth Green She straight sword in his hand

Conan stared and glared

'Sergius of Khrosha, by Croiant, his s with hate 'Did you think I had forgot? Ha! Sergius never forgets an ene you up by the heels and skin you alive At hi-belly,' sneered Conan with bitter scorn 'You were always a coward, you Kothic cur'

'Coward! To uard, you northern dog! I'll cut out your heart!'

In an instant the pirates had for, their breath sucking between their teeth in bloodthirsty enjoy her nails into her palms in her painful exciteius coiant cat, for all his bulk Curses hissed between his clenched teeth as he lustily swung and parried Conan fought in silence, his eyes slits of blue bale-fire

The Kothian ceased his oaths to save his breath The only sounds were the quick scuff of feet on the sward, the panting of the pirate, the ring and clash of steel The swords flashed like white fire in the early sun, wheeling and circling They seeain instantly Sergius was giving back; only his superlative skill had saved hiht A louder clash of steel, a sliding rasp, a choking cry -fro as Conan's sword plunged through their captain's massive body The point quivered an instant froius's shoulders, a hand's breadth of white fire in the sunlight; then the Cimmerian wrenched back his steel and the pirate chief fell heavily, face down, and lay in a widening pool of blood, his broad hands twitching for an instant

Conan wheeled toward the gaping corsairs

'Well, you dogs!' he roared 'I've sent your chief to hell What says the law of the Red Brotherhood?'

Before any could answer, a rat-faced Brythunian, standing behind his fellohirled a sling swiftly and deadly Straight as an arrow sped the stone to its mark, and Conan reeled and fell as a tall tree falls to the woodsht at the boulders for support The scene swam dizzily before her eyes; all she could see was the Ci from his head

The rat-faced one yelped in triumph and ran to stab the prostrate man, but a lean Corinthian thrust him back

'What, Aratus, would you break the law of the Brotherhood, you dog?'

'No law is broken,' snarled the Brythunian

'No law? Why, you dog, this hts our captain!'

'Nay!' shouted Aratus 'He was not of our band, but an outsider He had not been adius does not make him captain, as would have been the case had one of us killed him'

'But he wished to join us,' retorted the Corinthian 'He said so'

At that a great cla with Aratus, some with the Corinthian, whoes were passed, hands fumbled at sword-hilts

At last a Sheue over a deadfro blow; he's only stunned'

At that the claet at the senselesshi all and sundry Olivia sensed that it was not so much in defense of Conan that the Corinthian took his stand, but in opposition to Aratus Evidently these ius's lieutenants, and there was no love lost between theu with them, his fate to be voted on later

The Ciain consciousness, was bound with leather girdles, and then four pirates lifted hi with the band, which took up its journey across the plateau once ius was left where it had fallen; a sprawling, unlovely shape on the sun-washed sward

Up a the rocks, Olivia lay stunned by the disaster She was incapable of speech or action, and could only lie there and stare with horrified eyes as the brutal horde dragged her protector away