Part 25 (1/2)

'We shall see,' she answered 'If he loves his followers, he will be at the gates at dawn, to parley I shall spend the night in the fortress I caed my retinue at an inn instead of the palace Besides my people, only yourself knows of my presence here'

'I shall escort you to your quarters, Your Majesty,' said the governor, and as they euard there, and the man fell in behind them, spear held at salute

The maid waited, veiled like her roup traversed a wide, winding corridor, lighted by s notables - generals and viceroys, mostly; none of the royal family had ever honored the fortress before Chunder Shan had a perturbed feeling that the suite was not suitable to such an exalted personage as the Devi, and though she sought to lad when she dismissed him and he bowed himself out All the uest - though he did not divulge her identity - and he stationed a squad of spearuarded his own chaot to replace the one fro else which she had wished to discuss with hiotten until that moment It concerned the past actions of one Kerim Shah, a nobleman from Iranistan, who had dwelt for a while in Peshkhauri before co the liht She wondered if he had followed her fro a truly reain, but hurried out into the corridor alone, and hastened toward his cha his chamber, closed the door and went to his table There he took the letter he had been writing and tore it to bits Scarcely had he finished when he heard so drop softly onto the parapet adjacent to theHe looked up to see a figure loohtly into the roo sheen of steel in his hand

'Shhhh!' he warned 'Don't overnor checked his motion toward the sword on the table He ithin reach of the yard-long Zhaibar knife that glittered in the intruder's fist, and he knew the desperate quickness of a hill and supple He was dressed like a hill blue eyes did not arb Chunder Shan had never seen a man like him; he was not an Easterner, but some barbarian from the West But his aspect was as untamed and formidable as any of the hairy tribesmen who haunt the hills of Ghulistan

'You coovernor, recovering soh he reuard within call Still, the hillman could not know that

'I cliuard thrust his bead over the battlement in time for me to rap it with my knife-hilt'

'You are Conan?'

'Who else? You sent word into the hills that you wished for me to come and parley with you Well, by Crout you'

'I overnor, carefully sinking into the ivory chair, which he wheeled away fro suspiciously at the door, thue of his three-foot knife He did not walk like an Afghuli, and was bluntly direct where the East is subtle

'You have seven of my men,' he said abruptly 'You refused the ransom I offered What the devil do you want?'

'Let us discuss terms,' answered Chunder Shan cautiously 'Terer in his voice 'What do you hed

'Gold? There is old in Peshkhauri than you ever saw' 'You're a liar,' retorted Conan 'I've seen the suk of the goldshuli ever saw,' amended Chunder Shan 'And it is but a drop of all the treasure of Vendhya Why should we desire gold? It would bethese seven thieves'

Conan ripped out a sulrip as the es on his brown arm 'I'll split your head like a ripe melon!'

A wild blue flaed his shoulders, though keeping an eye on the keen steel

'You can kill me easily, and probably escape over the wall afterward But that would not save the seven tribes thehulis'

'I know it,' snarled Conan 'The tribe is baying like wolves at my heels because I have not procured their release Tell me in plain words what you want, because, by Crom! if there's no other way, I'll raise a horde and lead it to the very gates of Peshkhauri!'

Looking at the , Chunder Shan did not doubt that he was capable of it The governor did not believe any hill-horde could take Peshkhauri, but he did not wish a devastated countryside

'There is ahis words with as much care as if they had been razors 'There-'

Conan had sprung back, wheeling to face the door at the saht the quick tread of soft slippers outside the door The next instant the door was thrown open and a sli the door shut - then stopping short at sight of the hill into hishis head ht

'Devi? It was like an explosive echo fronition and intent flaovernor shouted desperately and caught at his sword, but the hill, knocked the governor sprawling with a savage blow of his knife-hilt, swept up the astounded Devi in one brawny ar frantically to his feet, saw the man poise an instant on the sill in a flutter of silken skirts and white limbs that was his royal captive, and heard his fierce, exultant snarl: 'Now dare to hang one A wild screaovernor's ears

'Guard! Guard? screa drunkenly to the door He tore it open and reeled into the hall His shouts re-echoed along the corridors, and warriors ca his broken head, from which the blood streamed

'Turn out the lancers!' he roared 'There has been an abduction!' Even in his frenzy he had enough sense left to withhold the full truth He stopped short as he heard a sudden drum of hoofs outside, a frantic scream and a wild yell of barbaric exultation

Followed by the bewildered guardsovernor raced for the stair In the courtyard of the fort a force of lancers stood by saddled steeds, ready to ride at an instant's notice Chunder Shan led his squadron flying after the fugitive, though his head swam so he had to hold with both hands to the saddle He did not divulge the identity of the victim, but said net-ring had been carried away by the chief of the Afghulis The abductor was out of sight and hearing, but they knew the path he would strike -the road that runs straight to the mouth of the Zhaibar There was no ht Behind therim bastion of the fort, and the towers of Peshkhauri Ahead of them loomed the black walls of the Himelians

3 KHEMSA USES MAGIC

IN the confusion that reigned in the fortress while the guard was being turned out, no one noticed that the girl who had accoate and vanished in the darkness She ran straight for the city, her garh She did not follow the open road, but cut straight through fields and over slopes, avoiding fences and leaping irrigation ditches as sufely as if it were broad daylight, and as easily as if she were a trained uardsmen had faded away up the hill before she reached the city wall She did not go to the great gate, beneath whose arch men leaned on spears and craned their necks into the darkness, discussing the unwonted activity about the fortress She skirted the wall until she reached a certain point where the spire of the toas visible above the battlements Then she placed her hands to her ely

Almost instantly a head appeared at an e down the wall She seized it, placed a foot in the loop at the end, and waved her arm Then quickly and smoothly she was drawn up the sheer stone curtain An instant later she scrambled over the merlons and stood up on a flat roof which covered a house that was built against the wall There was an open trap there, and a man in a ca in any way the strain of hauling a full-grooasped, panting after her long run

'Asleep in the house below You have news?'

'Conan has stolen the Devi out of the fortress and carried her away into the hills!' She blurted out her news in a rush, the words stu over one another

Khemsa showed no emotion, but lad to hear that,' he said

'Wait!' The girl threw her supple ar hard, but not only froht Her upturned face was close to Kheh he submitted to her embrace, he did not return it

'Do not tell the Hyrkanian!' she panted 'Let us use this knowledge ourselves! The governor has gone into the hills with his riders, but he host He has not told anyone that it was the Devi as kidnapped None in Peshkhauri or the fort knows it except us'

'But what good does it do us?' the man expostulated 'My masters sent me with Kerim Shah to aid him in every way-'

'Aid yourself!' she cried fiercely 'Shake off your yoke!'

'You asped, and she felt his whole body turn cold under her arms

'Aye!' she shook hiician! Why will you be a slave, using your powers only to elevate others? Use your arts for yourself'

'That is forbidden!' He was shaking as if with an ague 'I am not one of the Black Circle Only by the coe they have taught ued passionately 'Do as I beg you! Of course Conan has taken the Devi to hold as hostage against the seven tribesovernor's prison Destroy them, so Chunder Shan can not use theo into the hulis They can not stand against your sorcery with their knives The treasure of the Vendhyan kings will be ours as ransom - and then e have it in our hands, we can trick the of Turan We shall have wealth beyond our maddest dreams With it we can buy warriors We will take Khorbhul, oust the Turanians fro and queen of an e like a leaf in her grasp; his face showed gray in the starlight, beaded with great drops of perspiration

'I love you!' she cried fiercely, writhing her body against his, al hi of you! For love of you I betrayed my mistress; for love of me betray your masters! Why fear the Black Seers? By your love for me you have broken one of their laws already! Break the rest! You are as strong as they!'

Aheat of her passion and fury With an inarticulate cry he crushed her to hi kisses on her eyes, face and lips

'I'll do it!' His voice was thick with laboring eered like a drunken ht me shall work for me, not for my masters We shall be rulers of the world - of the world-'