Part 2 (1/2)
It was not the custoood reason, for here East and West le, and trade tall tales Nevertheless, Crassides cast a searching glance at the seven as they jingled away towards the northern quarter They disappeared into the profusion of s about their horse's hooves
The rest of the day passed quietly, but now it seeo on As the sun flung its last rays across the darkening heavens, a tall, burnoosed foreigner reined in before the closed gate and deate by one of the guards on duty, arrived just as the reue?
We let no outlanders in at night to cut our threats and debauch our women! State your naer's glowing eves, half hidden beneath his kaffia, regarded the trooper icily ”My friend,” said the stranger in a barbarous accent, ”for words less than those I have slit a hundred gullets Let me in or, by Crom, I'll raise a horde to sack this bunch of hovels!”
”Not so fast!” said Crassides, thrusting the guard aside ”Get down, you young fool, and I'll teach you how to speak to strangers later
Now, you, sir!” He spoke to the horseate is closed for the night Ere we open it, you rowled the stranger ”I seek Pelias the sorcerer''
”Let him in,” said Crassides The heavy bolts were draatchmen strained at the bronze handles, and one of the door valves swung slowly open The stranger cantered through, not even glancing at those around the gate He headed for the northern district, and the click of his horse's hoofs dwindled in the distance
The discouard spoke to his captain with restrained heat: ”Why do we let this insolent lout ride in as if he were lord of the city? Why not put a shaft through his ribs?”
Crassides sh I doubt it Have you never heard how, years ago, a northern barbarian like this one was captured by the warlord of one of the little city-states of Shem to the south? And how he escaped, rounded up a band of outlaw Zuagirs, and cae horde stor captives in the public square, and burning everything except the pole on which the warlord's head was stuck? This fellow ht be one of that sort
”But alone, he can do us little harm And if he mean us ill, Pelias will know it by his arcane arts and take in to see?”
Conan knew that Pelias lurked in a tower of yellow stone at the northern end of the city He planned to visit the wizard first and later to seek board and lodging Anything would do His body and tastes had not been softened by his years of civilized life A loaf of bread, a hunk ofale were all he wanted For sleep, why, he could use the floor of a tavern if all else failed
Conan had no wish to spend the night in Pelias' abode, for all its luxury Too hted corridors of the sorcerer's dwelling
There caht flew open, and a young girl flung herself into the street
Conan reined in The girl was shaped like one of the mekhrani that people the pleasure houses in the paradise of Erlik's true believers
This Conan could readily see, for her si her but scantily covered Brushi+ng back the jet-black tangle of hair frolance towards the door, which had closed behind her Then her large eyes turned to Conan, sitting his horse like a statue Her hand flew to heryou?” spoke the Ci forward ”Is your lover cross with you, or what?”
The girl rose with a lithe motion ”Two drunken soldiers tried to rape me I came to buy wine for my father They took my round
His barbaric code of chivalrywanton brutality on a woman
”Steady, lass We'll pull their beards yet Just open the door Are they the only guests?”
Nodding in terrified confirmation, she led him to the tavern After astrides Conan was inside The door clicked shut behind him
But no such scene as he had expected confronted him Here were no drunken soldiers to be quieted by a couple of buffets Seven alert ar in their hands
The determination to kill was in their eyes as they instantly rushed upon Conan