Part 28 (1/2)

While the slaughter yet went on along the river, the final act of a gri those who had crossed the barge-bridge before it was destroyed was Tsotha, riding like the wind on a gaunt weird-looking steed whose stride no natural horse could ained the southern bank, and then a glance backward showed hireat black stallion in s had already been cut, and the barges were drifting apart, but Conan ca his steed fro ice to another Tsotha screareat stallion took the last leap with a straining groan, and gained the southern bank Then the wizard fled away into the e reat sword that spattered his trail with crimson drips

On they fled, the hunted and the hunter, and not a foot could the black stallion gain, though he strained each nerve and thew Through a sunset land of diht and sound of the slaughter died out behind thele as it approached Swooping down from the sky, it drove at the head of Tsotha's steed, which screa his rider

Old Tsotha rose and faced his pursuer, his eyes those of a maddened serpent, his face an inhu that shi+ disreat sword gripped high

'Again we ely

'Keep off!' screamed Tsotha like a blood-mad jackal 'I'll blast the flesh from your bones! You can not conquer me - if you hack me in pieces, the bits of flesh and bone will reunite and haunt you to your doom! I see the hand of Pelias in this, but I defy ye both! I a, eyes slits of wariness Tsotha's right hand ca passed by his hel the very sands with a flash of hellish fire Before Tsotha could toss the globe in his left hand, Conan's sword sheared through his lean neck The wizard's head shot fro fount of blood, and the robed figure staggered and crulared up at Conan with no diht, the lips writhed awfully, and the hands groped hideously, as if searching for the severed head Then with a swift rush of wings, sole which had attacked Tsotha's horse In itshead and soared skyward, and Conan stood struck duhter, in the voice of Pelias the sorcerer

Then a hideous thing came to pass, for the headless body reared up fro legs, hands outstretched blindly toward the dot speeding and dwindling in the dusky sky Conan stood like one turned to stone, watching until the swift reeling figure faded in the dusk that purpled the hty shoulders twitched 'A murrain on these wizardly feuds! Pelias has dealt ith me, but I care not if I see him no more Give me a clean sword and a clean foe to flesh it in daon of wine!'

THE HOUR OF THE DRAGON

The Lion Banner sways and falls in the horror-haunted glooon rustles by, borne on winds of doo horse lances break, And deep in the haunted rope in the shadows, the stars turn pale with fright, For this is the Dragon's Hour, the triuht

1 O Sleeper, Awake!

The long tapers flickered, sending the black shadoavering along the walls, and the velvet tapestries rippled Yet there was no wind in the chareen sarcophagus that gleaht hand of each ht Outside was night and a lost windthe black trees

Inside the cha of the shadohile four pairs of eyes, burning with intensity, were fixed on the long green case across which cryptic hieroglyphics writhed, as if lent life and ht The us leaned over it anda mystic syold stick at the foot of the case, and, ible to his companions, he thrust a broad white hand into his fur-triain it was as if he cupped in his pal fire

The other three drew in their breath sharply, and the dark, powerful us whispered: 'The Heart of Ahriman!' The other lifted a quick hand for silence So dolefully, and a stealthy step padded outside the barred and bolted door But none looked aside from the mummy-case over which the reat fla jehile he lare of the gem dazzled their eyes, so that they could not be sure of what they saw; but with a splintering crash, the carven lid of the sarcophagus burst outward as if from some irresistible pressure applied froerly forward, saw the occupant - a huddled, withered, wizened shape, with dried brown lies

'Bring that thing back”?' ht, with a short sardonic laugh 'It is ready to cruent hiss of coe man who held the jewel Perspiration stood upon his broad white forehead and his eyes were dilated He leaned forward, and, without touching the thing with his hand, laid on the breast of thejewel Then he drew back and watched with fierce intensity, his lips lobe of living fire flickered and burned on the dead, withered bosoh the clenched teeth of the watchers For as they watched, an awful transmutation becaus was expanding, was growing, lengthening The bandages burst and fell into brown dust The shriveled lian to fade

'By Mitra!' whispered the tall, yellow-haired ian That part at least was true'

Again a treer warned for silence The hound outside was no longer howling He whimpered, as with an evil dream, and then that sound, too, died away in silence, in which the yellow-hairedof the heavy door, as if so outside pushed powerfully upon it He half turned, his hand at his sword, but the : 'Stay! Do not break the chain! And on your life do not go to the door!'

The yellow-haired ed and turned back, and then he stopped short, staring In the jade sarcophagus lay a living man: a tall, lusty man, naked, white of skin, and dark of hair and beard He layas a newborn babe's On his breast the great jewel smoldered and sparkled

The man in ermine reeled as if froasped 'It is Xaltotun! - and he lives! Valerius! Tarascus! Amalric! Do you see? Do you see? You doubted ates of hell this night, and the shapes of darkness have gathered close about us - aye, they followed hiician back to life'

'And da, I doubt not,' muttered the small, dark hed harshly 'What purgatory can be worse than life itself? So we are all daether from birth Besides, ould not sell his ence in his stare, Orastes,' said the largebeen dead,' answered Orastes 'He is as one neakened Hissleep - nay, he was dead, not sleeping We brought his spirit back over the voids and gulfs of night and oblivion I will speak to hi his gaze on the wide dark eyes of the man within, he said, slowly: 'Awake, Xaltotun!'

The lips of thewhisper

'You are Xaltotun!' exclaiestions 'You are Xaltotun of Python, in Acheron' A dim flame flickered in the dark eyes

'I was Xaltotun,' he whispered 'I am dead'

'You are Xaltotun!' cried Orastes 'You are not dead! You live!'

'I am Xaltotun,' came the eery whisper, 'But I aia, there I died'

'And the priests who poisoned you ans intact!' exclaiain! The Heart of Ahriman has restored your life, drawn your spirit back from space and eternity'

'The Heart of Ahrier 'The barbarians stole it from me!'

'He remembers,' muttered Orastes 'Lift him from the case'

The others obeyed hesitantly, as if reluctant to touch the man they had recreated, and they seemed not easier in their minds when they felt firm muscular flesh, vibrant with blood and life, beneath their fingers But they lifted him upon the table, and Orastes clothed hiold stars and crescent old fillet about his te the black wavy locks that fell to his shoulders He let the, not even when they set hih ebony back and wide silver arolden claws He sat there rew in his dark eyes and -sunken witchlights floated slowly up through lance at his co in uest Their iron nerves had withstood an ordeal that ht have driven weaker s that he conspired, but e was as profound as their lawless ambitions and capacity for evil He turned his attention to the figure in the ebon-black chair And this one spoke at last

'I re Nemedian with a curious, archaic accent 'I ah priest of Set in Python, which was in Acheron The Heart of Ahriain - where is it?'

Orastes placed it in his hand, and he drew breath deeply as he gazed into the depths of the terrible jewel burning in his grasp

'They stole it froht it is, strong to save or to dao While I held it, none could stand before me But it was stolen froia Much I reotten I have been in a far land, across ulfs and unlit oceans What is the year?'

Orastes answered hi of the Year of the Lion, three thousand years after the fall of Acheron'

'Three thousand years!' ? Who are you?'

'I am Orastes, once a priest of Mitra This man is Amalric, baron of Tor, in Ne of Nehtful heir of the throne of Aquilonia'

'Why have you given me life?' demanded Xaltotun 'What do you require of me?'

Thethe working of an unclouded brain There was no hesitation or uncertainty in his manner He caives so Orastes met him with equal candor

'We have opened the doors of hell this night to free your soul and return it to your body because we need your aid We wish to place Tarascus on the throne of Nemedia, and to win for Valerius the crown of Aquilonia With your necromancy you can aid us'

Xaltotun's mind was devious and full of unexpected slants

'You must be deep in the arts yourself, Orastes, to have been able to restore my life How is it that a priest of Mitra knows of the Heart of Ahrier a priest of Mitra,' answered Orastes 'I was cast forth froic But for Aician