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.His chains left him paces short ofthe other man.At least, though, he had regained enough strength to stand.With a short laugh he sankback."A cell is no place for a duel, and we can't reach each other besides.I'll ask you to watch yourspeaking, though.I serve no sorcerer.""Perhaps," Haranides said, and he would say no more.Conan made himself as comfortable as the bare stone floor and rough wall would permit.He had slept inworse conditions in the mountains as a boy, and of his own free will.This time he did not sleep, though,but rather set his mind to escape, and to the killing of Amanar, for that last he would do if his own lifewere extinguished in the same moment.But how to kill a man who could take a yard of steel through hischest and not even bleed? That was a weighty question, indeed.Some men, he knew, had amulets which were atuned to them by magicks, so that the amulet could beused for good or ill against that man.The Eye of Erlik came to mind, which bauble had at last broughtdown the Khan of Zamboula, though not by its sorceries.That the pendant which Velita had wornnestled between her small breasts was a watch for Amanar's evil eyes was to the Cimmerian proof that ittoo was such an amulet.It could be used to kill Amanar, he was sure, if he but knew the way.But first must come escape.He reviewed what he had seen since being carried to the dungeon, what Orthad said, what Haranides had told him, and a plan slowly formed.He settled to wait.The patience of thehunting leopard was in him.He was a mountain warrior of Cimmeria.At fifteen he had been one of thefierce Cimmerian horde that stormed the walls of Venarium and sacked that border city of Aquilonia.Even before that had he been allowed his place at the warriors' council fires, and since then he hadtraveled far, seen kingdoms and thrones totter, helped to steady some and topple others.He knew thatnine parts of fighting was knowing when to wait, the tenth knowing when to strike.He would wait.Fornow.The hours passed.At the rattle of a key in the massive iron lock Conan's muscles tensed.He forced them to relax.His fullstrength was returned, but care must be taken.The door swung outward, and two S'tarra entered, dragging Hordo unconscious between them.Straightto the third set of chains they took him, and manacled him there.Without looking at either of the othertwo men they left, but the door did not close.Instead, Amanar came to stand in the opening.The goldenrobe had been replaced by one of dead black, encircled with embroidered golden serpents.The magefingered something on his chest through the robe as he surveyed the cell with cold black eyes."A pity," he murmured, almost under his breath."You three could be more use to me than all of the resttogether, with the sole exception of Karela herself, yet you all must die.""Will you imprison us all, then?" Conan said, jerking his head at Hordo.The one-eyed bandit stirred, andgroaned.Amanar looked at him as if truly realizing he were present for the first time."No, Cimmerian.He meddledwhere he should not, as you did, as the man Talbor did.The others remain free.Until their usefulnessends."Haranides' chains clinked as he shifted."Mitra blast your filth-soaked soul," the captain grated.The ebon-clad sorcerer seemed not to hear.His strange eyes remained on Conan's face."Velita," he saidin a near whisper, "the slave girl you came to free, awaits in my chamber of magicks.When I have usedher one last time, she will die, and worse than die.For if death is horrible, Cimmerian, how much morehorrible when no soul is left to survive beyond?"The big Cimmerian could not stop his muscles from tensing.Amanar's laugh curdled marrow in the bone."Interesting, Cimmerian.You fear more for another than foryourself.Yes, interesting.That may prove useful." His hellborn laugh came again, and he was gone.Haranides stared at the closed door."He fouls the air by breathing," he spat."Twice now," Conan said softly, "have I heard the taking of a soul spoken of.Once I knew a man whocould steal souls."The captain made the sign of the horns, against evil."How did you know such a man?""He stole my soul," Conan said simply.Haranides laughed uncertainly, not sure if this were a joke."And what did you do than?""I killed him, and took back my soul." The Cimmerian shivered.That reclaiming had not been easy.Torisk the loss again, perhaps past reclaiming, was fearful beyond death.And the same would happen toVelita, and eventually to Karela, could he not prevent it.Hordo groaned again, and sat up, sagging his broad back against the stone wall.At the clank of hischains he stared at his manacles, then closed his eye."What happened, Hordo?" Conan asked."Amanar had you brought hence by S'tarra, saying youmeddled.In what?"Hordo's scarred face contracted as if he wished to cry."She was gone so long from the camp," he saidfinally, "and you, that I became concerned.It was near dark, and the thought that she must either remainthe night in this place or find her way to camp through that blackness.At the gate they let me in, butreluctantly, and one of the scaled ones ran calling for Sitha.I found the chamber where thrice-accursedAmanar, may the worms feast long on him, sat on his throne of golden serpents." His one eye closedagain, but he spoke on, more slowly."Musicians played, men, though their eyes never left the floor.Those snake-skinned demon-spawn came, and beat me down with clubbed spears.The mage shoutedfor them to take me alive.Two of them I killed, before my senses went.Two, at least, I know."He fell silent, and Conan prodded him."Surely Amanar didn't have you imprisoned merely for enteringhis throne room?"The bearded face contorted in a grimace of pain, and Hordo moaned through clenched teeth."Karela!"he howled."She danced for him, naked as any girl in a zenana, and with as wild an abandon! Kareladanced naked for the pleasure of that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]