Conan The Indomitable by Steve Perry Page B

of it soon enough.
     
    In that grating-over-rock voice her thralls had, the advance worm returned
to tell Chuntha of the carnage in the bats’ breeding cave. That news did not
bother the witch a whit, but the worm also bespoke a more unpleasant fact: the
wizard had moved through the cave, along with a number of one-eyes carrying
large amounts of cargo.
    Chuntha shifted uneasily on the worm she rode. This boded ill. Something was
definitely out of order in the caves if that sluglike wizard would bother to
stir his indolent self and go venturing about. That he wanted to steal her
barbarian she knew; the lengths to which he would go to thwart her surprised
her somewhat.
    The witch’s resolve hardened. So be it. If the wizard wanted a fight, fine.
She would give it to him. She was no fragile wisp to be blown away by his hot
air. She would see about this!
    Her mount responded to the pressure of Chuntha’s knees and began his
segmented glide once again. The other worms initiated their own crawls, and the
party moved on.
     
    Perhaps two-score bats arrived at the Harskeel’s location, dragging by lines
behind them what appeared to be several large wooden doors.
    The bat named Red flitted down to stand before the Harskeel. “Your
boat,” he said.
    The Harskeel observed the ancient planking. “You call these things a
boat?”
    The bat shrugged. “You said it need merely float.”
    “It must also hold my weight and that of my men.”
    “If it does not, no matter. We shall fly above
and support the difference as we tow the thing.”
    The Harskeel considered that. In point of fact, it had little choice, were
it to continue its pursuit of Conan and his companions. With the bats towing
the “boat,” surely they would make good speed. “Very well,”
the Harskeel said. “Let us assemble it and make ready to depart.”
    Red smiled, showing his needle-pointed teeth. “We would fly much faster
were we not so hungry.”
    The Harskeel grinned. So, the creatures were not quite as trusting as he had
at first thought. Ah, well. No matter. “Have you a container?”
    “As it happens, there is a depression in the rock, just over
there.” Red pointed with a wing tip. “The cleft at the bottom of the
declivity should hold about a barrel’s worth of liquid, if I am any judge of
such things.”
    “When it comes to liquid, I bow to your expertise,” the Harskeel
said. “Come, then, and allow me to offer you some nourishment.”
    The bats flocked around the Harskeel as it filled a hole in the rock with
blood. After they had finished drinking, all of the bats agreed that it was
quite the best-quality meal they had ever had. Promises from the witch and
wizard meant nothing compared to this, they said. They were the Harskeel’s
friends forever!
    “Tell me more about this witch and wizard,” the Harskeel said.
    Gladly, the bats replied. Anything for such a fine friend. Anything at all.
    ----

Eleven
    The passage in which the three steered the slowly sinking fish narrowed,
although Conan could see that it widened considerably up ahead. A few moments
later, they attained the wider passage. Almost immediately Conan knew that
something was wrong. He glanced around and saw the cause of his worry. Behind
them was the mouth of the narrow pass through which they had just emerged. Next
to it was a similar opening. Conan stopped his paddling.
    “What is it?” Tull asked.
    “Observe,” Conan said, pointing with the paddle.
    Tull and Elashi turned to look behind them.
    “Uh-oh,” Tull said.
    “What is the matter?” Elashi asked. “I see nothing but two
large holes in a wall. Is there some pursuit?”
    Conan said, “Do you not recognize this place? You were set on entering
one over the other not so long ago.”
    Elashi shook her head. “What
are
you babbling about?”
    The big Cimmerian nodded at the twin passages behind them. “We have
made a loop,” he said. “Yesterday we entered that passage on the
left. Now we have returned to