The slippery knife did not fly true. Not its point but its pommel struck Sergianus, in the temple. The sound of impact was loud, and followed by the queen's scream. She came rushing down the aisle formed between wall and table, opposite Shubal. New cries and a scream rose, for as Sergianus began to fall – he changed.
The weeping, moaning queen reached the fallen man just in time to look down upon... not Sergianus, but the old, old man described by 'Crispis'. Who had slain him, whether Conan or Shubal, was unknown and unimportant; the fact was that he was dead, and in death Sabaninus resumed his own form. He stared up from rheumy old eyes at the queen he had duped, but he did not see her.
Slowly lalamis looked up at Conan.
'He is the Baron of Korveka in Koth, my lady Queen," he told her. Through some sorcery he took on younger appearance, and assumed a title and name; Tor of Nemedia is not even a duchy. I saw him as he was my first day here, at the instant of my soul's returning to my body. He and Arkhaurus plotted together; your treacherous adviser's Kothic wife will tell you the story. Only Shubal prevented their agents, Rosela and her brother Nardius, from killing the princess while you were away. You restored to me my soul, Queen of Khauran; I return to Khauran its soul!'
'I wish I'd never seen you. Get away from that door.'
In mute surprise, Conan did so. She seized the bar. When he sought to aid her, she threw her weight against him, wrenched free, and unbarred the door herself. Poised guards nearly fell, finding their swords-drawn rush blocked by their liege-lady.
'Sergianus was a Kothic impostor and Arkhaurus a traitor in league with him,' she told the uniformed men, in a' flat, dull voice that might have emerged from a sarcophagus. 'Conan and Shubal have saved the realm. Call my physician to attend Shubal at once. Take your orders from Noble Khashtris.'
And she was gone in a rush of side-slit skirts and flashing legs.
Thus was Khashtris occupied for a time, ere she could hurry from the others and rush to her cousin's apartment. A leech hurried in to bend over Shubal; guardsmen removed corpses with Arkhaurus's widow still clinging to him, weeping.
'You've saved us all, Conan,' Acrallidus said. 'Ye gods – and our poor accursed queen thought she had found happiness at last – with that!'
Conan glanced at the soles of Sergianus Sabaninus's boots as he was carried from the chamber. "You must counsel her close and be as her father, Acrallidus.'
Acrallidus sighed. 'And you, Conan. You must remain with us, close to us, protecting the queen so that she knows she is secure... and her daughter, our future queen. Were Khauran to fall into dispute or a queen to die heir-less... Kothic troops would be here within weeks!'
'But,' Conan began, 'I-'
He was interrupted by the sound of a shriek of horror and sorrow. Both men rushed, trailed by confused palace guards, to the apartment of the queen. They discovered that it was Khashtris they'd heard; she sat on the floor with her royal cousin's head in her lap. Just under her pearl-glistening bandeau of soft white silk, Queen lalamis had stabbed herself.
'Only Sergianus,' lalamis said in a tiny voice, 'gave me reason to live. I end this... miserable life. Ac-Acrallidus...' She shuddered. 'Good Acrallidus, counsel a-and guide Tar-amis for-uh! -for she will need you sorely. I... regret only tha-at I -eave her... alone. Perhaps she... she and your K-rallides...' She broke off again, coughing blood. 'Co-Conan... I suppose you saved Khauran. But... but I-I'd have been ha... hap-peee...' Again she shuddered, and her head fell aside in death.
The smoke from a score of censers eddied from the temple of Ishtar, mingling with the mournful sound of the priests. Beneath the temple, in the Royal Mausoleum, lalamis had joined her husband and unhappy ancestors. Down the broad steps paced Conan, towering over the woman at his side. Her hair was down, but covered in the white homespun veil of Khaurani mourning.
She spoke. 'Nothing will change your mind, will it?'
'No.'
She looked up at his face. 'Oh, damn you! How I wish you were older or I younger!'
'I am glad we are as we are, Khashtris, for I would love you, and I have much of the world to see ere I and a woman say words before some priest.'
'Thank your gods for that. You have re-covered that amulet with clay.'
'Yes. The Eye of Erlik has no power for me, but only for a ruler I'll not tell you of. It was I deluded Sabaninus, not the amulet. Even Crispis has forgiven me, once I remembered to go and free him and you gave him that nicely clinking bag. This amulet has served its purpose for Khauran. Now I leave Khauran, and I must have the Eye of Erlik thus again: disguised.'
At the foot of the steps, she halted. 'Take this.' Into his hand she placed a half-circle of silver: a Queenhead cut in half. 'The other half of this will be worn around the neck of her you may have made a happy queen of Khauran -eventually: Taramis. I will see to it. She will know of you. You will ever be able to find employment here, though I - -' She closed his hand over the bit of metal. 'Though I am gone.'
Funeral or no, Noble Lady Khashtris or no, Conan was about to embrace her when he heard the voice of Acrallidus: 'Conan! I need to talk with you!'
Conan turned to face the man, green-robed and white-veiled. 'No need, Acrallidus. I will not remain in this shadowed kingdom... queendom. Shadizar may be called the City of Wickedness, but I am no saint, and my horses are ready. I ride west and north – now.' He affected not to notice the ring Khashtris was sliding on to his finger.
'But-'
'He will not be convinced, Acrallidus,' Khashtris said. 'I understand. And Shubal, too, understands; I think he would leave me to go with you were he hale, Conan. He lost much blood and must rest for a week at least.'
'Oh-he and I have a terrible bill at the tavern of one Hilides, Khashtris. Fifty Queenheads, I think.'
She looked at him, knowing he lied. 'I will give Shubal the money to pay it, Conan. I hope it doesn't end in the hands of a certain pedlar of fruits I ask for you to hold on to that coin, Conan – that half-coin.'
'I will keep it,' Conan said, and thought, or try to. will keep it, and remember. Mayhap some day I will return to Khauran, to see how fares Queen Taramis. I know you and Acrallidus will guide her well; for now, Khauran is your responsibility. I am for Shadizar, home of cults and wine and women... two of which are more to my liking than poor curse-haunted Khauran and service to a child enthroned.'
The Cimmerian turned and walked away towards the bored boy who's minded his horses these past several hours. Conan was a little bit older, and a little bit wiser, and he had his soul. As for his ever returning to Khauran of the Unhappy Queens... who could know?
Table of Contents
Prologue
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
Conan the Mercenary Page 10
