Part 18 (1/2)
”From below,” she said ”It comes from below”
”What is it?”
”Have you never heard of the Stone City?”
”That legend?”
”I begin to think it is no legend It could lie beneath this very village, with spirits fro it”
”It could But then, it anko as he saaya's face harden
”So has made the spirits uneasy I cannot say which spirits, or where, but I feel danger to the Ichiribu”
”I shall call out the fanda,” Seyganko said The fanda consisted of six warriors of each clan, who took turns being aranko was not painted, but his war luck was so proverbial that no one thought he needed the adorner,” Emwaya said ”You must stay here while I paint you”
”There is need for haste more than for paint”
”Not when the ene, then you and your father are needed, not the fanda”
”We will be needed before long, but the fanda has work, too They er, keep theht find untended huts a temptation-”
”Perhaps I should do your work and you mine, since you know it so well”
Emwaya looked hurt, as she seldoue Then she actually clung to him ”We each have our duties, I fear Now, have you your war paint about here?”
”Yes You are going to paint all of me?”
Emwaya lowered her eyes ”All Do not hope that ill have ti his loincloth The full ritual battle-paint included a warrior's loins andhi told him that this would not be one of those times
Eanko had little doubt that she spoke the truth
”Hold on, Conan My grip is slipping”
Valeria felt the Cihten under her feet
Free to roped for a better purchase on the stone It was slick with her own blood, issuing froashed the hand
At last she thought she had found what she sought Many years of swordplay and clith than co as she had a good grip
She had judged correctly, but she was dripping sweat by the tie above For the tenth tiun their climb, she had to brush her hair out of her eyes Yet she was perched on the ledge as securely as its cru stone allowed Beyond her lay only the chimney, which both of thean again
She tore a strip froarment and bound her hair with it This reduced the already tattered covering to hardly more than a shred of cloth about her loins She had, however, quite ceased to care about her garb as long as it included a sword-belt and her steel