Part 34 (1/2)

Chabano looked eloquently at his warriors, and they retreated with similar speed in the opposite direction The chief, the God-Man, and the spy were alone in the jungle

”My thanks to both of you,” Chabano said ”A chief's thanks is worth er I rule” He cast a sharp look at Wobeku ”Although had you been as swift soo as you were today, you would not be here”

Ryku asked that this be explained; Chabano acceded to the request with a itive warrior But then, even a Paramount Chief did not stand upon rank with a God-Man who seemed to have made himself a full Speaker upon his ohi a God-Man was easier than the tribes had been led to believe? That would have been a cheering thought, had Wobeku wished to follow in Ryku's footsteps

As his a the Kwanyi when they ruled all this land, he was not so cheered Fuered God-Men would not be of much use to the Kwanyi in the face of Dobanpu's Spirit-Speaking

Dobanpu's eance he would wreak on Wobeku would be no light one!

TWELVE

The Ichiribu and the Kwanyi took tiird themselves for battle

This did not entirely arise because of each of their new allies, although those played a part

Wobeku found that while the warriors kept their distance, few doubted him He had, after all, saved Chabano, the Paramount Chief whom all had followed for twelve years Even those who followed Chabano out of fear more than from love knew that the Kwanyi would be doomed without hireatly in his debt

Ryku was also regarded with soratitude, but likeith more than a little fear He also had saved Chabano, and reatest of the God-Men In so doing, however, he had reater God-Man

It was as well for Ryku that he did not go a the warriors more often than when Chabano summoned him He remained, nine days out of ten, in seclusion on Thunder Mountain, putting the Speakers, the Silent Brothers, and the servants and slaves in as much order as his powers and the tiht have served him as Wobeku had served one of the Speakers-which would have saved the Kwanyi a deal of trouble in days to cohters, not seers who could foretell the future

Conan had a busy tiht him favored by the Gods, if not in truth sent by them

The Kwanyi had been invincible on land since Chabano had taught the in a line, with the tall shi+eld and the great spear that a man could thrust as well as throw It was not to be expected that the Ichiribu could learn that art, even froh to face their foes in full array

So Conan set about teaching them how to use their old weapons in neays They had a fair nuall and tor tridents were not despicable weapons against the Kwanyi spear, either, if they could contrive to fight tarriors against one

Valeria also taught theht from their canoes with more skill than before What she did not know about the handling of siven to men-or women-to know Even the most seasoned fishermen of the Ichiribu soon said loudly that Conan's shi+eld-woman and vowed lover orth almost as much as the Cimmerian hi,” Conan said, until even Seyganko wearied of hearing it for all that he kneas true

”They are a bigger warthog than we can be Fight the them a thousand times, and the doom will be theirs”

The skill the Ichiribu showed in learning what he taught left Conan in good heart He would have been still h the tunnels not rereed that if the spirits allowed, this would be a cunning and deadly trick, that of round He would not say n from the spirits

He continued to derew short ”Is it the spirits who've turned”Or is it your father?”

”If I knew the answer to that, it would still not help us,” the girl replied ”No man can force the spirits, and my father is almost as difficult to make speak when he chooses to be silent”

”If he chooses to be silent for too long, hethe end of his folk,” Valeria snapped Both the visitors could see that Emwaya herself was uneasy at her father's reluctance to speak Neither doubted that she told the truth

”He knows this also,” Enity as she could contrive,