cur to her that any in
Tecuhltli would oppose their prince. But she noticed that Olmec went
stealthily, with his head on one side as if listening for sounds of
pursuit, and he did not return to the throne chamber. He carried her
through a door that stood opposite that through which he had entered,
crossed another room and began stealing down a hall. As she became
convinced that he feared some opposition to the abduction, she threw
back her head and screamed at the top of her lusty voice.

She was rewarded by a slap that half stunned her, and Olmec quickened
his pace to a shambling run.

But her cry had been echoed, and twisting her head about, Valeria,
through the tears and stars that partly blinded her, saw Techotl limping
after them.

Olmec turned with a snarl, shifting the woman to an uncomfortable and
certainly undignified position under one huge arm, where he held her
writhing and kicking vainly, like a child.

"Olmec!" protested Techotl. "You cannot be such a dog as to do this
thing! She is Conan's woman! She helped us slay the Xotalancas, and----"

* * * * *

Without a word Olmec balled his free hand into a huge fist and stretched
the wounded warrior senseless at his feet. Stooping, and hindered not at
all by the struggles and imprecations of his captive, he drew Techotl's
sword from its sheath and stabbed the warrior in the breast. Then
casting aside the weapon he fled on along the corridor. He did not see a
woman's dark face peer cautiously after him from behind a hanging. It
vanished, and presently Techotl groaned and stirred, rose dazedly and
staggered drunkenly away, calling Conan's name.

Olmec hurried on down the corridor, and descended a winding ivory
staircase. He crossed several corridors and halted at last in a broad
chamber whose doors were veiled with heavy tapestries, with one
exception--a heavy bronze door similar to the Door of the Eagle on the
upper floor.

He was moved to rumble, pointing to it: "That is one of the outer doors
of Tecuhltli. For the first time in fifty years it is unguarded. We need
not guard it now, for Xotalanc is no more."

"Thanks to Conan and me, you bloody rogue!" sneered Valeria, trembling
with fury and the shame of physical coercion. "You treacherous dog!
Conan will cut your throat for this!"

Olmec did not bother to voice his belief that Conan's own gullet had
already been severed according to his whispered command. He was too