d came into a broad chamber on
the fourth floor, which seemed to be the highest tier in the building.
Skylights in the ceiling illuminated the room, in which light the
fire-gems winked pallidly. Glancing through the doors they saw, except
on one side, a series of similarly lighted chambers. This other door
opened upon a balustraded gallery that overhung a hall much smaller than
the one they had recently explored on the lower floor.

"Hell!" Valeria sat down disgustedly on a jade bench. "The people who
deserted this city must have taken all their treasures with them. I'm
tired of wandering through these bare rooms at random."

"All these upper chambers seem to be lighted," said Conan. "I wish we
could find a window that overlooked the city. Let's have a look through
that door over there."

"You have a look," advised Valeria. "I'm going to sit here and rest my
feet."

* * * * *

Conan disappeared through the door opposite that one opening upon the
gallery, and Valeria leaned back with her hands clasped behind her
head, and thrust her booted legs out in front of her. These silent rooms
and halls with their gleaming green clusters of ornaments and burning
crimson floors were beginning to depress her. She wished they could find
their way out of the maze into which they had wandered and emerge into a
street. She wondered idly what furtive, dark feet had glided over those
flaming floors in past centuries, how many deeds of cruelty and mystery
those winking ceiling-gems had blazed down upon.

It was a faint noise that brought her out of her reflections. She was on
her feet with her sword in her hand before she realized what had
disturbed her. Conan had not returned, and she knew it was not he that
she had heard.

The sound had come from somewhere beyond the door that opened on to the
gallery. Soundlessly in her soft leather boots she glided through it,
crept across the balcony and peered down between the heavy balustrades.

_A man was stealing along the hall._

The sight of a human being in this supposedly deserted city was a
startling shock. Crouching down behind the stone balusters, with every
nerve tingling, Valeria glared down at the stealthy figure.

The man in no way resembled the figures depicted on the friezes. He was
slightly above middle height, very dark, though not negroid. He was
naked but for a scanty silk clout that only partly covered his muscular
hips, and a leather gi