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m-m-men?”
    As to that, the bat did not know for certain. The report from the overflier
was that the two succulent morsels had been surrounded by a large group of the
Blind Whites, intent on their capture.
    “D-damn!”
    Deek twisted his bulk and began undulating along the floor. If One Eye had
the men, Deek was a prime candidate for the lime pit. Not a pleasant fate. He
had to do something, and quickly! The Webspinner Plants were thick in this
portion of the cave system. Perhaps he could enlist their aid. He must do
something, in order to continue his existence. Without the one the witch
sought, Deek’s life was worth less than the guano beneath that wretched and
stupid bat!
     
    The first of the eyeless white things sprang, less carefully than it should
have. They were definitely not friendly, Conan decided as he sidestepped and
swung his sword in a flat horizonal arc. The end of the blade tore through the
creature’s side, cutting it very nearly in twain. It continued its leap past
Conan and fell into the pool behind the man. The blood was red enough, even in
the dying light; ruby stained the cold ripples.
    The rest of the attackers moved more cautiously.
    When Conan edged forward, they gave ground, spreading out to try and
surround the Cimmerian and Elashi.
    Then Conan noticed an odd thing. As the light from above faded, he saw an
eerie greenish glow coming from the walls and ceiling of the chamber; it was a
ghostly pale luminescence, but sufficient for the Cimmerian’s sharp eyes to see
clearly.
    The surrounding creatures seemed in no hurry to move, and Conan decided that
‘twould be better if he and Elashi departed. He said so.
    “And how are we to accomplish that? Fly over them?”
    “Nay,” Conan said, taking a firmer grip on his sword’s haft.
“Not over, but through. There are only three of them blocking the way. You
take the one on the right and I shall clear the other two from the path. On my signal.”
    Elashi sighed, licked her lips, and nodded.
    “Now!”
    With that, the two of them leaped at the three startled creatures. Elashi’s
target simply turned and ran, while Conan’s both emitted startled growls and
crashed into each other in their efforts to get out of his way. There came the
sound of bone meeting bone as their skulls connected. They fell, and Conan
sprang over them and found himself running next to Elashi.
    “That was not so difficult,” Elashi said.
    Conan managed a grunt but saved the rest of his breath for running.
    Into the depths of the glowing tunnel they fled, pursued by the rest of the
chittering creatures.

* * *
    Wikkell stood over the floating corpse of the Blind White, staring at it. He
blinked his single pink eye, then turned to the two
Blind Whites who sat on the cold floor rubbing at lumps on their heads.
    “What happened to the men?” Wikkell finally asked.
    The two Whites babbled. The things were monsters, they said. They chopped down
one of the brothers with giant claws—you could hear the whistle as they swung
their weapons!—and sought to rend us likewise! We stood in their path and they
hurled us aside like you would brush a spider away! We fought valiantly but
were overcome by the power of the monsters…
    “Enough,” Wikkell said. “You let them escape.”
    But our brothers pursue, the two said.
    “You had better pray they catch them,” Wikkell said. “If
those humans escape, it will be my life. Before I go, I will take you and as
many of your brothers as I can with me!”
    Upon them the curses of ten thousand demons! Wikkell moved down the tunnel
into which the men had fled. He already knew that the witch had sent one of her
fat worms wiggling this way to fetch his quarry. If she got it, he would spend
the rest of his life waiting for the wizard’s curse that would convert him to
melting ooze. Not that the wait would be all that long. He had to capture the
man Rey desired, no two ways about it.
     
    Deek emerged into the wide section of the tunnel and