rh.conanthewarrior-第23部分

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　　He　labored　like　one　driven　by　the　necessity　of　haste；　yet　he　was　forced　to　move　at　a　snail's　pace；　clinging　like　a　fly　on　a　wall。　His　groping　hands　and　feet　found　niches　and　knobs；　precarious　holds　at　best；　and　sometimes　he　virtually　hung　by　his　finger　nails。　Yet　upward　he　went；　clawing；　squirming；　fighting　for　every　foot。　At　times　he　paused　to　rest　his　aching　muscles；　and；　shaking　the　sweat　out　of　his　eyes；　twisted　his　head　to　stare　searchingly　out　over　the　jungle；　bing　the　green　expanse　for　any　trace　of　human　life　or　motion。
　　Now　the　summit　was　not　far　above　him；　and　he　observed；　only　a　few　feet　above　his　head；　a　break　in　the　sheer　stone　of　the　cliff。　An　instant　later　he　had　reached　it…a　small　cavern；　just　below　the　edge　of　the　rim。　As　his　head　rose　above　the　lip　of　its　floor；　he　grunted。　He　clung　there；　his　elbows　hooked　over　the　lip。　The　cave　was　so　tiny　that　it　was　little　more　than　a　niche　cut　in　the　stone；　but　it　held　an　occupant。　A　shrivled　brown　mummy；　cross…legged；　arms　folded　on　the　withered　breast　upon　which　the　shrunken　head　was　sunk；　sat　in　the　little　cavern。　The　limbs　were　bound　in　place　with　rawhide　thongs　which　had　bee　mere　rotted　wisps。　If　the　form　had　ever　been　clothed；　the　ravages　of　time　had　long　ago　reduced　the　garments　to　dust。　But　thrust　between　the　crossed　arms　and　the　shrunken　breast　there　was　a　roll　of　parchment；　yellowed　with　age　to　the　color　of　old　ivory。
　　The　climber　stretched　forth　a　long　arm　and　wrenched　away　this　cylinder。　Without　investigation；　he　thrust　it　into　his　girdle　and　hauled　himself　up　until　he　was　standing　in　the　opening　of　the　niche。　A　spring　upward　and　he　caught　the　rim　of　the　cliffs　and　pulled　himself　up　and　over　almost　with　the　same　motion。
　　There　he　halted；　panting；　and　stared　downward。
　　It　was　like　looking　into　the　interior　of　a　vast　bowl；　rimmed　by　a　circular　stone　wall。　The　floor　of　the　bowl　was　covered　with　trees　and　denser　vegetation；　though　nowhere　did　the　growth　duplicate　the　jungle　denseness　of　the　outer　forest。　The　cliffs　marched　around　it　without　a　break　and　of　uniform　height。　It　was　a　freak　of　nature；　not　to　be　paralleled；　perhaps；　in　the　whole　world：　a　vast　natural　amphitheater；　a　circular　bit　of　forested　plain；　three　or　four　miles　in　diameter；　cut　off　from　the　rest　of　the　world；　and　confined　within　the　ring　of　those　palisaded　cliffs。
　　But　the　man　on　the　cliffs　did　not　devote　his　thoughts　to　marveling　at　the　topographical　phenomenon。　With　tense　eagerness　he　searched　the　tree…tops　below　him；　and　exhaled　a　gusty　sigh　when　he　caught　the　glint　of　marble　domes　amidst　the　twinkling　green。　It　was　no　myth；　then；　below　him　lay　the　fabulous　and　deserted　palace　of　Alkmeenon。
　　Conan　the　Cimmerian；　late　of　the　Baracha　Isles；　of　the　Black　Coast；　and　of　many　other　climes　where　life　ran　wild；　had　e　to　the　kingdom　of　Keshan　following　the　lure　of　a　fabled　treasure　that　outshone　the　hoard　of　the　Turanian　kings。
　　Keshan　was　a　barbaric　kingdom　lying　in　the　eastern　hinterlands　of　Kush　where　the　broad　grasslands　merge　with　the　forests　that　roll　up　from　the　south。　The　people　were　a　mixed　race；　a　dusky　nobility　ruling　a　population　that　was　largely　pure　Negro。　The　rulers…princes　and　high　priests…claimed　descent　from　a　white　race　which；　in　a　mythical　age；　had　ruled　a　kingdom　whose　capital　city　was　Alkmeenon。　Conflicting　legends　sought　to　explain　the　reason　for　that　race's　eventual　downfall；　and　the　abandonment　of　the　city　by　the　survivors。　Equally　nebulous　were　the　tales　of　the　Teeth　of　Gwahlur；　the　treasure　of　Alkmeenon。　But　these　misty　legends　had　been　enough　to　bring　Conan　to　Keshan；　over　vast　distances　of　plain；　riverlaced　jungle；　and　mountains。
　　He　had　found　Keshan；　which　in　itself　was　considered　mythical　by　many　northern　and　western　nations；　and　he　had　heard　enough　to　confirm　the　rumors　of　the　treasure　that　men　called　the　Teeth　of　Gwahlur。　But　its　hiding　place　he　could　not　learn；　and　he　was　confronted　with　the　necessity　of　explaining　his　presence　in　Keshan。　Unattached　strangers　were　not　wele　there。
　　But　he　was　not　nonplussed。　With　cool　assurance　he　made　his　offer　to　the　stately；　plumed；　suspicious　grandees　of　the　barbarically　magnificent　court。　He　was　a　professional　fighting　man。　In　search　of　employment　（he　said）　he　had　e　to　Keshan。　For　a　price　he　would　train　the　armies　of　Keshan　and　lead　them　against　Punt；　their　hereditary　enemy；　whose　recent　successes　in　the　field　had　aroused　the　fury　of　Keshan's　irascible　king。
　　The　proposition　was　not　so　audacious　as　it　might　seem。　Conan's　fame　had　preceded　him；　even　into　distant　Keshan；　his　exploits　as　a　chief　of　the　black　corsairs；　those　wolves　of　the　southern　coasts；　had　made　his　name　known；　admired　and　feared　throughout　the　black　kingdoms。　He　did　not　refuse　tests　devised　by　the　dusky　lords。　Skirmishes　along　the　borders　were　incessant；　affording　the　Cimmerian　plenty　of　opportunities　to　demonstrate　his　ability　at　hand…to…hand　fighting。　His　reckless　ferocity　impressed　the　lords　of　Keshan；　already　aware　of　his　reputation　as　a　leader　of　men；　and　the　prospects　seemed　favorable。　All　Conan　secretly　desired　was　employment　to　give　him　legitimate　excuse　for　remaining　in　Keshan　long　enough　to　locate　the　hiding　place　of　the　Teeth　of　Gwahlur。　Then　there　came　an　interruption。　Thutmekri　came　to　Keshan　at　the　head　of　an　embassy　from　Zembabwei。
　　Thutmekri　was　a　Stygian；　an　adventurer　and　a　rogue　whose　wits　had　remended　him　to　the　twin　kings　of　the　great　hybrid　trading　kingdom　which　lay　many　days'　march　to　the　east。　He　and　the　Cimmerian　knew　each　other　of　old；　and　without　love。　Thutmekri　likewise　had　a　proposition　to　make　to　the　king　of　Keshan；　and　it　also　concerned　the　conquest　of　Punt…which　kingdom；　incidentally；　lying　east　of　Keshan；　had　recently　expelled　the　Zembabwan　traders　and　burned　their　fortresses。
　　His　offer　outweighed　even　the　prestige　of　Conan。　He　pledged　himself　to　invade　Punt　from　the　east　with　a　host　of　black　spearmen；　Shemitish　archers；　and　mercenary　swordsmen；　and　to　aid　the　king　of　Keshan　to　annex　the　hostile　kingdom。　The　benevolent　kings　of　Zembabwei　desired　only　a　monopoly　of　the　trade　of　Keshan　and　her　tributaries…and；　as　a　pledge　of　good　faith；　some　of　the　Teeth　of　Gwahlur。　These　would　be　put　to　no　base　usage；　Thutmekri　hastened　to　explain　to　the　suspicious　chieftains；　they　would　be　placed　in　the　temple　of　Zembabwei　beside　the　squat　gold　idols　of　Dagon　and　Derketo；　sacred　guests　in　the　holy　shrine　of　the　kingdom；　to　seal　the　covenant　between　Keshan　and　Zembabwei。　This　statement　brought　a　savage　grin　to　Conan's　hard　lips。
　　The　Cimmerian　made　no　attempt　to　match　wits　and　intrigue　with　Thutmekri　and　his　Shemitish　partner；　Zargheba。　He　knew　that　if　Thutmekri　won　his　point；　he　would　insist　on　the　instant　banishment　of　his　rival。　There　was　but　one　thing　for　Conan　to　do：　find　the　jewels　before　the　king　of　Keshan　made　up　his　mind；　and　flee　with　them。　But　by　this　time　he　was　certain　that　they　were　not　hidden　in　Keshia；　the　royal　city；　which　was　a　swarm　of　thatched　huts　crowding　about　a　mud　wall　that　enclosed　a　palace　of　stone　and　mud　and　bamboo。
　　While　he　fumed　with　nervous　impatience；　the　high　priest　Gorulga　announced　that　before　any　decision　could　be　reached；　the　will　of　the　gods　must　be　ascertained　concerning　the　proposed　alliance　with　Zembabwei　and　the　pledge　of　objects　long　held　holy　and　inviolate。　The　oracle　of　Alkmeenon　must　be　consulted。
　　This　was　an　awesome　thing；　and　it　caused　tongues　to　wag　excitedly　in　palace　and　beehive　hut。　Not　for　a　century　had　the　priests　visited　the　silent　city。　The　oracle；　men　said；　was　the　Princess　Yelaya；　the　last　ruler　of　Alkmeenon；　who　had　died　in　the　full　bloom　of　her　youth　and　beauty；　and　whose　body　had　miraculously　remained　unblemished　throughout　the　ages。　Of　old；　priests　had　made　their　way　into　the　haunted　city；　and　she　had　taught　them　wisdom。　The　last　priest　to　seek　the　oracle　had　been　a　wicked　man；　who　had　sought　to　steal　for　himself　the　curiously　cut　jewels　that　men　called　the　Teeth　of　Gwahlur。　But　some　doom　had　e　upon　him　in　the　deserted　palace；　from　which　his　acolytes；　fleeing；　had　told　tales　of　horror　that　had　for　a　hundred　years　frightened　the　priests　from　the　city　and　the　oracle。
　　But　Gorulga；　the　present　high　priest；　as　one　confident　in　his　k