rh.conanthewarrior-第12章

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ity　of　Xuchotl　in　the　midst　of　it。
　　〃They　camped　before　the　city；　not　daring　to　leave　the　plain；　for　the　night　was　made　hideous　with　the　noise　of　the　battling　monsters　through　the　forest。　They　made　war　incessantly　upon　one　another。　Yet　they　came　not　into　the　plain。
　　〃The　people　of　the　city　shut　their　gates　and　shot　arrows　at　our　people　from　the　walls。　The　Tlazitlans　were　imprisoned　on　the　plain；　as　if　the　ring　of　the　forest　had　been　a　great　wall；　for　to　venture　into　the　woods　would　have　been　madness。
　　〃That　night　there　came　secretly　to　their　camp　a　slave　from　the　city；　one　of　their　own　blood；　who　with　a　band　of　exploring　soldiers　had　wandered　into　the　forest　long　before；　when　he　was　a　young　man。　The　dragons　had　devoured　all　his　panions；　but　he　had　been　taken　into　the　city　to　dwell　in　servitude。　His　name　was　Tolkemec。〃　A　flame　lighted　the　dark　eyes　at　mention　of　the　name；　and　some　of　the　people　muttered　obscenely　and　spat。　〃He　promised　to　open　the　gates　to　the　warriors。　He　asked　only　that　all　captives　taken　be　delivered　into　his　hands。
　　〃At　dawn　he　opened　the　gates。　The　warriors　swarmed　in　and　the　halls　of　Xuchotl　ran　red。　Only　a　few　hundred　folk　dwelt　there；　decaying　remnants　of　a　once　great　race。　Tolkemec　said　they　came　from　the　east；　long　ago；　from　Old　Kosala；　when　the　ancestors　of　those　who　now　dwell　in　Kosala　came　up　from　the　south　and　drove　forth　the　original　inhabitants　of　the　land。　They　wandered　far　westward　and　finally　found　this　forest…girdled　plain；　inhabited　then　by　a　tribe　of　black　people。
　　〃These　they　enslaved　and　set　to　building　a　city。　From　the　hills　to　the　east　they　brought　jade　and　marble　and　lapis　lazuli；　and　gold；　silver；　and　copper。　Herds　of　elephants　provided　them　with　ivory。　When　their　city　was　pleted；　they　slew　all　the　black　slaves。　And　their　magicians　made　a　terrible　magic　to　guard　the　city；　for　by　their　necromantic　arts　they　re…created　the　dragons　which　had　once　dwelt　in　this　lost　land；　and　whose　monstrous　bones　they　found　in　the　forest。　Those　bones　they　clothed　in　flesh　and　life；　and　the　living　beasts　walked　the　earth　as　they　walked　it　when　time　was　young。　But　the　wizards　wove　a　spell　that　kept　them　in　the　forest　and　they　came　not　into　the　plain。
　　〃So　for　many　centuries　the　people　of　Xuchotl　dwelt　in　their　city；　cultivating　the　fertile　plain；　until　their　wise　men　learned　how　to　grow　fruit　within　the　city…fruit　which　is　not　planted　in　soil；　but　obtains　its　nourishment　out　of　the　air…and　then　they　let　the　irrigation　ditches　run　dry　and　dwelt　more　and　more　in　luxurious　sloth；　until　decay　seized　them。　They　were　a　dying　race　when　our　ancestors　broke　through　the　forest　and　came　into　the　plain。　Their　wizards　had　died；　and　the　people　had　forgot　their　ancient　necromancy。　They　could　fight　neither　by　sorcery　nor　the　sword。
　　〃Well；　our　fathers　slew　the　people　of　Xuchotl；　all　except　a　hundred　which　were　given　living　into　the　hands　of　Tolkemec；　who　had　been　their　slave；　and　for　many　days　and　nights　the　halls　re…echoed　to　their　screams　under　the　agony　of　his　tortures。
　　〃So　the　Tlazitlans　dwelt　here；　for　a　while　in　peace；　ruled　by　the　brothers　Tecuhltli　and　Xotalanc；　and　by　Tolkemec。　Tolkemec　took　a　girl　of　the　tribe　to　wife；　and　because　he　had　opened　the　gates；　and　because　he　knew　many　of　the　arts　of　the　Xuchotlans；　he　shared　the　rule　of　the　tribe　with　the　brothers　who　had　led　the　rebellion　and　the　flight。
　　〃For　a　few　years；　then；　they　dwelt　at　peace　within　the　city；　doing　little　but　eating；　drinking；　and　making　love；　and　raising　children。　There　was　no　necessity　to　till　the　plain；　for　Tolkemec　taught　them　how　to　cultivate　the　air…devouring　fruits。　Besides；　the　slaying　of　the　Xuchotlans　broke　the　spell　that　held　the　dragons　in　the　forest；　and　they　came　nightly　and　bellowed　about　the　gates　of　the　city。　The　plain　ran　red　with　the　blood　of　their　eternal　warfare；　and　it　was　then　that…〃　He　bit　his　tongue　in　the　midst　of　the　sentence；　then　presently　continued；　but　Valeria　and　Conan　felt　that　he　had　checked　an　admission　he　had　considered　unwise。
　　〃Five　years　they　dwelt　in　peace。　Then〃…Olmec's　eyes　rested　briefly　on　the　silent　woman　at　his　side…〃Xotalanc　took　a　woman　to　wife；　a　woman　whom　both　Tecuhltli　and　old　Tolkemec　desired。　In　his　madness；　Tecuhltli　stole　her　from　her　husband。　Aye；　she　went　willingly　enough。　Tolkemec；　to　spite　Xotalanc；　aided　Tecuhltli。　Xotalanc　demanded　that　she　be　given　back　to　him；　and　the　council　of　the　tribe　decided　that　the　matter　should　be　left　to　the　woman。　She　chose　to　remain　with　Tecuhltli。　In　wrath　Xotalanc　sought　to　take　her　back　by　force；　and　the　retainers　of　the　brothers　came　to　blows　in　the　Great　Hall。
　　〃There　was　much　bitterness。　Blood　was　shed　on　both　sides。　The　quarrel　became　a　feud；　the　feud　an　open　war。　From　the　welter　three　factions　emerged…Tecuhltli；　Xotalanc；　and　Tolkemec。　Already；　in　the　days　of　peace；　they　had　divided　the　city　between　them。　Tecuhltli　dwelt　in　the　western　quarter　of　the　city；　Xotalanc　in　the　eastern；　and　Tolkemec　with　his　family　by　the　southern　gate。
　　〃Anger　and　resentment　and　jealousy　blossomed　into　bloodshed　and　rape　and　murder。　Once　the　sword　was　drawn　there　was　no　turning　back；　for　blood　called　for　blood；　and　vengeance　followed　swift　on　the　heels　of　atrocity。　Tecuhltli　fought　with　Xotalanc；　and　Tolkemec　aided　first　one　and　then　the　other；　betraying　each　faction　as　it　fitted　his　purposes。　Tecuhltli　and　his　people　withdrew　into　the　quarter　of　the　western　gate；　where　we　now　sit。　Xuchotl　is　built　in　the　shape　of　an　oval。　Tecuhltli；　which　took　its　name　from　its　prince；　occupies　the　western　end　of　the　oval。　The　people　blocked　up　all　doors　connecting　the　quarter　with　the　rest　of　the　city；　except　one　on　each　floor；　which　could　be　defended　easily。　They　went　into　the　pits　below　the　city　and　built　a　wall　cutting　off　the　western　end　of　the　catabs；　where　lie　the　bodies　of　the　ancient　Xuchotlans；　and　of　those　Tlazitlans　slain　in　the　feud。　They　dwelt　as　in　a　besieged　castle；　making　sorties　and　forrays　on　their　enemies。
　　〃The　people　of　Xotalanc　likewise　fortified　the　eastern　quarter　of　the　city；　and　Tolkemec　did　likewise　with　the　quarter　by　the　southern　gate。　The　central　part　of　the　city　was　left　bare　and　uninhabited。　Those　empty　halls　and　chambers　became　a　battleground；　and　a　region　of　brooding　terror。
　　〃Tolkemec　warred　on　both　clans。　He　was　a　fiend　in　the　form　of　a　human；　worse　than　Xotalanc。　He　knew　many　secrets　of　the　city　he　never　told　the　others。　From　the　crypts　of　the　catabs　he　plundered　the　dead　of　their　grisly　secrets…secrets　of　ancient　kings　and　wizards；　long　forgotten　by　the　degenerate　Xuchotlans　our　ancestors　slew。　But　all　his　magic　did　not　aid　him　the　night　we　of　Tecuhltli　stormed　his　castle　and　butchered　all　his　people。　Tolkemec　we　tortured　for　many　days。〃
　　His　voice　sank　to　a　caressing　slur；　and　a　faraway　look　grew　in　his　eyes；　as　if　he　looked　back　over　the　years　to　a　scene　which　caused　him　intense　pleasure。
　　〃Aye；　we　kept　the　life　in　him　until　he　screamed　for　death　as　for　a　bride。　At　last　we　took　him　living　from　the　torture　chamber　and　cast　him　into　a　dungeon　for　the　rats　to　gnaw　as　he　died。　From　that　dungeon；　somehow；　he　managed　to　escape；　and　dragged　himself　into　the　catabs。　There　without　doubt　he　died；　for　the　only　way　out　of　the　catabs　beneath　Tecuhltli　is　through　Tecuhltli；　and　he　never　emerged　by　that　way。　His　bones　were　never　found　and　the　superstitious　among　our　people　swear　that　his　ghost　haunts　the　crypts　to　this　day；　wailing　among　the　bones　of　the　dead。　Twelve　years　ago　we　butchered　the　people　of　Tolkemec；　but　the　feud　raged　on　between　Tecuhltli　and　Xotalanc；　as　it　will　rage　until　the　last　man；　the　last　woman　is　dead。
　　〃It　was　fifty　years　ago　that　Tecuhltli　stole　the　wife　of　Xotalanc。　Half　a　century　the　feud　has　endured。　I　was　born　in　it。　All　in　this　chamber；　except　Tascela；　were　born　in　it。　We　expect　to　die　in　it。
　　〃We　are　a　dying　race；　even　as　were　those　Xuchotlans　our　ancestors　slew。　When　the　feud　began　there　were　hundreds　in　each　faction。　Now　we　of　Tecuhltli　number　only　these　you　see　before　you；　and　the　men　who　guard　the　four　doors：　forty　in　all。　How　many　Xotalancas　there　are　we　do　not　know；　but　I　doubt　if　they　are　much　more　numerous　than　we。　For　fifteen　years　no　children　have　been