Avon Fantasy Reader No. 14 — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

the mazes I'd gotten into. It was the fierce grasp of a small hand on mice, behind the column to which I was bound. I felt a tug at my cords as if a kaife edge was being passed along them, and my hands were free. I felt something pressed into my hand and a ferce exultation surged through me. I'd recognize the familiar checkered grip of my Webley .44 in a thousand! “IT acted in a flash that took the whole gang off guard. I lunged away from the column and dropped the black mute with a bullet through his brain, wheeled and shot old Sostoras through the belly. He went down, spewing blood, and I crashed a volley square into the stunned ranks of the soldiers. At that range I couldn't miss. Three of them dropped and the rest woke up and scattered like a flock of birds. In a second the place was empty except for Conrad, Naluna and me, and the men on the floor. It was like a dream, the echoes from the shots still crashing, and the acrid scent of powder and blood knifing the air. “The girl cut Conrad loose and he fell on the floor and yammered like a dying imbecile. I shook him but he had a wild glare in his eyes and was frothing like a mad dog, so I dragged him up, shoved an arm under him and started for the stairs. We weren't out of the mess yet, by a long shot. Down those wide, winding, dark galleries we went expecting any minute to be ambushed but the chaps must have still been in a bad funk, because we got out of that hellish temple without any interference. Outside the iron por- tals Conrad collapsed and I tried to talk to him, but he could neither hear nor speak. I turned to Naluna. . » “*Can you do anything for him?’ “Her eyes-flashed in the moonlight. ‘I have not defied my people and my god and betrayed my cult and my race for naught! I stole the weapon of smoke and flame, and freed you, did I not? I love him and I will not lose him now!’ “She darted into the temple and was out almost instandy with a jug of wine, She claimed it had magical powers. I don’t believe it. I think Conrad’ simply was suffering from a sort of shell-shock from close proximity to that fearful noise and that lake water would have done as well as the wine. But Naluna poured some wine between his lips and emptied some over his head, and soon he groaned and cursed. “ ‘See!’ she cried triumphantly, ‘the magic wine has lifted the spell F-lit put on him!’ And she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him vigor- ously. ““My God, Bill,’ he groaned, sitting up and holding his head, ‘what kind of a nightmare is this?’ “*Can you walk, old chap?’ I asked, ‘I think we've stirred up a bloomin’ hornet’s nest and we'd best leg it out of here.’ ““Tll try.” He staggered up, Naluna helping him. I heard a sinister rustle and whispering in the black mouth of the temple and I judged the warriors and priests inside were working up their nerve to rush us. We made it down the steps in a great hurry to where lay the boat that had brought us to the island. Not even the black rowers were there. An ax and shield lay in it and 15 comicbooks.com