Conan the Barbarian 66

Major Characters

 * Conan (Last appearance in CB-65; appears concurrently in MF-6).
 * Belit (Last appearance in CB-65; appears concurrently in MF-6).
 * Red Sonja (Last appearance in MF-6; next appears in CB-67).

Minor Characters

 * Belit's crew (Last appearance in CB-65; next appearance in CB-67). Ajonga, M'Gora, Lasunga is named.
 * Tempus and Flavian (First and only appearance to date). Messentian guards in Belit's employ.
 * Publio (Last appearance in CB-57; no further appearances to date).

Location

 * Messantia, capital of Argos.

Time Frame

 * One night.

Synopsis
The crew of the Tigress sneaks into the city of Messentia to sell their plundered booty to the fence Publio, who once tried to sell Conan as a galley slave. After bribing a couple of guards, Belit and Conan are told that the streets are unusually dangerous right now, and indeed, the band is attacked by brigands. They successfully defend themselves and make their way to Publio, who, although he pays for the goods, offers only a fraction of their worth, as for some reason Belit demands only Shemite gold, although she is very secretive as to why. Publio offers a job that pays well in Shemite gold: steal a page of the legendary Book of Skelos, which is currently in The Temple of a Thousand Gods. Belit and Conan go to the temple, and find only a lone priest standing under statues of the gods Derketo and her mate Dagon. The priest claims there is no need for security because the page is under divine protection - and suddenly Belit and Conan find the statues have come to life and are attacking them! Conan faces Derketo, and Belit faces Dagon, and the battle is fierce as Conan gains the advantage over his attacker, while Belit falls before hers. Conan is about th deal the killing blow when he realizes that he is in fact fighting Belit, due to an illusion cast by the priest. The statues are only statues - Conan and Belit have been fighting each other. Realizing he's been found out, the priest shrugs and wanders off, figuring if the gods wish to punish the thieves, they will, and Conan and Belit enter the chamber with the page, but discover that Red Sonja has arrived there, too!

Reprinted

 * Conan Saga 85