SHADOWS IN THE MOONLIGHT
By Robert E. Howard
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was first published in Weird Tales April1934. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.copyright on this publication was renewed.]
1
A swift crashing of horses through the tall reeds; a heavy fall, adespairing cry. From the dying steed there staggered up its rider, aslender girl in sandals and girdled tunic. Her dark hair fell over herwhite shoulders, her eyes were those of a trapped animal. She did notlook at the jungle of reeds that hemmed in the little clearing, nor atthe blue waters that lapped the low shore behind her. Her wide-eyed gazewas fixed in agonized intensity on the horseman who pushed through thereedy screen and dismounted before her.
He was a tall man, slender, but hard as steel. From head to heel he wasclad in light silvered mesh-mail that fitted his supple form like aglove. From under the dome-shaped, gold-chased helmet his brown eyesregarded her mockingly.
'Stand back!' her voice shrilled with terror. 'Touch me not, ShahAmurath, or I will throw myself into the water and drown!'
He laughed, and his laughter was like the purr of a sword sliding from asilken sheath.
'No, you will not drown, Olivia, daughter of confusion, for the marge istoo shallow, and I can catch you before you can reach the deeps. Yougave me a merry chase, by the gods, and all my men are far behind us.But there is no horse west of Vilayet that can distance Irem for long.'He nodded at the tall, slender-legged desert stallion behind him.
'Let me go!' begged the girl, tears of despair staining her face. 'HaveI not suffered enough? Is there any humiliation, pain or degradation youhave not heaped on me? How long must my torment last?'
'As long as I find pleasure in your whimperings, your pleas, tears andwrithings,' he answered with a smile that would have seemed gentle to astranger. 'You are strangely virile, Olivia. I wonder if I shall everweary of you, as I have always wearied of women before. You are everfresh and unsullied, in spite of me. Each new day with you brings a newdelight.
'But come—let us return to Akif, where the people are still feting theconqueror of the miserable kozaki; while he, the conqueror, is engagedin recapturing a wretched fugitive, a foolish, lovely, idiotic runaway!'
'No!' She recoiled, turning toward the waters lapping bluely among thereeds.
'Yes!' His flash of open anger was like a spark struck from flint. Witha quickness her tender limbs could not approximate, he caught her wrist,twisting it in pure wanton cruelty until she screamed and sank to herknees.
'Slut! I should drag you back to Akif at my horse's tail, but I will bemerciful and carry you on my saddle-bow, for which favor you shallhumbly thank me, while—'
He released her with a startled oath and sprang back, his saber flashingout, as a terrible apparition burst from the reedy jungle sounding aninarticulate cry of hate.
Olivia, staring up from the ground, saw what she took to be either asavage or a madman advancing on Shah Amurath in an attitude of deadlymenace. He was powerfully built, naked but for a girdled loincloth,which was stained with blood and crusted with dried mire. His black manewas matted with mud and clotted blood; there were streaks of dried bloodon his chest and limbs, dried blood on the long straight sword hegripped in his right hand. From under the tangle of his locks, bloodshoteyes glared like coals of blue fire.
'You Hyrkanian dog!' mouthed this apparition