24. Tor Conan #17, Conan the Hero by Leonard Carpenter, Part 3

This feeling of goodwill which Yildiz exhibits for the Barbarian, rankles his high ranking military men. They feel this, Conan, is an interloper and beneath the gaze of the monarch. He is paid to fight and die for Yildiz, not to be noticed or held as an example by him. But how to get rid of him? He's a doughty fighter no doubt. A canny man all around, very difficult to kill. Perhaps the best course of action to get their people in Venjipoor deal with it.

After some time of recuperation, Conan is finally beginning to feel himself again. The Poison had finally worked its way out of his system, thanks in part to the medications of the Khitan seers that Yildiz kept in Venjipoor. With his strength returned, though still limping on his wounded leg, Conan and Juma decide to take their Leave and go out on the town.

It is with this goal in mind that the wounded Conan finds himself in the presence of Pheng Loon. Drugged and Dragged to the royal palace in Venjipoor City, which sits on the gulf of Tharqueba. He awakes after some time, groggy from the drug, and tied up. He notices a slight man in front of him. He soon introduces himself as Pheng Loon, the leader of Venjipoor and erstwhile ally to Yildiz. He explains his family was from Khitai, until they built a colony in Venjipoor to grow lotus flowers. But their strength waned and the rebels grew more bold. That is when Pheng Loon sought help from the west.

Wounded, drugged and tied up or not. Conan is not a man to be taken lightly. As soon as he begins to feel the vapors of the lotus loosening their hold on him he is ready to fight. He manages to free himself, and is soon on his feet, though stumbling slightly. Against this cushion sitting Khitans, it takes very little time for Conan to escape.

News of Conan's recovery reaches King Yildiz, who is ecstatic to hear it. First though he intends to have him brought to Agraphur and bestow on him a national honor. Officially making the Barbarian a Hero of Turan. All the sooner he can get back to inspiring men and fighting the enemies of Turan. The King is cautioned against this course of action, and that it would likely complicate matters far more than the King realizes.