While deep in the trenches of a Corinthian city, Conan encounters a hideous Gila monster -- what untold treasures does this beast protect? Plus, the return of Jenna!
Conan is hiding out in a gorge from a squad of mercenaries that are hunting him down. As the soldiers pass below, the Cimmerian starts a rock-fall that wipes out the majority of his pursuers.
All,that is, except one survivor who says he remembers Conan from a raiding party he was in with his fellow Gundermen into Cimmeria years before. They clash, and Conan cuts him down, presumed dead...Conan turns and continues on his way...
He soon comes across the crumbling remains of an ancient city, and climbing the surrounding wall, enters the ruins...
...to be attacked by a `dragon` - a thirty foot long giant lizard! Conan flees, pursued by the monster. Conan manages to drop a boulder into the open maw of the dragon, and as it writhes, choking, he kills the lizard by attacking its exposed underbelly....
Searching for loot, Conan heads for a temple but at the doors he is once more challenged by the Gunderman he thought he`d slain in the gorge. They strike a parley and decide to loot the temple together...
Inside,they discover a huge chamber filled with gems and gold. Six mummified giants line the walls ~ The Treasure-Crypt of Lanjau. Conan bags an exquisite bejeweled jade serpent and the mummified gaurdians are suddenly animated and attack...
After a brief clash, the two robbers take flight out the temple into the ruins. Following, the mummified gaurdians suddenly collapse - reduced to dust when exposed to the sunlight outside the crypt.
An earthquake promptly shakes the ruins and fires burst from the earth.Conan and the Gunderman take flight heading for the gate...The Cimmerian makes it ,but the other is not so lucky and fails to escape the all-consuming destruction that has befallen the city...
By night time, Conan finds a village and comes across the girl, Jenna, who he last saw in Shadizar. She is now running a tavern in the village, bought with the gold she stole from Conan when they last met...
Conan finds a bag of jewels he stole from the treasure-crypt has turned into dust. The city magistrate and a troop of soldiers arrive at the tavern to arrest Conan - cornering both Jenna and the Cimmerian. Investigating Conan`s loot, the magistrate is fatally bitten by a serpent, it seems the bejeweled snake Conan stole from the crypt is also cursed.
In the confusion, Conan and Jenna flee, and taking a horse they race away down the hard dirt road...
The original cover is a stat which has been reworked extensively by Smith using white out. Unknown where the original art for the cover is.
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