In exchange for safe passage and assistance to Luxor, Mer-Ath asks Conan to deliver a gem called the Eye of Set to neighboring Attalus, a tradition marking a change of rulership in the cities. New high priest Hun-Ya-Di objects at first, but ultimately agrees to allow Conan the honor, although he sends his man Ak-Ner to guide Conan. As the two climb through the mountains, Ak-Ner unsuccessfully (and fatally, for him) ambushes Conan, who then encounters Ak-Ner's co-conspirators hidden further in the hills. During the battle, a falling body triggers an avalanche, which Conan manages to outrun and take cover behind an outcropping, while most of his attackers, which include Hun-Ya-Di, don't seem to be as lucky. At the base of the mountain, Conan finds a girl, Bardylis, trapped under a rock. He f