Conan and Diana find shelter from a storm as they ride away from Meroe. Diana tells Conan how she and her father's ship was captured by pirates, her father slain, and she sold into slavery. The next morning, they continue their journey to the Stygian border-town of Sukhmet, but are ambushed by the cannibal Darfaris. They lose their horses but manage to flee into the path of a traveling caravan that includes an old acquaintance of Conan, Thutmekri. Although Thutmekri wants nothing more than to run Conan through, the others convince him to allow Conan to assist in fighting off the Darfari. The caravan and Conan hold off the cannibals, who retreat and say they will leave the caravan alone in return for Diana. Although Thutmekri is agreeable, Conan is not and the Darfari counter with accepting