Conan and Belit face Red Sonja, as both parties stand over the stolen page from the Book of Skelos. They reveal to each other how they found themselves there, but Sonja's constant needling of Belit finally goads the pirate queen into attacking. While Sonja has the upper hand with a sword, when the battle turns to daggers she instead cuts down the only torch and makes her escape, with the prize, in the dark. Conan, figuring she left her horse by the sewer entrance, beats Sonja to her steed and blocks her escape, but is approached by his old companion Tara, who begs for his help as her lover and father of her unborn child, Yusef, has been captured. Conan can't bear to let a friend rot in prison, goes to the dungeon (while being watched by a mysterious, hooded Stygian priest) and fights a gua