"Devils in the Walls" by John Jakes(1963)

Originally appeared in Fantastic Stories (May 1963).

Plot: Brak is purchased froma slave trader by a beautiful woman who wants him to sneak into a haunted palace and retrieve a forture in lost gold. having no choice, Brak enters the ruin, fights the possessed leopards who dwell there about then destroys the curse through the power of teh nestorian god and the walls fall, covering the treasure. he escapes, his bargain completed.

Monsters:

Devils in the Walls - Prince Hamur slew forty caravan travellers and a wizard who cursed him, placing the souls of the slain inside the walls of the palace. These spirits appear and tear invaders into shreds.

Possessed Leopards- The Thousand Claws of Prince Hamur are leopards he kept for hunting. These animals still live in the ruins of the old palace and become possessed by the devils that live in the walls.

History: Jakes uses the now cliché plot line of the hero who is sent on an errand. See "Rogues in the House", "Spawn of Dagon" and "Thieves of Zangabal". This may be the first non-Howard S&S story I ever read. For years I thought Jakes' work inferior to other writers (because Brak is so Conan-esque) but have recently re-discovered how good and influential they are.

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