"That doesn't seem fair," Balthus objected (это, кажется, нечестно, — неодобрительно заметил Балтус; to object — возражать, не одобрять, сказать неодобрительно). "He thought a friend was speaking to him (он думал, друг разговаривает с ним). You mimicked a Pict perfectly — (ты скопировал пикта в совершенстве)"

fair [fɛə], friend [frend], perfectly [ˈpə: fəktlɪ]

"What did you say to the Pict?" asked Balthus.

"Told him to pull into shore; said there was a white forest runner on the bank who was trying to get a shot at him."

"That doesn't seem fair," Balthus objected. "He thought a friend was speaking to him. You mimicked a Pict perfectly —»

"We needed his boat," grunted Conan, not pausing in his exertions (мы нуждались в его лодке, — пробурчал Конан, не прекращая своих усилий = грести).

"Only way to lure him to the bank (единственный способ заманить его к берегу). Which is worse — to betray a Pict who'd enjoy skinning us both alive (что хуже — обмануть пикта, который был бы рад содрать с нас обоих шкуру живьем), or betray the men across the river whose lives depend on our getting over (или предать людей за рекой, чьи жизни зависят от нашей переправы = от того, сможем ли мы переправиться; to skin — сдирать шкуру)?" Balthus mulled over this delicate ethical question for a moment (Балтус задумался над этим деликатным этическим вопросом на секунду), then shrugged his shoulders and asked: "How far are we from the fort (потом пожал /своими/ плечами и спросил: как далеко мы от форта)?"

Conan pointed to a creek which flowed into Black River from the east, a few hundred yards below them (Конан показал на речушку, которая впадала в Черную реку с востока, в нескольких сотнях ярдов ниже их /по течению/).

exertion [ɪɡˈzə: ʃn], betray [bɪˈtreɪ], depend [dɪˈpend]

We needed his boat," grunted Conan, not pausing in his exertions. "Only way to lure him to the bank. Which is worse — to betray a Pict who'd enjoy skinning us both alive, or betray the men across the river whose lives depend on our getting over?"

Balthus mulled over this delicate ethical question for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders and asked: "How far are we from the fort?"