"Useless," grunted the Cimmerian. "The way to the sewers is barred. As I entered the tunnel, an iron grille crashed down from the roof. If I had not moved quicker than a flash of lightning, its spearheads would have pinned me to the floor like a worm. When I tried to lift it, it wouldn't move. An elephant couldn't shake it. Nor could anything bigger than a rabbit squirm between the bars."

Murilo cursed, an icy hand playing up and down his spine (Мурило ругнулся, /при этом/ сверху вниз по его спине порхнула ледяная рука = холодок пробежал у него по спине; to play — играть; порхать, носиться). He might have known Nabonidus would not leave any entrance into his house unguarded (ему следовало бы знать, что Набонидус не оставит без охраны ни одного входа в свой дом). Had Conan not possessed the steel-spring quickness of a wild thing (если бы Конан не обладал стремительностью стальной пружины, как дикая тварь), that falling portcullis would have skewered him (эта падающая решетка пронзила бы его; portcullis — опускающаяся решетка /в крепостных воротах/; to skewer — насаживать на вертел, шампур; пронзать, прокалывать /мечом, шпагой/). Doubtless his walking through the tunnel had sprung some hidden catch that released it from the roof (несомненно, его хождение по туннелю привело в действие какую-то скрытую защелку, которая высвободила ее = решетку с потолка; to spring — снабжать пружиной; приводить в действие; to release — освобождать; отпускать; откреплять). As it was, both were trapped living (в данной ситуации они оба были пойманы = угодили в ловушку живьем; as it was — при сложившихся обстоятельствах, в данной ситуации, в таких условиях).

portcullis [pɔ:tˈkʌlɪs], skewer [ˈskjuə], doubtless [ˈdautlɪs]

Murilo cursed, an icy hand playing up and down his spine. He might have known Nabonidus would not leave any entrance into his house unguarded. Had Conan not possessed the steel-spring quickness of a wild thing, that falling portcullis would have skewered him. Doubtless his walking through the tunnel had sprung some hidden catch that released it from the roof. As it was, both were trapped living.