SEVENTEEN - Misdirection

Cold winds swept the battlements.

James signalled the archers to be ready to offer covering fire to the approaching horsemen. Two scouts raced up the incline to the drawbridge, whipping their lathered horses to get them to the gate before it rose too far to reach. James hoped he had timed it right because too early and those riders were stranded outside the walls; and too late and enemy riders might gain the barbican, and with the small band of defenders at his disposal, any enemies inside the castle posed a serious threat.

The first rider reached the bridge as it started to rise, and the second had to kick his horse hard to make it leap aboard the rising bridge, but they made it as James gave the order for covering fire.

Bowmen launched a flight of arrows at the pursuers, who fell back as three in their van were knocked from their horses. They were almost entirely human renegades, with two moredhel horsemen in the mix. They milled around just out of bow range, until James gave the signal for the firing of a single catapult, which showered them with stones, killing another half dozen.

The rest retreated down the road from the castle.

James was down to the barbican before the cheering on the walls had faded, asking, ‘What did you see?’

The lead rider, a young corporal, said, ‘No sign of help to the south and too damn many of the enemy coming down from the north.’

‘What does it look like to the north?’

The young corporal rewarded James’s faith in one so young by reporting calmly, despite the close call. ‘Screening cavalry, who didn’t take kindly to us pokin’ about, squire. I could see a lot of dust and some of those siege engines you told us about in the distance. Looks like they’ll be at the base of the road before nightfall.’

‘You did well,’ said James. ‘Go get something to eat and some rest. We’re going to have a busy morning.’

James went looking for Locklear, whom he had placed in charge of stores and weapons. When James found him, Locklear was in the middle of one of the storerooms looking disgusted at what he had found inside a barrel.

‘What is it, Locky?’

‘The meat’s full of maggots. I think those Nighthawks got down here and did some mischief before they set about killing the officers. They didn’t want the men to have a lot of reason for staying here, I think.’

‘How bad is it?’

‘All of the stored meat is bad. Most of the flour has bugs. We can sift those out, I guess, but I wouldn’t want to be eating the bread unless I was starving. The hard bread looks all right, and most of the dried fruit is still edible. We can last a while.’

‘I don’t think food is our worry.’

Locklear looked at James. ‘They’re coming?’

‘Tomorrow.’

‘Then we’d better be ready.’

James nodded. He knew that he could expect the best of the men; they were all veterans of the border wars, but none of them had been tested in a full-blown defence of the castle. He knew the theory: he had studied with Prince Arutha, and he knew the reality, he had fought at Armengar and Highcastle, and he knew that the attackers needed ten men for each of his defenders on the wall. What had James fretting was his concern about what would happen if Delekhan brought more than ten to one against his position.

Owyn carried the cup to stand before the column. He touched it to the crystal spire.

Dhatsavan’s voice sounded in his head: You have returned with the cup. That is good.

‘Why do you need this?’ asked Owyn.

I do not need it. I needed to keep it out of the hands of the Panath-Tiandn.

‘Why?’

It is many things, an item of immense power, but one of its uses is that of a key. It allows access to other worlds. The abandoned children of Alma-Lodaka will be confined to this world for the time being. They are by themselves nothing more than a nuisance. Under the guidance of their Pantathian cousins, they are a dangerous tool. Eventually someone may fetch them from our blasted world, but for now the rest of the universe is safe from them. Take the cup with you and keep it safe.

‘Pug’s welfare is our concern. We have fetched this cup for you from the other side of the island. Where is Pug?’

He is safe within a structure constructed by the Panath-Tiandn. The protective barriers that keep him isolated within that structure will be removed once you locate him. He misapprehended the scope of the cup’s powers. When he awakened its powers to seek the mind of his lost daughter, it overwhelmed him and reduced him to little more than a helpless child.

‘You imprisoned him to protect him?’

The former god’s reply was tinged with amusement, though Owyn wondered if human terms did justice to what he felt. As an individual he is of little interest to us, but he was useful in preventing the Panath-Tiandn from possessing the cup for a while. They had been involved in a long process of unravelling the mystery of the cup and were close to understanding it. Pug interrupted that process and set them back years. That alone warranted our thanks. Now that you are here, we can see the cup gone from this world, and as payment for your service, we shall grant your friends freedom.

Pug has regained most of his identity and memory, but his abilities will yet be impaired for many days to come. Go to a hut to the west of the one in which you found the cup; there you will find Pug.

‘How will we return home?’ asked Owyn.

The way is now opened to a place in the mountains, caves that lead to a cavern in which the Valheru dwelled. Take Pug from the hut and to the north you will find an entrance in the mountains; there you will find artifacts that will aid you in returning home. Use the cup to teach Pug what you know and take the cup with you for safekeeping. Suddenly the knowledge of how to use the cup came to Owyn. Then seek his daughter in a place near the mountains, where the Panath-Tiandn guard her, thinking she is an omen from Alma-Lodaka. Free her and return to your own world. But do not tarry, for I can only keep the gate to your world open for a limited time. My powers are not what they once were.

Go now.

‘Thank you,’ said Owyn, and he motioned for Gorath to accompany him.

‘Where now?’ asked the dark elf.

Pointing back the way they had come, Owyn said, ‘From where we found this cup we head west, and there we will find Pug. And when he is free, we find our way home.’

Gorath said, ‘Then let us hurry. I tire of this harsh and desolate land.’

Owyn agreed.

James raced up the steps to the wall as the bugles sounded. Drums thundered outside the walls and he heard the sound of crossbows and short bows being fired before he crested the battlements. Locklear shouted, ‘They’re coming up from the north face!’

James nodded and glanced eastward and saw the large siege towers being rolled up the road. He hurried to the north wall and saw goblins climbing up the slope of the hillside below the wall, all of them carrying coils of rope and grappling hooks. Slightly smaller than humans, the goblins were almost comic figures when they weren’t trying to kill you, James thought. Black hair formed a heavy thatch above thick brow ridges. Their skin was blue-tinged, as if a fair-skinned human had been lightly stained with dye, and their eyes were black irises on yellow. They carried small buckler shields on their arms and short swords on their hips.

Defenders began shooting at the goblins, who started moving in shifts. Crawl a few feet upward, raise the small shields over their heads, then as soon as a shield was struck they scampered a few more feet upward.

James shouted, ‘Bring rocks!’

Immediately soldiers came pulling shallow waggons on wooden wheels that carried large stones, ranging from the size of a man’s fist to the size of huge melons. Soldiers slid poles under the carts and levered the carts upward, with one holding a large rope handle on the side of the cart.

The contents of the cart spilled over the wall, showering the goblins with stones, effectively scraping them off the cliff face. Screams from below showed the efficacy of the defenders’ response.

This is a diversion,’ James said. ‘Locky, check the other two walls while I go to the gatehouse.’

Locklear hurried off and James ran along the pallisades toward the gatehouse. He knew it was going to be a long battle, one without quarter. If we can just make them retreat, he said silently to himself as he hurried to the gates.

Gorath approached the hut with caution. They had been attacked by three of the Panath-Tiandn en route, and Owyn had depleted the crystal staff. He had been forced to hold one at bay by clubbing it while Gorath killed the other two, then dispatched the last.

Gorath yanked back the sword with a grimace of pain.

‘What?’

‘There’s a barrier at the door. As soon as I touched it with my sword I felt a shock shoot up my arm.’

Owyn hesitated for a moment, then removed the Cup of Rlynn Skrr from his belt pouch and tentatively touched it to the door. He felt power surge into the cup and saw it flicker a moment, as if illuminated, then nothing. He pushed aside the curtain and entered.

Pug stood in the middle of the room, looking disoriented. He blinked at the light and asked, ‘Tomas?’ He tried to rise, with the aid of a crystal staff, the twin of Owyn’s, but sat back down after a feeble effort.

‘No,’ said Owyn as he entered, with Gorath behind. ‘Tomas was injured in an attack on Elvandar. He recovers from a poisoned wound. We came in his stead.’

‘Who are you?’ asked Pug. Then his eyes narrowed. ‘Wait, I remember you. You’re the boy who came to Krondor with Squire Locklear, months ago.’

‘Yes, and do you remember Gorath?’

Pug nodded. ‘The moredhel my daughter tried to read.’ Suddenly his eyes widened. ‘Gamina! I must find my daughter.’

‘We know where she is,’ said Owyn. Lowering his voice he said, ‘More or less.’

Pug seemed disoriented. ‘I am weak, but my memory has been returning.’ He looked at his right hand, which Owyn noticed bore a nasty old scar across the palm. ‘But my powers have fled and I remember almost nothing.’ He looked at Owyn and Gorath. ‘You claim you come in Tomas’s stead, but how can I be sure you’re not here on behalf of our enemies?’

Gorath looked incensed. ‘You accuse us of being false? You think us spies?’

Pug said, ‘I only know you were the first tool of Makala.’

‘Makala?’ Owyn’s expression was confused. ‘The Tsurani magician?’

‘This was his plan,’ said Pug. ‘I’m not saying Gorath is a willing tool, but he was as much a part of Makala’s plan as Delekhan is.’

‘Delekhan is also a tool of this Makala?’ asked Gorath.

‘I believe so. When you first brought word of Delekhan raising the war banner of Murmandamus over Sar-Sargoth, I became alarmed. Having seen Murmandamus’s dead body with my own eyes, I knew he no longer lived. But I thought it possible the Pantathians were responsible, using a rumour of Murmandamus’s survival as a goad to once again rally the moredhel to try to seize Sethanon.

‘I used my abilities to get what information I could, as did agents of the Prince, and between our efforts we realized there was no link between the Pantathians and Delekhan. I then judged Delekhan but a simple warlord seeking to seize power for himself under the guise of seeking to free Murmandamus.’

Pug looked weak, and Owyn said, ‘We have water and some food.’ He offered water to Pug, who drank deeply.

Pug waved away the food. ‘Later. Something Gorath said when speaking to my daughter nagged at me, and now I realize there was a link before me that had been apparent had I but the wits to notice.’

‘What was that?’ asked Gorath.

‘You said that Delekhan had displayed the helm of Murmandamus as proof he still lived.’

‘Yes, the dragon helm, black with lowered wings on both sides of the head.’

‘But last I saw that helm it lay in a basement below the keep of Sethanon in an ancient stone hall,’ said Pug. ‘By no arts I know could Delekhan have reached the place where that helm lay. Someone else had to fetch it and return it to him.

‘There are only four I can think of who might have the powers to discern the location of that chamber, and be able to find a way within: Macros the Black, myself, Elgohar of the Assembly, and Makala. Macros has been missing since the end of the Riftwar; Elgohar has served me well and has been busy with students at Stardock, leaving only one other.’

‘Makala,’ said Owyn. ‘But why is he doing this? I mean it explains one part of this puzzle that had frustrated Squire James, the part played by Tsurani in all this - ‘

‘That was what alerted me,’ said Pug. He finally stood, shaking a little. ‘When nothing tangible is apparently being gained in a transaction, one must assume something intangible is being exchanged.’

‘Information,’ said Gorath.

‘And service,’ said Pug. ‘I am now certain the Six you have spoken of are Tsurani Great Ones under Makala’s direction. He admitted as much.’

Owyn asked, ‘But why is Makala pushing Delekhan into a war with the Kingdom? Is it revenge over the Riftwar?’

Pug was silent a minute while he framed his answer. ‘What I tell you touches upon some of the most vital interests of Midkemia, not just the Kingdom.

‘When the Battle of Sethanon raged, Tsurani soldiers came to help, as did two friends of mine from the Assembly on Kelewan, Hochopepa and Shimone, and it’s obvious that despite the usual Tsurani reticence, gossip of the final events of that battle reached certain ears on Kelewan.’

Pug took a deep breath, as if telling the story took strength he didn’t have. ‘Deep under the city of Sethanon lies an ancient chamber.’ He put one hand around his other balled fist to demonstrate. ‘But it is really two chambers in one space, one out of time with the other.’

Owyn’s eyes widened. ‘Shifted in time? Only the most powerful of magicians could even conceive of attempting to reach it.’

Pug nodded. The first chamber, in our time, is where Murmandamus died, and there Makala would have found the helm he gave Delekhan.

‘The other chamber, however, the one that is always seconds ahead in time, is his real goal. It contains an artifact of immense power, a thing so dangerous it could spell the end of all life on the world of Midkemia. A mortal could stand in that chamber until the end of eternity and never “catch up” with the objects placed in the time shift; he would always be a few seconds too late to see the artifact. And that is what this war is about; it’s a diversion on a massive scale to allow Makala to establish the spell he needs to shift time to get into that chamber.’

Gorath said, ‘What is the need? Why send thousands to needless death to reach this second chamber if it is in the same place as the first? If he is a magician of such mighty arts, why not use his skills and slip into this other time using stealth?’

Pug said, ‘I have studied this object for nearly ten years and have only begun to gain an inkling of knowledge as to its nature and purpose. In the wrong hands, it could wreak havoc undreamed of in our worst nightmares.

‘Because it is so vital that no one reach this artifact, I erected additional defences around it. As I said, it is shifted in time, an act of the Valheru that I have left in place.

‘And,’ said Pug, ‘secreted within the vast cavern is an ancient dragon, a guardian oracle of special abilities. Even my powers would be sorely taxed to best this remarkable creature, and if any agency should threaten this dragon, she would call to the King, who has placed a special garrison near Sethanon, stationed in the Dimwood against just such a risk. I am certain someone of Makala’s intelligence has discovered that force and I believe he intends to use Delekhan’s forces to attack that garrison so he can gain entrance to the lower chamber without soldiers coming to the dragon’s aid. Even if the dragon is vanquished, Makala and his confederates will have their hands full in reaching the time-shifted chamber. They could not hope to do so while Kingdom soldiers were attacking them. They need many hours’ preparation once they best the dragon.’

‘The dragon!’ said Owyn. ‘It’s the one I spoke with at Malac’s Cross!’

‘Yes,’ said Pug. ‘The old statue is used to contact the oracle, so that any who might come looking for her will be led astray. If you spoke with her, your mind was at Sethanon.’

Owyn looked at Gorath. ‘Then that would be why she said you would play a critical role in this.’ Looking at Pug, he said, ‘And it also explains Delekhan’s plan! Prince Arutha sent us to find you because he fears Delekhan will employ magic in his attack on Northwarden. James thinks once they’ve come through Northwarden, Delekhan’s army will use boats to go downriver to Romney, then overland to Sethanon. Can you stop them?’

‘In my present state, no,’ said Pug. ‘Even as we speak I am regaining memories and some of my physical strength is returning, but I fear it will be some time before all my powers return. In my blind haste to find my daughter, I used a magical artifact that promised to impart knowledge. But I would have been better served to have avoided it.’

Owyn nodded. He reached into his pouch and again extracted the Cup of Rlynn Skrr. He held it out before Pug. ‘The being who called himself Dhatsavan said that this which robbed you of your ability could return it, but that I must aid you.’

Pug reached out and tentatively touched the cup held by Owyn. Owyn felt a tingling in his fingers. Images, feelings, unfamiliar memories, a sense of power, all rushed into his mind. Softly Pug said, ‘This is a risk, Owyn, and in days to come you may find you have undertaken a burden you didn’t anticipate. But for the moment, it will aid me greatly.’

Then Pug and Owyn slipped into darkness.

Owyn and Pug both roused at the same time as if from a deep trance, and found Gorath sitting next to them. ‘I had begun to fear you would never awake,’ he said as he helped them both to sit up.

‘How long were we out?’ asked Owyn.

‘Two days,’ said Gorath. ‘You were in a trance and if I put food or water to your lips you ate and drank, but you otherwise sat immobile holding the cup.’

Owyn blinked and felt images and ideas swimming around in his head. If he focused on an object in the hut or concentrated on a subject, they faded; but if he tried to relax, the fragments of thought again swirled through his brain. He stood and felt dizzy.

Pug stood and took the crystal staff. He stared at his hand and a flame erupted from the palm. ‘Interesting. I could never do that before.’

Owyn said, ‘It’s a trick I learned from a magician named Patrus.’

Pug said, ‘I seem to have abilities new to me, while those that should be familiar are just outside my grasp.’

‘And I have new and strange images in my head that I cannot quite grasp, either.’

‘In time many things may manifest themselves to you and should you need aid understanding them, come to me,’ said Pug.

Owyn looked at Pug’s staff and said, ‘Mine has lost its magic ability, it seems.’

Pug said, ‘We have to find you some more of the crystal that is the essence of magic, mana as some call it.’

‘I thought the staff was mana.’

‘No, come and I’ll show you.’ He led them outside and looked around the alien landscape. Most of the plants were fibrous and tough, with growths on them that looked like frozen crystals. ‘That one over there,’ he said. A single plant stood in the midst of others, but it was a golden colour while the others were purple or blue. ‘This is not really a plant,’ said Pug. ‘Touch your staff to it.’

Owyn did so and saw a tiny flash and the plant vanished. He felt a thrum of power in his staff. ‘Look for the golden plants as we walk,’ said Pug. ‘But for now, let us find my daughter and return home.’

‘If it is not already too late,’ said Gorath.

‘Dhatsavan must have known how long this would take,’ said Owyn. ‘If we needed to flee before making this transfer of abilities, he would have warned us.’

Gorath nodded. ‘We can hope that is true.’

Owyn pointed. ‘He said straight north of here we would find an area utilized by the Valheru when they warred on this world. Near there we shall find your daughter. He said the Panath-Tiandn view her as holy and will not harm her.’

‘That’s a blessing, if true,’ said Pug, the relief on his face obvious. ‘Let us go.’

They hurried northward as the day wore on and stopped only once to drink water and rest. Owyn saw several golden plants and touched his staff to each, charging it with magic.

Near sundown they started to hear an odd, low sound coming from the north. As they got closer, the sound grew louder. They reached a ridge and found a half-dozen of the serpent creatures in a circle, with another dozen arrayed beyond, all bowing to a large hut with mystic symbols painted outside.

Gorath said, ‘This will be difficult, especially those two on either end with staves like yours.’

Owyn said, ‘A moredhel spell-caster named Nago tried to freeze me with a spell; I’ve made it work once.’

Pug closed his eyes and said, ‘I . . . know which one you mean. The magic fetters that inflict damage. I . . . think I can cast that.’

Owyn said, ‘If we can immobilize those two, then cast a ball of fire at the rest, maybe that will cause enough panic we can get inside and find your daughter.’

They agreed on a plan of attack, and when Gorath gave the signal, Pug and Owyn stood and, gripping their crystal staves tightly, incanted spells which sped across the clearing and struck the two alien spell-casters. Both were gripped by forces which froze them in place and inflicted terrible pain on them as energy crackled in the falling evening light.

The other Panath-Tiandn were stunned by the shock and stayed rooted long enough for Pug and Owyn to cast balls of fire into their midst. Several of the lizard-men shrieked and ran, their burning robes spreading flames. Others turned to the source of the attack and Gorath was among them.

Owyn used his blinding spell to stop one, while Pug cast another bolt of the evil purple energy which froze its target.

Gorath cut down the first Panath-Tiandn who faced him, and turned as another swung at him with a sword. He blocked the blow and turned it away, dancing backward and getting ready for another attack.

Two of the lizard-men turned to flee and Pug and Owyn struck at the others with their crystal staves. The cudgels proved surprisingly sturdy, delivering sharp blows without shattering. Soon the lizard-men were either dead or in flight.

Pug raced forward to the hut and threw aside the oddly-woven tapestry door. In the middle of the hut rose a statue, roughly woman-shaped, but ancient and without detail. ‘Where’s Gamina?’ Pug asked aloud.

‘Perhaps in the ancient Valheru stronghold?’ suggested Owyn as he looked into the tent.

Gorath entered and said, ‘This place is already heavy with their essence.’

Pug looked around for anything which might point the way to his daughter.

Gorath picked up a dusty bundle in the corner, obviously not moved for a very long time. Underneath he found a suit of armour, white with crimson-and-gold trim. Gorath dropped it as if it were burning. ‘Valheru!’ he exclaimed.

Pug touched it and said, ‘Yes, it is very much like the armour Tomas wears.’

Owyn said, ‘Is it dangerous?’

Pug ran his hand over it and after a moment said, ‘No, there is no spirit of the Valheru within it. I think that quality was unique to Tomas’s armour.’ To Gorath he said, ‘It is, however, astonishingly durable and nearly impregnable. Why don’t you take it?’

Gorath shook his head emphatically. ‘No. I have no desire to wear relics of my people’s former masters. The desire for those trappings is a large part of why so many of my kin have walked the Dark Path. It is that lust more than anything which has kept my people mired in savagery while our eledhel kin have achieved a grace my people can’t even begin to imagine.’

It was the most impassioned statement Owyn had heard from the dark elf since they had met.

Pug found an ancient-looking scroll and unrolled it. ‘Look at this, Owyn.’

The young magician came to stand behind Pug and began to read over his shoulder. ‘What is it?’

‘I’m not sure, but I think it’s the spell Dhatsavan told you of, the one which drains strength from those creatures of Rlynn Skrr.’

Owyn continued to read, and said, ‘I feel . . . odd.’

‘Blink and look away,’ said Pug.

Owyn did so and found the lethargy passed. ‘What was that?’

‘Some magic captures the eye and compels it to follow the cantrip until it’s burned into your mind. Let me study this for a while before you try to memorize it.’

Gorath said, ‘We had better find some other place to study it. Those snakemen will be coming back here soon.’

Pug rolled up the parchment and looked around the hut. There were other items. Pug didn’t have the time to examine them, for Gorath said, ‘Too late. Here they come.’ He hurried to the back of the tent and cut a long slit down the back. ‘This way!’

Pug, Owyn and Gorath hurried through the rear of the tent and fled up a dirt path that led into the hills.

They ran until they found the entrance to a cave. Owyn used his light spell and said, ‘Down there!’ He led them deep into the cave and they hid around a turn, listening for the sounds of pursuit.

After a while the silence reassured them the Panath-Tiandn were not following. They sat in the cave. Pug said, ‘Well, as long as we’re sitting here, hold your hand where I can read this.’

Owyn did as he was told and Pug spent a long time studying the scroll. Minutes dragged by, but Owyn kept the light steady as Pug read.

Gorath grew bored and moved to the mouth of the cave, then out and down the trail a little way to see if there were any signs of pursuit. He returned to the cave and saw that Owyn and Pug were now both lost in studying the scroll.

Knowing there was nothing to do but wait, he set out to explore further along the trail. He worked his way up into a small pass and over a rise saw the trail changing; the stones became smoother, as if once this had been a stone roadway.

With night vision far more acute than any human’s he moved effortlessly through the gloom of a night illuminated by alien stars. He hurried along, sensing he was close to something imbued with ancient magic.

He crested another rise and looked down a long trail at a giant cave mouth. Carved into the sides of the mountain were two huge dragons. He halted, torn between returning to get his companions and a desire to explore further. After a moment of conflict, he moved ahead and at a half-trot entered the dark cavern.

James stood, panting, his arms and chest drenched in blood. Six times goblins and moredhel using scaling ladders had threatened to crest the wall, and three of those times he had personally had to beat back the attack. Locklear hurried to his side, nearly dead on his feet and said, ‘It doesn’t look like they’re pulling back for the night! They keep coming!’

‘What’s the situation?’

‘That first tower we stopped with the ballista has been cleared away and now they’re moving two of them forward.’ Of the half dozen siege towers that were built up north, three had been destroyed by the mangonels on the north wall. Unfortunately they had used all the large rocks capable of disabling the towers and three more had cleared the turn in the road and were pushed up toward the west gate. The first one had been destroyed by the two large ballistas over the gatehouse.

‘The ballistas?’

‘We still haven’t got them repaired. One needs to be completely dismantled and reassembled and the other needs more time to fix than we have. I was thinking if we let them get close enough and then pepper them with fire arrows they might be burning before they reached the walls.’

James looked dubious. ‘They can’t have neglected to -’

‘Hey!’ said Patrus, hurtling into view. ‘We’ve got a situation.’

James shook his head to clear it. ‘What?’

‘Can’t you see those bleeding huge towers rolling this way?’

Lacking any humour, James held out a hand dripping with blood and said, ‘I’ve been busy.’

‘Oh,’ said the old magician. ‘Well, there are these two bleeding huge towers rolling up on us.’

‘We were just discussing how to fire them,’ said Locklear.

‘I was saying I can’t believe Delekhan’s generals could neglect to fireproof them.’

Patrus said, ‘I don’t know. Why don’t we find out?’

He moved past them and lowered his staff over the wall, just as a scaling ladder slammed against the stones. Two fatigued soldiers used forked poles to push it back and from below they heard a scream as a goblin fell from it. Patrus ignored a flight of stones from slingers below that peppered the walls around him.

‘It’s a good thing they’re so bad in co-ordinating their efforts,’ observed Locklear. ‘If those stones had kept our lads back a moment earlier, those goblins would be over the wall.’

‘Give thanks for small favours,’ said James.

Patrus aimed the staff at the nearest of the two towers, and spoke a short phrase. A small blast of fire sped from his staff and Locklear said, ‘That fireball trick he did in the pass when we met him!’

James turned and saw a third and fourth fireball strike the structure, and could hear shouts from the moredhel and goblins within. Two of the strikes had started fires.

Patrus turned and aimed at the second tower, and missed it with his first blast, then corrected his aim and hit it three times. He managed to generate another half a dozen fireballs at each tower, and soon they were both aflame. Cheers erupted from the exhausted defenders on the wall as a trumpet in the distance sounded.

James sank to the parapet. ‘They’re sounding retreat,’ he said, exhausted beyond imagination. ‘We held them.’

Locklear sank to the stones next to him as they heard the retreat from the wall and the defenders took up the cheer. ‘What a day.’

Patrus knelt and said, ‘Well, that was a good spanking, lads.’ The chipper old magician said, ‘Don’t get too comfortable. There’s a lot of work to do before morning.’

Half-dazed from the battle, James said, ‘What’s in the morning?’

With a cheerful tone that almost caused James to want to throttle the old man, Patrus replied, ‘Why, when they attack again.’

Dragging himself to his feet, James said nothing, knowing the old man was correct. He lowered his hand and Locklear reached up, gripped it and pulled himself upright, with a groan of a man four times his age.

Silently they headed down into the keep to begin organizing the survivors for the next assault, while the two siege towers burned like beacons in the night behind them.

Pug and Owyn blinked as they returned to the here and now. ‘What?’ asked Owyn.

Gorath said, ‘You’ve been studying that scroll for almost a day.’

Pug said, ‘It’s an alien spell. Very powerful, and it’s now burned into my memory.’

Owyn said, ‘Mine as well.’ He straightened up from his position of leaning over Pug. ‘It’s a spell to drain energy from those creatures Dhatsavan spoke of, the Rlynn Skrr elemental creatures.’

Pug stood up. ‘How long?’

‘It’s almost dawn.’ Gorath pointed out the cave. ‘I did some scouting.’

‘What did you find?’ asked Pug.

‘The Valheru place you spoke of. I think your daughter may be there. It is very much like a temple.’

Pug didn’t wait and hurried out of the cave mouth. ‘Where?’

Gorath followed, then took the lead, showing Pug the way to the cave mouth with the dragons carved on either side. ‘A short way inside, steps led down to a huge chamber. I heard sounds like the wind from within and felt an ancient fear, from someplace I cannot name. I thought it best to wait for you two before venturing farther.’

‘Wise,’ said Pug. ‘I think it was very wise.’

Pug, Owyn and Gorath entered and moved down along a stone hallway, and down the stairs Gorath had spoken of. At the base of the steps they entered a huge chamber. Once a host of worshippers could have fit inside, but at present it was empty. At the far side stood two doors of stone. As Gorath had said, a fetid wind seemed to blow through the chamber and it filled all three of them with a terrible dread.

Reaching the doors, Gorath tentatively pushed on one. It was massive, but counterbalanced with great skill, so that as he pushed it swung open slowly, but with ease.

When the opening was wide enough, Gorath released his grip on the door and slipped through, followed by Owyn and Pug. In the next chamber a glowing blue crystal rose from a dais in the centre of the floor, illuminated by a shaft of light from above. Hanging in the middle of the crystal was the form of a young girl, her pale hair floating around her head like a white nimbus.

‘Gamina!’ shouted Pug.

From out of the gloom on either side of the gem two figures appeared, one from each side of the chamber. They were ten feet tall, the colour of a grey shroud, and their eyes burned like blue ice. Their features were indistinct, shifting and changing, but they appeared powerful in form, with large spreading wings.

Gorath hesitated, but Pug shouted, ‘Owyn, the spell!’

Both magicians closed their eyes and for a brief moment Gorath stood, uncertain of what to do. Then he struck with his sword, attempting to slash the creature that advanced upon Pug. His sword passed through the creature as if cutting the air. Only a slight slowing of the blade and a numbing cold shooting down his arm signalled any contact. Then the creature lashed out and sent Gorath flying across the room with a blow that struck like a hurricane.

Then scintillating lights of every colour in the rainbow jumped from Owyn’s and Pug’s hands, each striking one of the two creatures. The creatures stopped dead in their advance, as if stunned to immobility. The colours whipped through the creatures’ bodies, then shot down into the floor, thousands of tiny embers of colour, one after the other. Each bright light seemed to take a tiny particle of the creature with it, and before the two magicians the two elemental beings faded, until at last only a hollow echo of the wind remained in the room.

Gorath stood up and shook off the effects of the blow he had suffered.

Again Pug cried, ‘Gamina!’ He hurried to the crystal and saw that his daughter was preserved like a living effigy of the goddess of the Panath-Tiandn. He touched the crystal and felt energy flowing through his fingers.

He closed his eyes and traced the patterns of energy in his mind, and at last, said, ‘Gorath! Strike here!’ He pointed to a facet below the girl’s feet.

Gorath didn’t hesitate and drew back his sword and with all his might he struck exactly where Pug indicated. The crystal erupted in a shower of gems, splashing the three of them as if a million diamonds had been spilled from a vessel. Pug ignored the falling gems and stepped forward to catch his daughter as she fell. She seemed in a trance, but she lived.

‘The gods be praised!’ said the magician. His tears flowed as he hugged his daughter to his chest, cradling her as if she were still the little girl who had come to live with his family years before. The mute child who couldn’t speak but used her mind like a weapon had become as dear to him as the child of his body. In his heart she was as much his daughter as William was his son.

He gently lifted her chin and whispered her name.

Her eyelashes fluttered and she stirred. ‘Daddy.’

Gorath’s eyes widened. He looked at Owyn who nodded. ‘I heard it, too.’

She opened her eyes, then she flung her arms around her father’s neck. ‘Daddy!’ She hugged him fiercely and he held her as if he might never let her go. ‘He was lying, Daddy. Makala was lying all the time. He tricked me; he gave me something to make me sleepy, and then I woke up here. He said he didn’t want to hurt me, but he wanted to get you away from Krondor!’

‘I know, sweetheart,’ said Pug softly. ‘It’s all right. We’re going home now.’

‘How?’ asked Gorath.

Owyn said, ‘There’s supposed to be a gate here, according to Dhatsavan. By that I suspect he meant a rift of some sort.’

Pug looked around the chamber and said, ‘I see nothing here.’ He turned to his daughter and asked, ‘How do you feel?’

She stood and assured him, ‘I’m all right, really.’

Owyn stared at the girl, barely into her teens, and was struck by what a beautiful woman she would become. She caught him staring and smiled and he turned away, blushing.

Pug smiled and said, ‘You remember Owyn and Gorath from Krondor, I presume?’

‘Yes,’ she said with a shy smile. ‘Thank you for helping my father find me.’

Gorath said, ‘It is our honour.’

Owyn just smiled and nodded.

They moved across the chamber and found another corridor on the other side of the hall. Another large door loomed before them, and Gorath opened it. It led them into a chamber in which a huge wooden device stood.

Pug took one look at it and said, ‘It’s a rift machine!’

‘Are you certain?’ asked Owyn.

‘I did more research on rifts on Kelewan than any other Black Robe,’ said Pug. ‘But even if I hadn’t I’d have recognized that device. It’s Tsurani.’

‘Can we use it?’ asked Owyn.

Pug went to it and examined it for a long time, then said, ‘It’s been deactivated.’

Owyn said, ‘Deactivated?’

Pug grimaced. ‘Turned off. It’s not working.’

Gorath said, ‘You mean we’re stuck here?’

Pug sat down and said, ‘Unless I can come up with a way to get it working again, yes, we are stuck on this blasted world with no way to get home.’

Gamina put her arms around her father’s neck and Gorath and Owyn both sat down on the floor, for want of anything better to do.