“You could be right, Hubba Hubba,” said Fuzz as Tors came puffing up with Ceidwad and Lladdwr. “That would really be something if the only way they had of catching us was that one Cia which Razzmorten's got bottled up in his head. Well, if he can just hang onto him until we get near the Dragon Caves, we'll make it.”
“That sounds too good to be true,” said Rose as she shifted her seat on Ceidwad. “But if you really think we've slipped away from Spitemorta and Demonica, do you think we could stop and rest and maybe fix a bite to eat? Besides, I think Grandfather and Mary could use a little time not being carried around like two old sacks of flour. I guess I'm asking to make camp early if it's not foolish.”
“Sounds good to me,” said Fuzz. “We'll scratch our heads as we keep our eyes open.”
“I know of a hollow with a big shale overhang a good piece up ahead,” said Tors. “The way the big rocks are strewn about would be just dandy for our purposes.”
“Show us the way,” said Fuzz, after trading looks all round.
At once they were under way, following Tors and Lukus, crunching and rustling through golden choke oak leaves that were now starting to fall in earnest, leaving oblique beams of bright afternoon sun to splotch and speckle the trunks of the trees. Here and there a frenzy of jays made the woods ring with their cries. After a time they followed the length of a long low hogback for a good distance before angling down the face of it to travel along beside another branch of the Fairy Creek. Above the treetops, a pair of crows traded caws as they winged across the hollow. Rock bluff faces reared up, forming a wall along one side of the creek bottom.
Suddenly Tors started sprinting.
“We're here!” hollered Lukus over his shoulder as he waved both arms.
In short order they all gathered beneath the black shale ledge that thrust out above a tumble of boulders.
Myrtlebell gave a sigh of deliverance as she dismounted and began unloading Mary before Lladdwr had quite settled onto his keel. “I have no feeling at all in my leg,” she said, dancing where she stood. “Mary's been lying across it since we started this morning.”
“Ouch,” said Lukus in sympathy, as Tors gave her a hand with Mary.
“Every single minute,” said Myrtlebell.
Lukus helped Fuzz get Razzmorten off Arwr while Rose rushed to make a comfortable place for him and Mary back against the rocks. Myrtlebell came limping to help. Once they had them laid out, they set about gathering wood and water for supper. Due to peculiar air currents, they decided to put their supper fire beyond some large boulders, so that Razzmorten and Mary wouldn't have to breathe the whirling smoke.
By the time the shadows were growing long, they had feasted on a stew of the very last of the potatoes and corned buttox which they had been carrying since they left the Dragon Caves.
Fuzz sat back against a rock and looked at the sky. “This is a great place to camp, even if it does mean a longer day tomorrow,” he said.
“I've spent the night here different times,” said Tors. “It'll even keep you dry in a rain, unless the wind's in the south.”
“Speaking of longer day,” said Lukus, “how much farther is it to the Dragon Caves?”
“We ought to get there by this time tomorrow, at least,” said Tors.
“Good,” said Rose. “I'm going to see to Grandfather.”
“And I'm going to look at Mary,” said Myrtlebell.
“Do you reckon that we are to look at the dishes?” said Fuzz to Lukus and Tors.
Lukus rolled his eyes and turned aside to Tors. “He's kind o' slow, isn't he?” he said with grin.
“Must not have quite adjusted to his change from a grumpy old bear,” said Tors.
“Grumpy?” said Fuzz. “Why, I was a very easy going bear.”
Lukus rose with a laugh and began scraping plates as Tors went to the creek for water.
***
“I guess that's all I can do for you right now, Grandfather,” said Rose, as she stood and turned to Myrtlebell to see if she needed help with Mary.
Myrtlebell smiled at Rose. “I guess I've done all I can for Mary, too,” she said as she tucked a lock of hair behind Mary's ear. “I feel so helpless.”
“Me too.”
Devi listened keenly. He was desperate to hear of any sign of pursuit from Demonica or of Oana and Mael. He fervently hoped not. Razzmorten's being had fallen into deep sleep right away after the last mind reading by Ceidwad, but not knowing what was going on outside kept Devi from leaving, even so. “If I just knew where Mael and Oana were, I'd switch bodies, grab the Heart and be long gone,” he thought. “Then once I had it, I'd hunt down Demonica and Spitemorta. At least I'm safe in here for now.” He continued straining to hear Rose and Myrtlebell's conversation.
“Well,” said Myrtlebell, “I guess we should join the others.”
“Yea, I suppose,” said Rose with a chuckle. “Do you think they've finished the dishes yet?”
“Well then. Perhaps we should give them a little more time.”
“I've an even better idea,” said Rose with dancing eyes. “Do you suppose the creek's deep enough for a swim? I'd love to wash off this sweat before bed.”
“I don't expect it's more than just deep enough for a good wade, Rose. Maybe we could find a place or two deep enough to sit or even lie down in it.”
“Let's do it.”
“Let's,” said Myrtlebell.
“I'll ask Hubba Hubba and Pebbles to come along so they can keep a lookout for us.”
“Good idea. Is there anything you want me to do while you're at it, Rose?”
“Oh, maybe grab some towels from my panniers, right beside Grandfather, and the bar of soap, too, if you don't mind.” Rose strode to the top of the swell that lay beyond the overhang. There she saw Hubba Hubba and Pebbles perched in a small ironwood tree, carrying on a lively conversation with Fuzz, Tors and Lukus, who each sat out of sight beyond a great boulder. She caught their eye and nodded, then turned away to go back.
“Hey Rose,” called out Hubba Hubba, causing her to pivot back again. “You look like you...” Suddenly he and Pebbles exploded wide eyed from the tree and flew madly along the ground to vanish into the brush.
Rose looked up in stunned horror to see Spitemorta and Demonica swooping through the hollow on the Great Staff. Everyone was on his feet, running in all directions. White hot fire shot through her as she furiously sprinted for Razzmorten and Myrtlebell.
Tors dove aside, knocking Lukus out of the way of a crackling lavender bolt of fire from Demonica's fingertips. Ceidwad, Lladdwr and Arwr bounded zigzagging to the overhang to protect Mary and Razzmorten.
Spitemorta made a great loop through the air and swooped back for another pass, aiming the Staff at Rose.
Demonica discharged bolt after bolt into bursts of flying rocks and dirt as she failed to hit Fuzz, who now ran beside Rose.
Lukus furiously let fly a rock with his sling as he leaped onto Tors's back. His stone beaned Spitemorta's forehead, knocking awry her bolt of fire enough to barely graze
Rose's shoulder. Rose screamed and stumbled. Fuzz grabbed her hand yanking her along. “Don't stop!” he cried.
Tors roared, belching out a fiery blast as Spitemorta and Demonica climbed straight up into the air, beyond the reach of his flames. They flipped backwards and dropped with a sweeping plunge toward the overhang. Myrtlebell screamed, dropping the soap and towels the moment she turned to see them plummeting from the sky.
Devi threw open Razzmorten's eyes at the sound of the pandemonium. “I've run out of time!” he cried, flinging himself out into the air. Myrtlebell was standing right there. He shot behind her eye, right into her head. She put up no struggle at all. Her being still blinked in dazzled confusion from the fringes of her head as he reached inside Razzmorten's robe and snatched the Heart. He picked up her skirts and ran. He would not likely have a choice. He would have to make do with the smattering he had learnt when he had been in the Heart for that fleeting mome
nt.
Rose and Fuzz saw that he had the Heart and came for him.
“Myrtlebell!” shouted Fuzz as he sprang toward her. “What in all Fates' name are you doing?”
Devi looked up to see that Demonica and Spitemorta were nearly upon him. He could see their smug faces now. He held out the Heart to blast them and tripped on a choke oak root. The blood red jewel glowed with mad brilliance, vibrating as it prepared to release its terrible energies, lighting up Devi's look of wonder on Myrtlebell's face as he tumbled forward.
Panic grabbed Demonica and Spitemorta as they felt the throbbing power building in the Heart. “Up! Pull up!” screamed Demonica.
Spitemorta jerked aside the Staff and swept them into a dead vertical climb. The Heart belched out a ruby bolt that missed them, as an ear-ringing concussion turned the sky red, flinging them end over end for a good league into the heavens. The moment she came to at a dead fall, drool whipping from her chin with Demonica still hanging on behind her, she shot back to the hollow in a furious rage along the very path they had been thrown, going straight for Myrtlebell. She was back over the hollow in moments, bearing right down on Mytlebell who was just picking herself up from the ground. “You've had this coming your whole life!” she shrieked as she came straight at her with the Staff.
Myrtlebell's head exploded like a petard, pounding out a concussion that echoed away through the hollow, as the rest of her slumped into a pile of tinkling ash. The Heart hit the earth with a porcelain clink and rolled to a stop under the very root that had tripped her.
“No!” screamed Rose and Fuzz together. Fuzz froze in horrified disbelief as Rose dashed to her cinders.
Tors sprang into their midst from under the cliff. “Now! Now, Lukus!” he cried. “Get off and get Fuzz to help with Mary and Razzmorten! I'll get Rose!”
“Now!” shouted Lukus, as he leaped off Tors and grabbed Fuzz by the arm.
“They're on their way back to finish us!”
“Rose!” cried Fuzz.
“Tors got her! Let's go!”
Fuzz suddenly snapped awake and dashed after Lukus to where Arwr, Lladdwr and Ceidwad waited on their keels by Razzmorten and Mary.
“Get on!” said Tors.
Rose looked up at him, then turned away to Myrtlebell's ashes.
“Get on, Rose!” He swung his head eye to eye with her. “There's nothing you can do for her now Rose, but there is something you can do for Razzmorten,” he said softly. “Now!” he barked, bouncing with his front legs.
“Take me!” she suddenly squealed, throwing her leg over his back.
“Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!” screamed Demonica, as Spitemorta steered the Staff into another sweeping climb as she got ready to take out someone else. “You've destroyed the Heart! You've destroyed Kalon Bras!”
“Better it than us, Grandmother!” spat Spitemorta. “I still have the Staff and I'm going to use it to destroy every last one of those cachu ci.” And with that she swept down, pointing the Staff at Rose and Tors. “I've got you now, you perfect little twit...!” she laughed out, until she suddenly choked with a seizure of strangulation.
“Stop your attack this second!” growled Demonica. “Or you've had the last breath you ever will!”
Spitemorta worked her mouth like a frantic fish but refused to change her course.
“Now!” roared Demonica.
Finally, Spitemorta pulled up on the Staff and sent them hurtling towards the clouds, gasping in great breaths of air as they rose. “I am going to kill her,” she thought. “First chance I get.”
“I told you before, Razzmorten is mine!”
“Razzmorten!” cried Spitemorta. “Pooh on Razzmorten! I had the trollop of Niarg in sight and you made me lose her! Why didn't you kill that damned wizard when you were married to him and been done with it?”
“Would you enjoy watching your tongue fall to the ground before your very eyes, dearest Granddaughter?”
“Fine, Grandmother! What then, are your plans? Now that we have them at our mercy, are we flying straightaway to Goll just because the Heart slipped through your fingers?”
“My fingers, dear?” said Demonica incredulously. “Razzmorten's mine! Do whatever you like with the rest!”
Spitemorta sat up with a grin and pointed the Staff to plunge for the overhang once more. Rose and Tors were nowhere to be seen. “Of course!” she hissed. “They're all hiding under the rocks! Ha! Fools!” She flew by the rocks.
“Do you see them anywhere?” said Demonica, as she strained to see into the rocks.
“No, nowhere!”
“They couldn't have gone far! Slow down!” said Demonica as she studied the ground. “It can't be!” she screeched.
“What?” said Spitemorta.
“Turn around!” shouted Demonica, bouncing on the Staff.
“What do you mean?”
“Do it now!”
Spitemorta made a tight circle, low over the ground.
“There! Land there!” cried Demonica, bouncing with glee as she pointed to the ground. At once she sprang from the Staff, running to squat by a gnarled root. She hesitated before grabbing up something in trembling hands. She whirled to her feet with a look of triumphant madness as she held aloft the Heart of the Staff, pulsing with blood-red light.
Spitemorta could not touch it at first. She stared in thunderstricken awe. Oh, she most certainly desired it, but as she beheld it she wondered: “Can one truly control such a thing, or does it control the one who wields it?”
Arwr, Lladdwr and Ceidwad ran full speed, leaving Tors in their wake. They each knew the way, and if Demonica and Spitemorta caught them they would be dead.
Tors could smell the swamp. He paused from time to time, listening for any sound of pursuit, relief flooding him each time he heard none. “Sorry I'm slow!” he panted. “You should've gone on with the others. If they get anyone, it'll be us.”
“I doubt it,” said Lukus. “The light's neigh gone and the diatrymas are going to be moving at a crawl. They'd roost right where they stand if we weren't fleeing for our lives.”
“I'm roosty myself, Lukus. Just how are they going to manage in the dark? They'll be stumbling all over the place at least, and I'm not sure if they're even able stay awake at night.”
“Fear and need,” said Lukus. “They won't stop until we're all in the swamp. Bet ye, even if it's pitch black and they do hate it in there.”
“I can take over in there. We can hide there for a very long time and never be found.”
“I know that for a fact, Tors. Spark showed us that. But I'm hoping we don't have to hide for long.”
“Hopefully we can just go on across to the Dragon Caves. Too bad you all and the diatrymas can't hold your breath as we do.”
“Yea. I remember Spark swimming underwater for an incredible length of time.”
“Right.” said Tors. “Hey! I think that must be Rose and Fuzz.”
“Didn't I tell you?”
Shortly Tors had caught up with everyone.
“How much further, Tors?” said Hubba Hubba from atop Razzmorten. “We need to roost, here.”
“Very close. Right up yonder,” said Tors.
“You think there's a place for us to bed down for the night in all that muck?” said Lladdwr.
“Absolutely,” said Tors. “Your feathers will even be dry by sunrise.”
“I am boundlessly comforted,” said Lladdwr.
“Well, if that doesn't suit you, at least we escaped the witches.”
“Now that,” rumbled Lladdwr, “suits me. We may just survive this journey.”
“We just may,” said Tors.
Chapter 77
“So, Grandmother,” said Spitemorta. “What do we do now? Go to Goll or finish off those gwrteithiau?”
“Oh my dear,” said Demonica lightly, as she fondled the Heart. “I do believe we've already finished them off. They simply haven't realized it yet.”
“Like unto a snake with his head chopped off, w
iggling all day until sunset, aye?”
“Exactly so,” said Demonica, surprising Spitemorta with a rare look of approval.
“Then,” said Spitemorta, stepping astride the Staff, “we're off to Goll.”
Demonica paused for a last glimpse of the Heart, wrapped it tenderly in a silk scarf and slipped it inside her robe. “We mustn't be rash, even if we do have this,” she said as she threw her leg across the Staff. “Returning to Goll is one thing, flying in on the Staff is quite another.”
“Then, we just make certain that we fly in after dark.”
“Won't do,” said Demonica shaking her head. “We'd not be seen by whole crowds of people, that way, but rest assured that lots of people would still spot us and know just exactly who we were. You said yourself that flying about in front of your subjects was a bad idea, and we both know that I remember right.”
“But I want to go home.”
“And you will. But first, we need return to Bushman the Bear's cave for our mounts, so that we can return just the way we left. And you look sullen, dear. You mean you don't mind if your subjects suddenly begin comparing you to your crazy mother? They will. If we fly in it's certain.”
“All right, Demonica. You've made your point. To the bear's den it is.”
“Ah, good. You're going to be reasonable.”
Spitemorta set her jaw and launched the Staff into the night. “It's quite dark,” she said, “are you sure we can find it?”
“Of course. You have the Staff.”
“The Staff? Are you suggesting that I just tell it where I want it to take us? Is that it?”
“Why yes, dear,” said Demonica airily. “Why don't you try that?”
“Ugleeuh never did that. That's why.”
Demonica shook her head. “All that your formidable mother knew about the Staff she learnt on her own by trial and error.”
“Very well. Then Staff, take us to the bear's den, where Nightshade and Gwenole await, as fast as you can,” she commanded.
The Staff responded immediately, shooting off on a new course without hesitation. “It worked!” gasped Spitemorta.
“Fancy that,” said Demonica as she leant forward to keep out of the wind, concentrating on not getting sick. The ground was going by much faster than she had imagined possible.
Heart of the Staff - Complete Series Page 83