"I like this one the best," he said finally, putting the opal down.
"You know, it's the least valuable of the lot," Rika said.
"I still like it the best," Karl replied. "It's full of surprises. I don't think I would ever get tired of it."
Suddenly they heard a rumble in the distance that was not the thunderstorm. The Hrithdon column was approaching. Quickly, Rika put the gems back into the pouch. The rumbling grew louder as the column came into view. As it drew closer, they could see Athgar tied to one of the lizards in the center of the column. Then, to their surprise, the column slowed and turned from the road into the field beneath the cliff.
"Do you think they've seen us?" Karl whispered.
Rika shook her head. "They're going to camp here for the night."
Karl and Rika continued to watch as the heavily laden pack lizards at the rear of the column were unloaded. Long iron stakes were driven deep into the ground, and the lizards were tied securely. Then a short row of tents was erected. They saw Athgar being taken into the tent at the end of the row.
"Look," Rika whispered, pointing back down the road.
Shepherds from down the river were herding a small flock of sheep toward the encampment. They brought the flock into the field and were met by the captain of the Hrithdon column. Then each of the grim-looking Hrithdon guardsmen grabbed a sheep and dragged it over to where the lizards were tied. Now the hungry reptiles began to take notice; they raised their heads and gnashed their teeth.
Being careful not to get too close, the guardsmen began throwing the struggling sheep to the lizards. As a sheep tumbled toward it, each lizard snatched it in its giant jaws and broke the animal's back or neck with a sudden wrench. Then, clamping the dead animal in its foreclaws, the lizard tore the sheep apart and swallowed it in a few gigantic gulps. Nothing was left. Wool, horns, hooves—all disappeared into the voracious maws.
"Grandfather and Rolf and I work all year to feed these hideous creatures," Rika hissed.
Fascinated, Karl watched the lizards. Then he noticed something he had missed before.
"Rika," he whispered excitedly, "look at that boulder near the edge of the cliff, above the lizards. We can rescue Athgar tonight!"
As dusk came, they could see the flickers of distant thunderstorms. The air was warm and thick compared to the cool evening breezes of Eftah. Karl led the way to the boulder he had noticed perched near the edge of the cliff. Like determined badgers, he and Rika dug and prized at the giant stone until finally it wobbled and groaned. Karl jammed a long branch under it for a lever and then looked at Rika.
"I guess we're ready," he said. "Wait until the moon rises, then pry back on this branch and send it over."
"Be careful," Rika whispered.
Karl tied his terry rope to a bush and lowered himself over the edge. Once at the bottom he quickly hid in the shadows, but the Hrithdon camp seemed calm. Silently, Karl made his way through the trees and bushes at the base of the cliff, then crawled through the deep grass until he was just yards from the tent where Athgar was prisoner. With luck, Athgar would not be watched. The boisterous conversation coming from the tent at the far end of the row probably meant the guardsmen were at their evening meal.
The moon was rising. Karl could feel his heart thumping against the turf as he waited for Rika to unleash the boulder. Why didn't she send it down? Had something happened to her? As if in answer, a loud crashing resounded from the cliff. A spray of sparks lit up the rock face where the boulder bounced against it, then roaring and screaming rent the air as the boulder careened into the midst of the tethered lizards.
Karl sprang forward, cut a small hole in the tent, and peered in. The guard at the entrance had run to the screeching lizards—the way was clear. Karl slashed the hole larger and crept to where Athgar lay, his hands and feet bound.
"Athgar," Karl whispered. "I'm going to get you out of here."
"Karl," Athgar gasped. "Hurry! The guard won't stay away for long."
Athgar held his wrists steady as Karl began sawing at the ropes with his Karangan knife. But the thick, tough fiber made the work agonizingly slow. The rope was nearly severed when Karl's brittle obsidian blade snapped in two.
"Wait," Athgar said. With a stifled roar, the huge man strained at the ropes and suddenly broke free. Then he and Karl each picked up a piece of the broken blade and began working on the ropes that bound Athgar's feet. But these bonds were tied even more securely, and the small pieces of the blade made cutting extremely difficult.
Suddenly the guard reappeared at the entrance to the tent. "The prisoner escapes!"
With a lunge that knocked Karl backward, Athgar grabbed the guard by the foot and pulled him down.
"Seize the intruder!" the guard shouted.
Athgar silenced him, but the alarm had been raised. "Karl, run!" Athgar commanded.
More Hrithdon stormed into the tent, but Athgar threw the body of the unconscious guardsman at them with such force that they were knocked off their feet.
Karl dashed through the hole in the tent and raced for the bushes. The branches and brambles scratched like angry cats, and for a horrible second he thought the rope was gone. Spying it in the shadows, Karl jumped and began pulling himself up. Then a crashing came from the undergrowth, and a guardsman grabbed the bottom of the rope, spear in hand.
"Intruder, climb back down or die!"
Before Karl could answer, the guardsman's spear flew from his hand and was smashed into the ground.
"Guardsman," came a voice from the top of the cliff, "my next rock will be aimed at your head."
Karl watched the shadowy form retreat into the bushes. This respite was all Karl needed, and he climbed the rest of the way to the top of the cliff, then collapsed, gasping for breath. Rika quietly hauled the terry rope up to the top.
"Karl, we should get moving," Rika whispered.
Already a number of the Hrithdon were noisily searching the bottom of the cliff, and they had probably dispatched others to find a way around.
"Come on," whispered Rika, and she led Karl back from the cliff and then along it for some distance to the spot where she had repositioned the wings.
Without another word, they strapped themselves into their kitewings. Rika led the way and stepped off into the darkness. A moment later, Karl followed. As silent as shadows, they glided down from the high cliff, over the trees and the moonlit river, and landed in a field on the opposite shore. They folded their wings and disappeared into the woods. Several hours later, they had reached the top of the valley wall.
"I think we'll be safe here for the night," Karl said quietly, setting his wing down. "I don't think they even knew who we were."
"They'll figure it out quickly enough," Rika said.
"I almost had Athgar free," Karl groaned. He told Rika of his near success and then how his knife blade had snapped. "Obsidian blades do that sometimes because they're so brittle. Maybe I was too rough with it. Anyway, we're going to have to think of something else."
We'll continue on to Ithdon and find Zanzu," replied Rika with determination. "If he is really a friend of Athgars, he'll think of something."
Wrapping a blanket around herself, Rika lay down on the leaves. Lying nearby, Karl looked up at the stars. With a small shock he realized that the Terry was gone from the night sky and the late-summer constellation, the Lizard, had taken its place. Reflecting on this passage of time, Karl fell into an uneasy sleep.
13. The Throat of Stone
Karl woke to Rika shaking his shoulder. The sun was high in the sky, and Rika had already gone scouting. She told him she had watched the Hrithdon breaking camp.
"Did you see Athgar?" Karl asked.
"Yes," Rika said. "He was bound hand and foot again, and they threw him on a lizard behind a guardsman and tied him on like baggage. They left a couple of lizards dead in the field, and three more were limping at the end of the column with nothing to carry. A lot of the Hrithdon had to ride double."
"I wish that boulder had killed more of them," Karl said emphatically.
Rika nodded. "We'll have to be extra careful now. If there's one thing the Hrithdon are protective of, it's their lizards. We'd better get to Ithdon before the column. If they see us flying around Ithdon, they'll send out an army to capture us."
They hastily packed up and hiked to the brow of the ridge. Once they were aloft, they circled upward in a thermal. When they reached the top, they headed southwest, keeping the river to their right. At midday they sighted the Hrithdon column moving through the valley, and to avoid being seen by the riders they continued on behind a line of small cumulus.
Just after the Hrithdon passed from view, the river dropped over a huge waterfall. The mist from the crashing white water rose up into the air, and they saw their second rainbow in two days. Downstream, the river began to wind in great loops and they saw more boats. The valley widened and became checkered with cultivated fields. From what Rika had told him, Karl knew that they were planted with oja and wheat and were tended by conquered farming folk, who were forced to work for the Hrithdon just as the Eftian shepherds were. The farmers were allowed to keep half the wheat for themselves, but all the oja belonged to the Hrithdon. As they flew on, Rika pointed out the difference between the oja and the wheat. The wheat fields were rippling expanses of gold, which were ready for reaping now, while the oja fields were still as green as desert ivy. In a month's time, though, the oja plants would become a dry, brittle brown, and the beans would be ready to harvest.
Beneath them, a dozen smaller rivers joined the big river and a number of side roads contributed to the growing traffic on the main road. Caravans of donkeys and ox carts laden high with goods labored under the hot sun. Hrithdon patrols of two or three lizards were everywhere, and once they saw a column of over a hundred lizards moving swiftly in the opposite direction. The valley narrowed again, and the hills grew steeper and gave way to rugged mountains through which the river continued in the bottom of a deep gorge.
All at once they were flying over Ithdon! It happened with astonishing suddenness. One moment they were approaching another high ridge line, and the next they were suspended over a huge bowl in the mountains which contained the city.
Rika banked steeply and turned back toward the ridge they had just crossed. Lingering a moment, Karl looked at the marvelous city. Below were houses like Karanga's adobes but much larger and by the thousands; towers flying colorful banners; huge buildings of stone supported by graceful columns; parks, gardens, pools, and fountains. In the center of the city countless wharves bristled into the river, and beside them were hundreds of boats taking on and putting off cargo. Three huge bridges spanned the river, but the largest continued over part of the city and ran straight into a monumental fortress—Murthdur's castle.
For a few seconds longer Karl stared at the ominous fortress. Then he sharply changed direction and dove until he caught up with Rika. Searching the back side of the barren ridge for a safe landing place, they finally found a flat area above a grove of thorn bushes. Once their wings were securely hidden in a nearby grotto, Karl and Rika scrambled downhill through the brush until they found the road to the city.
The wide dirt thoroughfare was filled with ox carts and donkey caravans and pedestrians like themselves. But the traffic slowed as it all crowded together at the entrance to the city. Carved from the granite of the mountain, the gate to Ithdon was the gigantic head of a dread lizard, its cavernous jaws wide open. Karl and Rika shuddered as they passed under the giant teeth and through the throat of stone.
They followed a long, wide boulevard that sloped gently toward the river. Shady parks filled with flowers, and pools and fountains beckoned to them. Sleepy guardsmen, sitting on even sleepier lizards, occasionally caused them to change their steps and detour around at a respectful distance. Splendid homes with walled gardens made them marvel at the wealth of the citizens and wonder about the luxurious lives lived within them.
About halfway down the boulevard a tremendous hubbub caught their attention. As they came closer, Karl and Rika realized that they had found the market, a huge area crammed to overflowing with booths and stalls and tents. Everywhere someone had something to sell, and the vendors' shouts and claims about their produce filled the air. As they edged their way into the market Rika told Karl how Ithdon had originally been a Hrithdon military outpost, two centuries before. Later, as it gained importance as a trading center, it grew to its present size. When the Hrithdon conquered the lands to the east, they made Ithdon the capital of their new province.
Karl and Rika stayed close together as they ventured into the market. They were pushed and jostled as they made their way past shoppers and sellers of all descriptions—swarthy Hrithdon dressed in the finest fabrics, shepherds and farmers dressed like Karl and Rika in cotton work garments, tall northern hunters who sported furs despite the summer heat, and here and there a few beggars in rags. Only at the summer games in Karanga had Karl experienced anything like this exhilarating cosmopolitan hodgepodge.
"I can hardly believe this place is real," Karl gasped, it's an anthill of people."
"I've always heard that Ithdon was exciting," Rika added.
As they wandered through the market, a boy in a flashy blue tunic embroidered with silver threads worked his way through the crowd and soon caught up to them.
"You are looking for something, aren't you?" the boy said, blocking their path. "What is it? Name it, and I'll get it for you. I know you're not from Ithdon. I can save you a lot of time and trouble."
"We're doing fine," Karl answered him. "Thanks anyway."
"Oh, come on," the youth wheedled, "you can't be suspicious of me. Am I dressed like a common chiseler?" He showed Karl the sleeve of his fine tunic, and Karl could not help seeing that he wore a ring on nearly every finger. "I'm just offering you my services. I know everyone in Ithdon, and you two are looking for something or my names not Rigo. Without my help you'll spend all day looking, and you still won't find it."
"We'll take care of ourselves," Rika interjected sharply. "Go away."
"Tell Rigo to go away like a dog, will you?" cried the boy, anger instantly replacing the friendliness of a moment before. "Perhaps I'll tell the Hrithdon about you. Ha, you're afraid! Give me a coin right now, or I call the Hrithdon."
Karl felt a surge of fear, and he saw Rika's face pale as she reached into her pouch and handed the boy a large silver coin. He snatched it and stared at it.
"Paugh! This thing is worthless. Don't you have any gold?"
"No," cried Rika. "Now go."
"Yes, I'll go," he replied. "You refuse my kind offer and then insult me with worthless coins. Now I'm going straight to the Hrithdon anyway!" Backing away from them with a menacing grin, Rigo disappeared into the crowd.
"What now?" asked Rika, taking Karl's arm.
"We've got to hide. The best place would be the middle of the market," Karl said.
Pushing and squirming, Karl and Rika threaded their way deeper into the market. They stood nervously in the center of the busy crowd and looked for Hrithdon guardsmen in all directions. Minutes passed, but no Hrithdon came.
"I don't think Rigo told the Hrithdon about us," Karl said finally. "He probably doesn't like them any more than we do. When he said Hrithdon, he sensed we were afraid and took advantage of it."
"Nasty little rat!" sputtered Rika. She was even angrier than Karl at having been frightened and then taken in.
"I wonder how we'll ever find Zanzu in this place?" Karl said.
"We'll just have to ask for him," Rika said.
She stepped over to the nearest booth. Karl could hear her shouting Zanzu's name above the din, but the boothkeeper shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
"Come on," Rika said to Karl. "Let's keep trying."
For several hours Karl and Rika struggled through the market, pushing and shouting in order to get the attention of the sellers. Wherever they asked, they received the same reaction,
a shrug and a shaking head. But occasionally the boothkeepers threw sharp questions back at them. "Do you think I want the Hrithdon to smash my booth? Get lost!" A few times, Karl thought he saw Rigo's face in the crowd. At last Karl and Rika stopped. Exhausted, they collapsed onto a stone bench at the edge of the market.
"I don't think we're going to find Zanzu this way," Karl said at last.
"I dont think so either," Rika agreed, fatigue, sadness, and frustration on her face.
All at once Rigo appeared before them, his finger pointing at Karl and Rika. "Here, these are the ones who are looking for Zanzu."
Karl and Rika sprang to their feet. Rigo had made good his threat! But as they looked around they saw no Hrithdon, only a fierce-eyed man with a jutting hooked nose, jet black hair, and a moustache. He had the bearing of Murthdur, yet he was dressed jauntily in white trousers and a dark blue jacket trimmed with red.
"Here, cockroach," said the stranger. He flicked a coin down onto the ground, and Rigo went scuttling after it. "You two looking for Zanzu?" he asked gruffly.
"Yes, we are," Karl answered.
"Come with me then," the man said and turned to go.
"Wait a minute," said Karl. "Who are you?"
"I'm Zanzu," he answered.
"Oh," cried Rika with relief. "We're friends of Athgar and—"
"Not now!" Zanzu commanded. "We'll talk when we're in private. Come on."
Dusk was spreading over the city as Karl and Rika followed Zanzu out of the market and through the tree-lined boulevards that led toward the river. On the riverfront they walked out one of the long wooden wharves that had a dozen boats of all shapes and sizes tied up beside it. Nets hung drying above them; bales, barrels, and boxes lay piled high on the planks waiting to be loaded. Sailors and merchants crowded here and there, moving cargo, shouting, cursing, giving orders. Riverfront urchins ran to and fro playing hide-and-seek in the shadows. Zanzu brought them to the end of the wharf, where a cargo boat was tied fast. Karl noticed that its heavy square sail had been furled and along the side were many oarsmen's seats. A number of boatmen jumped to their feet as Zanzu strode up the plank.
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