“Then his idea is right,” Jake said. “Our only hope is to get in that way.”
“I wish one of us was a bird,” Wash said. “We could just fly up.”
Beorn kept on looking upward. “No one could climb those walls. They go straight up, and there’s no place to get a handhold.”
“What are you thinking, Dave?” Sarah asked. “Do you have a plan?”
“I had a hobby back in Oldworld.”
“Like collecting stamps? What good is that?” Reb asked.
“No. I was into mountain climbing—rappeling and things like that.”
Josh motioned toward the White Palace. “But you couldn’t climb that!”
“I don’t know whether I can or not, but it looks to me as if I’ve got to try.”
An exclamation of surprise went around the group, and Fairmina cried, “Only a fly could climb that wall!”
“Well, there was once a climber called the human fly,” Dave said. “I read a book about him. A climb like this may not be impossible.”
“That first window is at least twenty feet up,” Josh argued. “Even if you could get up to it, what would you do then?”
“Go up to the next window. They’re right over each other.”
Josh eyed the windows. They were not staggered. One was directly above another.
“Look,” Dave said, frowning as he thought. “If we could rig up some kind of grappling hook …”
“What’s a grappling hook?” Beorn asked with puzzlement on his brow.
“It’s sort of a three-pronged hook. You tie it on the end of a rope, and you throw it up. One of the hooks catches, and then you pull yourself up.”
“I’ve seen those things,” Josh said. “But I don’t know how we’d make one.”
Jake said, “Well, I’m the inventor here. Let me see what I can come up with.”
Jake always carried an assortment of tools and supplies in his backpack. That made the pack very heavy, and the Sleepers were continually teasing him about it.
But now Josh said, “Jake, if you can come up with something like that, you’re a genius.”
Jake set to work. The others moved around, waiting and, for the most part, just looking at the forbidding heights.
Fairmina asked Sarah, “Do you think it can be done?”
“Jake’s pretty smart about things like this.”
But Beorn said, “Even so, could anyone go up that wall?” He shuddered. “I wouldn’t be able to do it.”
Sarah said, “I don’t know, but it does seem the only way.”
Jake found some metal pieces in his kit, and with pliers he fashioned them into hooks. He also carried some of the rawhide that the Lowamis used for rope. He bound the pieces together, making a triple hook. Then he sharpened the ends, and finally he held up his invention. “Well, there it is.”
“Let me see.” Dave took the grappling hook and pulled at it. “It’s strong enough,” he said. “I think it’ll hold my weight. Maybe not yours, Beorn, but mine.”
“But what will you do with it?” Beorn asked with puzzlement.
“I’ll attach a rope, then throw it up and hope it catches on the first window ledge. Then I climb up to that window, stand on the ledge there, throw it up to the next, and climb up to that. That way I get all the way to the top. At least,” Dave said slowly, with a careful look at the sheer height of the White Palace, “that’s the way it should work.”
“Dave, you’ll kill yourself trying that,” Sarah said. “It can’t be done.”
All the Sleepers knew that Dave Cooper had not always been the best. He had even betrayed them once. Now he said, “I let you down once, and maybe this is my chance to make up for that. Let’s tie the best knot you can onto this grappling hook, Jake.”
As everyone watched, Jake attached a strip of rawhide rope. “I don’t know how strong this is,” he said. “If it breaks, you’re a goner.”
Dave managed to grin. “I’ve climbed worse than this in Switzerland. My dad took me there. We went up some pretty sheer slopes. Anyway, we’ve got to do it.”
“What will you do when you do get to the top?” Beorn asked. “You’ll be inside, and the rest of us will be out here.”
“I’ll have to play it by ear. All of you stay by the gate. If I make it, I’ll go down and see if I can draw the guards away. If I do, I’ll open the gate.”
Dave took the grappling hook and then drew a deep breath. “Wish me luck,” he said.
Abbey put a hand on his arm. “Be careful, Dave. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you.”
Dave patted her on the shoulder. “I’ll do my best. And when you all get in, be careful. It’s going to be pretty hairy.”
Josh and the others watched Dave approach the wall. There were no guards outside, and Beorn said, “They don’t really need any. But someone may see him if he gets to that first window.”
They looked on as Dave positioned himself and made a coil of the rope. He seemed to measure the distance, and then he threw up the grappling hook. It sailed high in the air, but fell a foot wide of the mark.
Josh groaned. “He missed.”
But on the second try, the grappling hook caught. “He’s got it!” Reb whispered. “And look at him go up that rope—just like a circus acrobat.”
Josh could see that, indeed, Dave’s mountain climbing skill was coming in handy. He climbed hand over hand, until he reached the first window. Then he took hold of one of the bars and pulled himself up onto the ledge. It was a large window, and Josh half expected a big hand to grab Dave or a spear to fly out and kill him.
But Dave waved, rewound his rope, estimated the distance, and threw again.
“So far so good,” Wash said. “Ooh, look at him go! I wouldn’t do that for a million dollars.”
“I’ll bet he wouldn’t, either,” Abbey said. “He’s doing it for us.”
Dave went up, stage by perilous stage. Several times his grappling hook missed, and he had to try again and again.
And then Beorn whispered, “He’s at the last barred window. If he can do it one more time, he’ll be at the wizard’s rooms.”
“What if the wizard is there?” Josh said. “What then?”
“Then it’s all up with us. No way he could stand against the pale wizard.”
Breathlessly Josh saw Dave make the last cast. The grappling hook caught, he gave them one wave, made the sign of victory, and went up the rope. He reached the top, pulled himself onto the window ledge, and then disappeared inside.
“Well, he’s in,” Sarah said. “At least he did what he set out to do.”
“Let’s get over close to the gate. If it opens,” Josh said, “it won’t be open long.”
He actually thought there was little hope that Dave would be able to draw the guards away.
Hurriedly they crossed the clearing toward the palace. Josh desperately hoped that no one would see them. But all stayed quiet, and they stationed themselves on each side of the gate, where no one could see through the bars.
With his back pressed against the cold, hard stone, Josh turned to look at Sarah. “Here we are again,” he whispered.
“Yes. Seems like we’ve been here before.”
“Do you think we can make it, Sarah?”
“We’ve got to trust Goél.”
Josh kept himself pressed against the wall. The wait seemed unending. He imagined all kinds of things—that Dave had been caught, that he was already in a torture chamber, that he was dead …
Then suddenly the gate swung open, and Dave leaped out. “Come!” he called softly.
Beorn and Fairmina darted through the opening, followed by Josh and the other Sleepers.
“Where are the guards?” Josh asked.
“I made a big racket down the hall and then dodged around. But they’ll be back, so let’s move fast. We must get down to the lower level.”
Even at that moment six guards appeared, and a yell went up.
“We’ll fight our way throu
gh!” Beorn said.
All swords were drawn, but it was the archery of Fairmina and Sarah that saved them. Moving like lightning, the girls shot two arrows apiece that silenced four of the guards. The other two, outnumbered, turned and ran.
“We’ve been found out now, but if we can get to the chair, we’ll be all right,” Beorn said. “Follow me!”
Zarkof was spending the day not in his chambers but in a lower level of the palace, working in a laboratory that he used at times.
Suddenly, a guard burst in. “Sire, enemies have entered the castle!”
Zarkof knew who the enemy had to be. “The Sleepers!” he gasped. He also knew that his life lay in the balance. “If they are not killed, I will execute every one of you! Destroy them all!”
“Yes, sire. The guard has been called out.”
Zarkof grabbed his sword and flew down the stairs. They’re here to destroy me, he thought. And they’re here to destroy the chair. When he got to the very lowest level, he ran through a secret corridor. At its end he loosed a bolt, and Shivea was free from her confinement.
“Now,” he said, “you may kill, and you may eat!” He held up the medallion, or she would have killed and eaten him. “There is other prey for you, my dear. Destroy all that approach the chair!”
Shivea’s eyes glowed, and her claws scrabbled on the stone floor as she disappeared down the passage.
“That should take care of them. No one has ever defeated Shivea.”
“Quick! This way!” Beorn led Josh and his companions along a maze of corridors and down a twisting stair to the lowest level.
There they came upon a large body of guards, well armed. The battle that took place was too close for archery work, so it had to be swords. There was the sound of clashing steel, and for a while it appeared that they would be overwhelmed.
But then Fairmina seemed to suddenly remember the gift of Goél. As they were being pressed back and death was imminent, she held up the vial and called out, “Goél! Goél, come to our aid!”
The vial in her hand emitted a pale amber light, and the soldiers of the wizard grabbed at their eyes.
“What’s happening?” one of them yelled. “I can’t see anybody! Where did they go?”
“They can’t see us,” Beorn said. “Now act!”
“This’ll be easy!” Reb yelled. “Get ’em all!”
But the sound of voices without bodies and the threat of invisible enemies were too much for the guards. They turned and fled.
Immediately Beorn said, “This way.” He led them quickly along two more corridors to a black iron gate. “This will take us to the chair.”
“And is this where the monster is? Shivea?” Dave asked.
“Yes. We’ll have to pass through several more corridors, and she could be anywhere.”
He unbarred the gate and took a deep breath. “But we are trapped here. We either find the chair and destroy it, or else we ourselves will die.”
Then Beorn threw himself into the corridor beyond the iron gate, and the others followed him.
Josh brought up the rear to be sure there were no stragglers. He muttered to Reb, “Keep your sword out. Sounds like that monster Shivea may be harder to handle than any dragon you ever faced.”
16
The Crystal Chair
The stones in the walls that Beorn had noticed on his first visit illuminated their way. He warned everyone to search for signs of Shivea.
“What are these rocks?” Jake asked. “They glow like light bulbs.”
“Probably some of Zarkof’s evil wizardry,” Fairmina said. She held her bow ready in her left hand and had an arrow notched.
They made several turns, and then Beorn announced, “We’ve made it. There’s the door at the far end of this corridor. The crystal chair is behind it.”
But just then there was a scrabbling sound, and Josh cried, “Look out! There she is!”
And there she was. Shivea. Her eyes were red, and she towered over their heads, making a monstrous shape. Poison dripped from her fangs. Raising two of her spider arms with their razor-sharp claws, she advanced slowly toward them.
“Spread out! Don’t get in a group!” Beorn yelled.
Without hesitation Fairmina drew her bow and sent an arrow at the beast. Josh saw to his dismay that it merely glanced off. Shivea must have some kind of armored hide, he thought.
Quickly Fairmina shot arrow after arrow. Sarah did the same. None of them seemed to affect Shivea.
Then Beorn held up the sword that Goél had given him. Raising it high, he ran straight at the monster spider.
“Don’t!” Fairmina cried. She dropped her bow and arrow and pulled her own sword and followed.
Shivea reached out for Beorn with her claws, but with a mighty swing of Goél’s sword, he cut off one leg. The monster emitted a terrible scream and leaped at him.
“She’s got him! He’s underneath her!” Jake yelled. “Come on, everybody! We have to help!”
The Sleepers and Fairmina ran at the spider, slashing at her legs. But Shivea was concerned only with the one underneath her.
At that moment a laugh filled the chamber. “So. This is the end of the Seven Sleepers!”
Josh whirled to see the wizard, stepping out from a hidden door.
Zarkof laughed again. “The Dark Lord will be pleased that all of the Sleepers die together. You will be a fine meal for my pet spider. Kill them all, Shivea!” he ordered.
The wizard advanced. But as he did so, perhaps the spider had some dim memory of how this man had tormented her. In any case, she turned away from the prey who lay under her and moved toward Zarkof.
Fear leaped into his eyes. He grabbed for the medallion on his chest.
But Josh was faster. He guessed that the medallion had something to do with the wizard’s control of Shivea. With a cry, he threw himself at Zarkof. He ripped the medallion from the wizard’s neck, breaking the chain.
“Give me that!” Zarkof screamed, clutching at him.
But Reb seized one of the wizard’s arms. Dave seized the other, setting Josh free and pushing Zarkof away. And then Shivea was upon them.
Zarkof let out a scream and tried to flee. But he was too late. The claw of the monster reached out and closed on his throat.
Beorn staggered to his feet. “Run! She’ll kill us all!” he yelled. Then he threw himself between the spider’s legs. In his hand Goél’s sword glowed in the semidarkness. He thrust the blade upward, shouting, “For Goél!”
A terrible roaring filled the chamber, and Shivea flung herself to one side. Her legs clawed the air as, again and again, Beorn thrust into her body the sword that had been the gift of Goél.
Josh ran up to his friend. “You’ve done it, Beorn! She’s dead!” He could hardly stand the stench of the monster. “Come away.”
And then Fairmina came to support Beorn on the other side. “Please come, Beorn. Our task is not over yet.”
“I know. The chair,” he gasped, still gripping the great sword. He had to be supported by Fairmina and Josh, but he led them to the secret door.
“Open it,” he told Josh. “Just hold out the medallion.”
And then many footsteps sounded in the corridor above.
“Everybody inside—and close the door behind us!” Beorn cried.
Wash and Reb slammed the door and put their backs against it. “They can’t get in. We’ve got the medallion,” Reb said. “We’ll have to hold ’em if they try to break down the door.”
But Josh stood staring at the chair that he had heard so much about. It appeared to be made of glass, and it glowed with an evil light. Then he ran toward it.
“We’ve got to destroy this thing!” he cried, and he brought down his sword on the chair. But the blade rebounded as though it had struck an invisible shield, and Josh himself fell.
“Josh, are you all right?” Sarah cried.
“Yes. But something’s wrong. My sword didn’t even—”
Dave brought down his own
sword on the wizard’s chair, and the same thing happened to him.
And then a voice suddenly filled the room. “And so I have you all. This indeed is the end of the Seven Sleepers.”
“It’s the Dark Lord!” Josh whispered. “I’ve heard that voice before!” But then he cried out, “You’ll never defeat Goél!”
“You fool! Goél is doomed, and so are you!”
The chair began to vibrate, and Josh could feel the power of the Dark Lord draining energy from his body. At the same time he heard banging on the door behind him. He heard Reb say, “Something’s happening to me. I’m losing all my strength.”
“The arm of the Dark Lord is longer than you think, you fools!” The voice sounded triumphant. “Now you will die, and your precious Goél can sing his stupid song about the Seven Sleepers, but he will be lost also!”
Beorn felt drained of strength. Fairmina, at his side, was now on her knees, struggling to notch an arrow as if she could put it into the chair.
And then the voice of Goél sounded in Beorn’s head. The sword! The sword! Use the sword, Beorn!
Beorn looked down at the blade in his hand. It was glowing with a white glow. With the last of his strength he staggered toward the crystal chair. Lifting the sword high over his head, he breathed a cry for help to Goél and brought it down.
A tremendous flash of blue lightning lit up the chamber. The air was filled with the crack of thunder and the cry of the Dark Lord.
And then the chair began to disintegrate!
“The chair! It’s falling apart!” Josh cried. He had fallen to his knees, but now, oddly, he found his strength returning. “It was the sword! Goél’s sword. You’ve done it, Beorn!”
The chair seemed to slowly dematerialize, and then it was gone.
“You really did it!” Reb called out. “I’m feeling strong again!”
One glad cry after another went around the chamber.
“The wizard is dead, and the power of the Dark Lord over this land is broken,” Beorn said quietly.
At that moment Josh realized that the door was standing open. The spell that kept it sealed had been broken. One by one, warriors began to stumble in. They looked as if they were men who had waked from a dream, and they made no attempt to attack.
Spell of the Crystal Chair Page 13