“How did this happen?” Rhidan asked.
Sinbad shook his head. “I had the run of the place at first. Like a favorite pet. I found an abandoned tunnel that led me to an unguarded exit next to a volcano. I began to look for a way to get my crew out, but she must have gotten suspicious because she started drugging my food. I’d pass out for hours at a time, sometimes days.” The captain rubbed at the burn on his arm. “For a long time, I stopped eating or drinking so that she and Nadeem couldn’t drug me, but then I got weak and had to eat again.” He hung his head. “I’ve let everyone down.”
“No, you haven’t,” Zardi insisted. “But your men do need you. Tomorrow the queen is leaving and her snakes will slaughter your crew. We need to get them out of here.”
“The abandoned exit!” Some of the old fire returned to Sinbad’s eyes.
“We could go now and sneak everyone out while the snakes are asleep,” Rhidan said excitedly. “The ship is practically finished. If we can get them off this island they’ll be fine.”
“We can’t forget Nadeem. He helped us,” Zardi said firmly.
“We won’t.” Sinbad threw his long legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He swayed dizzily, and Zardi and Rhidan reached out to steady him. They exchanged a worried glance.
Sinbad threw off their arms impatiently. “I’ll be fine. Let’s go.”
They cracked open the door and saw that all was clear. As quickly as Sinbad’s legs would allow, they headed down the tunnel toward the prison.
Suddenly, something large, red, and gold dropped from the ceiling in front of them.
Satyan.
He gave a high-pitched hiss, so piercing it forced Zardi, Rhidan, and Sinbad to their knees. Out of every crevice and hole in the walls, a tide of snakes filled the darkness.
Zardi, Rhidan, and Sinbad staggered to their feet. Standing back-to-back they were ready to fight, but the serpents did not attack. They were waiting for someone.
The queen did not leave them waiting for long. The army of snakes parted as she glided toward Sinbad, her face twisted with fury.
Satyan hissed something at her, and she nodded before he slithered away.
The queen’s gaze moved over to the captain. “And where did you think you were going?”
“My sweet, I have no idea,” Sinbad replied, with real dread and confusion in his voice. “They came to me while I was asleep and dragged me out of my bed. I could not stop them. I was far too weak.”
The queen frowned, weighing his words.
Sweat trickled down between Zardi’s shoulder blades. Sinbad couldn’t afford to lose the queen’s favor. It was the only card they still had. But would the queen believe him?
Sinbad held out his arm where the angry red welt was still visible. “Look what they did to me,” he practically sobbed out. “They told me they would do the same to my face unless I went with them.” He pouted sadly. “They hate me for leaving them in that prison. They all do. I can never go back to being their captain.” He looked at her with big eyes. “They wanted to ransom me to you for the freedom of the crew.”
His last words cracked through the queen’s reserve and she slithered forward and caressed Sinbad’s cheek. “I couldn’t bear it if they had done anything to you.”
Sinbad turned his face and kissed her scaly fingers. “I’m just so grateful that you saved me from them.” For a second Zardi was reminded of that dashing sailor in Taraket, the actor who convinced a crowd of people that he had fought a mighty beast and had real treasure on his ship.
The queen beamed with pleasure at Sinbad’s words and brought him to her side. “I will protect you from them. They’ll be taken back to their prison. You’ll never have to see them again.”
“Let me go!” a panicked voice cried. Zardi turned to see Nadeem coming down the passageway, being led by Satyan. A large ivory snake was wrapped around his arms and chest.
“Ah, the little traitor has finally joined us.”
“I’m no traitor, my queen,” Nadeem rasped.
“So, how is it that these two are free?”
“I’m not sure, my queen.” Nadeem groaned as the ivory snake squeezed his body.
Sinbad took the queen’s hand and stroked her palm. “My sweet, Nadeem has been a loyal helper to me. I cannot believe that he would betray you and let these two go free. Believe me, there is no love lost between them.”
“Well, how did they get out?” the queen demanded.
Sinbad interlocked their fingers. “Perhaps he accidentally left the door unlocked. These things happen.”
The queen narrowed her eyes. “Then that makes him a fool if not a traitor. Regardless, he’s going to prison with the rest of them.”
“My queen, please—”
The queen shook her head.
Nadeem turned to Sinbad. “Captain, don’t let them put me in the cell,” he pleaded. “She’s going to kill the crew.”
Sinbad looked at Nadeem coldly. “The ship is dead to me, and so are all those that served on it.” His gaze swung over all of them. “The Falcon’s cry is now silent.”
Zardi felt chilled despite herself. She knew Sinbad was acting, but his words held a note of intensity. She suddenly remembered him explaining why he’d chosen a falcon as the namesake of his ship. He’d said that the falcon was fiercely loyal and could never be silenced. That it would fight for its master until its last breath. Despite everything, Zardi had to stop a grin from tugging at her lips. Sinbad was giving them a message. He would be coming for them.
“Captain, please,” Nadeem wailed.
“Silence him.” At the queen’s command, Nadeem’s mouth was covered by the snake that encircled his chest.
Sinbad sighed. “I want to go to my chamber.”
“We’ll go in a moment,” the queen trilled. “I will put these little annoyances into their cell first.”
The queen let forth a series of orders. The meaning was clear: Remove them. The snakes charged at Zardi, Rhidan, and Nadeem, taking their legs out from under them. They fell backward onto a carpet of scaly skin. Moving as one, the serpents carried them along the tunnel and into their cell, tossing them onto the hard prison floor. The door then slammed shut, the key turning fully in the lock.
“I can’t believe he abandoned us.” Nadeem clutched his arms around his legs.
Zardi ignored him and put her ear to the door. The faint breathing of the two snakes guarding the prison was audible but all else was silent. She turned to Nadeem. “He hasn’t abandoned us. All that talk about the falcon was a code. He’s coming back.”
There was a cough behind them, and Zardi turned to see Khalila and Musty coming out of the shadows. Behind them stood the whole crew of the Falcon.
“You didn’t get the spelltrap,” the djinni stated flatly.
Rhidan’s mouth dropped open. “How did you know we even went to get it?”
Khalila smiled grimly. “I may not have my magic, but I’ve been alive for a long time. I know human nature.” She folded her arms. “Time has also taught me another lesson. Always have a plan B.”
34
Plan B
“Khalila told us what the queen has in store for us, and we’re not just going to sit around waiting to be eaten,” Zain said. “Tomorrow morning we’re going to bust out of this place.” He picked up one of the heavy tools that they had used to build the flying machine and slapped it against his hands. There were whoops and growls of agreement from the others.
“They’ll rip you to shreds,” Zardi said, imagining this tired and weak crew going up against the tightly honed skills of the queen’s killer snakes.
“Wait, it’s not such a crazy idea,” Rhidan said. “Not if you couple it with Sinbad’s abandoned tunnel.”
“Sinbad?” Musty asked. “What of him? Is he all right?”
Rhidan quickly told them about their meeting with the captain and his promise to come back for them.
Nadeem held out a golden key. “We can get out of here easy eno
ugh, but even if we fight our way through to the tunnel and get outside, the snakes will hunt us down before we get to the Falcon. You have no idea how fast they are.”
“No, you’re the one who knows everything about the snakes.” Tariq glowered at Nadeem. “They’re your friends.”
“Nadeem is in this prison and is under threat just like the rest of us.” Khalila’s voice cut across Tariq’s. “Besides, he’s right, the snakes are fast, but that’s where the second part of plan B comes in.”
“There’s another part?” Zardi stared in wonder at the djinni.
Khalila nodded. “But its success lies solely on your shoulders, Zardi.”
“Go on,” she replied.
“You need to leave with the queen tomorrow on the flying machine. And as soon as you can, you must dispose of her—but not before you get the spelltrap.”
“What do you mean, ‘dispose’?”
“I’ve put a lever to the left of the glider’s holding bar,” Musty explained. “The lever will collapse the wings of the machine and unhook the harness. This gives you the chance to lose the queen. You’ll have the element of surprise on your side. If you pull the lever again the wings will extend themselves, but you’ll have to hook the harness back on yourself.”
“Whatever happens tomorrow, you need to be on the left-hand side of that machine,” Khalila added. “Choose your moment, defeat the queen, and grab the spelltrap.” Khalila stared at her hard. “Then come back to us.”
“But if you’ve left the prison, how will I find you?” Zardi asked.
“Use the Windrose,” the djinni replied. “Call on the element of air. Then just imagine us and fix us in your head. The wind will come and guide you.”
Zardi let the words sink in. Already she was thinking of the place where she would try to dispose of the queen, but as she gazed into the hopeful faces of the crew, she couldn’t help but feel scared. There were so many things that could go wrong. “What do you think?” she murmured to Rhidan.
“I think this is our only choice,” Rhidan said softly. “You must defeat the queen, whatever it takes.”
“I’ll do it.” Zardi looked around at the faces she knew so well. Her throat tightened. Some would fall tomorrow, of that there could be no doubt. But they had chosen to fight, and those snakes had no idea what was about to hit them.
No one slept much that night. Instead they busied themselves creating weapons. Some used the materials they had left from building the flying machine. Others sharpened rocks and sticks to a fine point. Rhidan even fashioned more arrows for Zardi’s bow.
When the key turned in the lock, the crew of the Falcon scurried to hide their weapons.
The door opened and the queen slithered in. As always, Satyan was at her side and a ring of ivory snakes surrounded her. The queen was resplendent in silver armor. Her silver belt was heavy with various objects including a black bottle that hung beside the spelltrap. Zardi wondered if this was the plague of which she’d heard the queen speak.
“It is time to go.” The queen’s unblinking gaze fixed on Zardi.
Zardi lowered her head as if in defeat.
“My queen.” Nadeem threw himself to the ground in front of her. “Please, I don’t want to die. I’ll do anything.” He looked around desperately. “They’re going to try to escape. They have a plan. See, I am still loyal to you.”
“Why, you—” Rhidan leapt toward Nadeem, but the queen’s laugh stopped him.
“I am not interested in this worm’s information, Rhidan.” She looked out at the crew. “Please feel free to try to escape. My snakes much prefer to hunt before a feast. But I wager that you won’t get far.”
She turned to leave the room but stopped as if she’d forgotten something. She turned back and stared at Rhidan. “Farewell, Iridial’s son. I’ll say hello to your father for you. Just before I kill him.” She smiled and then exited the cell. The prison was now silent except for the sound of Nadeem sobbing.
Zardi’s eyes met Rhidan’s. “You can do this,” he said.
“So can you,” she whispered back. Hugging him, she quickly followed the queen while her legs still allowed her.
As the queen locked the door, a crazy thought tickled the back of Zardi’s mind. The snakes wouldn’t be able to operate that lock and get into the cell. Had the queen been playing games with them all this time?
“What are you smiling about?” the queen hissed.
“I misjudged you,” Zardi said. “Your snakes can’t unlock the door. You have no intention of feeding my friends to them.”
The queen’s whole body trembled. For a moment Zardi thought it was with sorrow, but then she saw mirth scuttle across her enemy’s face.
“What a ridiculous idea,” the queen snorted. “The snakes have no use for keys. When the time comes they will simply smash through the prison door with their heads.”
Hate blistered Zardi’s insides. She’d thought this creature capable of kindness. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Their walk through the network of tunnels was brisk, and Zardi had to run to keep up. Coiled snakes lay watching them as they raced past. Finally, they came to a narrow, steep passageway and each step took them closer to the bright outside.
Light scalded Zardi’s sensitive eyes as they emerged from the hole, forcing them shut. She opened them again, this time slowly. They were on top of a steep, grassy hill, and the flying machine stood waiting. “Where are we?” Zardi asked.
“The southeastern tip of the island,” the queen replied. “This is the tallest peak, barring the volcano. We’ll need the height to get air under the wings. We’ll sink like a stone otherwise.”
“You seem to know a lot about this,” Zardi said.
The queen looked down at the island laid out below them. “I’ve had ample time to read Iridial’s notes and learn how to fly this machine.”
Satyan hissed something and the queen laughed. “He is eager to get to the cell. He’s worried that the others will start without him.”
Zardi balled up her hands. “Let’s go.”
The queen whispered something to Satyan and kissed the serpent’s head before he disappeared into the tunnel. Beckoning Zardi to follow her, the queen slithered over to the glider and positioned herself on the left-hand side of the machine.
Khalila’s words echoed loudly in Zardi’s head. Make sure you get the left-hand side of the glider. “Actually, I need to be on that side.”
The queen looked at her scornfully. “Why?”
She shrugged. “I like to be on the left when it comes to travel. My grandmother always told me it is good luck.”
The queen’s face twisted with suspicion. “What game are you playing?”
“No game. We don’t even know if this glider-thing is going to work; we might need all the luck we can get.” She blew a lock of hair out of her eye. “If I’m worrying about being on the wrong side, the Windrose won’t work. It’s your choice.”
The queen slid over. “Fine.”
Zardi ducked under the wings of the flying machine and took her position behind the holding bar. She quickly slipped the leather harness that hung from the top of the frame over her head and around her midriff.
The queen did the same. “Right. On my count, push off this hill as quickly as possible. Three, two, one.”
The queen swiftly slithered forward and Zardi ran alongside her. They pushed off and the glider jolted off the precipice, dipping dangerously.
This is never going to work, Zardi thought with horror as she felt the wind whistle past her ears. We’re going to die. But then, amazingly, the air was caught and swelled beneath the wings, sending the glider surging upward.
“We’re airborne!” the queen screeched. She looked over at Zardi. “Now to the Black Isle. Which way?”
Holding on to the bar of the glider with one hand, Zardi took the Windrose from her pocket. She thought of a gust of wind and then fixed in her mind the image of the trees with the silky explosion of leav
es she’d seen the night the Rocs saved her from the valley of diamonds. The leaves would tangle the queen up and leave her trapped. Out loud she said, “I want to go to the Black Isle.” Excitement spurted through her as a gust suddenly sprang up, steering them westward. It really works. “We go with the wind,” Zardi explained.
They traveled in silence, a gentle wind directing them across the island with faint pushes and tugs. Zardi’s heart sped up. There, in the distance, were the specter-white web leaves, stretched out between the branches of a cluster of massive trees.
The queen tensed beside her. “This is Roc territory.” She scanned the horizon. “We’ll need to get through here as quickly as possible.”
Zardi’s hand crept toward Musty’s lever. They were directly above the silken webs now. Gripping the holding bar tightly with her right hand, she pulled the lever hard with her left. Her whole body dropped as the harness gave way and the wings collapsed, almost folding in half.
The queen gave a high-pitched scream as she flopped downward. Her hand slipped off the bar, and she was left dangling by five fingertips. They plummeted toward the web-laden trees. Zardi swung toward the queen, fingers reaching out to seize the spelltrap from the silver belt. The queen hissed, arching her body back so that it was out of reach.
The webs were just a few arm spans away now, their billowy width ready to receive them. The queen was supposed to get caught in the webs, Zardi thought. Not me.
She yanked on the lever and the wings extended themselves again. Air hit the feathered arcs, pushing them upward.
At the same moment, the queen hauled herself up, both hands now back on the bar. “I don’t know what you did to my machine,” she snarled. “But you’ll pay.” She lashed out with her tail, hitting Zardi full in her stomach.
The machine spun wildly in the sky, tumbling away from the silk canopies.
The queen got ready to strike again, but Zardi was quicker. She swung her body forward and grabbed the queen’s belt with her right hand. She pulled, but the metal links of the belt held firm. A violent spasm went through her right hand as sudden strength coursed through it. A metal link snapped and Zardi swiped the belt away and slung it around her neck.
The Book of Wonders Page 21