by Allan Cole
Safar squared his shoulders, again accepting the weight of all the burdens he'd escaped, however briefly.
"We'd better get going," he said to Leiria.
"Yes, we'd best," she said, but her tone was regretful.
Safar pushed emotions aside and got to work. He'd already decided how to proceed and immediately signaled for Biner to prepare to take him away. A moment later a large basket was cranked down from the skies.
Before he ascended to the airship with Leiria and Jooli, Safar sent for Renor. The young soldier approached, his ever-present companion, Sinch, at his heels.
"Biner's going to land us on the beach with the airship," Safar said. "I don't know how long it's going to take to find Palimak, or what dangers we might encounter, but I want you to be on the alert for my signal."
"Don't worry, Lord Timura," Renor said. "We'll come running the moment you send for us."
Safar patted his shoulder. He was quite fond of the young Kyranian, who had suffered and borne up under much since the days when they had all been forced from their homeland. His little brother had been the first victim of Iraj's assault-slaughtered in a high mountain meadow in the Godsa€™ Divide.
"I never worry about you, Renor," Safar said. He grinned at Sinch. "Or you either, Sinch. Except for your tasteless jokes, of course."
Sinch blushed, pleased that the great Lord Timura remembered such a personal thing about him.
"I'll have a dozen more ready, my lord," he said, "for when you get back. I know you love a good joke."
Safar smiled in appreciation. Then he said, "The only thing that really worries me is Captain Brutar and his pirates. I want you both to be on your guard in case they decide to forgo the bonus and play the traitor."
Renor nodded. "I'll get all our boys together," he said. "Drill them in full armor and all. That ought to put the fear of the gods into those pirates. They're just rabble and they know they can't stand up to real soldiers. And if that doesn't work, we'll already have our weapons at hand to teach them some lessons about loyalty."
Safar approved this plan, issued a few more orders to cover details they hadn't discussed before, then took his leave.
Half an hour later Safar was retrieving the wine jar from the tidepool. A squad of Kyranian soldiers stood by for his orders, while Leiria and Jooli scoured the beach for some sign of Palimak.
From above came a whoosh of air and the throb of the magical engines as Biner took the airship aloft.
The plan had been thoroughly discussed and the system of signals worked out. Now all Safar had to do was find Palimak.
"Over here, Safar," Jooli shouted.
He hurried to her side, Leiria joining him.
Jooli pointed at several impressions in the sand "Footprints," she said. "Although they're too faint for me to make out who they belong to."
Safar knelt, fishing out his silver dagger. He waved it over the impressions, muttering a spell. The sand shifted, moving only a few grains at a time and gradually the footprints took form, standing out deep and clear.
They were human prints-long and narrow with well-formed toes. The only thing out of the ordinary were tiny marks like hooks springing from the toes. Not hooks but talons, Safar thought. Which could only mean one thing. Relief flooded in.
"It's Palimak," he said.
Safar looked up at the forest bordering the beach. The trees were so dense they might as well have been castle walls. Then he saw the break of a narrow avenue leading into the woods.
"He went that way," he said, rising.
They followed the footprints a short distance along the beach, Safar stopping every now and again to work his magic.
Then, suddenly, the distances between the tracks started lengthening. Each footprint far in front of the other.
"He's running!" Leiria said.
"Yes, but from what?" Safar said.
Heart racing, he looked about the beach, but saw no other signs.
"I don't know what's happening," he said, "but we'd better hurry."
Then he called for the soldiers and they all plunged into the dark, ancient forest of Aroborus.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
THE RAVENOUS SEAS
Little Master's getting tired," Gundara observed from his perch on Palimak's shoulders.
"That's too bad," Gundaree said. "We still have a long way to go."
"I'm all right," Palimak gasped. "I'm just thirsty, that's all."
He was lying more to himself than to the Favorites. Trying to stay afloat in the increasingly choppy surf was difficult. Palimak only had his tunic, which he'd turned into water wings, to support him. He'd kept his breeches on, although their weight made things more difficult. But, except as a last resort, he was loath to shed them as he had his boots.
It had nothing to do with modesty. Naked and alive was better than clothed and dead in even the shyest person's rule book. He had a few items in his pockets and hanging from his belt that might better his chances of survival once he reached land. Such as a knife and his waterproof wizard's purse, which contained all sorts of useful things.
More importantly, he needed a pocket to hold the stone turtle, otherwise the Favorites would be lost to him. Even if he could do without them, as irritating and cold-hearted as they could sometimes be, Palimak would never condemn his mischievous friends to an eternal prison at the bottom of the sea.
"You should have told us you were thirsty, Little Master," Gundara said.
"We can do something about that!" Gundaree put in.
"Then do it, please!" Palimak croaked, throat sore and raspy from all the salt-water he'd taken in.
The Favorites directed him to put his head back as far as he could. Then they hopped onto his forehead and crouched down to suck up sea-water. To his surprise they drew in enormous quantities, blowing up like little toads.
Gundara signaled for him to open his mouth and then both of them expelled the water in a torrent so heavy he had to swallow fast to avoid choking. Transformed in their bodies, the water was amazingly clear and sweet, like fresh spring water mixed with honey.
"Enough!" Palimak finally sputtered and they stopped, resuming their perch on either shoulder.
He took in a few deep breaths and suddenly felt his strength coming back. Most likely from the nectar the Favorites had expelled along with the water. He wondered idly if perhaps spirit folk were like bees, processing what they ate into honey.
"Thanks," Palimak said. "I didn't know you could do that."
"You never asked," Gundara pointed out.
"There's lots of things we can do," Gundaree added, "that you've never asked about."
"If any of them include a way of getting us out of this fix," Palimak said, "now's the time to speak up."
The Favorites thought for a moment.
Then Gundara said, "Well, if we could make you small enough, maybe we could fit you into the turtle with us."
"But first we'd have to make the turtle float, like a little boat," Gundaree pointed out.
"I already thought of that!" Gundara sniffed. "I'm not stupid, you know."
"That's not what our mother said," Gundaree replied.
"She never!" Gundara protested.
"Sure, she did," Gundaree said. "The last time we saw her she said Gundara was the stupidest-"
"Please, please, please!" Palimak broke in. "I'm dying here, in case you've forgotten. And if I go, both of you go!"
"Little master has a good point," Gundara said.
"I'll stop if you do," Gundaree said.
"Truce?"
"Truce!"
When they were quiet, Palimak said, "We were talking about getting me into the turtle and then making it float."
"Two very good ideas, if I do say so myself," Gundara said.
"The tide's going in," Gundaree said. "So that means we'd end up on dry land in no time."
Hopes stirring, Palimak said, "Let's get started, then. What do you want me to do?"
This was greeted by dead
silence. Frustrated, Palimak said, "Come on! We're wasting time!"
"There's nothing to start, Little Master," Gundara said.
"But you both said they were good ideas," Palimak pointed out.
"They are," Gundara said. "But they were only theories."
"And, unfortunately, we can't actually do either one," Gundaree said.
Palimak groaned. Some day the Favorites were going to be the death of him-literally.
"The best thing to do is keep swimming, Little Master," Gundaree advised.
"Except maybe a bit faster, before the shark catches up to us," Gundara put in.
"Shark!" Palimak exclaimed.
He stopped treading water, paddling about to look. He saw nothing but the empty Demon Moon-lit seas.
"There's two of them, actually," Gundaree said.
"And a crocodile," Gundara added. "Don't forget that."
"I didn't want to scare the Little Master," Gundaree said. "Two sharks seemed bad enough."
"What should I do?" Palimak gasped, trying to hold back panic. "I can't outswim any of them!"
"That's certainly true," Gundaree admitted.
"We have such a smart Little Master," Gundara said. "Too bad he can't swim as fast as he thinks."
"Even if he could," Gundaree said, "he'd never get away from the sea serpent."
"Sea serpent!" Palimak cried. "Where?"
"Oh, he's about thirty feet below us," Gundara said.
"He's not sure yet if you're food," Gundaree said. "But he's starting to get the idea."
Just then, off in the distance, Palimak saw a huge fin break the surface. It started to circle him-slowly, almost lazily. A moment later another popped up, circling in the opposite direction.
He couldn't see the crocodile, but he knew it'd remain so low on the surface that his first sight would be its jaws opening wide to take him.
As for the sea serpent, he'd never spot it. The thing would probably just wriggle up to grab him by the legs and pull him under.
Palimak had been in trouble many times before, but never had he been so thoroughly trapped. His panicky mind churned for inspiration but was continually interrupted by images of being eaten alive by one-or all-of the big sea carnivores closing in on him.
Meanwhile, the Favorites were conferring. Palimak was too frightened to make out what they were saying, but he supposed it was a discussion of the dubious merits of being trapped beneath the sea, with no possibility of a new master coming along to rescue them for several thousand years-if ever.
Finally, Gundara said, "We have an idea."
"Not another damned theory!" Palimak groaned, imagining the sea serpent examining his dangling legs with hungry interest.
"Oh, no," Gundaree said. "It's not a theory. This idea we can actually do something about."
"Maybe," Gundara cautioned.
"All right … maybe," Gundaree grudgingly admitted.
"But it's worth a try, at least," Gundara said.
"I suppose so," Gundaree agreed. "And if it doesn't work we could always try the other idea."
"What other idea?" Palimak asked.
He felt as if he'd been cast into some other world, a surreal world. A world where his impending death could be discussed so casually. While less than fifty feet away the circling sharks were closing slowly in.
And although it might only have been his imagination, Palimak thought he could see the knobbed eyes of the sea crocodile poking up a few feet within the circles.
And the serpent-oh, damn the serpent! Let him eat the leftovers! Palimak suppressed an hysterical giggle.
"Never mind the other idea," Gundara said.
"Absolutely!" Gundaree agreed. "It'll only make you mad."
"Fine, fine!" Palimak moaned. "It's forgotten. Now, please do something! I wasn't born to be somebody's dinner."
"That's not quite true, Little Master," Gundara said.
"Yes," Gundaree said. "Don't you know that everybody is somebody's food?"
"Not necessarily right away, you understand," Gundara said. "But eventually. It's life's most important lesson, you know."
"Our mother used to sing us the most wonderful lullaby that sums it all up," Gundaree said. And he sang:
"Everybody's somebody's food.
Everybody's somebody's slaything.
And though it's very, very rude,
Everybody's somebody's food!"
Gundara wiped away a tear at the memory. "Mother was such a marvelous teacher," he said.
"Oh, gods!" Palimak groaned, seeing one of the sharks make a short dash toward him. "Please, hurry and do something!"
Perhaps it was because they saw the shark make its dash, or perhaps it was only because they'd run out of things to say. Whatever the case, to Palimak's massive relief he sensed the comforting buzz of a powerful spell being cast.
He suffered one more moment of fear as suddenly there was a surge just beneath his feet-so strong it rocked him in the water. In reaction, Palimak's body spasmed and talons shot out from his fingers and his toes-ready to do futile battle.
There was another surge and a huge slime-covered body bumped against his, tossing him to the side.
The water boiled and he paddled furiously to keep afloat. Then an incredibly long and thick snakelike body burst from the water. It kept coming and coming like a wagon train all tied together.
He heard a wild howl of fear and caught a glimpse of the sea serpent's head as it leaped over him-fang-rimmed mouth so wide it could swallow a small boat whole.
Then several other bodies collided with his and he went under, pawing madly to regain the surface. The tunic water wings were ripped away. His talons lashed out in every direction in a desperate, instinctual, defensive effort.
The claws caught on something-he didn't know what-then ripped along dense flesh as the creature powered past him without pause.
A moment later he was on the surface, vomiting brine, too overcome to see what was happening.
"We did it, Little Master!" Gundara cried. "We did it!"
Palimak steadied himself enough to see the sea serpent racing away. A wave hit him and he went under again. But when he resurfaced he had time to catch sight of the two sharks leaping high into the air as they pursued the serpent.
Then a strong eddy rocked him as the crocodile swam past, its muscular tail slashing through the water, barely missing Palimak.
He was so astonished at not being attacked that he forgot to tread water and went under once more. But this time when he pulled himself up he did it slowly and without panic.
Palimak started treading water, clearing his eyes. To his astonishment and supreme delight he saw the sharks and crocodile speeding away after the panicked sea serpent. All jumping high out of the water to achieve maximum speed.
"What did you do?" Palimak gasped.
"It was easy, Little Master," Gundara said.
"We made the sea serpent think he was food," Gundaree explained.
"And we made the sharks and the crocodile think he'd taste better than you," Gundara continued.
"Like the song we just made up," Gundaree said. "You know: a€?Everybody's somebody's food … a€?"
"I wish you'd shut up," Gundara said. "You're making me hungry and everything the Little Master has in his pockets for us to eat has been spoiled by the water."
"I won't say, a€?You shut up, too,'" Gundaree replied in a surprisingly reasonable voice. "We still have that truce, right?"
"I'm sorry," Gundara said to his twin. "I forgot about the truce. Which we really need right now."
"That's all right," Gundaree said. "I know you didn't really mean it. You were just distracted because of the storm and all."
This time Palimak's heart descended to his bowels, forming an embarrassing lump of fear.
"What storm?" he asked.
At that moment rain pelted down. And a strong wind exploded the calm, whipping up waves of fearful height.
"That storm, Little Master," Gundara answered.<
br />
"What with the sharks and the crocodile and the sea serpent," Gundaree said, "we didn't think it was a good time to mention it."
"But there's still good news, Little Master," Gundara said. "We're really, really close to land right now."
From a distance, Palimak could hear the sound of waves booming across an obstruction.
"Is that a reef I hear?" he asked.
"You're so smart, Little Master!" Gundaree said. "That's exactly what it is. A big, sharp coral reef."
"You'll probably be torn to pieces by it," Gundara said. "But at least you won't have to worry about us."
"That's right," Gundaree said. "This time when you're killed we won't be stuck at the bottom of the ocean."
"We'll be washed up on the reef," Gundara further explained. "And only have to wait maybe a hundred years or so before a new master finds us."
"Doesn't that make you happy, Little Master?" Gundaree asked. "Knowing we won't get bored?"
Palimak's heart jumped as realization sank in.
"You mean," he said, "that you don't have the faintest idea on how to get me over that reef?"
"Well," Gundaree said, "we do have some theories…"
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
JUNGLE MAGIC
The moment Safar plunged into the jungle he knew he'd made a potentially fatal error.
Biting insects swarmed up all around him. Above, there was an explosion of wings and a chorus of shrill warning cries as birds took flight.
There was a scatter of motion in the trees, like errant winds bursting forth in every direction and he saw enormous apes swinging away from his entry point, jabbering simian curses.
A huge snake fell in his path, rising up on threatening coils, spitting poison at his eyes.
But all his alarm bells were already ringing and he brought his shield up just in time for the poison to splatter against it.
Jooli shouted something he couldn't make out, but he instinctively leaped to the side and an arrow from her bow pinned the snake to the ground.
Leiria rushed in, severing the snake's head with her sword. It fell on the black leafy ground, hissing and spitting its poisonous hate.