"You dined exceedingly well, Majesty," Dalamar agreed. "It is a shame that afterward you did not take out the garbage. The souls of the dead dragons have recognized their queen, and they will do anything she requires. You are sadly outnumbered, Your Majesty."
"Dead dragons have no fangs." Malys sneered. "I face a puny G.o.d who has a child for a champion and who must rely on expired souls for her might. I will recover my totem and deal a death blow to this G.o.d."
"When does Your Majesty plan to attack Sanction?" Dalamar asked.
"When I am ready," Malys growled. "Leave me now."
Dalamar bowed low. "Your Majesty will not forget her promise-to restore my soul to my body. I could be of so much more use to you as one whole person."
Malys waved a claw. "I do not forget my promises. Now go."
Closing her eyes, she let her ma.s.sive head sink to the floor.
Dalamar was not fooled. For all her appearance of nonchalance, Malys had been shaken to the core of her being. She might sham sleep, but inside the fires of her rage burned bright and hot.
Satisfied that he had done all he could-here, at least-Dalamar departed.
The totem grew inside the fire-ravaged Temple. Mina"s Knights and soldiers cheered her and called her name. Takhisis"s shadow hovered over the totem, but few could see her. They did not look for her. They saw Mina, and that was all they cared about.
In Sanction"s streets, now almost completely emptied, the silver dragon Mirror groped about for his beggar"s staff, that had been knocked out of his hands.
"What is happening?" he asked his companion, who silently handed him his staff. "What is going on? I hear a tumult and a great cry."
"It is Takhisis," said Razor. "I can see her. She has revealed herself. Many of my brethren circle in the heavens, shouting her name. The dead dragons cry out to her. I hear the voice of my mate among them. Red, blue, white, black, green, living, dead- all swear their loyalty to her. She grows in power as I speak."
"Will you join them?" Mirror asked.
"I have been thinking long on what you said back in the cave of the mighty Skie," said Razor slowly. "How none of the calamities that have befallen this world would have happened if it had not been for Takhisis. I hated and detested Paladine and the other so-called G.o.ds of light. I cursed his name, and if I had a chance to kill one of his champions, I took that chance and gloried in it. I longed for the day when our queen might rule uncontested.
"Now that day has come, and I am sorry for it. She has no care for us." Razor paused, then said, "I see you smiling, Silver. You think "care" is the wrong word. I agree. Those of us who followed the Dark Queen are not noted for being caring individuals. Respect. That is the word I want. Takhisis has no respect for those her serve her. She uses them until they are no longer of value to her, then she casts them aside. No, I will not serve Takhisis."
"But will he work actively against her?" a familiar voice whispered in Mirror"s ear. "If you will vouch for him, I can use his help, as well as yours."
"Palin?" Mirror turned gladly in the direction of the voice. He reached out his hand toward the source of the voice, but felt no warm hand clasp his in return.
"I cannot see you or touch you, but I hear you, Palin," Mirror said. "And even your voice seems far away and distant, as though you speak from across a wide vale."
"So I do," said Palin. "Yet, together, perhaps we can cross it. I want you to help me destroy this totem."
Dalamar"s spirit joined the river of souls flowing toward the Temple of the One, as other rivers flow toward the sea. His spirit paid no heed to the rest, but concentrated on his next objective. The other souls ignored him. They would not have heard him if he had spoken. They did not see him. They heard only one voice, saw only one face.
On arriving, Dalamar broke free of the torrent that spiraled around and around the totem of dragon skulls. The immense monument towered high in the air, visible for miles, or so said some of the thousands who stood staring at it in awe and admiration, exulting in Mina"s victory over the hated red dragon, Malys.
Dalamar flicked the totem a glance. It was impressive, he had to admit. He then shifted his mind to more urgent matters. Guards stood posted at the temple doors. None with substantial bodies were being admitted inside the temple. His spirit flowed past the guards and into the altar room. He made certain that his body was safe, noted with some suprise that Palin"s spirit was abroad this night.
Palin"s departure was such an unusual occurrence that, despite the urgency of his errand, Dalamar paused to ponder where he might be, what the mage"s soul could be up to. Dalamar wasn"t concerned. He considered Palin as devious as a bowl of porridge.
"Still," Dalamar reminded himself, "he is Raistlin"s nephew. And while porridge may be pale and lumpy, it is also thick and viscous. Much can be concealed beneath that bland surface."
The souls whirled in frenetic ecstasy around the totem, as thick as smoke rising from water-soaked wood. Millions of faces streamed past Dalamar any instant he chose to look. He continued on his way, moved ahead with the next stage of his plan.
Mina stood alone at the candle-lit altar. Her back to the totem, she stared, rapt, into the flames. The big minotaur was nearby. Where Mina was, the minotaur was.
"Mina, you are exhausted," Gaidar pleaded. "You can barely stand. You must come to your bed. Tomorrow . . . who knows what tomorrow will bring? You should be rested."
"I thought you went to bed, Gaidar," said Mina.
"I did," the minotaur growled. "I could not sleep. I knew I would find you here."
"I like to be here," said Mina in a dreamy voice. "Close to the One G.o.d. I can feel her holy presence. She folds me in her arms and lifts me up with her."
Mina raised her gaze upward into the night sky, now visible since the roof of the temple had been destroyed. "I am warm when I am with her, Gaidar. I am warm and loved and fed and clothed and safe in her arms. When I come back to this world, I am cold and starving and thirsty. It is a punishment to be here, Gaidar, when I would so much rather be up there."
Gaidar made a rumbling sound in his throat. If he had doubts, he knew better than to speak them. He said only, "Yet, while you are down here, Mina, you have a job to do for the One G.o.d. You will not be able to do that job if you are sick with fatigue."
Mina reached out her hand, placed it on the minotaur"s arm. "You are right, Gaidar. I am being selfish. I will come to bed, and I will even sleep late in the morning."
Mina turned to look at the totem. Her amber eyes shone as if she still stared into the flames. "Isn"t it magnificent?"
She might have said more, but Dalamar took care to enter her line of sight. He bowed low.
"I seek but a moment of your time, Mina," said Dalamar, bowing again.
"Go on ahead and make certain that my chamber is prepared, Gaidar," Mina ordered. "Don"t worry. I will come shortly."
Gaidar"s b.e.s.t.i.a.l eyes pa.s.sed over the place where Dalamar"s spirit hovered. Dalamar could never decide if the minotaur saw him or not. He didn"t think so, but he had the feeling that Gaidar knew his spirit was there. The minotaur"s nose wrinkled, as though he smelled something rotten. Then with a grunting snort, Gaidar turned away and left the altar room.
"What do you want?" Mina asked Dalamar. Her tone was calm, composed. "Have you word of the magical device carried by the kender?"
"Alas, no, Mina," said Dalamar, "but I do have other information. I have dire news. Malys is aware that you are the one who has stolen her totem."
"Indeed," said Mina, smiling slightly.
"Malys will come to take it back, Mina. The dragon is furious. She sees you now as a threat to her power."
"Why are you telling me all this, wizard?" Mina asked. "Surely, you are not fearful for my safety."
"No, Mina, I am not," said Dalamar coolly. "But I am fearful for my own if something should happen to you. I will help you defeat Malys. You will need a wizard"s help to fight against this dragon."
"How will you, in your sorry state, help me?" Mina asked, amused.
"Restore my soul to my body. I am one of the most powerful wizards in the history of Krynn. My help to you could be invaluable. You have no leader for the dead. You tried to recruit Lord Soth and failed."
The amber eyes flickered. She was displeased.
"Yes, I heard about that," Dalamar said. "My spirit travels the world. I know a great deal about what is transpiring. I could be of use to you. I could be the one to lead the dead. I could seek out the kender and bring him and the device to you. Burrfoot knows me, he trusts me. I have made a study of the Device of Time Journeying. I could teach you to use it. I could use my magic to help you fight the dragon"s magic. All this I could do for you-but only as living man."
Dalamar saw himself reflected in the amber eyes-a wisp, more insubstantial than spider"s silk.
"All this you will do for me and more, if I require it," Mina said, "not as living man but as living corpse." She lifted her head proudly. "As for your help against Malys, I have no need of your aid. The One G.o.d supports me and fights at my side. I need no other."
"Listen to me, Mina, before you go," insisted Dalamar, as she was turning away. "In my youth, I came to your One G.o.d as a lover comes to his mistress. She embraced me and caressed me and promised me that one day we would rule the world, she and I. I believed her, I trusted in her. My trust was betrayed. When I was no longer of use to her, she cast me to my enemies. She will do the same to you, Mina. When that day comes, you will need an ally of my strength and power. A living ally, not a corpse."
Mina paused, glanced back at him. She wore a thoughtful look. "Perhaps there is something in what you say, wizard."
Dalamar watched her warily, not trusting this sudden about-face. "There is, I a.s.sure you."
"Your faith in the One G.o.d was betrayed. She might say the same of you, Dalamar the Dark. Lovers often quarrel, a silly quarrel, soon forgotten, neither of them remembering."
"I remember," said Dalamar. "Because of her betrayal, I lost everything I ever loved and valued. Do you think I would so readily forget?"
"She might say that you put all that you loved and valued above her," Mina said, "that she was the one forsaken. Still, after all this time, it doesn"t matter who was at fault. She values your affection. She would like to prove she still loves you by restoring to you everything you lost and more."
"In return for what?" Dalamar asked warily.
"A pledge of your affection."
"And? . .."
"A small favor."
"And what is this "small" favor?"
"Your friend, Palin Majere-"
"He is not my friend."
"That makes this easier, then," Mina said. "Your fellow wizard conspires against the One G.o.d. She is aware of his plots and schemings, of course. She would have no trouble thwarting them, but she has much on her mind these days, and she would appreciate your help."
"What must I do?" Dalamar asked.
Mina shrugged. "Nothing much. Simply alert her when he is about to act. That is all. She will take care of the matter from there,"
"And in return?"
"You will be restored to life. You will be given all you ask for, including the leadership of the army of souls, if that is what you want. In addition ..." Mina smiled at him. The amber eyes smiled.
"Yes? In addition?"
"Your magic will be restored to you."
"My magic," Dalamar emphasized. "I do not want the magic she borrowed from the dead and then loaned to me. I want the magic that once lived inside me!" magic," Dalamar emphasized. "I do not want the magic she borrowed from the dead and then loaned to me. I want the magic that once lived inside me!"
"You want the G.o.d"s magic. She promises."
Dalamar thought back to all the promises Takhisis had made him, all the promises she had broken. He wanted this so much. He wanted to believe.
"I will," he said softly.
14.
The Ring and the Cloak
Days, weeks, had pa.s.sed since the Qualinesti elves had arrived in Silvanesti. How long they had been here, Gilthas could not say, for one day blended into another in the timeless woods. And though his people were content to allow one day to slide off time"s silken strand and fall into the soft green gra.s.s, Gilthas was not. He grew increasingly frustrated. Alhana kept up the pretense that Silvanoshei was recovering inside his tent. She spoke of him to her people, giving details of what he said and what he ate and how he was slowly mending. Gilthas listened in shock to these lies, but, after a time, he came to the conclusion that Alhana actually believed them. She had woven the threads of falsehood into a warm blanket and was using that blanket to shield herself from the cold truth.
The Silvanesti listened to her and asked no questions - something else that was incomprehensible to Gilthas.
"We Silvanesti do not like change," explained Kiryn in response to Gilthas"s frustration. "Our mages halted the changing of the seasons, for we could not bear to see the green of spring wither and die. I know you cannot understand this, Gilthas. Your human blood runs hot will not let you sit still. You count the seconds because they are so short and slip away so fast. The human side of you revels in change."
"Yet change comes!" said Gilthas, pacing back and forth, "whether the Silvanesti will it or not."
"Yes, change has come to us," said Kiryn with a sad smile. "Its raging torrent has washed away much of what we loved. Now the waters are calmer, we are content to float on the surface. Perhaps we will wash up on some quiet sh.o.r.e, where no one will find us or touch us or harm us ever again."
"The Dark Knights are desperate," said Gilthas. "They are outnumbered, they have no food. Their morale is low. We should attack now!"
"What would be the outcome?" asked Kiryn, shrugging. "The Dark Knights are desperate, as you say. They will not go down without a fight. Many of our people would die."
"And many of the enemy would die," said Gilthas impatiently.
"The death of one human is as the crushing of an ant-there are so many left and so many more to come. The death of a single elf is like the falling of a mighty oak. None will grow up to take his place for hundreds of years, if then. So many of us have died already. We have so little left to us, and it is all precious. How can we waste it?"
"What if the Silvanesti knew the truth about Silvanoshei?" Gilthas asked grimly. "What would happen then?"
Kiryn looked out into the green leaves of the never changing forest. "They know, Gilthas," he said quietly. "They know. As I said, they do not like change. It easier to pretend that it is always springtime."
Eventually, Gilthas had to quit worrying about the Silvanesti and start worrying about his own people. The Qualinesti were beginning to splinter into factions. One was led, unfortunately, by his wife. The Lioness sought revenge, no matter what the cost.
She and those like her wanted to fight the humans in Silvanost, drive them out, whether the Silvanesti would join them or not. It fell to Gilthas to argue time and again that under no circ.u.mstances could the Qualinesti launch an attack against the lord city of their cousins. No good could come of this, he argued. It would lead to more years of bitter division between the two nations. He could see this so clearly that he wondered how others could be so blind.
"You are the one who is blind," said the Lioness angrily. "No wonder. You stare constantly into the darkness of your own mind!"
She left him, moved out of their tent, going to live among her Wilder elf troops. Gilthas grieved at this quarrel-the first since their marriage-but he was king first, not loving husband. Much as he longed to give in, he could not, in good conscience, permit her to have her way.
Another faction of Qualinesti was being seduced by the Silvanesti way of life. Their hearts bruised and aching, they were content to live in the dreamlike state in the beautiful forest that reminded them of the forests of their homeland. Senator Palthainon, the leader of this faction, slavishly flattered the Silvanesti, dropping hints into their ears that Gilthas, because he was part human, was not the right ruler of the Qualinesti and could never be. Gilthas was erratic and wayward, as are all humans, and not to be trusted. If it had not been for the staunch and steadfast courage of Senator Palthainon, the Qualinesti would have never made it across the desert alive, and so on and so forth.
Some of the Qualinesti knew this to be untrue, and many argued in favor of their king, but the rest, while they applauded Gilthas"s courage, would not have been sorry to see him go. He was the past, the pain, the gaping wound. They wanted to start to heal. As for the Silvanesti, they did not trust Gilthas to begin with, and Palthainon"s whispers did not help.
Gilthas felt as though he had walked into a quagmire. Relentlessly, inch by agonizing inch, he was being sucked down into some nameless doom. His struggles caused him to sink further, his cries went unheeded. The end was approaching so slowly that no one else seemed to be aware of it. Only he could see it.