When he reached him, he gathered all his strength and threw himself on Khysmet"s broad back.
The horse swung around and sprinted for the sh.o.r.eline where the waves crashed over a tumble of black rocks.
At that moment the volcano erupted.
An enormous blast of burning hot wind smashed against them.
But instead of dying, they were flung high into the air.
Safar had a sensation of soaring. Then he felt Khysmet plunge forward. It was as if the stallion had suddenly grown wings and they were hurtling across a flame-washed sky.
Behind him he heard someone shout: "Safar!"
It was Iraj"s voice.
Safar bent around, but there was nothing to see except the smoking ruins of the island.
Then he felt something sear his chest and he cried out in surprise and pain. It seemed to burn through flesh and bone, then pierce his heart like a fire arrow.
And then the pain was gone as quickly as it had come.
Khysmet trumpeted joy, surging forward with even greater speed.
Safar was too weary to feel anything now. He collapsed on the horse"s back, letting his friend carry him away to wherever he wanted to go.
Still, he couldn"t help whispering, "Free, free." And then he thought he heard a faint echo: "Free, free."
Stupefied by exhaustion, he barely registered that echoing voice.
Then darkness seized him and he knew nothing more.
CHAPTER NINE.
DEATH SONG.
Palimak was surrounded by huge red eyes that glittered at him hungrily through the darkness. He couldn"t move; his limbs were like stone and each breath came with great difficulty.
His mind was a chaos of half-formed thoughts. Where was he? Who were these creatures? Why had he ignored the advice of his Favorites? And what in the h.e.l.ls had possessed him to step through that door in the first place?
Although the inky-black chamber he found himself in was sweltering hot, a chill ran down his spine as he realized that "possession" wasn"t too far off the mark.
He"d entered because he had been compelled. Some powerful force had reached through the very rock to seize him and bend him to its will. Deafening him to his survival instinct"s loud clamor of alarm.
Gundara and Gundaree were silent. From the absence of weight on his shoulders, he guessed they"dshrunk to their smallest size, hoping they wouldn"t be noticed.
He heard a heavy body moving toward him and he raised his eyes to see the largest of the burning orbs coming closer. By the G.o.ds, he wished he could see more!
Although, perhaps it was just as well he couldn"t. From the lumbering sound of the body and the fact that the creature"s eyes were several feet above his head, Palimak realized that the beast must be enormous.
With that jumble of frightened thoughts came an idea: These creatures feared light! If someone had asked him how he knew this, he couldn"t have answered. The knowledge just suddenly bloomed in his consciousness: to escape, all he had to do was conjure up another ball of light.
Desperately, Palimak tried to signal the Favorites--sending his thoughts out through the well-oiled mental channel between them. Their disappointing answer came racing back. That avenue of escape had been slammed shut by the same powerful magic compelling him to enter the chamber. The spellcaster had factored in its own vulnerabilities and had made sure that no light spell at Palimak"s command would work within these chamber walls.
Strong magic rippled the dank currents of sweltering air as the huge red eyes moved closer.
Palimak dug deep for strength. But with a shock he realized that merely keeping the life forces burning in the tomb of his spell-frozen body had drained his powers. He couldn"t even open his mouth to speak, much less scream.
The beast paused in front of him, its breath like a foul wind issuing from an open grave. Then it moved slowly around him, as if measuring Palimak for that very same grave. Finally it returned to the front, huge eyes widening even larger--two red orbs ready to swallow him up.
Then the beast spoke. "This creature is a puzzle to me sisters," it said. Rasping though it was, Palimak detected a feminine quality in the voice. "From all outward signs it is human," the voice continued. "But there is also a demon scent to it. Demon and human and in the same body. How could this be?"
A low mutter swept the chamber--many low voices echoing: "How could this be? How could this be?
How could this be?"
The beast"s voice rumbled with what Palimak thought might be laughter. "No matter, sisters," it said.
"Human or demon, it will taste just as fine."
"As fine ... as fine ... as fine," came the echoing reply.
The hungry edge in all of those voices nearly swept away Palimak"s will to resist. But he strained mightily to make one last desperate effort.
Then it was like a gate opening, and power burst forth. His whole body tingled as it awakened. A burning sensation afflicted his eyes, as if they"d been struck by hot sunlight. He closed them. The pain vanished and when he opened them again the night-black darkness had dissolved into a dusky gloom.
Surprised as he was by this just-in-time return of his powers, he still didn"t move. Towering over him was a nightmare figure--grave-devil white with outstretched wings so wide they seemed like they could enfold a score of Palimaks. Behind the beast were similar creatures, slightly smaller, but just as heart-stoppingly ghastly.
The beast bent its terrible head until its eyes were at Palimak"s level.It said, "Before I eat you--whether you be human or demon--I"ll gift you with my name. It"s none other than Queen Charize you will honor with your flesh. Queen Charize who will suck up your marrow.
Queen Charize who will savor your soul. So make yourself ready, little one. As ready as you can."
As Charize spoke, Palimak"s eyes flickered left and he saw a high altar with a half-dozen steps leading to the top. Resting on that altar was an enormous coffin whose lid was sculpted into the shape of a demon.
Emblazoned on the sides of the coffin was a golden twin-headed snake with outstretched wings.
Immediately he knew what it was: the long-lost tomb of Lord Asper!
This was the place he had sought from the moment he"d set foot on Syrapis. Long ago his father had told him the tale of his visionary visit to the chamber of horrors ruled by Queen Charize. And of the coffin he"d found there--a coffin containing, Safar had been certain, the body of Lord Asper, as well as many secrets.
It came to Palimak that if only he could reach the coffin he would be safe. And with that knowledge came the odd feeling that he was not fully in command of his mental faculties. It was as if some older, wiser being had entered his body. A being of cool cunning and calculation. He felt strong and coldly superior.
Magical power coursed through his veins.
He spoke, a touch of sarcasm coloring his tones. "Pardon, royal one, for defiling your ears with my puny voice. But before I die I would demand a boon from you."
Surprised, Charize stepped back, barbed tail curling like a giant scorpion"s.
"What"s this?" she growled. "You can speak?"
A sound like mistral winds hissing through the poisoned thorns of a devil tree stirred the cavern: "He speaks, sisters, he speaks!"
Palimak shrugged, which surprised the monster queen even more. Her spell should have rendered him not only speechless, but immobile as well.
"It"s a small thing," he replied. "I open my mouth and words present themselves." He glanced at the queen"s horrid minions who were whispering to one another, uneasy at his ability to shake off the effects of Charize"s spell. "The important thing isn"t whether or not I can speak," Palimak continued, "but whether you will grant me the boon I"ve requested."
Queen Charize had recovered her wits. "Boon?" she said scornfully. "Why should I grant you a boon?"
Palimak frowned. "Are you the Queen Charize," he asked, "who claims to be ruler of the Sisters of Asper?"
The question surprised him as much as it did Charize. Where had it come from? And why was his voice deeper, his words formed from an experience and a knowledge beyond his ken?
"Claim!? Claim!?" Charize roared. "How dare you speak such words of doubt?" Her talons clattered angrily. "Now, your death will not be so easy, foolish one. You will linger in exquisite agony before I eat you."
Palimak"s instincts begged him to scream pleas of Mercy, lady, mercy. Instead, he amazed himself by finding the courage to smile.
"If the G.o.ds will my death, so be it," he said. "Painful though that death may be."He managed even greater nerve and wagged a finger under the queen"s flaring nostril slits. "But I"ll die knowing you are a great liar," he said. "Claiming a throne you don"t deserve."
The queen"s barbed tail shot toward him, poisoned hook aiming for his heart. Palimak wanted to jump away, but he steeled himself. A heartbeat later he was rewarded as the hook point stopped scant inches from piercing his breast.
Charize glared at him, clearly confounded by his boldness. All around her the other creatures hissed in wonder at their queen"s hesitation. Whispering, "Is it true? Is it true? Does Charize lie?"
At that moment Palimak spotted the b.l.o.o.d.y corpse of one of her subjects, sprawled near what he thought might be her throne. Several of the beasts were gathered next to the corpse and it seemed to him that they were the ones leading the chorus of doubts. In his misfortune, had he in fact been fortunate enough to have stepped into the middle of a palace revolt?
"Who are you to dare brand Charize a liar?" the queen roared. "Tell me your name before I kill you."
"Why, I am Prince Timura," Palimak answered. "Perhaps you"ll find that name familiar. Hmm?"
Gasps of terror echoed through the chamber. "Timura! Timura! Timura!"
Charize"s great jaws unhinged, but not to attack. Instead she was in shock. Then her jaws snapped shut as she fought to recover her dignity.
"Now, you are the liar," she said. "I have met Safar Timura. And you are not him. He was fully human.
There was no demon blood running through his veins."
"Actually, I"m his son," Palimak said. "Disbelieve that at your own peril."
Charize managed a sound that Palimak took for forced laughter. "What a fool you are," she said, "if you think you are a danger to me."
"Perhaps I am a fool," Palimak said. "Test me and we shall see. But I promise you this: one of us will be dead before the test is done. And I strongly doubt that it will be me." He chuckled. "My father told me what a coward you were. How he bested you with the simplest of spells."
Charize clacked her talons in annoyance. "It was a silly trick, nothing more," she said. "You will notice I didn"t fall for the same trick this time. My spell made you powerless to bring light into this chamber!"
Palimak snorted derisively. "You silly creature," he scoffed. "I don"t need light. I am part demon ... as you noticed. And with my demon eyes I can see you and your sisters quite well."
He surprised himself when he said this. Until the moment he opened his mouth, Palimak hadn"t realized what had happened. Raised among humans, he had kept the demon side of himself at bay for most of his young life. It was a part of him that he feared. A side that he believed was capable of shameful cruelty.
However, he now realized it was the demon side that had saved him. Somehow, when fighting to win his powers back, he"d broken through to his demon self and this was what he was using to confront Charize.
As this realization ran through his mind, it also came to him that there was more to it than that. Far more than just his demon powers were available to him. Suddenly, he felt as if his father was quite near. This notion took him by such surprise that he nearly turned his head to see.
But the chamber abruptly became silent and he quickly shifted his full attention back to Charize. A moment before she"d been wavering between waiting to find out more about her new enemy and killinghim on the spot.
As he looked up, he saw that indecision end as she drew back a mighty claw to gut him where he stood.
Unfortunately, there was nothing Palimak could do about it. This was Charize"s lair, after all. And on her own ground there was no magic he knew of that was powerful enough to do more than slightly wound her before he died.
Palimak instinctively went for the bluff. He struck quickly, conjuring up a spell that would be quite painful, but would actually do little damage.
Charize gasped as the spell hit her and jumped back. Before she had time to think, Palimak laughed at her.
"That"s just a small sample of what I can do," he said. "Threaten me again and I shall turn you into ashes."
He gestured at the others. "I"m sure your sisters have wearied of your rule and will thank me for killing you. So don"t make the mistake of thinking I am vulnerable merely because I am outnumbered."
The other creatures muttered. From their tone, Palimak could tell that his bluff had struck the target dead center. None of them would mourn if Charize fell.
Unsure of her ground, the queen decided to play for time. "You asked a boon, small one," she said.
"What is it?"
Palimak nodded, as if satisfied the danger had pa.s.sed. "I entered this chamber," he said, "because I seek the tomb of Lord Asper. My father told me it was here and bade me pay homage to him."
Charize snarled. "You entered this chamber," she said, "because I compelled your obedience. There was no free will involved in your decision."
Palimak shrugged. "The more you speak," he said, "the more convinced I am that you are a liar."
He turned, as if he were about to stroll easily away through an open gate, instead of being confronted with a thick stone door. He even raised a hand, as if to cast a spell that would open it. He was mildly surprised when he saw that his hand looked barely human. His sharp claws were so fully extended that his fingers were misshapen. His tongue reflexively moved around inside his mouth and he found long sharp fangs instead of blunter human teeth.
An odd part of him wished he had a mirror to peer into, wondering what his face looked like. How much of a demon had he become?
"You didn"t answer my question," Charize said. "What is your boon?"
Palimak turned back. "Why, only to pray before Lord Asper"s tomb," he replied.
Charize nodded her mighty head at the dais. "Go pray," she said. "But know that you will pray your last, little one. For you will not leave this chamber alive."
Palimak felt a spark of fear. She"d finally guessed he was bluffing. And was only letting this charade play out long enough to satisfy her followers.
He hid this knowledge and strode calmly over to the dais and mounted the stairs. He didn"t have the slightest idea what he was going to do next. It seemed there were two liars in this chamber. Palimak was the first--Safar had most certainly never told him to pray at Asper"s tomb. He was only working off a vague notion that once he reached the tomb there might be a chance of escape.The second liar was Charize--just as he"d claimed. Palimak had studied the ancient Book of Asper Safar had bequeathed to him long and hard. And he doubted strongly that the old master wizard had left creatures such as Charize and her sisters to guard his resting place.
If Asper had truly intended such a thing, there"d have been broad hints about it in the book--the latter pages of which were filled with the demon"s thoughts on his approaching death. He"d known his illness was fatal and had worried that despite all his efforts, no one would find his tomb and the secrets it contained. Secrets that might save the world from the disaster he"d foretold.