Kneeling beside Greven was a captured rebel soldier, a young Vec with his arms pinioned behind his back, bleeding from untended side and scalp wounds. Crovax, still in his battle-soiled white outfit, stood nearby with a contingent of fifty guards, ready to storm the Dream Halls once the doors were breached.
At the count of three, the guards swung the battering ram back, then slammed it against the black doors. The ram bounced off, and the rebound threw the battering crew to the floor. Greven ground his teeth in disgust.
"Again!" he bellowed.
Twenty stout men grasped the handles on the ram and drew it back. Prepared for the shock this time, none of them fell down, but the ram made just as little impression on the door as last time.
"Keep going!"
While the guards vainly pounded, Belbe made her way to Greven's side.
In between the dull booming of the ram, she asked him, "What are the doors made of?"
"Some metal of Volrath's making."
"Flowstone?"
"No, Excellency. The lock mechanism is made of flowstone, but the rebels have barred the doors from the inside. Crovax tried to will the doors open, but they are impervious to his commands."
Twenty-six fruitless blows were struck, then Greven ordered the winded guardsmen to stand down. A fresh team formed to take their place, but Crovax had a different idea.
"Would Your Excellency have a go?" he said.
"I'm not strong enough to batter down those doors."
"No," he said, "but you're strong enough to use this."
A soldier passed him the Phyrexian plasma discharger she'd hidden behind the throne. He smiled ironically when she took the weapon from him. Belbe cradled the heavy gun in her arms.
Crovax fixed her with a stare. "It won't work on me, you know. I can absorb the energy of its blast. That's how I can handle the powerstones bare-handed."
Belbe swung around and fired the discharger at the doors. No one was ready, and the resulting explosion scattered troops in all directions. When the smoke cleared, the doors were not even marred. Crovax seemed impressed.
"A very useful substance," he said. "I wonder if Volrath could be persuaded to share the secret of its composition?"
Belbe tossed the discharger to him. She turned to Greven. "I want you to withdraw your men. Clear an area ten yards out from the doors. Leave the rebel prisoner with me."
He didn't question why she wanted this, he simply obeyed and ordered the soldiers back to the mouths of the converging corridors. The battering ram was dragged clear and abandoned. Belbe helped the semi-conscious Vec warrior to stand. A hard knock on the head had not only laid open his scalp, it dulled his wits. "What's your name?" she asked. "Sivi… Liin Sivi."
"Isn't that a female name?"
She raised her head slightly and peered at Belbe. "You're the first one to notice."
"That's all right. Liin Sivi, you'll soon be reunited with your friends."
Belbe ushered the dazed rebel fighter to Crovax. "Your Highness," she said, using his title for the first time. "Take your storming squad back, too."
"Why?"
"I mean to persuade the rebels to come out," she said. "I'll give them their wounded comrade as a token of trust. But they won't budge if they see your men poised to strike."
"You no longer command here."
Belbe smoothed the hair back from her face. Her arms felt leaden, her fingers were numb. Her healing capacity was reacting poorly to her many accumulated wounds.
"Do this, Crovax. It will cost you nothing. There's no way out of the Dream Halls, as you well know. This Vec woman will be just as much a prisoner inside as she is out here. If I can talk the rebels out, it will save lives and trouble."
He looked past her. "Lives are cheap fodder," he said. "But it would be a shame to ruin those fine doors before I can ask Volrath how they were made… all right, Belbe." He pointedly dropped her title. "You have my leave to try."
The storming squad faced about and marched back to the line of flowbot lifts. Crovax followed, the discharger hanging loosely from one hand.
Belbe and Sivi approached the imposing black doors cautiously. Belbe rapped quietly on an ornate panel.
On the other side, Shamus flinched at the unexpectedly civil knock.
"Brother!" he hissed. "Someone's knocking at the door!"
Eladamri shoved the paper scrap in his shirt. He stood close to the panel. "Who's there?"
"Belbe. The emissary."
He flushed with sudden emotion. "What do you want?"
"You're trapped in there. There's no way out. I've come to help you."
Medd, Shamus, and Eladamri exchanged startled expressions. Takara roused herself from her gloom and quietly joined the group at the door.
"Why should you help us?" Eladamri questioned. "Wherever I come from, I'm flesh like you. I no longer believe in my masters' goals. The people of Rath deserve to live in freedom."
Eladamri clutched Shamus's arm. "Find Kireno," he hissed. "Get him here at once!" Shamus dashed away. "Can you hear me? Did you hear what I said?"
"I heard you," said the elf. "What proof do you offer of your sincerity?"
"I've convinced Greven and Crovax to withdraw their men from the door. I have one of your comrades with me. She says her name is Sivi. If you open the door, only the two of us will enter."
There followed a frantic argument among Medd, Takara, and Eladamri. If it meant saving Liin Sivi, the Dal warrior wanted to take the chance the emissary was telling the truth. Takara would have none of it, and Eladamri said nothing but brooded over the face he knew was on the other side of the door.
"How will you save us?" Eladamri asked, once the arguments cooled. "If you're relying on safe conduct grants by Greven and Crovax, forget it. We're not trusting our lives to such faithless villains."
"Greven and Crovax know nothing of what I'm doing. Let me in, and I'll explain."
The rebel fighters came running to Eladamri. He hastily explained the situation.
"Do you trust this woman?" asked Kireno.
"No, but I intend to face her. There's something about her you should know. She's my daughter, you see. Or was."
"How did this happen?" asked Takara.
"I don't know. It's some awful ploy of Volrath's, I believe."
"Eladamri," Belbe called. "Time is short. Let me in."
He grasped the floor bolt. "Stand ready. There may be treachery."
The door opened a few inches. Ten yards away, Crovax leveled the discharger. He'd discovered that Belbe's story about it not firing for anyone but her was a lie. His earlier failure was simply a case of not knowing what button to push. He'd remedied his ignorance since then.
Eladamri's eye met Belbe's. "Send in Sivi."
Belbe steadied the Vec warrior and eased her into the gap.
"Now give me your hand," he said.
Belbe raised her right hand.
Crovax squinted through the sight pins at the back of Belbe's skull. Greven saw the evincar raise the weapon and take aim at her.
"Stop!" cried the warrior.
In one smooth motion, Eladamri jerked Belbe through. She stumbled, which was fortunate; in the next second a searing blast of plasma hit the door. The substance burst with a loud crackle, and glowing fragments showered in all directions. Yelling with alarm, Medd and Kireno shoved the door shut, and Shamus snapped the bolts back in place.
Belbe stumbled against Eladamri, but instead of catching her, he tripped her with his outstretched foot. She landed hard on her belly.