"Let's go." Butterflies mated in Shih-ka'i's gut as he stalked forward. What am I doing here? I'm an army commander. I'm supposed to have people do these things for me.
Lord Kuo remained close, spells of his own prepared. Pan ku carried his longsword at the ready.
Shih-ka'i laughed at himself. Arrogant, puny mortal, attacking what might be a god. Such gall!
There was no moon yet. The desert was illuminated only by stars. They seemed more numerous here than in the skies of Shinsan. The darkness seemed more intense.
Shih-ka'i moved into the deeper darkness between the thing's forelegs, carefully picking his way through the rubble. He paused, knelt. Water. Here and there, plants clung desperately to life. Curious.
He had trouble finding the stair. Its base was masked by rubble. Seconds fled. His heart hammered faster and faster. The thing had to know he was here. It must be waiting to trap him... Still, he sensed nothing but sleeping anger.
He began the climb. Pan ku and Lord Kuo were right behind him. From behind them, Hsu Shen whispered, "Lord, must these men—"
"Silence!" Shih-ka'i hissed. He listened. The thing had not stirred. "They go." He resumed climbing.
From the beast's back he could just make out the men below. Again he wondered what point there was to their presence. To comfort their commander?
Hsu Shen eased past him, felt the stone of the thing's battered shoulder. He lifted the plug out. Shih-ka'i felt the godling grow restless. He shook an admonitory finger at his companions.
Pan ku and Wen-chin bore lanterns. These they now lighted. Shih-ka'i took one and started down into the stone thing's heart. It stirred again, but did not waken.
There was one chamber down deep inside, perhaps fifteen feet by ten. At one end stood a stone altar. Upon it rested a small black box.
Once that chamber had been richly appointed. All that remained was dust and scraps, a few ceremonial weapons, and the altar itself. Shih-ka'i advanced carefully, stood over the altar, stared at the box. He returned the lantern to Pan ku.
Still no more than a restlessness in the box. Shih-ka'i reached for it. His hands quivered.
Hsu Shen sneezed. And sneezed again.
The thing in the box stirred.
Shih-ka'i lifted gently and turned, glided toward the stair.
Pan ku sneezed, cursed softly. Shih-ka'i grimaced behind his mask. Carefully, carefully, he climbed the steps.
Now Kuo was sneezing. It was catching. Shih-ka'i felt the dust in his own nose. He fought the sneeze... There was nothing he could do. He hurried to the top, spun, shoved his burden into Pan ku's arms. Pan ku had gotten his own nose under control by grinding at it with his free hand. Shih-ka'i doffed his mask till the sneezing passed.
The god in the box seemed to have settled back into sleep. "That was close," Shih-ka'i muttered.
"What now, Lord?" Hsu Shen asked.
"Back to the island. We'll put weights on the box, spells on one of the boats, and sail it out to sea. It'll run into a storm and go down."
Hsu Shen nodded. He took Lord Kuo's lantern, signaled his soldiers. They began withdrawing. Most of them had departed by the time Shih-ka'i reached the transfer point. "I'll go last," he said. "Just in case." The godlet still had not wakened. "Be ready when I arrive. Hsu Shen, you go now. Prepare the boat, and begin sending your men on to Lioantung."
"As you command, Lord."
The minutes rolled away. At last there was no one left but Lord Kuo and Pan ku. "Lord," Shih-ka'i said, "I'll give you a few minutes before I come through. Have a good ambush ready. The transfer may waken it." Wen-chin nodded and departed. "Go, Pan ku."
"Lord... "
"I'll be there in a few minutes."
"As you will, Lord." Pan ku disappeared. Shih-ka'i stared down at the box. What would the godlet do? Surely transfer would waken it. Could they control it long enough to put it into a boat? How powerful was it?
He waited five minutes. Before transferring he set the portal to collapse behind him. No one would return the box to the desert should it grab a man as it did the dead. He took a deep breath, stepped into the portal.
The thing wakened as Shih-ka'i reached the island. A finger of power stabbed his brain. He staggered. "You!" the thing in there bellowed. He moaned. Its rage was stronger than he had expected. Its angry, greedy tentacles drove into him, taking control...
Ssu-ma Shih-ka'i was stubborn. He turned, threw the box. It bounced across the floor.
Lord Kuo smacked it with a bolt of power that did no harm at all. Shih-ka'i dove after the box, smacked a fist against its side. It tumbled onward, into the pulsing black maw of the portal.
A dwindling scream faded from Shih-ka'i's mind.
Pan ku reached his side. "Are you hurt, Lord?"
Shih-ka'i allowed himself to be lifted to his feet. "I think I'll live, Pan ku. Damn my bones, I'm afraid I'm going to." He leaned on his batman. "It almost caught my soul."
Hsu Shen came roaring in. "What happened?"
"It woke up," Lord Kuo explained. "My Lord threw it back through the transfer."
"Oh, no! It's back in the desert? What'll we do?"
Shih-ka'i caught his breath. "No. Not the desert. No. Caught in the transfer stream. Done with this world. Forget the boat, Hsu Shen. Let me rest before I return to Lioantung. We're done here."
Pan ku was helping him leave when the air crackled behind them. A man stepped from a portal. "Lord?" he inquired.
Shih-ka'i turned. "Lord Lun-yu?"
"The Princess Mist is in Lioantung, Lord. Thought you'd want to know." Tasi-feng surveyed his surroundings. He seemed puzzled. Lord Kuo tried to make himself invisible.
Shih-ka'i sighed. "All right. I'll be there directly. Pan ku, let's collect our gear. Hsu Shen, send the rest of your men out."
Lord Kuo remained apart from Shih-ka'i till Tasi-feng departed.
"Pan ku," Shih-ka'i said as they approached their quarters, "I think I've aged a hundred years."
A deputation of nervous Tervola waited in the transfer chamber. Tasi-feng said, "Lord Shih-mihn is entertaining the Princess, Lord."
"What's that racket?"
"Harassment from outside, Lord."
"Tell the lady I'll be with her as soon as I've studied the situation."
"Lord?"
"You heard me. Lord Lun-yu, come with me. Tell me everything she's said." He led the way to a high gallery in the old fortress at Lioantung's heart. From it he could see most of the city and much of the countryside beyond. Pan ku dogged their steps.
"This was a monastery in the old days," Tasi-feng said.
"Really? Interesting. But I'm more interested in current events. What's the Matayangan situation?"
"She gives the impression it's under control. Lord Kuo struck a particularly savage blow before... before... "
"I see. What did she say she wants?"
"She's investigating our position. The army is stretched thin. If either front sours we might have to abandon the western provinces."
Shih-ka'i leaned out a window, watched dragons circle. "The worst is over here. We've eliminated their godling. There'll be no more debacles like the Tusghus. What have they been doing?"
"Getting ready to storm."
"Storm? That's crazy. They don't have the manpower."
"They didn't have it at the Tusghus, Lord."
"So true. But they haven't the weapon they had then, either." Shih-ka'i scanned the darkness. "When will they start?"
Tasi-feng shrugged. "If he follows precedent, not for a few days."
"Don't count on it. He's learning." Shih-ka'i glared at the night. "Damn. I'd like to get my hands on him."
Something skittered behind them. Shih-ka'i whirled. "A mouse, Lord," Pan ku said. "Strangest thing. Sat there just staring at you."