Kalasariz felt a flicker of disappointment. He'd come so far. Dared so much. But now, on the eve on his ultimate victory, had he already been defeated?
And the Lady Lottyr whispered, I promised you two battles, Kalasariz. And it is only the second onethat truly counts.
Kalasariz felt hope rise like a mighty spear in his fist. And, already knowing the answer, he asked , Whodo we fight?
And the Lady Lottyr replied, Safar Timura and Iraj Protarus. They're waiting for us now at thegates of the Hells!
The spymaster's hunger burned brighter at this prospect. And he said, Let's fight them, then.
But at that moment he heard a cry, coming from far away. It was like that of a newborn infant demanding new life.
He asked, What's that?
The Goddess Lottyr replied, Only a child, Kalasariz. Nothing to worry ourselves about.
But he was worried. And as the whole world shimmered about him, slowly dissolving, he heard the child cry once again.
Then he found himself striding along a broad beach, sword in hand. He heard drums throb and horns blow, then the voices of singing people.
Kalasariz found them dancing naked under towering palm trees, singing praises to a beautiful queen who led them in their dance. Beyond he saw the volcano, black smoke and angry sparks sputtering into the skies.
He knew he was still in Hadin, but it was a different Hadin. The armies and the ships didn't exist here.
Just these dancing people and the volcano that looked as if it were about to blow.
The Lady Lottyr whispered to him, Wait here!
And so he waited, leaning on his sword and watching the people dance. Feeling strong and confident in King Rhodesa€™ body. Powerfully cloaked in the magic radiating from his belly, where his enemies danced a quite different dance than the one that seemed to please the island people.
Kalasariz also didn't need to ask the goddess who they were waiting for.
He knew damned well it was Safar Timura and Iraj Protarus. The spymaster laughed aloud at the prospect.
When Jooli came up the hill, trotting beside Coralean's horse, she was only mildly surprised when her father's soldiers stepped out of the way, bowing to her respectfully.
These men knew her-she'd once been their queen. And if her father finally admitted defeat she'd be their queen once again.
Then she smelled the stink of magic and quickened her pace, moving ahead of Coralean toward a knot of officers gathered around what she knew to be her grandmother's litter.
They were pale and trembling when they saw Jooli, but not out of fear of her. The men parted as she strode forward, Leiria close behind-sword drawn to protect her friend's back.
When Jooli saw what had happened she froze in her tracks. Both her father and her grandmother were dead. Clayre was sprawled in her litter, while Rhodes was slumped on the ground.
One of the officers said, voice trembling, "It wasn't us, Majesty! They did not die at our hands!"
Jooli said nothing, but only shook her head. She knew quite well no mortal had slain this pair.
And then, while she was struggling for an answer, the corpses started to fade and to shimmer with a strange light.
"Get back!" she shouted to the men.
They didn't need her warning and were already scrambling away.
Then the light grew brighter and the corpses became fainter still.
There was a double crack as magical forces split the air-and the bodies were gone!
Jooli turned to Leiria. "It was the Goddess Lottyr who did this," she said, almost in a whisper.
She was keeping a heavy check on her emotions. It was no time to test her feelings about her father and grandmother.
And she added, "But they aren't really dead. Well, not as you and I know death."
"Where are they, then?" Leiria asked.
The ground rumbled beneath them and several soldiers shouted. "The volcano! The volcano!"
Jooli slowly turned, then pointed at the cone-shaped mountain. Thick smoke was boiling forth and lava was flowing down its sides.
"There," she said.
Leiria was bewildered. But then she became even more confused when Coralean called to them in his big voice.
"Eeda wants to speak to you!"
They went to her where she was nestled in her husband's brawny arms, the infant whimpering at her breast.
"Safar has need of us," Eeda said, voice weak but urgent.
"What should we do?" Leiria asked, fear clutching her heart.
Eeda gestured at the volcano. "The airship," she said. "We must get in the airship. It's the only way to save him."
Immediately, Leiria sent a signal for Biner to descend. Meanwhile, Jooli told her father's men to flee as best they could.
"Get back in your ships," she said, "and sail like the hells for Syrapis. I'll meet you there, by and by, and we'll put the kingdom into order."
The men didn't need to be told twice. They ran, shedding armor and weapons and never looking back when another blast shook the volcano.
Leiria gave the Kyranians similar orders. She was only going to keep Renor, Sinch and Sergeant Hamyr with her. The rest were told to get back to the ships and tell the pirate captains to stand far off from the island.
"And if we don't make it," she added, "return to Syrapis and tell our friends what happened here."
Then the airship was down and the others were boarding it.
Leiria ran to join them, praying that this time she wouldn't be too late.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
They plunged through hot darkness, the sound of what seemed like heavy whips whirring and cracking on every side. Far ahead of them they could hear the muted boom of big metal drums and the distant wail of hundreds of tortured voices.
Red tongues of flame flicked out at them and Khysmet swerved in mid-flight, dodging most of the hot spears. The big stallion shrilled in fury as one blast hit him, then steadied his course and flew onward at an even greater rate of speed.
Palimak felt a searing pain across his thigh but took heart from Khysmet's example and ignored it, concentrating solely on the transport spell he'd created with his father and Eeda.
They were plummeting deeper and deeper into the bowels of an immense sorcerous machine with nothing except the transport spell to guide them.
Enormous unseen gears groaned somewhere in the darkness. They were driven by what Palimak imagined to be huge clattering chains that powered the hellish machine in its mysterious, yet clearly evil purpose.
Gundara and Gundaree chattered fearfully in his ear, crying, "Look out, Little Master! Beware! Beware!"
in a never-ending chorus of warnings.
He couldn't see any of the dangers that were stalking him-he could only sense fierce presences looming up with gnashing teeth and rattling claws and the stink of old carnivores.
Khysmet never stopped, only swerving from side to side like a swift-moving eagle, somehow always avoiding the danger.
All of Palimak's instincts shrieked for him to draw his sword and defend himself. But there was nothing to see except for an occasional cloud of hot sparks drifting up to meet them.
A verse from Asper came to him-leaping crazily into his mind and crowding out the fearful sensations.
Palimak chanted it, adding the old demon's powers to the transport spelclass="underline"
"Into the Hells my soul did fly;
Not knowing if we'd live or die.
But then it returned with this reply:
No truth in Heaven, only lies, lies, lies!"
Palimak felt his strength return, his fears vanish. And the cold demon side of him opened like a yawning gate.