“Ouch,” I said. “This makes it tricky.”
“How so?”
“It means I have relatives on both sides.”
“It also looks as if Amber's ghosts and the Court's demons are only agents, and that it's really a confrontation between the Logrus and the Pattern.”
“Damn! Of course!” I said. “It could easily escalate into another of those. I'm going to have to warn Luke what we're riding into.”
“You can't! Not without telling him what I am!”
“I'll tell him I learned it myself-that I had a sudden insight into a new spell.”
“But what then? Which side are you on? What do we do?”
“Neither,” I said. “We're on our own, and against both of them.”
“You're crazy! There's no place you can hide, Merle! The Powers divide the universe between them!”
“Luke! “ I cried. “I just probed ahead, learned the
attackers are Pattern ghosts!”
“You don't say?” he called back. “Think we should be taking their side? It's probably better for the Pattern to take her back than for the Courts to get her, wouldn't you think?”
“She shouldn't be used that way,” I said. “Let's take her away from both of them.”
“I agree with your feelings,” he stated. “But what if we succeed? I don't really care to be struck by a meteor or transported to the bottom of the nearest ocean.”
“As near as I can tell, the spikard doesn't draw its power from the Pattern or the Logrus. Its sources are scattered through Shadow.”
“So? I'm sure it's not a match for either one, let alone both.”
“No, but I can use it to start an evasion course. They'll be getting in each other's way if they decide to pursue us.”
“But eventually they'd find us, wouldn't they?” “Maybe, maybe not,” I said. “I have some ideas, but we're running out of time.”
“Dalt, did you hear all that?” Luke asked. “I did,” Dalt replied.
“If you want out, now's your chance.”
“And miss an opportunity to twist the Unicorn's tail?” he said. “Keep riding!”
We did, and the shouts grew louder as we raced ahead. There was a certain timeless feeling to it, though-with the muffled sounds and the dimness-as if we har always been riding here and always would be...
Then we rounded a bend and I saw the top of the tower in the distance, heard more shouts. We slowed as we came to the next turn, advancing more cautiously, working our way through a small stand of black saplings.
Finally, we halted, dismounted, worked our way forward on foot. We pushed aside the final screening branches and looked down a slight slope to a blackened, sandy plain beside a three-story gray tower with slit windows and a narrow entranceway. It took a while to sort out the tableau at its base.
There were two demonformed individuals standing to either side of the tower's entrance. They were armed and their attention seemed focused upon the contest taking place on the sands before them. Familiar figures stood at the far end of this impromptu arena and at either side: Benedict stroked his chin, expressionless; Eric hunkered and smiled; Caine juggled, 'flipped, palmed, and passed a dagger, reflexively, through some private routine, an expression of amused fascination on his face. From the tower's top, I suddenly noted, two horned demons leaned forward, their gazes as intent as those of Amber's Pattern ghosts.
At the circle's center Gerard faced a demonformed son of Hendrake, of his own height and greater girth. It looked to be Chinaway himself, who was said to have a collection of over two hundred skulls of those he'd dispatched. I preferred Gerard's collection of a thousand or so mugs, steins, and drinking horns, but your ghost will walk, you lover of trees, in an English lane, if you know what I mean.
Both were stripped to the waist, and from the scuffedup condition of the sands about them I guessed they had been at it for some time. Chinaway tried to trip Gerard just then, who caught his arm and head as he stepped behind him, and sent him cartwheeling away. The demon lord came up on his feet, however, and immediately advanced once again, arms extended, hands weaving a sinuous pattern before him. Gerard simply waited in a ready position. Chinaway stabbed taloned fingers toward Gerard's eyes and hooked a blow against his rib cage. Gerard caught hold. of his shoulder, however, as Chinaway dropped and caught him about the thigh.
“Let's wait,” Dalt said softly. “I want to watch.” Luke and I both nodded as Gerard locked Chinaway's head and Chinaway wrapped his other arm about Gerard's waist. Then they simply stood there, muscles bulging beneath two hides, one pale and smooth, the other red and scaly. Their lungs worked like bellows.
“I assume the thing's been dragging out,” Luke whispered, “and they decided to settle it champion against champion.”
“Looks that way,” I said.
“Coral must be inside then, wouldn't you think?”
“Wait a minute.”
I ran a quick probe into the structure, locating two people within. I nodded then.
“Her and a single guard, I'd say.”
Gerard and Chinaway still stood like statues.
“Now might be the best time to grab Coral,” Luke said, “while everybody's watching the fight.”
“You're probably right,” I told him. “Let me see whether I can make myself invisible. That might simplify matters.”
“Okay,” he said about a quarter minute later. “Whatever you did just then worked. You're gone.”
“Indeed I am,” I said. “Back in a bit.”
“How will you get her out?”
“I'll decide after I've reached her. Just be ready.”
I moved slowly, careful not to scuff the sand. I skirted the circle, passing behind Caine. I approached the door to the tower, soundless, checking about me constantly. Gerard and Chinaway still stood exactly as they had been, locked, and applying enormous pressures to each other.
I passed between the guards, entering the dim interior of the tower. It consisted of a single round room with a bare earth floor, stone pedestals beneath each slit window. A ladder led up to the second floor through a hole in the ceiling. Coral lay upon a blanket to my left; the individual who was ostensibly guarding her stood upon a pedestal, watching the fight through the nearest window.
I moved nearer, knelt, caught up her left wrist and felt her pulse. It was strong and steady. I decided against trying to awaken her, though. Instead, I wrapped the blanket around her, raised her in my arms, and stood.
I was about to try extending the invisibility spell to include her when the watcher at the window turned. I must have made some noise in moving her.
For a moment, the guard stared at the sight of his prisoner drifting below him. Then he opened his mouth, as if to give alarm-leaving me with small choice but to shock his nervous system into insensibility with a charge from my ring.
Unfortunately, there was a rattle of arms as he fell from his pedestal to the floor. Almost immediately, I heard a cry from overhead; followed by sounds of rapid movement.
Turning, I hurried to the door. I had to slow and turn because of its narrowness. I wasn't certain what the guards outside would think when a comatose Coral drifted by, but I didn't want to be trapped inside. Peering ahead, I saw that Gerard and Chinaway seemed in the same position as before. Seconds later, however, as I turned my body and took my first sidling step, there came a sudden, sharp twisting movement from Gerard, followed immediately by a sound like that of a snapping stick.
Gerard let his arms fall and stood erect. The body of Chinaway hit the ground at his side, neck at an unnatural angle. Eric and Caine applauded. The two guards beside the door moved forward. Behind me, within, the ladder rattled at the other side of the room. I heard a cry from that direction.
Two more steps and I turned, headed left. The outside guards were rushing toward their fallen champion. A half dozen paces, and there were more cries at my back, as my pursuers exited the tower; and there were human cries as well, from the killing circle.