"I must do it, " Elric decided, "for the sake of this man. I must call Arioch and lift the doom that is on R'lin K'ren A'a."
"And bring a greater doom to us! " Duke Avan said, putting his hand automatically upon his sword-hilt. "No. I think we should take our chances with the Olab. Leave this man-he is mad-he raves. Let's be on our way."
"Go if you choose, " Elric said. "But I will stay with the Creature Doomed to Live."
"Then you will stay here forever. You cannot believe his story! "
"But I do believe it."
"You must come with us. Your sword will help. Without it, the Olab will certainly destroy us."
"You saw that Stormbringer has little effect against the Olab."
"And yet it has some. Do not desert me, Elric! "
"I am not deserting you. I must summon Arioch. That summoning will be to your benefit, if not to mine."
"I am unconvinced."
"It was my sorcery you wanted on this venture. Now you shall have my sorcery."
Avan backed away. He seemed to fear something more than the Olab, more than the summoning. He seemed to read a threat in Elric's face of which even Elric was unaware.
"We must go outside, " said J'osui C'reln Reyr. "We must stand beneath the Jade Man."
"And when this is done, " Elric asked suddenly, "how will we leave R'lin K'ren A'a?"
"There is a boat. It has no provisions, but much of the city's treasure is on it. It lies at the west end of the island."
"That is some comfort, " Elric said. "And you could not use it yourself?"
"I could not leave."
"Is that part of the curse?"
"Aye-the curse of my timidity."
"Timidity has kept you here ten thousand years?"
"Aye...."
They left the chamber and went out into the square. Night had fallen and a huge moon was in the sky. From where Elric stood it seemed to frame the Jade Man's sightless head like a halo. It was completely silent. Elric took the Image in the Gem from his pouch and held it between the forefinger and thumb of his left hand. With his right he drew Stormbringer. Avan, Smiorgan, and the Vilmirian crewman fell back.
He stared up at the huge jade legs, the genitals, the torso, the arms, the head, and he raised his sword in both hands and screamed:
"Arioch! "
Stormbringer's voice almost drowned his. It pulled in his hands; it threatened to leave his grasp altogether as it howled.
"Arioch! "
All the watchers saw now was the throbbing, radiant sword, the white face and hands of the albino and his crimson eyes glaring through the blackness.
"Arioch! "
And then a voice which was not Arioch's came to Elric's ears and it seemed that the sword itself spoke.
"Elric-Arioch must have blood and souls. Blood and souls, my lord...."
"No. These are my friends and the Olab cannot be harmed by Stormbringer. Arioch must come without the blood, without the souls."
"Only those can summon him for certain! " said a voice, more clearly now. It was sardonic and it seemed to come from behind him. He turned, but there was nothing there.
He saw Duke Avan's nervous face, and as his eyes fixed on the Vilmirian's countenance, the sword swung around, twisting against Elric's grip, and plunging toward the duke.
"No! " cried Elric. "Stop! "
But Stormbringer would not stop until it had plunged deep into Duke Avan's heart and quenched its thirst. The crewman stood transfixed as he watched his master die.
Duke Avan writhed. "Elric! What treachery do you ... ?"
He screamed. "Ah, no! "
He jerked. "Please..."
He quivered. "My soul..."
He died.
Elric withdrew the sword and cut the crewman down as he ran to his master's aid. The action had been without thought.
"Now Arioch has his blood and his souls, " he said coldly. "Let Arioch come! "
Smiorgan and the Creature Doomed to Live had retreated, staring at the possessed Elric in horror. The albino's face was cruel.
"Let Arioch come! "
"I am here, Elric."
Elric whirled and saw that something stood in the shadow of the statue's legsa shadow within a shadow.
"Arioch-thou must return to this manifestation and make it leave R'lin K'ren A'a forever."
"I do not choose to, Elric."
"Then I must command thee, Duke Arioch."
"Command? Only he who possesses the Image in the Gem may command Arioch-and then only once."
"I have the Image in the Gem." Elric held up the tiny object. "See."
The shadow within a shadow swirled for a moment as if in anger.
"If I obey your command, you will set in motion a chain of events which you might not desire, " Arioch said, speaking suddenly in Low Melnibonиan as if to give extra gravity to his words.
"Then let it be. I command you to enter the Jade Man and pick up its eyes so that it might walk again. Then I command you to leave here and take the curse of the High Ones with you."
Arioch replied, "When the Jade Man ceases to guard the place where the High Ones meet, then the great struggle of the Upper Worlds begins on this plane."
"I command thee, Arioch. Go into the Jade Man! "
"You are an obstinate creature, Elric."
"Go! " Elric raised Stormbringer. It seemed to sing in monstrous glee and it seemed at that moment to be more powerful than Arioch himself, more powerful than all the Lords of the Higher Worlds.
The ground shook. Fire suddenly blazed around the form of the great statue. The shadow within a shadow disappeared.
And the Jade Man stooped.
Its great bulk bent over Elric and its hands reached past him and it groped for the two crystals that lay on the ground. Then it found them and took one in each hand, straightening its back.
Elric stumbled toward the far corner of the square where Smiorgan and J'osui C'reln Reyr already crouched in terror.
A fierce light now blazed from the Jade Man's eyes and the jade lips parted.
"It is done, Elric! " said a huge voice.
J'osui C'reln Reyr began to sob.
"Then go, Arioch."
"I go. The curse is lifted from R'lin K'ren A'a and from J'osui C'reln Reyrbut a greater curse now lies upon your whole plane."
"What is this, Arioch? Explain yourself! " Elric cried.
"Soon you will have your explanation. Farewell! "
The enormous legs of jade moved suddenly and in a single step had cleared the ruins and had begun to crash through the jungle. In a moment the Jade Man had disappeared.
Then the Creature Doomed to Live laughed. It was a strange joy that he voiced. Smiorgan blocked his ears.
"And now! " shouted J'osui C'reln Reyr. "Now your blade must take my life. I can die at last! "
Elric passed his hand across his face. He had hardly been aware of any of the recent events. "No, " he said in a dazed tone. "I cannot...."
And Stormbringer flew from his hand-flew to the body of the Creature Doomed to Live and buried itself in its chest.
And as he died, J'osui C'reln Reyr laughed. He fell to the ground and his lips moved. A whisper came from them. Elric stepped nearer to hear.
"The sword has my knowledge now. My burden has left me."
The eyes closed.
J'osui C'reln Reyr's ten-thousand-year life-span had ended.
Weakly, Elric withdrew Stormbringer and sheathed it. He stared down at the body of the Creature Doomed to Live and then he looked up, questioningly, at Smiorgan.