“I shall say no more,” Julia said.
“Good. That's a splendid idea.”
“Finn,” the seer shouted, “over here!”
Finn moved quickly to Oberbyght's side.
“See that? In the first balloon? I'm certain that's Maddigern himself. Right below the guiding cords.”
“I don't see how you can tell.”
“Trust me. That's him, for sure. I'd know that brute anywhere”
A flash of bright light, then a thunderous roar reached Finn's ears. Something like an angry hornet whined by overhead.
“Damn ‘em all,” Bucerius said, gripping the basket's side. “It's muskets they be using. They mean to bring us down.”
Another flash, and another after that. The first shot missed, but the second tore at the craft's tangle of cords. Finn could see now that Maddigern was the sole musketeer. One of his Guardsmen would hand him a loaded weapon, and take the empty back.
Another shot ripped away a section of the webbing that held the bloated sphere intact. The balloon dipped, swayed drunkenly, and righted itself again.
“He's a better than fair shooter,” Finn said. “Next time he'll hit the bag itself!”
“No, he won't be doin’ that.” Bucerius looked grim. “He's not trying to kill us, he's trying to take us down.”
Finn showed his surprise, for he failed to understand.
“He hits the bag, we'll go up in a ball of fire,” Bucerius explained. “If he cuts enough of them lines-which is what he's doin’ now-he knows I'll have to set her down ‘fore we lose control.”
The Bullie paused. “He wants his princess back, don't you see? With us stuck down in that killin’ swamp, it's him that'll have the winning hand, not us.
“He can land enough louts to finish us off, ‘less we give her back.”
“He will, too,” said DeFloraine-Marie, tossing them all a haughty glance. “You'd best do what he says, Bullie. He'll show you no mercy if you don't let me go.”
Her words were nearly lost as Maddigern fired again. The wicker basket sagged dangerously, as cords parted with a whine overhead.
“That damn near does it,” Bucerius cursed. “Another shot an’ I got to put her down.”
“And submit to him? A stinking Badgie?” The seer's face darkened with rage. “I'll give him something to ponder, he thinks he can stand up to me!”
The sorcerer raised his hands high above his head and shouted at the wind, trembled and shook, swelled up like the great bloated sphere above. From his mouth spewed a gabble, a blabber, a meaningless jabber that made Finn's hair stand on end.
Then, to Finn's horror, the balloon next to Maddigern's blossomed into a white ball of fire, a small and blinding sun. Finn heard the horrid shrieks of pain from the craft as it disappeared from sight.
“No, don't,” Finn shouted. “Leave them be. We don't have to do that!”
The words were scarcely out of his mouth before the second sphere seared Finn's eyes and vanished in a wink.
He's playing with him, taunting him, saving him till the last…
Oberbyght raised his hands high once more, and Finn could see Maddigern clearly, his features betraying no expression at all.
Finn gripped his hands tightly together, and brought them down soundly at the base of Oberbyght's skull. The sorcerer collapsed without a sound and fell limply to the basket's floor.
Finn glanced at the Badgie once more. Maddigern knew what had happened, but he didn't move an inch.
“Get a line ‘cross her shoulders,” Finn called out. “Let her down, quickly, and let that maniac see!”
Bucerius nodded. DeFloraine-Marie's eyes widened, but she didn't protest.
“We're driftin’, losing it fast,” the Bullie said. “I can't hold her up long.”
“We don't have to. He knows that.”
The princess didn't say a word as she tossed the Bullie's blanket aside and lifted her legs over the rim of the basket. She caught Finn watching and grinned. Then the Bullie lowered her slowly away, down to the dark, tangled mass of green below.
Maddigern held off to the right, watching the princess descend. Finally, she touched the ground lightly in a small clearing, loosed the line and waved, then stood there and waited, huddled against the chill.
“We can make a couple of miles,” Bucerius said. “Can't promise much after that.”
“You'll do what you can,” Finn said. He glanced at Letitia, then turned and looked back.
“He's going down to get her. He's not concerned with us.”
“Fine. I'm concerned with us,” the Bullie said, “for there's many a craft what's gone down in the Swamp of Bleak Demise, but I never heard of one comin’ out again…”
FIFTY-SEVEN
I'll get you for this, Finn, by damn, I promise you that,” said the seer. “My head's about to split, and I expect there's extensive damage that's yet to unfold.”
“I expect you'd best save your strength,” Finn said. “We've a long way to go and it's coming on night.”
“A long way?” Bucerius gave a weary laugh. “There isn't no end to this swamp, not for more miles than you can count. And I doubt we'll last the night. Not with all the monstrous things that be roaming wild in this place.”
“What kind of things would that be?” “I just said. Monstrous things.” “I haven't seen any yet.”
“You won't, neither. Not till you're inside one of their gullets lookin’ out.”
T HE SWAMP, INDEED, WAS A STRANGE AND ALIEN place, with its enormous trees, stale black water, and great fleshy plants. Vines as thick as a man coiled around every tree in a vicious stranglehold. Yet, except for annoying swarms of bugs, no monsters had shown up in the night. And, as a new day appeared through the thicket overhead, everyone save the seer seemed no worse for wear.
“You should never have let that savage go,” Oberbyght complained, as he hunched before the small fire, eating a peculiar spotted fruit Letitia had found.
“You don't know their kind, or you'd have let me finish him off. What you have to do, boy, is get them before they get you.”
“I have no love for Maddigern,” Finn said, “but I don't think returning savagery with worse than savage acts makes us better than them.”
The seer made a noise in his throat and waved Finn's words away.
“It's a wonder you've stayed alive with fool thoughts like that. You don't know what that cunning fellow did to me. I made a good, honest living before Maddigern came along. My great-great-grandfather came up with the bit about the Deeply Entombed, and handed the business down. It's been smooth sailing ever since.
“By damn, there was a first-class seer. I'm good, mind you, but no one was ever as great as old Unterbyght himself. No one can conjure up something like that bell anymore. Not today, they can't. ‘Course he could figure when the fool thing'd go off. I confess, I never got the hang of that.”
“Blocks and Socks,” Finn said. “I'd be shamed to admit I had a hand in anything as cruel and vile!”
“What?” Oberbyght winced, as a fresh pain shot through his head. “My family performed a service, boy. Everyone has to believe in something, you know. And the royals love it. Always have.”
“But it's not something real,” Letitia said. “It's just something made up.”
“Well, yes, but they don't know that. There's the thing about your first-rate religion, young lady. If you know what it's about, it's no good at all.
“I would have been fine, if I hadn't brought Maddigern in. I didn't exactly bring him in, you understand. He stumbled on the thing and I had to go for thirty percent. Offerings aren't what they used to be, I'll tell you that. This King's a miser, is what he is.”
“And DeFloraine-Marie,” Finn said.
The seer's mouth curled in disgust. “It was always an uneasy thing between Maddigern and me. But it wasn't too bad until she came along. That's why I had to get out.
“I know Maddigern killed Dostagio, of course, not you. I expect the poor fellow caught the Badgie with the lady somewhere. Dostagio was a loyal servant. Would have gone straight to the King.”