|
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
I wasn t lying. I have never seen such a device. I do know what I detected when I first found our new friend, but I do not understand how it works. We can t take it from him. No, that wouldn t be right. Not even to have Cam and Librettowit examine the mechanism. Isn t it just like Crim Cropper and Burner Stox to overdecorate the exterior with meaningless runes? Kale tilted her head to one side. Still, I d like to see it work. Me, too. Her father smiled at the ropma. Now, don t take advantage of him, Father. Me? He arched an eyebrow in her direction then turned his attention solely on the beast. Bug, said Sir Kemry, will you show us how you get in the box? His head dipped. I open box. With one bulky, hairy finger, the ropma undid the latch and separated the top from the bottom. When the box lay open in one hand, he placed his smallest finger from his other hand inside. One moment, the ropma stood beside Kale and her father. The next, only his rather earthy smell remained. Amazing, said Kale. What natural law do you suppose it works upon? Zoic displacement? Very likely, or light refraction? Another possibility. Sir Kemry put his hands on his hips, stretched his neck first one way and then the other. I m tired of this inactivity. Ever since that stint as a statue, I stiffen far too easily. We ll turn the problem of Bug s box over to the thinkers. For now, let s set our minds on finding this valley of dragons. Right. Kale surveyed the area. Bug? She used her talent as well as her eyes to examine the area a second time. The minor dragons chittered in the trees. Dibl rolled across a broad branch, giggling. Father, if I m not mistaken, our ropma guide has skipped out on us. I was just coming to that same conclusion. Sir Kemry reached toward the sky and extended one arm and then another in a generous stretch. Daughter, it is time we enter into an agreement for the benefit of both of us. He bent in half and bounced with his fingertips brushing the tips of his boots. Kale threw her father a skeptical glance. Was this sudden activity to distract her? She didn t know. His thoughts were shielded. What is this agreement? I shall not tell your husband, and you shall not tell my wife. She wrinkled her brow. Tell them what? That you and I were outwitted by a ropma. Kale grinned. That would be shameful. Girl, we would never live it down. 20 BOTHERATION! A wisp of cloud obstructed Bardon s view of the ground for a moment. Squares of fertile land exhibited the colors of various crops. Farmhouses sat at uneven intervals. Bardon knew he and his comrades had flown many miles, and Yent, who rode behind him, said that he planned for them to land at a place not much farther. Bardon glanced over at the riders on Merlander s back. Lyll Allerion leaned toward Dar and talked. Bardon couldn t hear the conversation, but he surmised the communication was chatter. He did not do well with social banter. Dar, however, would enjoy the interchange. The kimen never said a word. We re better off, just the two of us, Bardon told Greer, his riding dragon and comrade for a half-dozen years. Bardon listened to his companion grumble. The vibration of the dragon s displeasure jostled the rider s legs where they rested against the purple scales on his sides. What s that? You d rather have Dar and Lady Lyll in your saddle? I shouldn t ask, but why? Bardon squeezed his knees tighter in the hooks of the saddle. I do know amusing stories. I just don t think that this is the time to be prattling on about the peculiarities of life. We are on a mission. He absorbed Greer s retort, feeling the chagrin of the dragon as well as hearing dragon thoughts in his mind. Yes, I wish Kale were along too, and I know she is a better conversationalist than I am. On the other hand, I am relieved she s gathering eggs rather than fighting quiss. Heads up! he shouted and pointed east, attracting the attention of Merlander s riders. I see a blue line at the horizon. It must be the waters of Eden Bay. In twenty minutes they landed on a promontory over the water. They dismounted and walked to the edge. Below, the surf pounded against the cliff and scattered fallen rocks into the inlet. Beyond the breakers, where the sea should have swelled in gentle waves, the water teemed with ugly, pinkish, fleshy bulbs. The men stood with their fists planted against their hips. Lady Allerion folded her hands tightly in front of her. It s an impressive sight, said Sir Dar, raising his voice to be heard. Terrifying, shouted Lyll. Bardon folded his arms across his chest. I ve been thinking. The others gave him their attention, gathering nearer in order to hear over the ocean s roar. When a quiss dies, his body deteriorates rapidly, giving off a toxin. If we pour salt on them in the ocean, the water will be polluted. In past invasions, countrymen piled mounds of dirt on the quiss carcasses wherever they died. I see what you re getting at, said the kimen. His voice carried without his straining to be heard. Even if we slay every last one of these invaders, their bodies will contaminate our land. Bardon nodded. You say this horde outnumbers the past figures by ten to one. The poison will be too much for the dirt to absorb and neutralize. A sea bird flew over them, gray and white against the blue sky. His stark cry sounded lonely as it faded in the wind. He circled once, then winged along the cliff toward scrubby bushes clinging to the rocky soil. Sir Dar turned to Lady Allerion. Are these animals intelligent? She shook her head. I have not detected a reasoning thought among them. A trap, then, for the quiss, said Sir Dar. Suppose we dug a ditch along the shoreline, lined it with salt, and as they cross the trench, we shower them with more salt. They die before they realize their invasion. We cover them with dirt as has been done in the past. And& And? asked the kimen. And we hope that the one strip of barren land is all that we have to remember them by. Lyll twisted her face in a distasteful grimace. I should like to consult other wizards first. Yent hopped and waved a hand over the sea. The light of his clothing flickered. We ve very little time. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
Podobne
|