He paused, took a deep breath. “I raise the question of our return to Goimr because, listening to your earlier words, I was struck by your references—three of them, if I am not mistaken—to the friend left behind, the one you so look forward to seeing again and telling of your adventures. Your ‘secret,’ you called it.”
Zulkeh raised his eyes to Shelyid’s face. “You are referring to the spider in the lower catacombs.”
The dwarf’s mouth fell open. “You know?”
“Certainly. Only a fool could have missed your expeditions to the lower levels. After a few such, I became curious. I followed and observed you with the spider.”
He raised his hand. “I did not eavesdrop! I departed the scene after no more than a minute, and never followed you again. ‘Twas clear enough—well. I am not unaware of my inadequacy as a source of emotional comfort. To anyone, much less an orphan. Some happiness the spider’s company seemed to give you, and I saw no harm in it. ‘Twould have been sheer cruelty to intervene.”
The wizard paused, took another breath. “I am not cruel, Shelyid. Cold, yes. At times, I admit, even harsh. Perhaps other terms could be used—”
“We shall assist!” cried the first.
“The word ‘callous’ immediately springs to mind,” mused the second.
A single gesture from Greyboar brought silence.
The pained look on Zulkeh’s face faded, to be replaced by a frown.
“Doubt me not on this, Shelyid,” spoke the mage. “These—gentlemen—may mock, but if you travel with me you shall soon enough learn the meaning of true cruelty. Inkman gave you but a taste of it.”
“I never said you were cruel, master. I never even thought it.” A guilty look crossed Shelyid’s face. “I did say you were mean a few times.” A look of greater guilt. “And I thought it a lot more times.”
“I will allow ‘mean,’ dwarf.” The wizard sighed. “‘Tis perhaps not far from the mark. But look you, Shelyid, we have drifted from the point. If you truly wish to see your friend again, you cannot accompany me. You must return to Goimr now. For she has not much longer to live. Certainly she will be dead before spring comes—and we are already well into autumn.”
“The spider’s sick!” gasped Shelyid.
“Nonsense!” snorted the mage. “A most hale and healthy arachnid! She has already lived to a ripe old age. Spiders do not live long, Shelyid. Your spider has done exceedingly well in that regard, actually.”
The dwarf fought tears. “I never knew. And I promised—it’s a she? A female spider? I never actually knew which sex my friend was.”
“Bah!” oathed the mage. “Who cannot distinguish between the male and female arachnid is a—” His jaws clamped shut.
“Amazing!” cried the fifth.
“Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?” demanded the sixth.
Another gesture from Greyboar stilled the round.
After a moment, Shelyid spoke.
“Well, it makes me feel better, knowing that she had a full life. And it’s nice to know what sex she was, after all this time. Maybe you could teach me more about spiders, master.”
“Certainly!” spoke the mage. “A most fascinating breed, the arachnids! ‘Pound for pound,’ as your lowlifes would say, the fiercest predators in the animal kingdom. Moreover—” He stopped. “But let us save this for a later occasion. For the moment, we must resolve the issue before us. Do you still wish to remain with me, knowing what you now know?”
Shelyid pondered the question for perhaps a minute, then nodded his head.
“Yes, master. It’s true I promised her, but there wouldn’t be much point going back just to see her die. And I don’t think she’d like it, anyway. Actually, I always knew she was pretty fierce, and I think she wouldn’t like me, well, you know, fussing over her deathbed, and such. I’ll sure miss her, though.” A tear formed, but he wiped it away. “So I’ll stay with you.”
Then the dwarf squared his shoulders, stepped back a pace, and stared the wizard straight in the eye.
“But there’s going to be some changes made!” he said shrilly.
* * *
The scene which followed is painful to relate. For the dwarf Shelyid not only behaved in a most reprehensible manner, insisting upon the most preposterous rights and privileges, but was shamelessly aided and abetted in this impudence by Les Six.