Raistlin watched their actions, the motions they made with their hands, the words uttered above the winds that whipped their clothes with violence, and knew that the might of the Great Eye could be his to command.
He lifted the wand. It began to glow red in his hand.
“He’s ours!” said Lord Cal, laughing, and turned back to face the Lord of the Cats.
A bolt of red shot from Raistlin’s wand and struck Lord Cal in the back. The man screamed in rage and pain, the searing beam melting clothes and flesh. He whirled to face his enemy, but his strength gave out. Writhing in agony, he crumpled to the ground.
Bast lashed out with his right hand, stabbing his fingers into Lord Alvin’s throat, tearing a great wound that severed the man’s head. Alvin fell, dead.
The other minsters, yelling in rage, attacked the Lord of Cats. Raistlin dared not help, fearing that any spell he would cast would harm the man in black.
Bast needed no help, it seemed. He took one of his enemies by the chest with a sweeping kick and killed the other with an open-palmed strike to the forehead, snapping the head back, skull crushed and neck broken.
The night was silent once again.
Raistlin came forward, leaning on the staff.
The bodies of the ministers lay on the ground, reddish liquid appeared black in the moonlight. Around each neck he could see, shining, silver cats’ skulls.
“What are they?” asked the mage.
“See them in their true form,” answered Bast.
295
DRAQONLANCE PRCluoes
The corpses began to undergo a horrible change. Their bodies twisted and contorted, black fur grew from their skin, hands and feet changed to paws—an evil, demented dream of cats.
“Demons,” said Raistlin.
“Agents from the Abyss,” replied Bast.
“The ‘lady’ of whom they spoke—”
“Takhisis, Queen of Darkness.” The Lord of the Cats answered quietly, in awe and reverence.
Raistlin felt a shudder run through his body, a shivering premonition. “Not yet!” he whispered. “Not yet! I am not strong enough.” He drew a deep breath. “And now?”
“That is your decision, mage. Krynn is in peril. The land will know five ages, but the last shall not come if darkness succeeds, coming through the gate.’ The Queen is trying to enter the world. Her way must be stopped.”
Raistlin looked at the Lord of Cats—a demi-god—torn by the demons’ claws. “If you could not withstand them, how can I?”
“The nine sent were the most powerful among their kind. They murdered the true lords and ladies of Mereklar and took their places on the council. They would have opened the gate without hindrance, but for you.”
“But there are ten on the council.”
“Shavas is something you must discover for yourself. Now I must leave.” As Raistlin watched, the Cat Lord’s wounds began to heal. “However, I am compelled to ask you this directly, though I think I know your answer. Will you help us stop the Dark Queen?”
Raistlin looked down at the councillor’s wand, faintly glowing red in his hand.
The choice is made.
He tossed the wand to the ground, brought the metal-shod tip of the staff down hard upon it. The wand splintered, and its red glow faded and died.
296
Bnotrjens
“Keep near,” said Bast, and Raistlin found himself in a large chamber. Flickering torches filled the room with a stifling gray light. Men wearing black leather armor stood near a huge stone dais.
Caramon, injured and bleeding, sat on the floor, cradling Earwig in his arms.
Raistlin knelt down swiftly beside his twin.
“Caramon,” he said softly.
The big man lifted his head, too dazed and grief-stricken to be surprised at the sight of his brother.
“It’s Earwig, Raist! You were right about the ring. He was possessed. When I took the ring off, he began to scream. He shot me with that poisoned dart there, but it didn’t kill me.”
Raistlin listened to Caramon’s slightly incoherent account, then reached down on the floor to examine both the poisoned dart and the ring.
Looking at the dart closely, he saw scratch marks on the metal tip. “Much of the poison was worn off before the dart hit you. It appears”—Raistlin glanced at the ken-der and almost smiled—”that it has been used to pick a lock.”