Elven Star – The Death Gate Cycle 2. Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

No farmers plowed that soil, however. No people lingered in the parks. No traffic filled the city streets. The fields, the parks, the avenues, the buildings stood empty, lifeless, waiting.

Haplo steered the ship around the center point of the Nexus, a crystal-spired building-the tallest in the land-which his lord had taken for his palace. Within the crystal spires, the Lord of the Nexus had come across the books left behind by the Sartan, books that told of the Sundering, the forming of the four worlds. Books that spoke of the imprisoning of the Patryns, of the Sartan’s hope for their enemies’ “salvation.” The Lord of the Nexus had taught himself to read the books and so had discovered the Sartan’s treachery that had doomed his people to torment. Reading the books, the lord had developed his plan of revenge. Haplo dipped the ship’s wings in a gesture of respect to his lord.

The Sartan had intended the Patryns to occupy this wondrous world-after their “rehabilitation,” of course. Haplo smiled, settled himself more comfortably in his chair. He let go of the steering stone, allowing the ship to drift with his own thoughts. Soon the Nexus would be populated, but not only by Patryns. Soon the Nexus would be home to elves, humans, and dwarves-the lesser races. Once these people had been transported back through the Death’s Gate, the Lord of the Nexus would destroy the four misbegotten worlds created by the Sartan, return everything to the old order. Except, that the Patryns would rule, as was their right.

One of Haplo’s tasks on his journeys of investigation was to see if any of the Sartan inhabited the four new worlds. Haplo found himself hoping he discovered more of them-more at least than Alfred, that one pitiful excuse for a demigod he’d confronted on Arianus. He wanted the entire race of Sartan alive, witnesses to their own crushing downfall.

“And after the Sartan have seen all they built fall into ruin, after they have seen the people they hoped to rule come under our sway, then will come the time of retribution. We will send them into the Labyrinth.”

Haplo’s gaze shifted to the red-streaked, black swirl of chaos just visible out the far side of the window. Horror-tinged memories reached out from the clouds to touch him with their skeletal hands. He beat them back, using hatred for his weapon. In place of himself, he watched the Sartan struggle, saw them defeated where he had triumphed, watched them die where he had escaped alive.

The dog’s sharp, warning bark shook him from his grim reverie. Haplo saw that, absorbed in his thoughts of revenge, he’d almost flown into the Labyrinth. Hastily, he placed his hands on the steering stone and wrenched the ship around. Dragon Wing sailed into the blue sky of the Nexus, free of the grasping tendrils of evil magic that had sought to claim it.

Haplo turned his eyes and thoughts ahead to the starless sky, steering for the place of passage, steering for Death’s Gate.

CHAPTER 9

CAHNDAR TO ESTPORT, EQUILAN

PAITHAN HAD A GREAT DEAL OF WORK TO DO MAKING HIS CARAVAN READY FOR travel, and the old man’s words of doom slipped from his mind. He met Quintin, his foreman, at the city limits of Cahndar-the Queen’s City. The two elves inspected the baggage train, making certain the railbows, boltarches, and raztars, packed away in baskets, were attached securely to the tyros. [14] Opening the packs, Paithan inspected the toys that had been spread over the top, taking care to note if he could see any sign of the weapons hidden beneath. Everything appeared satisfactory. The young elf congratulated Quintin on a job well done and promised to recommend the foreman to his sister.

By the time Paithan and his caravan were ready to start, the hour flowers were indicating that foiltime was well advanced and it would soon be midcycle. Taking his place at the head of the line, Paithan told the overseer to begin the march. Quintin mounted the lead tyro, climbing into the saddle between the horns. With much cajoling and flattering, the slaves persuaded the other tyros to crawl into line behind their leader, and the caravan plunged into the jungle lands, soon leaving civilization far behind.

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