Spellsinger 03 – The Day of the Dissonance by Foster, Alan Dean

into the hot center of this mountain.”

THE DAY OF THE DISSONANCE

267

Jon-Tom took a step backward and Zancresta raised his

peculiar multiple dart-thrower. “Let her go. She is nothing.”

There was a flash of gold from behind Roseroar. Again

Zancresta raised the weapon, but a feathery hand came

down on his arm.

“Nay, let the horned one go,” snarled Corroboc. “I’ve

no real quarrel with him. He won’t be in time to save the

girl and I want these three left alive and conscious.” He

started toward the ladder, sword in one hand, the other

outstretched toward Snooth. “The medicine, if you please,

hag.”

“As you wish.”

“No!” Jon-Tom shouted. “Don’t give it to him!”

The kangaroo’s reply was firm. “I am not a party to

what is a private quarrel. This is between you and him.”

She handed over the precious container. “Here, catch.” At

the last instant she tossed it toward the pirate captain.

Corroboc grabbed for the small plastic cylinder and

missed. It struck the floor, vaporizing instantly and spitting

out a thick cloud of black smoke.

Jon-Tom threw himself sideways and down. The dart-

thrower twanged and something struck his boot while

others thunked harmlessly into the back of his thick snake-

skin cape. He heard no screams of pain and prayed that his

friends had also managed to dodge Zancresta’s weapon.

He started to rise, preparing to do battle with his staff,

when it occurred to him that in a hand-to-hand fight

Roseroar’s swords and Mudge’s bow would be more effec-

tive, and that, in any case, they had a sorcerer to deal with