The eyeball, once activated, revealed the secret of the Kicksey-winsey to any who looked at its moving pictures.* Either the elves hadn’t discovered the eyeball’s secret, or, if they had, they’d discounted it, as had the dwarves all these years. Perhaps, like the dwarves, the elves used this empty portion of the huge building only for meetings. Or perhaps they didn’t use it at all.
*Limbeck discovered that the eyeball was, in actuality, a magic lantern. Bane, watching the moving pictures exhibited in the eyeball, figured out what the Kicksey-winsey was supposed to do—bring the various floating continents of Mid and High Realms into alignment, supply them with water. Dragon Wing, vol. i of The Death Gate Cycle.
Haplo slid the plate back all but a crack, descended the ladder.
“It’s all right,” he told Limbeck. “The elves are all in the front of the Factree. But either your diversion hasn’t started or else they don’t give a damn—”
He paused. A trumpet call sounded faintly from above. Then came the sound of shouts, weapons rattling, beds scraping, voices raised in either irritation or satisfaction, depending on whether the soldiers found this a welcome break in their dull routine or a nuisance.
Haplo swiftly climbed back up the ladder again, peered out the opening.
The elves were strapping on swords, grabbing bows and quivers of arrows, and running to the call, their officers shouting curses and urging them to hurry.
The diversion had started. He wasn’t certain how much time they had, how long the dwarves could harass the elves. Probably not long.
“Come on!” he said, motioning. “Quickly! It’s all right, boy. Let him go.”
Bane was the first up, climbing like a squirrel. Limbeck followed more slowly. Jarre came after him. She had forgotten, in the heat of soup-pan tossing, to change her skirt for trousers, and was having difficulty managing the ladder. The dog stood at the bottom, regarding them with interest.
“Now!” said Haplo, keeping watch, waiting until the last elf had left the Factree. “Run for it!”
He shoved the plate aside, pulled himself up onto the floor.
Turning, he gave Bane a hand, hauled the boy up beside him. Bane’s face was flushed, his eyes shone with excitement.
“I’ll go look at the statue—”
“Wait.”
Haplo cast a swift glance around, wondering why he hesitated. The elves had gone. He and the others were alone in the Factree. Unless, of course, the elves had been forewarned of their coming and were lying in wait. But that was a risk they had to take, and not much of a risk at that. Haplo’s magic could deal efficiently with any ambush. But his skin tingled, shone a faint, disturbing blue.
“Go ahead,” he said, angry at himself. “Dog, go with him.”
Bane dashed off, accompanied by the dog.
Limbeck poked his head up out of the hole. He stared at the animal, gamboling at Bane’s side, and the dwarfs eyes widened. “I could have sworn…”‘
He stared back down the ladder. “The dog was down there …”
“Hurry up!” Haplo grunted. The sooner they left this place, the happier he’d be. He dragged Limbeck over the top, reached out a hand to help Jarre.
Hearing a startled shout and an excited bark, Haplo turned swiftly, nearly yanking Jarre’s arm out of its socket.
Bane, lying prone across the statue’s feet, was pointing down. “I’ve found it!” The dog, standing spraddle-legged at the top, gazed into the hole with deep suspicion, not liking whatever was down there.
Before Haplo could stop him, Bane slid down into the hole like an eel and disappeared.
The statue of the Manger began to revolve upon its base, sliding shut.
“Go after him!” shouted Haplo.
The dog jumped into the slowly closing gap. The last Haplo saw was the tip of a tail.
“Limbeck, stop it from closing!” Haplo all but dropped Jarre and started for the statue at a run. But Limbeck was ahead of him.
The stout dwarf lumbered across the Factree floor, short, thick legs pumping furiously. Reaching the statue, he hurled himself bodily into the slowly narrowing gap and wedged himself firmly between the base and floor. Giving the statue a push, he shoved it back open, then bent to examine it.