“I don’t see the need to tell you anything. I’m not alone!” Bane crowed shrilly. Turning, he pointed down the hallway, back the way he’d come. “There’s a man guarding me, one of the mysteriarchs. And some Gegs are with him. Help me escape before he can stop me!”
Bane ducked beneath the elf captain’s arm, headed for the shelter of the stairs. The dog, after a swift glance back at Haplo, bolted after the boy.
“You two, catch the brat!” shouted the captain swiftly. “The rest of you, come with me!”
He drew a dagger from a sheath worn on his belt, headed down the hallway in the direction Bane had pointed.
Damn the little bastard! Haplo swore. He called upon the magic, speaking and drawing the sigla that would fill the hallway with a noxious gas. Within seconds, everyone—including Bane—would be comatose. Haplo raised his hand. As the first fiery sigil burned in the air beneath his fingers, he wondered who Bane was truly trying to escape.
A short, stout figure darted suddenly from around back of Haplo. “I’m here! Don’t hurt me! I’m the only one!” shouted Jarre. Trundling clumsily down the hall, she was headed straight for the elves.
Haplo had not heard the dwarf approach and he dared not stop his magic long enough to grab her, keep her out of the line of his spell-casting. She’d end up right in the midst of the sleeping gas. He had no choice but to continue. He’d pick her up when he picked up Bane. He stepped out from his hiding place.
The elves came to a confused halt. They saw runes flashing in the air, a man with shimmering red and blue skin in front of them. This was no mysteriarch. No human could cast magic like this. They looked to their captain for orders.
Haplo drew the last sigil. The magic was nearly complete. The elven captain was prepared to hurl his dagger, but the Patryn paid it scant attention. No mensch weapon could harm him. He completed the sigil, stepped back, and waited for the spell to work.
Nothing happened.
The first sigil had, inexplicably, flickered and gone out. Haplo stared at it. The second sigil, dependent on the first, began to fade. He couldn’t believe it. Had he made a mistake? No, impossible. The spell was a simple one…
Pain flared in Haplo’s shoulder. Looking down, he saw the hilt of a dagger protruding out of his shirt. A dark splotch of blood flowered beneath it. Anger and confusion and pain robbed him of coherent thought. None of this should be happening! The dagger should not have touched him! The runes on his body should have protected him! The damn spell should be working! Why wasn’t it?
He looked into the eyes—the red eyes—of the elven captain and saw the answer.
Haplo clutched at the dagger, but he lacked the strength to pull it out. A sickening, horrible warmth had begun flowing through his body. The warmth made him queasy, twisted him up inside. The terrible sensation weakened his muscles. His hand dropped, limp, lifeless. His knees buckled. He staggered, almost fell, and stumbled over to lean against the wall in an effort to try to keep on his feet.
But now the warmth was spreading up into his brain. He slumped to the floor…
And then he wasn’t anywhere.
CHAPTER 16
WOMBE, DREVLIN LOW REALM JARRE SAT CROSS-LEGGED ON THE FLOOR OF THE FACTREE, NEAR THE statue of the Manger, trying not to look at the opening at the statue’s base, the opening that led back down the stairs into the strange tunnels. Yet as often as she determined not to look at it, that was how often she discovered herself looking at it.
She fixed her gaze on some other object: one of the elven guards, Bane, the unhappy dog. The next thing Jarre knew, she was looking back at the opening.
Waiting, watching for Limbeck.
She had planned exactly what she’d do when she saw Limbeck come peering and stumbling his way up out of the hole. She’d create a diversion, just like the diversion she’d created back down there in the tunnels. She’d make it look like she was trying to escape. She’d run toward the front of the Factree, away from the statue. That would give Limbeck time to sneak across the floor and slip back down into the dwarven tunnels, tbe way they’d come up.