“What is he, sir? Some type of wizard? I never saw a human whose skin glowed blue tike that.”
“Yes. He’s one of those so-called mysteriarchs. Probably down here to guard the boy.”
“You believe the little bastard’s story, sir?” The elf sounded incredulous.
“I think we should let the emperor determine what we believe, don’t you, Lieutenant?”
“Yes, sir. I suppose so, sir.”
“Where have they taken the boy?”
Blast the boy, Limbeck thought irritably. Where have they taken Jarre?
The elf and Haplo had reached the top of the stairs. The dwarf held his breath, hoping to hear more.
“To the guardhouse, Captain. Awaiting your orders, sir.”
“I’ll need a ship, ready to fly back to Paxaria—”
“I’ll have to clear that with the lord commander, sir.”
“Then do so, at once. I’ll be taking the boy and this wizard and that other creature we captured—”
“The dwarf, sir?” The elf was astounded. “We had thought to execute her, as an example …”
Limbeck didn’t hear any more. A roaring sound in his ears made him dizzy and light-headed. He swayed on his feet, was forced to lean against the wall. Jarre—executed! Jarre, who’d saved him from being executed! Jarre, who loved him far more than he deserved. No, it wouldn’t happen! Not if he could help it and… and…
The roaring subsided, replaced by a cold emptiness that made him feel hollow and dark inside, as cold and dark and empty as these tunnels. He knew what to do. He had a Plan.
And now he could hear once again.
“What should we do about this opening, sir?”
“Close it,” said Sang-drax.
“Are you sure, sir? I don’t like the feel of that place. It seems… evil. Perhaps we should leave it open, send down teams to explore—”
“Very well, Lieutenant,” said Sang-drax casually. “I saw nothing of interest down there, but if you would like to investigate, feel free. You’ll be exploring on your own, of course. I can’t spare any men to assist you. However—”
“I’ll see to it that the opening is closed, sir,” the elf said hastily.
“Whatever you decide. The choice is yours. I’ll need a litter and some bearers. I can’t carry this heavy bastard much farther.”
“Let me help you, sir.”
“Throw him down on the floor. Then you can close the opening. I’ll—”
The elves’ voices were receding. Limbeck dared wait no longer. He crept up the stairs, keeping his head low, until he could peep out the top of the hole. The two elves, involved with maneuvering the semiconscious Haplo off the statue’s base, had their backs to the opening. Two other elves, standing guard, were eyeing the wounded human—one of the notorious mysteriarchs—with interest. They, too, had their backs turned.
It was now or never.
Planting his spectacles securely on his nose, Limbeck crawled out of the opening and made a mad, desperate dash for the hole in the floor that led back down to the Gegs’ underground system of tunnels.
This part of the Factree was only dimly lit. The elven guards, wary of the strange and forbidding statue, were not standing particularly close to it. Limbeck made it to safety without being seen.
In his panicked flight, he nearly plummeted down into the hole headfirst. Managing to catch himself at the last moment, he threw himself on the floor, grasped hold of the rungs of the ladder, and, executing a clumsy somersault, tumbled down inside. He hung suspended a moment, his hands clinging awkwardly to the top rung of the ladder, his bare feet scrabbling wildly for purchase. It was a long drop down.
Limbeck caught hold of the ladder with his toes, planted his feet more or less securely. Prying his sweating hands loose from their hold, he turned himself around and clung to the ladder thankiully, catching his breath, listening for sounds of pursuit.
“Did you hear something?” one elf was asking.
Limbeck froze against the ladder.
“Nonsense!” The lieutenant’s voice was crisp. “It’s that damn opening. It’s making us all hear things. Captain Sang-drax is right. The sooner we shut it up, the better.”
He heard a grinding sound, made by the statue sliding shut on its base. Limbeck climbed down the ladder and headed, grim-faced and coldly angry, back to his headquarters, there to institute the Plan.