[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Page 167
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
straightened. I see what you mean. With a gesture, he pointed toward the
figures, and the tunnel filled with blinding light.
Cerryl blinked. When the stars cleared from his eyes, all that remained
were white dust, two iron shields, and two blades.
Wearing heavy white gloves he had pulled from somewhere, Kinowin lifted
both shields and handed them to one of the lancers. Then he lifted the blades
and carried them toward the steps with the lancers leaving Sterol with Cerryl
and Myral.
Also, said Myral, one of the lancers guarding young Cerryl fled
somewhere into the runnels. The older mage glanced to Cerryl.
Ullan, Cerryl supplied.
Ullan is doubtless hiding somewhere in the sewer. You have leave to
destroy him. Sterol s eyes flashed as he looked at Cerryl. In fact, you are
to destroy him immediately-without mercy. You have the power to do so. Sterol
glanced around the tunnel. Do you understand?
Cerryl nodded.
Good. The High Wizard turned to Myral. We have some work to do. Then he
turned back to Cerryl. Continue to seek Ullan and carry out my orders. We
will not expect to see you before the evening meal. If you find him, do what
else you can here. If you cannot find him-or if you do-see me after you eat.
Yes, ser.
You had only two guards, did you not, young Cerryl? Down here with you?
Yes, honored Sterol. I sent Dientyr to fetch Myral; Ullan disappeared when
I was struggling with the& malefactors.
You remained here?
Yes, ser.
Good. Better and better. Sterol gestured. Luyar, pick enough guards to
watch all the grates on the secondary and the western main tunnel. If they
catch Ullan, have them hold him for Cerryl.
The lancer leader nodded and walked back up the steps to the street above.
If the lancers find him first& you will be notified, and your task will be
to execute the deserter with chaos-fire-right where he stands when you find
him.
Yes, ser.
Sterol nodded in a peremptory fashion, turned, and started up the sewer
steps. Myral puffed up behind the High Wizard.
Cerryl looked down the tunnel, past the stairs and away from where the
bodies had been, then shrugged. Ullan had gone away from where Cerryl had
fought the armsmen, and the entrance, and the lancer hadn t gone up the steps.
After a moment, Cerryl started down the tunnel slowly, heading back through
the area he had scoured earlier, watching his feet nonetheless.
Behind him followed the pair of lancers. Were they watching him as much as
guarding him?
He passed one set of steps, dappled with light from the grate overhead,
then a second, and finally a third. The tunnel was silent except for the muted
gurgle of sewer water in the drainage way and the sound of boots on damp
brick.
Close to the fourth access steps, Cerryl paused, listening, looking into
the darkness, letting his senses pick up something& someone& hiding in the
darkness behind the stairs.
He turned to the guard with the light, whispering, I think he s up ahead.
Stay back here a bit. I can t follow him and worry about you.
Surprisingly, the guard nodded.
Cerryl eased along the edge of the tunnel, knowing that the back and upper
sleeve of his tunic were hopelessly stained with slime.
A set of boots scraped on the bricks& as did a spear.
Cerryl waited, gathering chaos energy from around him. Ullan&
Only the sewer water in the drainage way burbled.
There s nowhere to go.
The indistinct figure of the lancer slid along the side of the steps,
Page 168
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
lifting the white-bronze spear.
Cerryl focused the chaos energy-the white-golden lance.
Whhsttt! The chaos bolt shivered the spear and turned it into flame. Ullan
dropped it& his hand and lower arm also a mass of flame.
The lancer reached for the shortsword at his belt.
With almost a sigh, Cerryl loosed another targeted firebolt, one that
caught Ullan in the midsection. The lancer staggered, seeming to fold before
sliding onto the bricks.
Cerryl stepped forward. Who set it up?
Ullan lay sprawled on the slimed bricks, his midsection blackened, eyes
avoiding Cerryl.
Cerryl focused another chaos bolt on the lancer s foot, then let it fly.
The odor of burning flesh rose over the smells of sewage and mold.
Aeeei& no& no .. i
Who told you to keep tapping that spear?
Don t know, ser& swear I don t& Someone in white& short never saw his
face& soft voice& slim& wore scent.
Cerryl let a blaze of fire glimmer from his fingertips.
Honest& honest& ser& threatened to kill me if I told&
Cerryl could sense the truth, and the despair. For a moment, he hesitated,
then let the fire flare across Ullan.
He swallowed, trying to hold in the nausea-and succeeding, barely.
After a time, he turned away from the white ash that sifted across the
walkway.
The two lancers waited, their lamp a puddle of light in the darkness.
Cerryl walked past them silently, back toward the unfinished cleaning of the
secondary tunnel.
LXXVIII
Every eye looked at Cerryl as he stepped into the meal hall, then looked away,
almost in relief, it seemed to the thin-faced student mage. He was late, later
than he should have been because, even with chaos, cleaning the grime off his
tunic had taken longer than he had expected. Surprisingly, he d even managed
to deal with the dark grease that he d thought had burned the white cloth.
Bealtur and Kochar kept their eyes down, fixed on the polished white oak of
the table. The meal hall was silent, students looking at the entrance archway
every so often. Unlike at most meals, no full mages were in the hall.
Cerryl walked through the silence to the serving table and helped himself
to the mint burkha and noodles, to a healthy chunk of bread, and poured a full
mug of the light ale, carrying it all over to the table where Faltar and Lyasa
sat.
You missed everything, Faltar whispered.
I have sewer duty. I miss a lot, Cerryl said dryly. He sniffed. Did his
tunic still carry the faint odor of sewage? What happened?
You don t know? asked Lyasa.
I was told specifically to stay in the sewers until mealtime, said
Cerryl. The orders came from the High Wizard. In person. I wasn t about to do
otherwise.
The black-haired Lyasa s mouth formed an O.
Sterol came into the common with some guards. Faltar lowered his voice to
almost a whisper. They had iron shields. You know that s trouble. Iron
deflects chaos, you know?
I have learned that.
Sterol had Kinowin and Fydel with him, and even Myral.
Cerryl took a bite of the bread, trying to quiet his empty stomach. For
what?
You should have seen Kesrik. Faltar glanced toward the table where Kochar
and Bealtur sat. Sterol threw an iron shield-he had to wear heavy leather
Page 169
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]