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.No rest.No sleep.No peace, except in death.And soon,very soon, Samah will be begging to die."But the Lord of the Nexus would see to it that Samah lived.Lived a very longlife.A violent pounding on the door brought Haplo out of a blood-gilded reverie.The pounding had been going on for some time, but he'd been hearing thunder inhis waking dreams of vengeance and hadn't noticed."Perhaps we shouldn't bother him, Grundle," came Devon's soft voice throughthe door, "He might be asleep.""Then he jolly well better wake up!" answered the dwarf.Haplo rebuked himself for his lapse; such a slip would have cost him his lifein the Labyrinth.Stalking over to the door, he yanked it open so suddenlythat the dwarf, who had been beating on it with the handle of the battle-ax,tumbled inside."Well? What do you want?" Haplo snapped."We.we've wakened you," said Alake, her gaze shifting nervously from himto the rumpled bed.Devon stammered."W-we're sorry.We didn't mean ""The ship's picking up speed," stated Grundle.Her own gaze restedsuspiciously on Haplo's skin."And you're glowing again."Haplo said nothing, glared at her, trusting she'd take the hint and go away.Alake and Devon were already sidling backward.But Grundle was not to be intimidated.She rested the battle-ax on hershoulder, planted her feet firmly on the swaying deck, and looked Haplo in theface."We're getting close to the dragon-snakes, aren't we?""Probably," he said, and started to close the door.Grundle's stocky body blocked it."We want you to tell us what to do."How the hell should I know? Haplo felt like shouting back at her inexasperation.I've come near a magical power like this in the Labyrinth, butnothing this strong.And all these dragon-snakes have to do is toss a bucketof seawater on me and I'm finished!The mensch stood quietly, looking at him, trusting him (well, two of themtrusted him), all of them silently pleading, hoping.Who had given them that hope? And did he have the right to destroy it?Besides, he told himself coldly, they might be useful.In the back of his mindwas a plan."Come in," he said grudgingly, holding the door open wide.The mensch trooped inside."Sit down," Haplo told them.There was only the bed.Alake looked at it rumpled, still warm from Haplo'sbody.Her lashes fluttered, brushed against her cheeks.She shook her head."No, thank you.I will stand.I do not mind.""Sit!" Haplo ordered grimly.She sat, perched on the very edge of the bed.Devon took his place beside her,long legs spraddled uncomfortably.(Dwar-ven beds are built low to the floor.)Grundle plopped herself down near the head of the bed, her short legs swingingback and forth, heels scuffing against the deck.All three looked up at him,faces serious, solemn.Page 87 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Let's get one thing straight.I don't know any more about these dragon-snakesthan you do.Less, maybe.""They spoke to you," Grundle informed him.Haplo ignored her."Shush, Grundle," whispered Alake."What we do to protect ourselves is mostly common sense.You" Haplo shiftedhis gaze to the elf "better keep pretending to be a girl.Cover your face andhead and don't take the scarf off, no matter what.And keep your mouth shut.Keep quiet and let me do the talking.That goes for all of you," Haplo addedwith a meaningful glare at the dwarf.Grundle snorted and tossed her head.She had placed the battle-ax between herlegs and was nervously rapping the haft on the deck.The ax reminded Haplo ofsomething."Are there any more weapons aboard? Small ones.Like knives?"Grundle sniffed in scorn."Knives are for elves.Dwarves don't use such punyweapons.""But there are knives on board," offered Alake."In the galley.""Cooking knives," muttered Haplo."Are they sharp, small? Could Devon hide onein his belt? Could you hide one.somewhere." He gestured at Alake'stight, form-fitting clothes."Of course they're sharp!" stated Grundle indignantly."I'd like to see theday a dwarf would craft a dull knife! But they could be sharp as this ax andstill not penetrate the hide of those foul beasts."Haplo was silent, trying to think of the easiest, gentlest way to say what hehad in mind.There was, he decided at last, no easy, gentle way."I wasn'tthinking about using them on the dragon-snakes." He said nothing more, hopingthey'd get the idea.They did.after a moment."You mean," said Alake, her black eyes large and wide, "that we're to use them.on.on." She swallowed."Yourselves," said Haplo, deciding to be brisk, matter-of-fact."Death cansometimes come as a friend.""I know," said Alake, shivering."I saw how my people died.""And I saw the elf the dragon-snakes tortured," Devon added.Grundle said nothing, for a change.Even the feisty dwarf looked subdued.Devon drew a deep breath."We understand what you are saying and we'regrateful, but I'm not sure we could."You could, Haplo told him silently.When the horror and the agony and thetorment become more than you can bear, you'll be desperate to end it.But how can I say that to them? Haplo wondered bitterly.They're children.Beyond a splinter in the foot or a fall and a bump on the head, what do theyknow of pain and suffering?"Could you." Devon licked his lips.He was trying very hard to be brave."Could you.show us how?" He flicked a glance to the girls on either sideof him."I don't know about Alake and Grundle, but I never had to [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.No rest.No sleep.No peace, except in death.And soon,very soon, Samah will be begging to die."But the Lord of the Nexus would see to it that Samah lived.Lived a very longlife.A violent pounding on the door brought Haplo out of a blood-gilded reverie.The pounding had been going on for some time, but he'd been hearing thunder inhis waking dreams of vengeance and hadn't noticed."Perhaps we shouldn't bother him, Grundle," came Devon's soft voice throughthe door, "He might be asleep.""Then he jolly well better wake up!" answered the dwarf.Haplo rebuked himself for his lapse; such a slip would have cost him his lifein the Labyrinth.Stalking over to the door, he yanked it open so suddenlythat the dwarf, who had been beating on it with the handle of the battle-ax,tumbled inside."Well? What do you want?" Haplo snapped."We.we've wakened you," said Alake, her gaze shifting nervously from himto the rumpled bed.Devon stammered."W-we're sorry.We didn't mean ""The ship's picking up speed," stated Grundle.Her own gaze restedsuspiciously on Haplo's skin."And you're glowing again."Haplo said nothing, glared at her, trusting she'd take the hint and go away.Alake and Devon were already sidling backward.But Grundle was not to be intimidated.She rested the battle-ax on hershoulder, planted her feet firmly on the swaying deck, and looked Haplo in theface."We're getting close to the dragon-snakes, aren't we?""Probably," he said, and started to close the door.Grundle's stocky body blocked it."We want you to tell us what to do."How the hell should I know? Haplo felt like shouting back at her inexasperation.I've come near a magical power like this in the Labyrinth, butnothing this strong.And all these dragon-snakes have to do is toss a bucketof seawater on me and I'm finished!The mensch stood quietly, looking at him, trusting him (well, two of themtrusted him), all of them silently pleading, hoping.Who had given them that hope? And did he have the right to destroy it?Besides, he told himself coldly, they might be useful.In the back of his mindwas a plan."Come in," he said grudgingly, holding the door open wide.The mensch trooped inside."Sit down," Haplo told them.There was only the bed.Alake looked at it rumpled, still warm from Haplo'sbody.Her lashes fluttered, brushed against her cheeks.She shook her head."No, thank you.I will stand.I do not mind.""Sit!" Haplo ordered grimly.She sat, perched on the very edge of the bed.Devon took his place beside her,long legs spraddled uncomfortably.(Dwar-ven beds are built low to the floor.)Grundle plopped herself down near the head of the bed, her short legs swingingback and forth, heels scuffing against the deck.All three looked up at him,faces serious, solemn.Page 87 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Let's get one thing straight.I don't know any more about these dragon-snakesthan you do.Less, maybe.""They spoke to you," Grundle informed him.Haplo ignored her."Shush, Grundle," whispered Alake."What we do to protect ourselves is mostly common sense.You" Haplo shiftedhis gaze to the elf "better keep pretending to be a girl.Cover your face andhead and don't take the scarf off, no matter what.And keep your mouth shut.Keep quiet and let me do the talking.That goes for all of you," Haplo addedwith a meaningful glare at the dwarf.Grundle snorted and tossed her head.She had placed the battle-ax between herlegs and was nervously rapping the haft on the deck.The ax reminded Haplo ofsomething."Are there any more weapons aboard? Small ones.Like knives?"Grundle sniffed in scorn."Knives are for elves.Dwarves don't use such punyweapons.""But there are knives on board," offered Alake."In the galley.""Cooking knives," muttered Haplo."Are they sharp, small? Could Devon hide onein his belt? Could you hide one.somewhere." He gestured at Alake'stight, form-fitting clothes."Of course they're sharp!" stated Grundle indignantly."I'd like to see theday a dwarf would craft a dull knife! But they could be sharp as this ax andstill not penetrate the hide of those foul beasts."Haplo was silent, trying to think of the easiest, gentlest way to say what hehad in mind.There was, he decided at last, no easy, gentle way."I wasn'tthinking about using them on the dragon-snakes." He said nothing more, hopingthey'd get the idea.They did.after a moment."You mean," said Alake, her black eyes large and wide, "that we're to use them.on.on." She swallowed."Yourselves," said Haplo, deciding to be brisk, matter-of-fact."Death cansometimes come as a friend.""I know," said Alake, shivering."I saw how my people died.""And I saw the elf the dragon-snakes tortured," Devon added.Grundle said nothing, for a change.Even the feisty dwarf looked subdued.Devon drew a deep breath."We understand what you are saying and we'regrateful, but I'm not sure we could."You could, Haplo told him silently.When the horror and the agony and thetorment become more than you can bear, you'll be desperate to end it.But how can I say that to them? Haplo wondered bitterly.They're children.Beyond a splinter in the foot or a fall and a bump on the head, what do theyknow of pain and suffering?"Could you." Devon licked his lips.He was trying very hard to be brave."Could you.show us how?" He flicked a glance to the girls on either sideof him."I don't know about Alake and Grundle, but I never had to [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]