Whimpering, hardly able to believe that she would be able to make it, she turned over onto her hands and knees and scrambled as fast as her cumbersome figure would allow her towards the end of the tunnel.
Qeteb paid her no notice. He was directing all his power down to the light ... more ... more
... now! that had the thing! Qeteb scampered about until he'd managed to get both legs free of the mass of white light. Just as he thought he'd succeeded, the light surged forward, concentrating its burning fury on Qeteb's
left foot. Roaring, he drew his leg back, then kicked it forward, trying to finally dislodge the irritating piece of —
The ball of light flew off his foot ... straight down the blue-misted tunnel.
As it flew through the air, it transformed, until it took the shape of a white lily.
A portion of railing fell from above and struck Qeteb on the head. He grunted, and thrown momentarily off-balance, he missed the chance to direct his power after the fleeing woman.
The tunnel wavered, and closed.
Qeteb went berserk.
By the time he'd finished, there was nothing left of Spiredore save a wisp of smoke and a pile of pitiable debris.
Chapter 36
Pretty Brown Sal
They'd slipped through Qeteb's fingers for the moment, but he knew they had not slipped far. Qeteb knew where the five had gone and, knowing, he could afford to wait. They would be going nowhere — and could accomplish nothing.
In the meantime he and his could grow stronger. Invincible.
Sanctuary.
Once Sanctuary was gone — and those within it, as their power consumed — there was nothing that could stop the Demons. They were six again, they controlled the power of the Enemy, and DragonStar and the five would be crushed like delicate spring flowers within Qeteb's fist.
Qeteb had, for the moment, forgotten the virulence of that lily.
He laughed and strutted as he looked over the pile of debris that had once been Spiredore, his fists opening and closing with infinite patience as he moved, the mail of his armour creaking very slightly as his joints flexed.
Then Qeteb raised his head and gazed about. Behind him rose the Maze — the dark, glorious Maze, both his prison and his heaven — while to the north, west and south lay only the devastation of drifting ash and dead earth under the hopeless night sky.
And those eager to please.
There was one thing Qeteb could do to keep DragonStar's witches out of mischief until he could give them his full attention.
He began to whisper, and about him the air filled with howls and screams as the demonic gibbered their approval.
There was little peace in Sanctuary. Urbeth was here, and while Urbeth said she could help them escape, Urbeth remained completely silent on the "how's" and "wherefore's", and spent much of her time snapping and growling and making sarcastic comments about everyone's state of readiness.
Axis spent as much time snapping back at her. The entire land — all that had survived Qeteb's resurrection — was hidden here. Sanctuary throbbed with life, but it was life that lay only a moment away from total annihilation, and all that stood between them and that moment was Urbeth's damned reticent aid and Axis' need to get everyone and everything organised.
There may have been little peace, but what stunned Axis was the fact that there was utter calm. He'd always believed that peace and calm went hand in hand, but apparently not. Everyone within Sanctuary was now aware of the imminent danger, and everyone was aware that an escape was being planned —
although not everyone was aware that, apparently, Urbeth meant to dump them (how? how? how?) in the frozen wastes of the northern tundra.
It was not only the Icarii, Acharites, Ravensbund and Avar who were aware of some of these things.
The animal, bird and insect life also seemed apprised of not only the threat, but of the plans for escape.
And of everyone, the exiled fauna of Tencendor seemed the calmest and the most organised.
Striding about Sanctuary supervising the loading of supplies that would continue through the night, Axis came across population after population of beetle, or millipede or butterfly, patiently clinging or clumping to baskets and panniers: none of the packhorses or mules seemed to mind carrying a load of insects or even birds. Axis stood open-mouthed with astonishment at the sight of one draughthorse standing, so covered with bats, that only his drooping head appeared from the shifting, squeaking (but not complaining) mass of grey and brown fur that had buried its myriad claws into his thick winter coat.
Several hundred carts were filled with dozing seals: cats, dogs and poultry snuggled with no hint of squabbling or rancour between the seals' warm, gently heaving sides. Oxen, cows, mules and horses stood waiting yoked or collared to the carts, many with birds clinging to spines or manes.
Elsewhere grouped herds of livestock or of wild creatures, each herd ignoring nearby animals even though under more normal circumstances they might be natural competitors or even enemies.
Ravensbundmen and women moved about among the animals, checking and adjusting the gear of those creatures yoked or collared to carts, murmuring and soothing any creature that appeared nervous and jittery. Axis had seen Urbeth talk to Sa'Domai earlier: undoubtedly the Ravensbundmen were the best adapted to working in the conditions that faced them, but they also appeared to be particularly suited to working and empathising with animals. Was it because they were hunters and used to the ways of wild creatures, Axis wondered, or simply because the Ravensbundmen were more than half-wild themselves?
Intermingling with everything and everybody were the fey creatures that had once populated the forests. Shifting shapes and colours, winking jewel-like eyes and horns, with strange, soft cries and gentle touches, the fey creatures slipped in and out of every pack and herd, spreading calm and even, Axis suspected, some sense of hope.
But, strangest of all the creatures that Axis saw, were the huddled creatures from Bogle Marsh. They were grouped so closely that Axis could not tell them apart. They simply formed one massive lump of grey, steaming flesh that extended some thirty paces into the air and spread some sixty or seventy paces wide.
The entire pile was gently humming to itself: some strange, marshland melody that rose and fell in gentle, if gigantic, undulations over the other creatures about them.
Axis could feel it vibrating up through his feet, and was strangely soothed by its touch.
"Axis?"
He turned. It was Zared, looking cross and tired.
"Urbeth," Zared said with more than a trace of aspersion, "has just had a new thought."
