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disturbingly, they heard voices.
Dabis crouched and retrieved something from the side of
the road. "Sir," he called in a whisper.
"What?" Gerrard stopped, as the others gathered around the
sailor.
"Look." Dabis held out his hand.
Gerrard stared at the tiny object in his palm-a ring of
green glass. "It's Squee's ring. It would seem he's been down
here. But how?"
Tahngarth said disapprovingly, "If there is trouble to be
found, Squee will find it."
"He was searching for Weatherlight," Sisay remarked.
"Maybe he found it down here."
Gerrard thought a moment. "Yes, perhaps Weatherlight and
Squee are both down here somewhere."
His voice found an echo, this time from up the tunnel.
Someone approached around the next bend. The party glanced
quickly around. The walls surrounding them were solid,
unbroken by any nooks or crannies. Gerrard shook his head
grimly and loosened his sword.
A moment later, a group of Mercadians appeared and stopped
dead at the sight of Weatherlight's crew. Four in front wore
the livery of the city guards. The others were courtiers, but
Gerrard caught sight of a flash of green skin from the middle
of the group. At least one Kyren.
With a shout, Sisay dashed forward, Tahngarth leaping
behind her. There was a ringing that echoed up and down the
tunnel. The guard drew their swords in time to parry the first
attack. Sisay and Tahngarth closed with two of them.
Gerrard engaged the third guard, and Dabis the fourth.
Chamas rushed forward to aid her shipmates but fell with a
cry of pain. A silver shaft emerged from her thigh.
The courtiers edged back. Two Kyren lifted blowpipes to
their lips. They were aimed at Fewsteem.
With a slashing blow, Gerrard drove his opponent back so
that the Mercadian was interposed between the goblins and
their target.
Tahngarth meanwhile chopped sword and hand away from a
guard. The Mercadian stared in shock. The minotaur's blade
finished the job. In a mighty backstroke, it lopped off the
man's head and hurled it down the corridor.
Sisay was having a bit more trouble. Unlike most Mercadian
guards, her opponent knew how to handle a sword. He delivered
a powerful blow that would have forced a lesser foe to her
knees. Sisay parried successfully and shoved the man back. The
guard aimed a stroke at her head. She ducked just as a shaft
from the blowpipes whistled over her to thump uselessly
against the wall.
Gerrard's duel was also more prolonged than he had hoped.
He forced his opponent back against the wall. Desperate in
terror, the man erected a whirling dervish of steel before
him. The Benalian's best strokes could not penetrate it.
There was a wild yell from one of the Kyren. A dagger,
thrown by Fewsteem, stuck out of the creature's wrist. He
clutched his wound, howling in pain. Sword in hand, Fewsteem
leaped over the body of the decapitated guard and attacked.
Tahngarth rushed up beside him, grabbed the Mercadian
courtiers, and knocked their heads together. They fell
unconscious-at the least-to the floor.
Gerrard feinted toward his opponent and brought his sword
up in a sharp thrust that finally struck home. He felt the
blade enter flesh and grate against bone. Then the man went to
his knees. He sank slowly to the floor and clutched at his
throat, from which poured a fountain of blood. The Mercadian's
eyes rolled back in their sockets. His legs thrashed twice,
and he was still.
In the same instant, Sisay came in over her opponent's
guard. Her sword made a deep gash in his chest. As he
staggered back, she lunged at him, twice plunging her blade
through his body. He fell without further sound.
Tahngarth's striva hovered at the throat of the remaining
goblin, whose companion had been cut down by Fewsteem. Dabis
held Chamas in his arms. Her lips had turned blue, and she was
shaking uncontrollably. Dabis looked up, tears in his eyes.
"The dart must have been poisoned. Can't we do something
for her?"
Gerrard knelt by Chamas's side. She looked at him and
spoke through chattering teeth. "S-S-Sorry, Commander. I c-
can't feel my 1-1-legs anymore."
"Hang on, Chamas! We'll try to do something for you."
She shook her head. "N-No good. I c-can't feel..." Her
voice faded. Her eyes closed.
Gerrard rose and looked about. The tunnel walls and floor
were stained with blood. Sisay was tying a bandage around her
arm. The bodies of the Mercadians lay sprawled. From the
surviving Kyren came a low, chittering whine.
The Benalian walked to where Tahngarth held the creature
pinned against the wall. "Where were you going?" he snapped.
The Kyren said nothing.
"Where does this corridor lead?"
Again, the goblin was silent.
Gerrard turned to Sisay. "Are those two alive ?" he asked,
jerking his head at the Mercadians.
She examined each briefly. "This one is. I'm not sure
about the other."
"Wake him up."
The dark woman slapped the Mercadian's face once, twice.
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