Lord of the Libraries (42 page)
He pushed himself up with his hands and stumbled away from the predatory insects. They scented him at once, coming after him. Inside the circular pit, there was no place to go. He pressed back against the wall and tried to sink into it.
I’m sorry, Grandmagister
, Juhg thought.
I tried my best. Truly, I did.
Then he waited for the beetles because there was nothing else to do.
, Juhg thought.
I tried my best. Truly, I did.
Then he waited for the beetles because there was nothing else to do.
“Finish Your Task, Librarian!”
W
ith the goblinkin’s unkind and anticipatory jeering ringing in his ears, Juhg hunkered against the wall, dreading the bite of the carrion beetles’ mandibles. His death would not be slow, but Tuhl was right in saying that there would be nothing left of him. Would that break the spell that linked him to the gemstones? Juhg didn’t know, but he believed that if anything would, the gruesome death that awaited him would.
ith the goblinkin’s unkind and anticipatory jeering ringing in his ears, Juhg hunkered against the wall, dreading the bite of the carrion beetles’ mandibles. His death would not be slow, but Tuhl was right in saying that there would be nothing left of him. Would that break the spell that linked him to the gemstones? Juhg didn’t know, but he believed that if anything would, the gruesome death that awaited him would.
A lit pitchblende torch suddenly dropped into the midst of the pit in front of the first line of beetles. The loathsome creatures reared up on their back legs as they came to a stop. Their mandibles clacked together in frustration and green ichor dripped to the sandy bottom of the pit. Some of the beetles took refuge under the broken bones left from previous victims.
Then one of the goblinkin dropped into the pit as well. A familiar violet-and-white-fletched arrow stood out between his shoulder blades. The carrion beetles crawled over their newest victim and began tearing hungrily at the goblinkin flesh.
As Juhg looked up, meaty impacts filled the cavern above him. Two more guards tumbled into the pit as
well, another with an arrow through his head and the second disemboweled. A dwarven war cry rang out and Juhg recognized Cobner’s ebullient bull-like voice at once.
well, another with an arrow through his head and the second disemboweled. A dwarven war cry rang out and Juhg recognized Cobner’s ebullient bull-like voice at once.
Raisho, looking disheveled, dropped into the pit beside Juhg. “Well then, scribbler, as rescues go, I guess this is a close one.”
Juhg couldn’t speak.
Raisho grabbed him around the waist and threw him out of the pit. Juhg landed facedown in the sand, catching a glimpse of Cobner battling Nhass and driving the big goblinkin back against the cavern wall. Nhass never truly had a chance against the dwarven warrior’s wrath. Craugh was upon Tuhl like a cat upon a mouse. The wizard’s hand gripped the fat man’s throat and he held him up off his feet almost effortlessly.
Before Juhg could get to his feet, Raisho hauled himself out of the pit and nearly landed on him. Then the young sailor pulled him to his feet and pushed him toward the door.
“Let’s go, scribbler. There’s a lot of tunnels between here and the exit.”
Juhg ran, limping as best he could. As he passed Craugh, he heard Tuhl’s neck snap in the wizard’s grasp. Almost casually, the wizard tossed the fat man into the pit.
“How … how did you find me?” Juhg asked as they reached the tunnel outside.
“Craugh,” Raisho replied. “He had an enchantment placed on ye. Allowed him to track you durin’ them few times Jassamyn wasn’t able to find her way ‘cross them shiftin’ sands.”
An enchantment?
The thought didn’t sit happily in Juhg’s mind. Why would Craugh create such an enchantment and place it on him?
The thought didn’t sit happily in Juhg’s mind. Why would Craugh create such an enchantment and place it on him?
In the tunnel, Jassamyn started to head in the opposite direction than the way Juhg had been brought. She fired her bow twice more as warning cries from goblins raced through the tunnels.
“Not that way,” Juhg said.
“That way is out,” the elven maid replied. “I carefully memorized the turns.”
“Back this way,” Juhg said. “The third section of
The Book of Time
lies back in this direction.”
The Book of Time
lies back in this direction.”
Craugh joined them, summoning a green ball of light that hovered
near him and lit up the tunnel. He shook his head. “We can’t come this far without taking the gemstones there. Lead on, apprentice.”
near him and lit up the tunnel. He shook his head. “We can’t come this far without taking the gemstones there. Lead on, apprentice.”
We can’t?
Juhg wondered.
Or
you
can’t?
Either way, he took off as best as he could. With the adrenaline surging through his body and his survival instinct hitting him hard, some of the pain left him and he ran back the way they’d come.
Juhg wondered.
Or
you
can’t?
Either way, he took off as best as he could. With the adrenaline surging through his body and his survival instinct hitting him hard, some of the pain left him and he ran back the way they’d come.
He dodged beneath a goblinkin axe as the creature stepped out of a tunnel ahead, slid briefly through the sand, and pushed himself up on the other side. Raisho engaged the goblinkin slaver with his cutlass, batting aside the other’s futile attempts to defend himself, then cutting the creature’s throat and shoving his foe from his path.
Juhg ran on. Two goblinkin slavers went down in front of him as the tunnel straightened and Jassamyn had more room to use her bow. He repeated the turns out loud as he ran, hoping that he’d made no mistakes in his counting.
He paused in an intersection, momentarily confused because goblinkin seemed to be everywhere and everything looked the same. Farther back the way he’d come, Cobner stopped at a line of chained slaves and brought his battle-axe down. Sparks flew and the chain lay in pieces, vanished before good dwarven steel.
The dwarven slaves among the dwellers cried out in hope and anger, swiftly pulling the chain through their manacles to earn their freedom. They picked up weapons from the fallen goblinkin and followed Cobner as he ran to catch up to the companions.
Getting his directions right, Juhg took off at a hobbling gait again.
Almost immediately, they were confronted by a superior force of goblinkin. He halted and stepped back.
“This way,” Cobner roared, pulling on Juhg’s arm.
Turning, Juhg followed the dwarf. The wound in his face hurt terribly and he could tell it was bleeding again because he felt wetness running down his neck. His mouth tasted of sand and his breath came in strained, dry gasps.
“Back!” Cobner roared to the newly freed slaves as they rounded a bend in the tunnel. Dwarves led the dwellers, but they all had weapons. Cobner waved them into a tunnel opposite the one they took, leaving the intersection clear.
Cobner led the way around the tunnel and came to a dead end in a storeroom filled with supplies. He cursed. “I made a mistake,” he growled. “We’ll have to go back.”
Back in the tunnel, he pushed them back against the wall just as the sound of goblinkin voices and thudding feet filled the tunnel.
The goblinkin came at the run and raced down the tunnel that had not been taken, evidently discounting the tunnel to the supply room because they knew it was a dead end.
Juhg breathed raggedly and hoped that the goblinkin didn’t stop going.
“Now,” Cobner whispered. “Quickly.” Holding his battle-axe in both hands, he ran back into the tunnel they’d just quit, taking the path back toward the gemstones. They’d just started around the corner when a cry went up from the goblinkin.
Glancing over his shoulder, Juhg saw that the goblinkin had caught on to their mistake and had started back to the intersection. Juhg’s leg throbbed and he knew he wouldn’t be able to outrun them.
Craugh moved forward, the green ball of light staying close to him. “Go,” he commanded, pushing Juhg into motion. “I’ll hold them here.”
“Ye can’t hold them,” Raisho said. “There’s too many of ’em.”
Craugh turned on the young sailor. “I said I would hold them. Now get moving before you lose this chance.” The wizard strode into the tunnel to face their enemies.
“Let’s go,” Jassamyn said. “Craugh can fend for himself. He always has.”
Reluctantly, Juhg started forward, but he kept watch behind.
Wind whipped up around Craugh, lifting sand from the tunnel floor and whirling it into tiny dust devils. His robe flapped and his beard fluttered. Even the green ball of light rolled and changed with the force of the gathering winds.
Too late, Juhg saw the streams of sand open up all along the ceiling of the tunnel. He stopped, fought his way through Jassamyn and Raisho, and tried to get back to the wizard.
“Craugh, no!” he yelled. “The tunnel is going to collapse!” That was what his future self had been talking about. He saw that now. “Craugh, get out of there!”
But it was already too late.
“You’ve got to keep going, apprentice. Our fate is already written.”
Craugh threw his hand forward and the winds that had gathered beside him rushed like maddened bulls into the ranks of his enemies. The wind blew the goblinkin down as the wizard had evidently desired, but it also tore away the flimsy supports that held up the wooden ceiling panel above him.
Craugh threw his hand forward and the winds that had gathered beside him rushed like maddened bulls into the ranks of his enemies. The wind blew the goblinkin down as the wizard had evidently desired, but it also tore away the flimsy supports that held up the wooden ceiling panel above him.
The sand became a rushing river, opening up and pouring down into the tunnel. Craugh went down under the onslaught, never having a chance at all. He sprawled, flat on the ground, as he was buried by a ton of sand that kept spilling down until the tunnel was choked with it.
In disbelief, Juhg stumbled and fell. His knees landed on the outer edges of the sand pile. Only then did he realize how close the rest of them had come to being buried alive along with the wizard.
Somehow, the green ball of light remained lit in the tons of sand. Its green glow filtered through the sand.
Frenzied, Juhg started digging into the sand with his bare hands. He tore his nails in his haste. Shock slammed into him as he struggled to comprehend what he had seen happen.
I should have known.
I did know.
I told myself
. Juhg scooped at the sand, barely making a dent in the raw tonnage of it that choked the tunnel. For every handful he managed to scoop out, two more handfuls slid from the gaping hole in the ceiling.
I did know.
I told myself
. Juhg scooped at the sand, barely making a dent in the raw tonnage of it that choked the tunnel. For every handful he managed to scoop out, two more handfuls slid from the gaping hole in the ceiling.
A gentle hand fell on Juhg’s shoulder and pulled at him.
“Juhg,” Raisho said softly. “Give it up. He’s gone.”
“No,” Juhg cried stubbornly. “He’s not gone. He’s still in there. We can save him. We can.” He never stopped digging. “Help me, Raisho. Please. Help me.”
Jassamyn came around to the other side of him and looked at him. “Juhg, Craugh would want you to finish this.” Dust-smeared tears tracked her face as well and Juhg saw that she had to work to make herself speak. “He was my friend, too.”
“I was wrong about him.” Juhg couldn’t stop digging. He concentrated on the green glow that emanated from the pile of sand. “Don’t you see, Jassamyn? I was wrong about him and he died saving me.”
“Saving us, Juhg,” Jassamyn said. “He saved us so we could see to the Grandmagister’s safety.” She captured his hands. “That’s what we have to concentrate on now.”
Juhg struggled to take his hands from her, but her strength was too great for him. Then, without warning, the green glow beneath the sand
melted away. Some of the darkness filled the tunnel again, kept at bay only by the torches on the tunnel walls. Giving in to his guilt, Juhg fell forward and wept unashamedly on Jassamyn’s shoulder.
melted away. Some of the darkness filled the tunnel again, kept at bay only by the torches on the tunnel walls. Giving in to his guilt, Juhg fell forward and wept unashamedly on Jassamyn’s shoulder.
“Juhg,” Raisho said gently, “we’ve got to go.”
Numb from everything he’d experienced, Juhg stood and walked back down the tunnel. There was no chance of pursuit from the goblinkin in that direction now. Craugh’s sacrifice had at least brought them that.
Inside the stone room where Tuhl had shown him the green gemstones, Juhg clasped them, felt them grow more physical in his hand, then he had them only a moment before the blackness pulled him in.
The mantis stood alone out in the great desert as Juhg had seen on his last visit. He stood his ground, refusing to go over to the creature. He didn’t want to talk with it. The pain inside him felt too raw, too big, for his body or his mind to contain.
“Librarian Juhg,” the mantis greeted.
Juhg said nothing.
“Don’t be angry at me,” the mantis said. “Or yourself.”
“Craugh is dead,” Juhg said.
The mantis walked over to him, barely leaving a trail in the sand. “I know.”
“You knew he was going to die.”
“Yes.”
“You should have told me.”
“If I had told you,” the mantis said as it stopped in front of him, “you might have tried to warn him.”
“I would have. I’ve been suspicious of Craugh for the last days that we were together.”
“You were right to be suspicious of him,” the mantis said. “He was one of those who brought
The Book of Time
into your world and allowed Lord Kharrion to use the book’s power for his own evil purposes.”
The Book of Time
into your world and allowed Lord Kharrion to use the book’s power for his own evil purposes.”
“How long have you known that?” Juhg asked.
The mantis regarded him with its placid eyes. “Always. As I have known everything else in this place.”
Juhg trembled with barely suppressed rage. “How many more are going to die?”
“None,” the mantis said.
The answer came too quickly and triggered instant resentment within Juhg. He asked another question that immediately came to mind. “Will I save the Grandmagister?”
Again, the answer came too quickly. “Yes.”
Juhg could constrain his emotions no longer. “You’re lying.”
Taking no offense, the mantis asked, “Why would I lie?”
“To keep me from giving up and quitting.”
“I already know if you give up or quit.”
Juhg turned away from the creature, no longer able to bear the sight of it.
“Even if I did not know that,” the mantis said, “I have learned much about you during our talks. You are not one who gives up easily, Librarian Juhg. When you see a path through a problem, no matter how treacherous or hurtful, you see it through to its conclusion. That is your nature. You can’t avoid or change that.”
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