leg just above the boot. The man howled and stumbled. Lief snatched up the frying pan and felled him with a single blow.
Panting above the bodies of their fallen enemies, the friends glanced over to where Jasmine stood, crooning to Filli.
“Filli saved us,” Jasmine said happily. “How brave he is! He was lost, but he heard my voice and came running to me. Poor Filli. He has been so afraid, and in such danger!”
“ He has been afraid and in danger!” exploded Barda. “And what of us?”
But Jasmine simply shrugged and went back to stroking Filli’s fur.
“What are we to do now?” muttered Lief. “There are four Ra-Kacharz here, counting Reece. And we know that there are two in the kitchens. But three of the Nine are still missing. Where are they? Where should we go for safety?”
“We must take our chances with the tunnel,” said Barda grimly, looking around for his sword. “There is no other way out for us.”
Lief glanced at the Hole. “Reece thought that whatever is in there would kill us,” he said.
“If the Ra-Kacharz can survive it, so can we,” snapped Barda. “They are strong, and good fighters, but they do not have magic powers.”
“We should put on their garments,” said Jasmine from her place by the wall. “Surely it is not by chance that they dress differently from the others in this place, and it is only they who can use the Hole. Perhaps the creature that dwells in the darkness is trained to attack all colors but red.”
Barda nodded slowly. “It could be. In any case, to wear the Ra-Kacharz garments is a good idea,” he said. “Our own clothes mark us as strangers. We could never bluff our way out of the city through the front entrance. But perhaps the back way …”
They wasted no more time, but began to strip the three Ra-Kacharz they had just defeated. Jasmine was quick and deft at the work. Lief could not helpremembering, with a chill, how many times she had stripped the bodies of Grey Guards in the Forests of Silence. She had done it to obtain clothes and other things she needed, and she had done it efficiently and without a moment’s pity, as she was doing now.
They dressed quickly, pulling the red garments over their own clothes, the boots over their own shoes. The Ra-Kacharz lay still. Tight white underclothes covered them from wrist to ankle. Their heads, like those of the other people in the city, were shaved bald.
“They do not look so dangerous now,” said Jasmine grimly, winding red cloth around her head and making sure that Filli was buttoned securely under the collar of her clothes.
Despite his haste and worry, Lief had to smile as he glanced at her. She looked very strange. The Ra-Kacharz garments were too big for him and even for Barda, but on Jasmine they hung in vast, baggy folds. The gloves were not a problem, for they were made of a clinging material that fitted all sizes. But he doubted that she would be able to walk in the huge red boots.
Jasmine had thought of that. Carrying the boots in her hand, she ran over to where Reece lay. She pulled off his gloves, crumpled them, and stuffed them into the toe of one boot. Then she unwound the cloth that bound his head and face and used it in the second boot.
Reece mumbled, his shaven head rolling on the hard floor.
“He is waking,” Jasmine said, pulling on the boots. She drew the dagger from her belt.
“Do not kill him!” exclaimed Lief in panic.
Jasmine glanced at him in surprise. “Why not?” she demanded. “He would kill me, if our places were reversed. And when he was attacking you, you would have killed him, if you could.”
Lief could not explain. He knew she would never agree that to kill in the heat of the moment, in defense of your life, was very different from killing a man, even an enemy, in cold blood.
But Barda had suddenly exclaimed, striding to Jasmine’s side. He crouched beside Reece’s body. “Look at this!” he muttered, pushing the man’s head to one side.
Lief
Panting above the bodies of their fallen enemies, the friends glanced over to where Jasmine stood, crooning to Filli.
“Filli saved us,” Jasmine said happily. “How brave he is! He was lost, but he heard my voice and came running to me. Poor Filli. He has been so afraid, and in such danger!”
“ He has been afraid and in danger!” exploded Barda. “And what of us?”
But Jasmine simply shrugged and went back to stroking Filli’s fur.
“What are we to do now?” muttered Lief. “There are four Ra-Kacharz here, counting Reece. And we know that there are two in the kitchens. But three of the Nine are still missing. Where are they? Where should we go for safety?”
“We must take our chances with the tunnel,” said Barda grimly, looking around for his sword. “There is no other way out for us.”
Lief glanced at the Hole. “Reece thought that whatever is in there would kill us,” he said.
“If the Ra-Kacharz can survive it, so can we,” snapped Barda. “They are strong, and good fighters, but they do not have magic powers.”
“We should put on their garments,” said Jasmine from her place by the wall. “Surely it is not by chance that they dress differently from the others in this place, and it is only they who can use the Hole. Perhaps the creature that dwells in the darkness is trained to attack all colors but red.”
Barda nodded slowly. “It could be. In any case, to wear the Ra-Kacharz garments is a good idea,” he said. “Our own clothes mark us as strangers. We could never bluff our way out of the city through the front entrance. But perhaps the back way …”
They wasted no more time, but began to strip the three Ra-Kacharz they had just defeated. Jasmine was quick and deft at the work. Lief could not helpremembering, with a chill, how many times she had stripped the bodies of Grey Guards in the Forests of Silence. She had done it to obtain clothes and other things she needed, and she had done it efficiently and without a moment’s pity, as she was doing now.
They dressed quickly, pulling the red garments over their own clothes, the boots over their own shoes. The Ra-Kacharz lay still. Tight white underclothes covered them from wrist to ankle. Their heads, like those of the other people in the city, were shaved bald.
“They do not look so dangerous now,” said Jasmine grimly, winding red cloth around her head and making sure that Filli was buttoned securely under the collar of her clothes.
Despite his haste and worry, Lief had to smile as he glanced at her. She looked very strange. The Ra-Kacharz garments were too big for him and even for Barda, but on Jasmine they hung in vast, baggy folds. The gloves were not a problem, for they were made of a clinging material that fitted all sizes. But he doubted that she would be able to walk in the huge red boots.
Jasmine had thought of that. Carrying the boots in her hand, she ran over to where Reece lay. She pulled off his gloves, crumpled them, and stuffed them into the toe of one boot. Then she unwound the cloth that bound his head and face and used it in the second boot.
Reece mumbled, his shaven head rolling on the hard floor.
“He is waking,” Jasmine said, pulling on the boots. She drew the dagger from her belt.
“Do not kill him!” exclaimed Lief in panic.
Jasmine glanced at him in surprise. “Why not?” she demanded. “He would kill me, if our places were reversed. And when he was attacking you, you would have killed him, if you could.”
Lief could not explain. He knew she would never agree that to kill in the heat of the moment, in defense of your life, was very different from killing a man, even an enemy, in cold blood.
But Barda had suddenly exclaimed, striding to Jasmine’s side. He crouched beside Reece’s body. “Look at this!” he muttered, pushing the man’s head to one side.
Lief
Similar Books
