Martik.
"You asked for word should I have any progress, and I believe we've made significant progress today."
"I'm told you haven't actually done anything yet, as evidenced by this, " she said, gesturing toward Martik's men, who were still working."
"I did not want to deprive you of the chance to see the wheel turn for the first time," Martik said, suddenly wishing he had no tongue. Now either the wheel turned, or he'd be a failure who had summoned the child queen to witness his disgrace.
"Yet you had no trouble depriving my guard of any of the details."
"I--"
"You deprived me of the information I needed. Don't do that again."
The words were said in a pleasant enough tone, but a chill enveloped Martik; he didn't want to "fall into the river."
The men proved why he considered them his best crew. The stone shafts were neatly lined up on the stone at the wheel's base. Feeling like a fool, Martik flushed and moved to the long, cylindrical stones. "These shafts are cut from a different type of stone; and they fit almost perfectly."
Trinda looked unimpressed.
Sliding the lowest shaft halfway in, Martik began re-creating the ladder, and even his men looked at him strangely, but then one sucked in a deep breath, the realization finally hitting him. With his crew handing him black stone cylinders, Martik reached the last hole, and this was the first shaft he pushed past the halfway point. He put his hands in the air and let everyone see the shaft get sucked in the rest of the way. There was an audible thunk when the stone was seated. Now those in attendance watched with a bit more anticipation. Martik's spirit soared but he did not want to get overconfident.
Stepping back down a rung, he pushed in the shaft he'd just been standing on, and so he backed down the ladder, collapsing it as he went. With each shaft drawn into place, as if by magic, Martik's crew and perhaps even the guards came to believe. Every shaft brought them closer to solving a great mystery, and Martik couldn't help but smile. Then, though, he came to the last shaft, one he'd already tested. He knew it would work. It just had to work. When he tried sliding the stone into place, it resisted for an instant, and Martik swallowed, but after adjusting the angle, it slid in without resistance until being pulled from his grasp with a firm, almost greedy thunk. It was quiet and no one moved.
Nothing happened.
Someone coughed and Martik stood from where he'd been kneeling, his prayer unanswered.
Trinda glared down at him. "Do not summon me again."
* * *
"What were you thinking?" Strom asked Martik, his voice louder than he may have intended.
"I can't help it when something suddenly makes sense to me," Martik said.
"Quit pouting," Osbourne said.
"Trinda's guard has been watching me," Martik said. "Closer than I thought. He's not just watching me; he's reading me. And he knew the moment I figured it out; only I guess I really didn't figure it out."
"Stop whining," Osbourne said.
"I think they're going to try to stop us when we leave. I think they know," Martik said in a rush.
"They do," Strom said. "But they don't know when, and I'm betting they won't expect tonight."
"That's insane," Osbourne said.
"You're really not being helpful, you know," Martik said.
"Moving the conversation along . . ." Osbourne said. "You really think tonight, right after Martik's utter disgrace and humiliation in front of all those people, is the best time to make our escape?"
Martik stuck his tongue out at Osbourne.
"Our man is working the barges tonight," Strom said. "We just have to time it right. We still have time before the change of guard, and we know the day guard has had quite a day. I say we go."
Martik swallowed. It hadn't been real to him before, but now they were talking about actually trying to escape Dragonhold. Given how his day had gone, his confidence wasn't high, and he thought he might be sick. Osbourne didn't look a great deal better, no matter
"You asked for word should I have any progress, and I believe we've made significant progress today."
"I'm told you haven't actually done anything yet, as evidenced by this, " she said, gesturing toward Martik's men, who were still working."
"I did not want to deprive you of the chance to see the wheel turn for the first time," Martik said, suddenly wishing he had no tongue. Now either the wheel turned, or he'd be a failure who had summoned the child queen to witness his disgrace.
"Yet you had no trouble depriving my guard of any of the details."
"I--"
"You deprived me of the information I needed. Don't do that again."
The words were said in a pleasant enough tone, but a chill enveloped Martik; he didn't want to "fall into the river."
The men proved why he considered them his best crew. The stone shafts were neatly lined up on the stone at the wheel's base. Feeling like a fool, Martik flushed and moved to the long, cylindrical stones. "These shafts are cut from a different type of stone; and they fit almost perfectly."
Trinda looked unimpressed.
Sliding the lowest shaft halfway in, Martik began re-creating the ladder, and even his men looked at him strangely, but then one sucked in a deep breath, the realization finally hitting him. With his crew handing him black stone cylinders, Martik reached the last hole, and this was the first shaft he pushed past the halfway point. He put his hands in the air and let everyone see the shaft get sucked in the rest of the way. There was an audible thunk when the stone was seated. Now those in attendance watched with a bit more anticipation. Martik's spirit soared but he did not want to get overconfident.
Stepping back down a rung, he pushed in the shaft he'd just been standing on, and so he backed down the ladder, collapsing it as he went. With each shaft drawn into place, as if by magic, Martik's crew and perhaps even the guards came to believe. Every shaft brought them closer to solving a great mystery, and Martik couldn't help but smile. Then, though, he came to the last shaft, one he'd already tested. He knew it would work. It just had to work. When he tried sliding the stone into place, it resisted for an instant, and Martik swallowed, but after adjusting the angle, it slid in without resistance until being pulled from his grasp with a firm, almost greedy thunk. It was quiet and no one moved.
Nothing happened.
Someone coughed and Martik stood from where he'd been kneeling, his prayer unanswered.
Trinda glared down at him. "Do not summon me again."
* * *
"What were you thinking?" Strom asked Martik, his voice louder than he may have intended.
"I can't help it when something suddenly makes sense to me," Martik said.
"Quit pouting," Osbourne said.
"Trinda's guard has been watching me," Martik said. "Closer than I thought. He's not just watching me; he's reading me. And he knew the moment I figured it out; only I guess I really didn't figure it out."
"Stop whining," Osbourne said.
"I think they're going to try to stop us when we leave. I think they know," Martik said in a rush.
"They do," Strom said. "But they don't know when, and I'm betting they won't expect tonight."
"That's insane," Osbourne said.
"You're really not being helpful, you know," Martik said.
"Moving the conversation along . . ." Osbourne said. "You really think tonight, right after Martik's utter disgrace and humiliation in front of all those people, is the best time to make our escape?"
Martik stuck his tongue out at Osbourne.
"Our man is working the barges tonight," Strom said. "We just have to time it right. We still have time before the change of guard, and we know the day guard has had quite a day. I say we go."
Martik swallowed. It hadn't been real to him before, but now they were talking about actually trying to escape Dragonhold. Given how his day had gone, his confidence wasn't high, and he thought he might be sick. Osbourne didn't look a great deal better, no matter
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