dripping with poison.
“Lief! The fire beads!” Barda’s voice sounded from the other end of the hall. He must have crept there, to try to attack the monster from behind. The giant snake’s tail lashed, and to his horror, Lief saw Barda’s body crash into a column and lie still.
The fire beads. Desperately, Lief felt in his pockets, found the jar, and threw it, hard, straight at his enemy’s open mouth. But Reeah was too fast for him. The wicked head jerked to one side. The jar sailed past it, smashing uselessly into a column and bursting in a ball of flames.
And then it was only Lief and Reeah.
You are mine, Lief of Del!
The huge head lunged forward with terrifying speed. And the next moment the great snake was raising itself, triumphant, Lief’s body dangling from its jaws.
Up, up to the rafters, the hot breath burning …
I will swallow you whole. And your magic with you.
There was smoke. There was a crackling sound. Dimly Lief realized that the flames had raced up the column and were licking at the old wood of the rafters.
The fire will not save you. When I have devoured you I will put it out with one gust of my breath. For I am Reeah, the all-powerful. I am Reeah, the One …
Through a dizzy haze of terror and pain, through a film of smoke that stung his eyes, Lief saw Jasmine, balancing on a beam beside him. His sword was swinging in her hand. She had torn the red covering from her face. Her teeth were bared in savage fury. She raised her arm …
And with a mighty slash she swung the sword, slitting the monster’s throat from edge to edge.
Lief heard a hoarse, bubbling cry. He felt the beast’s jaws open. He was falling, hurtling towards the ground, the hard stones rushing up to meet him.
And then — there was nothing.
G roaning, Lief stirred. There was a sweet taste on his lips, and he could hear a crackling sound, a tearing, chewing sound, and shouting, very far away.
He opened his eyes. Jasmine and Barda were leaning over him, calling his name. Jasmine was screwing the top back onto a small jar attached to a chain around her neck. Dimly, Lief realized that he had been given nectar from the Lilies of Life. It had saved him — perhaps brought him back to life as once it had done for Barda.
“I — I am well,” he mumbled, struggling to sit up. He looked around. The hall was filled with flickering shadows. Flames, begun and spread by the blazing fire beads, roared in the ancient rafters. The giant snake lay dead on the floor, its body covered by gnawing rats.More rats were streaming from the walls and through the doorway, fighting one another to reach the feast.
For hundreds of years it has eaten them, thought Lief, dazed. Now they are eating it. Even fear of fire will not stop them.
“We must get out! Out!” Barda was shouting.
Lief felt himself pulled to his feet and slung over Barda’s shoulder. His head was spinning. He wanted to cry out, “What of the crown? The opal?”
But then he saw that the crown was in Barda’s hand.
Limp as a doll, he was carried through burning hallways. Jolting on Barda’s back, he closed his stinging eyes against the smoke.
When he looked again, they were staggering through the city gateway onto the dark plain and Kree, squawking anxiously, was soaring to meet them. There was a tremendous crash from behind them. The roof of the city had begun to fall.
On they went, and on, till they had nearly reached the river.
“I can walk,” Lief managed to croak. Barda stopped and put him gently on the ground. His legs trembled, but he stood upright, turning to look at the burning city.
“I never thought I’d see you stand on your own two feet again, my friend,” Barda said cheerfully. “That fall Jasmine gave you was —”
“It was let him fall or see him disappear into the snake’s belly,” exclaimed Jasmine. “Which do you think was better?”
She handed Lief’s sword to him. It gleamed in the moonlight, its blade still dark with Reeah’s
“Lief! The fire beads!” Barda’s voice sounded from the other end of the hall. He must have crept there, to try to attack the monster from behind. The giant snake’s tail lashed, and to his horror, Lief saw Barda’s body crash into a column and lie still.
The fire beads. Desperately, Lief felt in his pockets, found the jar, and threw it, hard, straight at his enemy’s open mouth. But Reeah was too fast for him. The wicked head jerked to one side. The jar sailed past it, smashing uselessly into a column and bursting in a ball of flames.
And then it was only Lief and Reeah.
You are mine, Lief of Del!
The huge head lunged forward with terrifying speed. And the next moment the great snake was raising itself, triumphant, Lief’s body dangling from its jaws.
Up, up to the rafters, the hot breath burning …
I will swallow you whole. And your magic with you.
There was smoke. There was a crackling sound. Dimly Lief realized that the flames had raced up the column and were licking at the old wood of the rafters.
The fire will not save you. When I have devoured you I will put it out with one gust of my breath. For I am Reeah, the all-powerful. I am Reeah, the One …
Through a dizzy haze of terror and pain, through a film of smoke that stung his eyes, Lief saw Jasmine, balancing on a beam beside him. His sword was swinging in her hand. She had torn the red covering from her face. Her teeth were bared in savage fury. She raised her arm …
And with a mighty slash she swung the sword, slitting the monster’s throat from edge to edge.
Lief heard a hoarse, bubbling cry. He felt the beast’s jaws open. He was falling, hurtling towards the ground, the hard stones rushing up to meet him.
And then — there was nothing.
G roaning, Lief stirred. There was a sweet taste on his lips, and he could hear a crackling sound, a tearing, chewing sound, and shouting, very far away.
He opened his eyes. Jasmine and Barda were leaning over him, calling his name. Jasmine was screwing the top back onto a small jar attached to a chain around her neck. Dimly, Lief realized that he had been given nectar from the Lilies of Life. It had saved him — perhaps brought him back to life as once it had done for Barda.
“I — I am well,” he mumbled, struggling to sit up. He looked around. The hall was filled with flickering shadows. Flames, begun and spread by the blazing fire beads, roared in the ancient rafters. The giant snake lay dead on the floor, its body covered by gnawing rats.More rats were streaming from the walls and through the doorway, fighting one another to reach the feast.
For hundreds of years it has eaten them, thought Lief, dazed. Now they are eating it. Even fear of fire will not stop them.
“We must get out! Out!” Barda was shouting.
Lief felt himself pulled to his feet and slung over Barda’s shoulder. His head was spinning. He wanted to cry out, “What of the crown? The opal?”
But then he saw that the crown was in Barda’s hand.
Limp as a doll, he was carried through burning hallways. Jolting on Barda’s back, he closed his stinging eyes against the smoke.
When he looked again, they were staggering through the city gateway onto the dark plain and Kree, squawking anxiously, was soaring to meet them. There was a tremendous crash from behind them. The roof of the city had begun to fall.
On they went, and on, till they had nearly reached the river.
“I can walk,” Lief managed to croak. Barda stopped and put him gently on the ground. His legs trembled, but he stood upright, turning to look at the burning city.
“I never thought I’d see you stand on your own two feet again, my friend,” Barda said cheerfully. “That fall Jasmine gave you was —”
“It was let him fall or see him disappear into the snake’s belly,” exclaimed Jasmine. “Which do you think was better?”
She handed Lief’s sword to him. It gleamed in the moonlight, its blade still dark with Reeah’s
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