fury.
Jasmine caught her breath.
Lief’s heart seemed to stop. Barda cursed softly.
The child on the platform, her small face so like Jasmine’s that the two could only be sisters, was scanningthe crowd, her eyes filled with fearful hope.
‘This is the sister of one of the master’s most vicious enemies!’ shouted Hellena. ‘But, like the gnome who will be joining her—a gnome I know to be the worst of traitors—she will soon bow willingly before the master.’
The audience roared.
‘We are about to be summoned,’ gabbled Bak 9 fearfully. ‘The master will think we have disobeyed our orders. Dawn has broken, and the cage is uncovered.’
Lief tensed, the child Faith suddenly the last thing on his mind. Surely disaster would not strike now, when they were so close!
The other Baks shuffled their feet nervously. ‘The Ol said—’ one began.
‘Curse the Ol!’ snarled Bak 9. And without further warning the six sprang up onto the sides of the cage and ripped the covers aside.
Emlis, suddenly exposed, rolled in an agony of terror and fell. He hit the ground and lay still. Lief, Barda and Jasmine struggled to rise, to draw their weapons, but they had no chance. The Guards recovered from their shock in an instant. The sparking rods thrashed down, down…
Lief saw Jasmine crumple and fall back, Kree with her. He saw Barda hit once, twice. Then he himself felt a fiery jolt on the back of his neck. Agony shot through him. Then all was darkness.
14 – The Shadow Arena
L ief came to his senses slowly. Something was thumping, thumping, every thunderous beat sending shooting pain through his head. He was lying on a hard, jolting surface that was jarring his aching bones…
He forced his eyes open. His head was jammed against cold bars. He could see nothing beyond the bars, because thick fabric hung over them on the outside.
It took some time to remember what had happened and then to realise, with cold horror, where he was. He was in the cage, and it was moving through the Arena. The sound he could hear was the beating of the great drum.
Barda and Jasmine were stirring beside him. Pi-Ban was crouched by Barda’s head, his face the picture of despair.
Lief felt for his sword, but of course it was gone. With a thrill of terror he moved his hand to his neck, andrelief rushed through him as he felt the cord unbroken and the Pirran Pipe still hanging beneath his shirt.
Rough voices were muttering somewhere near. Lief realised that they were the voices of the Guards who were pushing the cage on his side.
‘The Ol will try to claim the credit.’
‘Let it try! When the covers come off, its face will show its surprise. The master will understand that it was the Baks who brought him the three, and that the Ol knew nothing of it.’
‘That scrawny Wild One that was with them—’
Emlis!
thought Lief, looking wildly around the cage. Then he remembered. The last he had seen of Emlis was when the little Keron fell from the cage in the tunnel.
Another Guard was speaking. Lief closed his eyes, straining to hear. As he listened, his heart sank.
‘The Wild One was damaged. It crawled away to die. Forget it. It is the three the master wants. Boy. Big man. Girl with black bird. We had fine luck, Bak 3.’
‘And what a fool the Ol will look!’
Low, sly guffaws.
Wincing at the pain in his head, Lief hauled himself to the front of the cage. At the corner, the cover flaps gaped apart. He squinted through the gap.
Ahead, the Ol, 3-19, stalked straight-backed towards the platform where Tira waited, her face like thunder. Beside Tira stood Hellena, one hand holding Faith’s chain, the other resting on the lid of the metal box.
Behind the Grey Guards lining the path pressed themass of dull-eyed, ragged people. And beyond, rising out of sight, were tiers of seats crowded with onlookers—onlookers of every shape, colour and size.
The audience seemed to be shimmering, shifting, wavering… Lief rubbed his eyes.
Then
Jasmine caught her breath.
Lief’s heart seemed to stop. Barda cursed softly.
The child on the platform, her small face so like Jasmine’s that the two could only be sisters, was scanningthe crowd, her eyes filled with fearful hope.
‘This is the sister of one of the master’s most vicious enemies!’ shouted Hellena. ‘But, like the gnome who will be joining her—a gnome I know to be the worst of traitors—she will soon bow willingly before the master.’
The audience roared.
‘We are about to be summoned,’ gabbled Bak 9 fearfully. ‘The master will think we have disobeyed our orders. Dawn has broken, and the cage is uncovered.’
Lief tensed, the child Faith suddenly the last thing on his mind. Surely disaster would not strike now, when they were so close!
The other Baks shuffled their feet nervously. ‘The Ol said—’ one began.
‘Curse the Ol!’ snarled Bak 9. And without further warning the six sprang up onto the sides of the cage and ripped the covers aside.
Emlis, suddenly exposed, rolled in an agony of terror and fell. He hit the ground and lay still. Lief, Barda and Jasmine struggled to rise, to draw their weapons, but they had no chance. The Guards recovered from their shock in an instant. The sparking rods thrashed down, down…
Lief saw Jasmine crumple and fall back, Kree with her. He saw Barda hit once, twice. Then he himself felt a fiery jolt on the back of his neck. Agony shot through him. Then all was darkness.
14 – The Shadow Arena
L ief came to his senses slowly. Something was thumping, thumping, every thunderous beat sending shooting pain through his head. He was lying on a hard, jolting surface that was jarring his aching bones…
He forced his eyes open. His head was jammed against cold bars. He could see nothing beyond the bars, because thick fabric hung over them on the outside.
It took some time to remember what had happened and then to realise, with cold horror, where he was. He was in the cage, and it was moving through the Arena. The sound he could hear was the beating of the great drum.
Barda and Jasmine were stirring beside him. Pi-Ban was crouched by Barda’s head, his face the picture of despair.
Lief felt for his sword, but of course it was gone. With a thrill of terror he moved his hand to his neck, andrelief rushed through him as he felt the cord unbroken and the Pirran Pipe still hanging beneath his shirt.
Rough voices were muttering somewhere near. Lief realised that they were the voices of the Guards who were pushing the cage on his side.
‘The Ol will try to claim the credit.’
‘Let it try! When the covers come off, its face will show its surprise. The master will understand that it was the Baks who brought him the three, and that the Ol knew nothing of it.’
‘That scrawny Wild One that was with them—’
Emlis!
thought Lief, looking wildly around the cage. Then he remembered. The last he had seen of Emlis was when the little Keron fell from the cage in the tunnel.
Another Guard was speaking. Lief closed his eyes, straining to hear. As he listened, his heart sank.
‘The Wild One was damaged. It crawled away to die. Forget it. It is the three the master wants. Boy. Big man. Girl with black bird. We had fine luck, Bak 3.’
‘And what a fool the Ol will look!’
Low, sly guffaws.
Wincing at the pain in his head, Lief hauled himself to the front of the cage. At the corner, the cover flaps gaped apart. He squinted through the gap.
Ahead, the Ol, 3-19, stalked straight-backed towards the platform where Tira waited, her face like thunder. Beside Tira stood Hellena, one hand holding Faith’s chain, the other resting on the lid of the metal box.
Behind the Grey Guards lining the path pressed themass of dull-eyed, ragged people. And beyond, rising out of sight, were tiers of seats crowded with onlookers—onlookers of every shape, colour and size.
The audience seemed to be shimmering, shifting, wavering… Lief rubbed his eyes.
Then
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