intricate mechanism that would open only with a special key. Both lock and key were made by gnomes, the sole members of the fey capable of manipulating metal, and imbued with gnomish magic. Although left open during the day, the door was always locked at sundown and opened after dark only under special circumstances.
“You’ll get into trouble if you open the door!” said Jak.
“No, I won’t,” replied Nihlo. “I’ll tell everyone that you did it. Now hold still while I get the key.”
“Let … go … of … me!” Jak said and, using all his strength, he flung his head back just as Nihlo leaned forward. Jak’s head hit his cousin’s chin with a
crack
! slamming the older boy’s jaw shut. Nihlo howled as Jak wriggled free and ran back down the corridor. A moment later Nihlo was after him, spitting blood from his bitten tongue.
They were in the main corridor of the den, a warren of rooms that made up the living quarters for the head of the Cattawampus clan. With rooms and smaller hallways leading off on either side, the corridor was longer than most, ending at a door that was always kept locked. In the two years that he had been living there, Jak had never known the door to be open and had no idea what might lie beyond it.
Fearing what his cousin would do, Jak ran as fast as his legs could carry him. With Gammi gone, there really wasn’t anywhere safe he could hide. His heart was racing when he dashed to the end of the corridor and turned to face his tormentor. Nihlo slowed when he saw that his cousin was trapped. With his tail twitching, he transfixed Jak with his gaze, and stalked the little boy.
Jak was whimpering as he set his hand on the latch. When the door swung open behind him, he staggered backward through the doorway and nearly fell. Seeing that his prey was about to get away, Nihlo shouted and began to run. Jak turned and slammed the door behind him, then took off into the dimly lit corridor that lay beyond. His breath rasped in his throat as he ran, too frightened to consider what might lie ahead; whatever it was, it had to be better than facing Nihlo.
Then the door opened and Nihlo shouted, “Come back here, halfling!”
There was nothing that Nihlo could say or do to make Jak return to him, but the little boy did stop running to press his hand against a cramp in his side and look back the way he’d come. He saw Nihlo outlined in the brighter light of the corridor behind him, and could hear his cousin swear and shout incoherent threats. And then the light shrank until it disappeared, the door clicked, the bolt was shot home, and Jak knew that Nihlo had locked him in.
Jak was trapped in a place he knew nothing about, yet with Nihlo on the other side of the door, he felt safer than he had in a long time. No longer worried aboutbeing thrown out into the night to be dinner for some horrid snake women, the little boy felt such relief that he laughed out loud. With a light step and a lighter heart, Jak started down the corridor again, intent on exploring.
The corridor wasn’t completely dark. Splotches of a sickly greenish white glowed on the walls, giving his half-goblin eyes more than enough light with which to see. As he walked, the floor began to slope downward, taking him deeper underground than he’d ever been before. The air was colder now and the little boy began to shiver. He was tired, too; it was past the time he normally would have gone to bed. Then suddenly he felt the faintest hint of a warm breeze coming from somewhere up ahead. It smelled musky, a not-unpleasant odor that reminded him of his travels with his mother before she’d left him at his uncle’s home.
Enticed by the promise of warmth, Jak hurried down the corridor until it opened out into a large chamber. With the greenish glow banished to the widely set walls, the light in the chamber was dimmer than the corridor had been. A low wall divided the chamber in two; a pool of water lapped at Jak’s side of the wall.
“You’ll get into trouble if you open the door!” said Jak.
“No, I won’t,” replied Nihlo. “I’ll tell everyone that you did it. Now hold still while I get the key.”
“Let … go … of … me!” Jak said and, using all his strength, he flung his head back just as Nihlo leaned forward. Jak’s head hit his cousin’s chin with a
crack
! slamming the older boy’s jaw shut. Nihlo howled as Jak wriggled free and ran back down the corridor. A moment later Nihlo was after him, spitting blood from his bitten tongue.
They were in the main corridor of the den, a warren of rooms that made up the living quarters for the head of the Cattawampus clan. With rooms and smaller hallways leading off on either side, the corridor was longer than most, ending at a door that was always kept locked. In the two years that he had been living there, Jak had never known the door to be open and had no idea what might lie beyond it.
Fearing what his cousin would do, Jak ran as fast as his legs could carry him. With Gammi gone, there really wasn’t anywhere safe he could hide. His heart was racing when he dashed to the end of the corridor and turned to face his tormentor. Nihlo slowed when he saw that his cousin was trapped. With his tail twitching, he transfixed Jak with his gaze, and stalked the little boy.
Jak was whimpering as he set his hand on the latch. When the door swung open behind him, he staggered backward through the doorway and nearly fell. Seeing that his prey was about to get away, Nihlo shouted and began to run. Jak turned and slammed the door behind him, then took off into the dimly lit corridor that lay beyond. His breath rasped in his throat as he ran, too frightened to consider what might lie ahead; whatever it was, it had to be better than facing Nihlo.
Then the door opened and Nihlo shouted, “Come back here, halfling!”
There was nothing that Nihlo could say or do to make Jak return to him, but the little boy did stop running to press his hand against a cramp in his side and look back the way he’d come. He saw Nihlo outlined in the brighter light of the corridor behind him, and could hear his cousin swear and shout incoherent threats. And then the light shrank until it disappeared, the door clicked, the bolt was shot home, and Jak knew that Nihlo had locked him in.
Jak was trapped in a place he knew nothing about, yet with Nihlo on the other side of the door, he felt safer than he had in a long time. No longer worried aboutbeing thrown out into the night to be dinner for some horrid snake women, the little boy felt such relief that he laughed out loud. With a light step and a lighter heart, Jak started down the corridor again, intent on exploring.
The corridor wasn’t completely dark. Splotches of a sickly greenish white glowed on the walls, giving his half-goblin eyes more than enough light with which to see. As he walked, the floor began to slope downward, taking him deeper underground than he’d ever been before. The air was colder now and the little boy began to shiver. He was tired, too; it was past the time he normally would have gone to bed. Then suddenly he felt the faintest hint of a warm breeze coming from somewhere up ahead. It smelled musky, a not-unpleasant odor that reminded him of his travels with his mother before she’d left him at his uncle’s home.
Enticed by the promise of warmth, Jak hurried down the corridor until it opened out into a large chamber. With the greenish glow banished to the widely set walls, the light in the chamber was dimmer than the corridor had been. A low wall divided the chamber in two; a pool of water lapped at Jak’s side of the wall.
Similar Books
