Gilded Chain by Dave Duncan

Author:Dave Duncan
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 9780380791262
Publisher: New York : Avon Books, c1998.
Published: 1999-10-07T04:00:00+00:00

They stumbled across the junk-infested guardroom, the light from their rings barely visible in the brightness of daylight. Wolfbiter opened the door, stood aside for Durendal to pass, then closed it behind them as Durendal ran the length of the jail and threw open the next. Its hinges squeaked shrilly. He raced off along the gold-walled corridor, hearing his Blade shut that door also. He thought they could probably outrun the monkeys, although not necessarily outfight them. Thirteen young swordsmen were loose, too, and would know shortcuts. Swordplay, if it came, would not be a matter of honorable, man-to-man duels this time. Then something roared or screamed ahead of him, the distorted sound echoing bizarrely along the corridor. Apparently he was going to have to fight his way to the trapdoor. He drew Harvest without breaking stride. Wolfbiter's feet were slapping on the stone at his back. Then the jail door squealed and light blazed up behind them. Monkeys hooted. He passed the turnoff to the foundry. He had almost reached the other branch when he saw a body in his path. No, it was a monkey playing tricks, scrabbling on the ground. It uttered the same discordant howl he had heard a moment earlier, apparently writhing in pain. There was blood on it, blood on the rock floor, even on the gold walls. That could hardly be a trick. Surely only Kromman could be responsible for that, so the inquisitor had not gone at first light. "Look out for this!" he shouted, and hurdled over it. Just beyond it was a puddle of blood and some bloody footprints leading toward the trapdoor. "With you!" Wolfbiter responded. Then they were out of the gold-filled cellar, running along the tunnel. "Kromman! We're coming!" Durendal almost blundered into the wall at the end. The trapdoor was closed. He spun around, but Wolfbiter had turned already and was waiting for the attack with Fang at the ready. Wild hoots and bellows indicated that the pursuit had found the casualty. "Put your boots on!" Durendal hurled Wolfbiter's footwear to him, and put on his own. They were going to need those. He scrambled up the metal brackets. Balancing precariously, he freed both hands for the slab and strained. He could not budge it. Fire and death! He had seen a monkey open and close it with one arm. Holding the top bracket with both hands, he turned around to put his back to the wall and then took hold of the metal ring dangling from the flap itself. The corridor was full of gibbering apes, flashing swords, flaming torches. Wolfbiter's left-hand ring blazed, and that would be a small advantage, shining in his opponents' eyes. Meanwhile, Durendal had to get them both out of there and do so soon, or they would find Herat and his friends waiting for them above. He put his shoulders against the slab and brought his feet up as high as he could. If he slipped, he was going to fall headfirst to the floor.

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