The Gate of the Cat by Andre Norton

Author:Andre Norton
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: &WORKING
Published: 2011-03-22T18:37:58+00:00

Chapter Ten

Their new shelter had nothing of the stench of the Thas caverns, nor of the indescribable odor which had filled the copse from which they had been so strangely snatched. It was dark, save where the moon struck through rents in the walls, and very chill. So that the two of them huddled together for the sheer need of bodily warmth. Nor did they sleep, but dozed and awoke and dozed again until the gray of early morning showed them more clearly where they had come.

The walls of the place might have been laid by giants for there were great blocks fitted together with no sign of securing mortar—rather as if their weight alone, once they were in place, were enough to cement them for all time. These formidable barriers extended well up. Above was rubble less expertly laid, much of which had cascaded down into the great room where they were sheltering. By the revealing light of day Kelsie could see that they had spent the night in the center of another great star many times the width of that which Yonan had uncovered but fashioned in the same way. Between the points were symbols engraved on the pavement. One of those recalled a memory for Kelsie—of Wittle sketching a like pattern in the air.

Yonan was afoot, first going to the nearest wall and jumping until his hands caught on the rougher stone above. Then by a feat of strength he was able to pull and work himself up, sending small cascades of ancient stones sliding down in a cloud of dust.

"Where are we?" Kelsie had turned around to survey the place of the star. That had been fashioned close to the wall, hut there stretched out a large segment of space beyond. She could see no ground entrance to this room—only the walls about.

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Yonan balanced, slowly turning his head from side to side, working his way around on the treacherous coating of the upper wall so that he could see at least three-quarters of what lay beyond.

"A keep… I think…" he was plainly uncertain. "But a very old and long since deserted one. There are such to be found, though usually we avoid them. But with that," he nodded at the star in which she still stood, "I do not think that this is any trap of the Dark. Look to your jewel—does it blaze in warning?" He held onto his perilous perch with one hand and with the other sought the hilt of his sword. There was a warmth in her stone but no fire and she reported as much.

He nodded. "The power is very old here—near exhausted and—" His head swung suddenly around and she could see his body tense.

"What is it?" She had moved now to the wall directly below his perch.

He made a silencing gesture with his hand. It was plain to Kelsie that he was listening, listening and staring beyond to seek the source of whatever it was he heard.

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