(eng) Alan Burt Akers - Dray Prescot 42 by Scorpio Drums

Author:Scorpio Drums [Drums, Scorpio]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter eleven

My eyes were clamped shut against that brightness yet the light struck through, black spots danced among a deep and menacing redness before me. We hit bottom in a wild tangle, with Mevancy's hair in my mouth and my leg fiercely gripped by a pair of powerful fists. We rolled over and over on straw that stank like a cess pit, and eventually cracked into a stone wall.

"By Spurl!” choked out Mevancy. “What happened?"

The fists gripping my legs went away. “Jangflor alone knows, and he ain't telling, not with us down here an’ all."

I spat and got rid of pleasantly scented hair and sat up. I kept my eyes shut; but I knew Rollo and Mevancy and Llodi with his enormous purple flower of a nose would be sorting themselves out. If we couldn't see where we were, how in a Herrelldrin Hell were we to see where we were going?

Rollo said: “Hold on a moment. I'll try—"

The rest of us had the sense to remain still and silent. After a short time Rollo let rip a snort and said: “All hold on, form a chain, and I hope, by Chusto, I'm going in the right direction."

I got my arm about Mevancy's waist and Llodi gripped onto me. With Rollo in the lead, we staggered up and started blindly off.

I felt the coolness drop over me and the malefic red light faded before my eyes. Gingerly, I opened one eyelid.

The light beat down with a soft pulse of ivory and pearl, very soothing after the searing blast scorching our eyes. Facing me, a wall of veined marble stretched to a low ceiling. In my ears the splashing thunder of water echoed off the walls. The air smelled musky, of the earth, and cool and refreshing after the heat of the jungles of Chem outside.

"That's better!” Rollo's voice carried satisfaction as well as relief. Whatever he'd done he'd pulled us through the inferno.

"With a trapped slope like that an’ everything,” observed Llodi, “you'd expect spikes at the bottom. Not straw."

"We are expected,” said Mevancy in a choked voice.

I swung about.

The wall at my side, built of the same veined marble, contained three doors, all closed. Over them an inscription had been picked out in gold.

The four of us, we all stood up and looked at that invitation. Beautiful calligraphy in the flowing Kregan script, it caught our absorbed attention.

ADVENTURERS! WELCOME TO THE REALM OF THE DRUMS! MAY YOUR WAY LIE STRAIGHT AND YOUR END IN FIRE!

Rollo said in a shocked voice, an exclamation jerked from him: “By the Seven Arcades! May Hlo-Hli smile on us now!"

Mevancy said: “You know what this means?"

"It is a legend, a myth from the old days—"

"The old days of the Empire of Loh?"

"Yes."

"Well, as we're down here an’ all, you'd better tell us."

Rollo sat down, plump, onto the floor.

We all waited until he'd gathered himself together. He wet his lips. He held both hands together, fingers entwined—and I judged that was to stop his hands from shaking.

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