Lord of the Isles #07 - The Fortress of Glass by David Drake

Author:David Drake [Drake, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780765351166
Amazon: 0765351161
Publisher: Tor Fantasy
Published: 2006-01-01T23:00:00+00:00

"Thank you for treating me as though I were human, however," the Bird said. "It does not matter to my people, but it speaks well of you and your race; and perhaps that matters to me after all. After so many years alone I am no longer wholly one of my people."

"I smell smoke," said Donria abruptly.

"Yes," said the Bird, shimmering back into the air again. "Before sundown we will reach Wandalo's village."

In a mental voice that wasn't attenuated by distance, the Bird added, "The cave in which my people were created and died still focuses energies. The Coerli wizards use that cave to come to this place far in their past where they hunt. Some day I will revisit it myself."

The Bird clicked its laugh. "I have purposes, Garric," it said.

* * *

Cashel backed a step and raised his staff as the demon leaped into the air, beating its wings strongly. Something so big-and all right, the demon was thin as a snake, but it was still man-sized-shouldn't have been able to fly on wings no longer than Cashel could span with his arms spread, but it did.

Hanging like a hummingbird over Cashel and the boy, it called angrily, "Fly, then! You can fly, can't you?"

"Cashel, what do we do?" Protas said desperately.

He's afraid of failing, Cashel thought. He can't do what the demon just told him to.

Knowing that, and knowing that the demon didn't really believe they could fly-it was bullying them, making them feel guilty-Cashel said harshly, "Come down, you! You're to guide us, you say. Stop playing the fool and come do your job."

"You can't command me, human!" the demon said, still hovering.

"Maybe not," Cashel agreed. "That's between you and whoever set you to guide us. But as Duzi's my witness, you can't give us orders. If you won't come down and do what you're told, we'll go our own way."

"Fools!" said the demon, but it cupped its wings and landed beside them. "We'll go on foot, then. But it'd be easier to fly."

The business'd gotten Cashel's back up quicker than it ought to've, maybe because of the noise the musicians were making. He wouldn't call it music, not a bit.

Instead of letting the demon's posturing go, Cashel reached out quick with his left hand and pinched the flat scaly nose between his thumb and forefinger. The demon shrieked on a climbing note and tried to jump backward, which it had no more chance of doing than a snared rabbit has until Cashel opened his hand.

"Remember who set you the job of guiding us, fella," Cashel said, breathing deeply to calm himself down. He'd had his staff poised in his right hand so that he could use the short end as a cudgel if the demon'd tried to bite him. "And remember I'm Cashel or-Kenset, so keep a civil tongue in your head when you talk to me and my friend."

"Yes, yes," said the demon, sounding conciliatory now. A man would've massaged his bruised nose with a hand, but the scaly blue thing just shook its head.

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