Portal Through Time by Henderson Alice

Author:Henderson, Alice [Henderson, Alice]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-07-25T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Where are they taking us, Giles?” Buffy asked, glancing once again at the armored guards. How could she catch them unawares?

“Presumably before the king,” he answered. “Most grievances are heard by a king and a council of people who come to a decision together.”

“Like a judge and jury?” Willow asked.

“And executioner?” Xander added.

Giles nodded.

“You’re not supposed to nod, man!” Xander cried, regarding Giles with exasperation.

“Who is the king right now?” Buffy asked.

Giles thought a minute. Counted something out on his right hand. Dust motes billowed up around his feet as he plodded along. “Gilgamesh.”

At the mention of this name, three of the armored guards turned around, two with upraised eyebrows and the third with a scowl. Of course they would have recognized this one word in a sea of unfamiliar ones. Since English wouldn’t be spoken for nearly three thousand years, Buffy guessed the men had no idea what they were talking about. She realized the advantage.

“I’m thinking of breaking away to go find the Slayer,” she said.

Xander sucked in a breath and then released it. “Hey!” he said, catching on. “I think these guards are a bunch of big, smelly, nose-flute-playing funkyduddies.”

Willow laughed. “And I think they wouldn’t know algebra if it bit them on the patootie.”

Xander stifled a laugh. “Good one. Way to be brutal, Will.”

Giles regarded Buffy over his shoulder. “I wouldn’t advise it, Buffy. They’d search everywhere for you, and you can’t exactly dust them. You’d be putting yourself and this mission in grave danger.”

“And you don’t think that rotting in a prison or being put to death would jeopardize this mission?” she retorted.

Giles thought.

One guard spoke to him brusquely, then pushed him slightly on the shoulder.

“He doesn’t want us talking,” Giles explained.

“I’m going to take my chances, then,” Buffy said. “I’ve got to find the Slayer. We don’t have time for this.”

“What about us?” Willow asked.

“No offense, but I’ll be faster without you. Go on and hear what King Gorgonzola-Mess has to say. I’ll join up with you at the palace.”

“I don’t like this,” Giles said.

“Neither do I. But we can’t take the chance that we’ll get locked up while the assassins run free.”

“Okay,” Giles said. “You’re sure you can find the palace?”

Buffy sighed, rolled her eyes. “You mean big, pointy building in the middle of town?”

Giles looked in the direction of the tremendous step pyramid. “Ah, yes. Right.”

“Okay, guys,” she said. “See you later.”

And with that, Buffy fell out of line. The two guards behind her turned to stop her with their staffs, which they brought together to block her. With a leap she kicked them aside. Momentarily the guards stood stunned, and then they cried out for help. She kicked one in the head, punched the other one in the stomach, then ran into an alley.

Reluctant to leave the rest of the prisoners unguarded, only three guards pursued her into the narrow corridor.

Quickly outpacing them, she turned one corner, then another. The men separated, covering more ground. In one particularly narrow alleyway, Buffy chimney-crawled up twenty feet, then planted both boots firmly on opposite walls.

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