Delerium's Mistress: Tales of the Flat Earth Book 4 by Tanith Lee Read Free Book Online Page B

jewelry
light.
    Lak seemed only
himself, a dark soul princely dressed. Of the soul of Oloru there was no sign,
no trace. Not one? Yes, after all, one trace. On the breast of Lak Hezoor there
hung a little nugget of polished topaz, somewhat reminiscent of an unmarked
die. Oloru? Oloru.
    It was said to be
possible to glimpse the demon city from the banks of the River, on a clear day.
But no days were ever unclear in the Underearth, nor were they “days.” It would
seem then that something, perhaps only the vision of the arrival, hid or
revealed Druhim Vanashta. If Lak made out the distant architecture is
debatable. But be sure the yellow gem upon his breast, common example of the
dice species though it was, saw everything.
    Maybe it
communicated also with the magician, urging and cajoling. For certain, Prince
Lak began to walk in a definite direction, through the fragile groves of ivory
and silver and between the black willows that trailed down their tendrils like
unstrung harps. There was no hesitation in his step. Once or twice, when some
vaporous thing seemed to flutter at him out of the air (such emanations
abounded here), he brushed it aside with a potent phrase or mantra, as a man
waves away a gnat.
    They, the lord and
his topaz, reached in a while a wide road. It was paved with marble, lined by
columns. This was the path to the city, and conceivably Lak paused a moment on
the brink of it. But there must have been rendered then more persuasion and
praise. In a moment, Lak Hezoor stepped upon the marble road.
    Almost at once a
peculiar feeling fixed on him. It was not a feeling he was intimate with,
though he had often been its author in others: fear. Now it might be supposed
even Lak should experience some misgiving simply at getting quiddity in this
place, yet so far, patently, he had not. Nor did there seem any pronounced
cause for the emotion to strike at him this instant. The air was still, no
threatening noise disturbed it, and no agitation was visible anywhere—except
the glint of the city at the road’s end, if he even saw it. So Lak resumed his
walk boldly, and the clutch of fear grew stronger, nor could he control it.
With every stride it grew worse, until he halted again. This time, having
looked carefully ahead, and all around, Lak looked over his shoulder. So he
noticed an oddity. The marble road, of which he had only traversed a brief
length, extended for a mile or more behind him. Such elongation did not console
Lak Hezoor.
    As a man
sometimes will, when unnerved, the prince spoke aloud to his companion.
    “This highway is
unorthodox. No doubt some weird plan of demonkind to discommode the pilgrim. I
think we shall return to the road’s beginning and take our bearings.” And when
there came no speechless answer, Lak grinned and said, “What? Already swooning,
dearest?” And he put up his hand to pet the die. His fingers found nothing.
    Many conclusions
might have gone through the brain of Lak Hezoor at this discovery. He might
have thought the gem had somehow loosened and fallen and been lost, or that one
of the wafting emanations had stolen it, or even that its own fright had pushed
it back into the world above. But actually, the magician thought none of these
things. One may conclude, then, he was at least sage enough to know he had been
duped.
    He had less than a
minute to revel in the knowledge.
    At last the
chaste and windless air began to convey to him a sound. No sooner did Lak hear
it than he understood it. It held every motive for his mounting fear. It was
composed of a succession of belling notes, decipherable to one who had hunted,
the noise of dogs that have the scent of their quarry in their nostrils.
However, those that tell of it remark that it was more like the baying of
starving wolves—yet worse, much worse. The fortunate would wake from sleep at
its echo, screeching. The unfortunate did not wake, but turned and ran, and the
sound ran with them, growing always louder and more near.