Silver Shadows by Elaine Cunningham Read Free Book Online

mask, she was pleased to note that the false eyes remained open. Most extraordinary of all was that Tinkersdam had managed to imbue the mask with an expression of dreamy contemplation—perfect for its intended purpose.
    “How is this done? Magic?”
    Tinkersdam responded with a derisive sniff. This was an attitude Arilyn could appreciate. She herself had more faith in the alchemist’s inventions than in the caprices of magic. Besides, the forest elves would sense a magical illusion more quickly than a mechanical one. Arilyn had not yet decided whether or not to attempt the mission into the forest, but of one thing she was certain: if she succeeded, it would be in no small part due to Tinkersdam’s devices.
    38

The Harpers
    Posing as an elf was no problem for Arilyn—at least, not for short periods of time. In many ways she favored her mother’s race, from her distinctively elven eyes to the preternatural speed of her sword play. Her pearly skin and raven-black hair were common to moon elves, and her slender form was that of an elf—although at three inches short of six feet she was far taller than most. The constant stress and struggle of her tenure in Zazesspur’s assassins’ guild had left her as finely drawn as any moon elf alive. While elven faces tended to be quite angular, hers was a smooth oval, but her ears were nearly as pointed as those of a full-blooded elf, and her features were delicate and sharp. There were little things, however, that could give her away. Not the least of these was the fact that’she slept. Elves, as a rule, did not.
    Most of Trail’s elves found repose in a deep, meditative state known as reverie. Arilyn had never been able to enter reverie, and when passing as an elf she had to go to extreme lengths to get the necessary rest. This mask was such a ploy. Since no elf would approach another elf in reverie except in the direst of emergencies, she could put on the mask and sleep beneath it, undisturbed.
    A sharp pop interrupted her thoughts. Arilyn spun to see a tendril of black smoke wafting toward the top of the cave. Tinkersdam was neither hurt nor perturbed by this development. He regarded the smoking contents of his skillet with satisfaction, then seized a funnel and carefully poured the liquid into a glass vial.
    “That should do the trick,” he said happily. At last raising his eyes to Arilyn, he inquired, “Do you sing?”
    The Harper blinked. “I don’t make a habit of it.”
    “A pity.” Tinkersdam stroked bis bald chin and mused. Suddenly he snapped his fingers. Reaching confidently into the general debris of the table behind him, he pulled from the pile the lid of a large pot. He poured a single drop of the still-steaming fluid onto the metal and then lifted the lid into a shield-guard position^

Silver Shadows
    “Be so kind as to strike,” he requested. When she hesitated, he pointed out, “The potion did no damage to a tin lid. It is unlikely to harm an elven sword!”
    Seeing the logic in this, Arilyn drew her moonblade and obligingly smacked the flat of it against the makeshift shield. Immediately a deep, ringing sound rolled through the cavern, like the tolling of a giant bell might sound to someone who stood in the bell tower directly below it.
    The Harper swore and clapped both hands to her sensitive ears. Tinkersdam, however, merely beamed, even though the vibrations from the “shield” ran up his arms and set his pair of chins aquiver.
    “Oh, excellent! A fine result,” he shouted happily.
    Still smiling broadly, Tinkersdam tossed aside the lid, then stoppered the vial with a cork and handed it to Arilyn. “You might find a use for this in your travels. Don’t drink it,” he cautioned her loudly. “At least, not on an empty stomach. Rumblings, you know.”
    Since the rejoinder that came to Arilyn’s mind paled before this latest absurdity, she merely took the vial and gingerly tucked it into her pack. “The other things?” she requested, shouting