[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
self-defense as best they could.
The sight of the Horses landing immediately drew a modest crowd, all goggled
against exposure to the morning sun. Hal and Baldur remained on the surface,
trusting to Andvari and Ivaldr to return from a quick trip underground to
gather
tools and arrange for an urgent message to be sent to their home village,
informing their relatives and friends that they were safe.
By midday they were all four on their two mounts again, the gnomes hooded and
goggled against the sun. They were carrying stout canvas bags of
stubby-handled
mining tools, as well as a new supply of gnomish food.
Hal thought he was definitely beginning to develop a certain skill in riding
a
flying Horse, and he realized he was going to regret the loss when the day
came
for him to give the animal back. Trying to hang on to it would be tempting,
but
he understood that it would be hopeless for an ordinary man certainly if he
wanted to retire to anything like an ordinary life.
"What're you thinking about, Hal?"
"Not much. Just trying to imagine Cloudfoot and Gold Mane pulling a plow . .
."
"What strange ideas you have." Baldur looked at him with the sympathy one
might
reserve for the brain damaged.
Hal had planned to wait until the last possible moment, when they were
inescapably airborne, to let his new helpers know that they must be carried
through a barrier of magic flames to reach the site where they were required
to
dig. Then, as the last possible moment came and went, he decided it would be
best not to tell them at all.
"What is that?" Andvari suddenly demanded, clutching hard at Hal with one
hand,
and pointing a wiry arm ahead.
Page 224
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"That's where we're going." Now ahead of the cantering Horses appeared the
crag
where Loki's flames still went soaring and roaring up to heaven, the whole
still
encircled by the path of the mysterious flying spark.
17
To Hal, the smoothly rounded fire on the crag looked no different than it had
when he first laid eyes on it. And the only change he could detect in its
surroundings seemed minor, having to do with an alteration in the appearance
of
the object, whatever it was, that gave the crag a halo. The revolving spark
still maintained a good, hurtling pace, but Hal thought its glow had been
slightly dimmed since he last saw it. He had been privately evolving a theory
about the peculiar thing, a theory he now wanted to put to the test.
Andvari, with a bag of short but heavy tools tied to his belt, was still
clinging on tightly behind Hal. The gnome now turned his head, averting his
goggled eyes from the towering flames as they flew near, and muttered a
stream
of what sounded like prayers and imprecations.
Without giving any warning of what he meant to do, Hal tugged on his Horse's
mane to change direction slightly, then halted Gold Mane in midair. He had
chosen a spot where, if he had calculated correctly, the hurtling object in
its
regular course must pass almost near enough for him to touch it.
Meanwhile, Baldur (who also still had a mumbling gnome, complete with tool
bag,
clinging on behind him) had seen Hal pause, and had tugged Gold Mane into a
short circling pattern, some fifty yards away.
Now Baldur called across the gap of empty air: "What is it, Hal, what are you
delaying for?"
Page 225
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"You know my curiosity." Hal called back. He eyed the mysterious object
carefully as it shot past him in its orbit. It came so close that his Horse
recoiled slightly, but not before Hal had been granted the look he wanted. At
close range Hal could recognize the thing easily enough; now he was sure that
he
had seen it before.
"Damn your curiosity!" Baldur was yelling at him. "We must press on to reach
Brunhild! Are you with me or not?"
"I'm with you, and I'm ready." Hal wasn't going to try to explain his
discovery
now. He tugged Gold Mane around to face the flames. Then, over his shoulder
in a
low and cheerful voice: "Ready, Andvari? Got your goggles on?"
"I do." The voice of the gnome was somewhat muffled against Hal's shoulder.
"We're coming down somewhere near that huge fire, then?"
"Quite near it, but it's perfectly safe. Baldur and I have been there before.
Just hang on to me and hide your face. We'll be through in a moment, with no
harm."
"Through?" Andvari squeaked. "Through what?!"
When they were no more than a hundred yards from the fire, galloping straight
toward it, Andvari screamed aloud: "By all the fiends of the Underworld,
we're
going to be roasted alive!"
Hal was calm and firm. "No we're not. Believe me, Baldur and I have done this
before. And forget about the powers of the Underworld, we're too high above
the
earth for them. The only god who might be involved in this business is Loki,
not
Hades, and Loki's not objecting."
But by the time Hal had finished saying that, Andvari was no longer
listening.
The dreaded experience was over in a moment, and when it proved harmless, the
two Earthdwellers recovered rapidly from their fright. Despite the steady
glow
Page 226
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
of the burning walls, the fact that space around them was now tightly
enclosed
must have been deeply reassuring. Soon the two gnomes had their feet planted
firmly on solid ground, and presently, still keeping their goggles firmly in
place, they were able to concentrate on work.
At that point, Hal and Baldur had little to do except stand back and keep out
of
the way.
As soon as they had reentered the curving corridor, so stoutly guarded by two
towering rings of fire, Baldur jumped from his Horse and hastened to peer
through the inner fires once more at the figure he assumed was that of his
beloved. He cried out at once, rejoicing that her blurred image was still
visible, and spent a few moments in eager contemplation.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]