The Mad God's Amulet
- Автор: Муркок Майкл
- Серия: The History of the Runestaff #2
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Фэнтези
Электронная книга - «The Mad God's Amulet». Краткое содержание книги:
Hawkmoon had supposed at first that the people of Soryandum were able to pass through solid walls, but now he saw that they had entered from above, for there was a large tunnel about halfway up the wall. Perhaps in the distant past this tunnel had been some land of chute down which sacks of stores had been rolled.
Now the wraith-people rose into the air toward the tunnel and entered it, drifting up it until light could be seen far ahead-the light of moon and stars.
"Where are you taking us?" Hawkmoon whispered.
"To a safer place where we shall be able to free you of your chains," the man who carried him answered.
When they reached the top of the tunnel and felt the chill of the night air, they paused while the one who had no burden went ahead to make sure that there were no Granbretanian warriors about. He signed to the others to follow, and they drifted out into the ruined streets of the silent city until they came to a simple three-storied house that was in better condition than the rest but seemed to have no means of entrance at ground level.
The wraith-folk bore Hawkmoon and Oladahn upward again, to the second level, and passed through a wide window into the house.
In a room bare of any ornamentation they came to rest, setting the pair down gently.
"What is this place?" Hawkmoon asked, still unable to trust his senses.
"This is where we live," the wraith-man replied.
"There are not many of us. Though we live for centuries, we are incapable of reproducing ourselves.
That is what we lost when we became as we are."
Now through the door came other figures, several of them female. All were of the same beautiful and graceful appearance, all had bodies of milky opaqueness; none wore clothes. The faces and bodies were ageless, scarcely human, but they radiated such a sense of tranquillity that Hawkmoon immediately felt relaxed and secure.
One of the newcomers had brought with him a small instrument, scarcely larger than Hawkmoon's index finger, which he now applied to the several padlocks on the chains. One by one the locks sprang open, until at last Hawkmoon and then Oladahn were free.
Hawkmoon sat up, rubbing at his aching muscles.
"I thank you," he said. "You have save me from an unpleasant fate."
"We are happy to have been of use," replied one of their number, slightly shorter than the rest. "I am Rinal, once Chief Councilor of Soryandum." He came forward smiling. "And we wonder if it would interest you that you could be of help to us, also."
"I would be glad to perform any service in repayment of what you have done for me," Hawkmoon said earnestly. "What is it?"
"We, too, are in great danger from those strange warriors with their grotesque beast-masks," Rinal told him. "For they plan to raze Soryandum."
"Raze it? But why? This city offers no threat to them-and it is too remote to be worth their annexing."
"Not so," Rinal said. "For we have listened to their conversations and know that Soryandum is of value to them. They wish to build a great structure here that will house scores and hundreds of their flying machines. The machines can then be sent out to all the surrounding lands to threaten and defeat them."
"I understand," Hawkmoon murmured. "It makes sense. And that is why D'Averc, the ex-architect, was chosen for this particular mission. Building materials already exist here and could be remodeled to form one of their ornithopter bases, and the spot is so remote that few, if any, would note the activity. The Dark Empire would have surprise on their side right up to the moment they wished to launch an attack. They must be stopped!"
"They must be, if only for our sake," Rinal continued. "You see, we are part of this city perhaps more than you can understand. It and we exist as the same thing. If the city were destroyed, we should perish also."
"But how can we stop them?" Hawkmoon said.
"And how can I be of use? You must have the resources of a sophisticated science at your disposal. I have only a sword-and even that is in the hands of D'Averc!"
"I told you that we are linked to the city," Rinal said patiently. "And that is exactly the case. We cannot move away from the city. Long ago we rid ourselves of such unsubtle things as machines. They were buried under a hillside many miles from Soryandum.
Now we have need for one particular machine, and we cannot ourselves obtain it. You, however, with your mortal mobility, could get it for us."
"Willingly," said Hawkmoon. "If you give us the exact location of the machine we shall bring it to you.
Best if we left soon, before D'Averc realizes we have escaped."
"I agree that the thing should be accomplished as soon as possible," Rinal nodded, "but I have omitted to tell you one thing. The machines were placed there by us while we were still able to move short distances away from Soryandum. To make sure that they were not disturbed, we protected them with a beast-machine-a dreadful contraption designed to frighten off whoever should discover the store. But the metal creature can also kill-will kill any not of our race who dares enter the cavern."
"Then how may we nullify this beast?" Oladahn asked.
"There is but one way for you," Rinal said with a sigh. "You must fight it-and destroy it."
"I see." Hawkmoon smiled. "So I escape from one predicament to face another scarcely less dangerous."
Rinal raised his hand. "No. We make no demands on you. If you feel that your life would be more useful in the service of some other cause, forget us at once and go your way."
"I owe you my life," Hawkmoon said. "And my conscience would not be clear if I rode away from Soryandum knowing that your city would be destroyed, your race exterminated, and the Dark Empire given the opportunity to wreak even more havoc in the East than it has already. No-I will do what I can, though without weapons it will not be an easy task."
Rinal signed to one of the wraith-folk, who drifted from the room, to return at length with Hawkmoon's battered battle-blade and Oladahn's bow, arrows, and sword. "We found it an easy matter to recover these," smiled Rinal. "And we have another weapon, of sorts, for you." He handed Hawkmoon the tiny device they had used earlier to open the padlocks. "This we retained when we put most of our other machines in store. It is capable of opening any lock-all you must do is point at it. It will help you gain entrance to the main storeroom where the mechanical beast guards the old machines of Soryandum."
"And what is the machine you desire us to find?"
Oladahn asked.
"It is a small device, about the size of a man's head.
Its colors are those of the rainbow, and it shines. It looks like crystal but feels like metal It has a base of onyx, and from this projects an octagonal object.
There may be two in the storeroom. If you can, bring both."
"What does it do?" Hawkmoon inquired.
"That you will see when you return with it."
"If we return with it," said Oladahn in a tone of philosophical gloom.
Chapter Four
THE MECHANICAL BEAST
HAVING REFRESHED THEMSELVES on food and wine stolen from D'Averc's men by the wraith-folk, Hawkmoon and Oladahn strapped on their weapons and prepared to leave the house.
With two of the men of Soryandum supporting them, they were borne gently down to the ground.
"May the Runestaff protect you," whispered one, as the pair made for the city wall, "for we have heard that you serve it.", Hawkmoon turned to ask him how he had heard this. It was the second time he had been told that he served the Runestaff; yet he had no knowledge that he did. But before he could speak the wraith-man had vanished.