But the devious thief was already elsewhere. A leap, a tumbling roll, and a catlike recovery brought him to where the room's chandelier was fastened by a chain to its central position overhead. With a mighty hack, the long, thick-bladed dagger severed the bronze links. The chandelier plummeted down, and the pain-maddened medusa had all she could do to avoid its fall. The chamber was now dark, save for the light spilling down the stairs from the room above, and Gord noted that even that illumination was virtually shut off by the blocky form of Pledd shambling down to assist his mistress. No matter; Gord needed no light, for his sword enabled him to see well enough in absolute blackness. Not knowing this, the medusa screamed her awful rage again and leaped to grapple with her opponent. She thought to grasp Gord and hold him fast while the asplike growths that were her hair sent their venom surging into the slender human form, which would then blacken and die in agony.
"Yargh!" Gord exclaimed in horror as he perceived the medusa's intent. While holding forth the dagger in his left hand to fend off her grasping lunge, the young adventurer swung his sword instinctively in an arc from right to left. Its blade sheared off the mass of thumb-thick, writhing ex-crescencies as a scythe cuts ripe grain. The combination of parry and thrust was sufficient to keep the monster off him and bring an end to the contest. With a final, gut-wrenching screech, the medusa fell to the floor, stone dead.
"What's happened?" Pledd asked loudly as he reached the bottom of the stairs and squinted into the near-darkness. He was standing in the doorway, his twisted form silhouetted by the descending light Before coming back from the chamber above, he had acquired a double-headed flail. He swung the spiked heads of the weapon back and forth blindly before him as he peered around, seeking to learn where his mistress was. A few seconds later, Gord answered the question in a gruff and terrible-sounding voice.
"She is dead, Pledd — as dead as you will soon be, unless you toss aside that little flail and surrender nowl"
The hunchback spent only a second absorbing that bit of information. Unable to see the creature who had killed his mistress, able only to guess what terrible powers it might have. Pledd simply let go of the flail. As it clattered to the floor, he spoke. "Spare my life, demon or devil, whichever you might be. I will gladly show you where all the treasures she took are stored!" The voice of the fellow wavered and cracked. He was truly frightened by the unknown peril.
Gord spoke again from the darkness. "Make no light, move slowly and directly. Go to the place the valuables are. Reveal them fully, and step back. If you fail to obey a single one of those commands, I will rend you limb from limb . . . slowly!"
"Y-y-yes, m-m-master," the hunchback stammered as he turned to go back up the flight of steps. Then he halted and said in a pleading voice. "Oh, master, what am I to do? I will make no light myself, but the place above is already illuminated by the foul medusa's command."
"Go upward, worm," Gord said from another place in the room. Pledd swiveled his head in surprise at the new location of the voice, but Gord knew he could see nothing still. "I will follow you, although you will not see me. Extinguish the light, go to the treasure, and reveal it Go now!"
The rest was simple. Pledd was absolutely cooperative, tried no tricks, and even volunteered information on the contents of the brass chest that held the collected loot of the dead medusa. Gord shuddered at the thought of those who had died in order to gain the wealth — but that did not stop him from scooping it all into a leather sack.
"Crook-back, this is more than I expected. Because you did not resist, I grant you your life, as well as whatever share of this treasure you have already received from your foul mistress." Pledd began to profusely thank his unseen adversary, but Gord cut him short. "Should you remain in Greyhawk after tonight, I will not spare your miserable life again. If the setting of the sun on the morrow sees you within the city, I will come for your soul itself!"
Pledd was looking around the dark room, babbling assurances of his immediate departure from the city, as the young thief stole downstairs. It took but a couple of minutes for Gord to find the hidden catch, unlock and open the door, and exit the tower. Gord's emotions ran the gamut as he headed down the street and back toward the Lotus House. He smiled to himself as he envisioned the hunchback still gibbering his gratitude in the upmost story of the tower, not aware that he was now alone. Then he shivered with revulsion at the thought of the medusa and the horrible fate he had just escaped. A moment later he was happy again, for his haul was indeed all he had hoped for.
He lost no time getting back to the Lotus House and giving Ageella the good news. "Slip away as soon as you can," Gord whispered into her ear as she left the dance floor and took a seat at his table.
Ageelia frowned slightly and said, "The risk is great, and tomorrow I am to be sold, so I doubt I can get free for a tryst, Gord."
It was just after midnight. Gord knew Ageella would perform no more tonight, although the establishment would entertain customers for several hours yet. He could contain himself no longer. "This is no assignation, my love!" he beamed. "I want you to come and see what I have."
"I have seen it before," she said.
"Stop this coy jesting, lady of my dreams." Gord said with a pleading tone and a hurt look. "I am trying to tell you I have more than the price the Overking's agents have brought. I will purchase your freedom — tonight!"
"More than a thousand gold orbs?" Ageelia's look displayed pure disbelief.
Gord took her hand and placed a brooch in her little palm. Ageella gasped, for the pin was set with a dazzling array of diamonds and a huge emerald as clear and green as the girl's eyes.
"This is a small gift," he said with obvious pride.
"But it is worth at least fifty or a hundred orbs itself!" Ageelia managed to utter. "You have this, and enough to pay for my freedom besides?"
"Yes — a thousand times yes," Gord replied fervently, "and I will purchase your freedom so that you may freely give me your love."
"Oh, Gord, I do love you! I will be with you in an hour."
"Promise!" he commanded.
Ageelia was rising, but she trailed her hand across the young thiefs brow, caressing his ear, his hair. "I wouldn't miss being there for the world, love. I promise," she said softly. Then she slipped through the curtained doorway at the rear of the room.
During the second hour of the day, that dull and dark time when most folk slept. Ageelia and Gord laughed and loved and let precious gems and glittering coins trickle through their fingers. Finally they made neat stacks of platinum plates and gold orbs, placing each pile carefully inside a heavy iron box that was usually concealed within the apartment's water closet. Until Gord had returned from slaying the medusa, the box had held only a handful of coins of small value. Now, in addition to the hundred and a half great coins, it contained a varicolored array of loose gems and sufficient jewelry to finance a war.
"There is twice a thousand gold orbs here, Gord!" Ageelia exclaimed. "You are wonderful!"
Gord kissed her full, red mouth passionately, then held her at arm's length and laughed. "You are a treasure worth more than all the gold and gems in the world, Ageelia."
"How much is really here, my love?"
"The worth of all this, reduced to coin, will be slightly more than one and one-quarter thousand gold orbs — it depends on the mood of my fence, Basil, and his available cash, too. The Malik is taking a chance to renege on his bargain with the Overking, so I thought I would offer him some incentive — virtually all of this, say one and one-quarter thousand gold, for your liberty." At this. Ageelia shook her head in wonder, her raven tresses glimmering in the golden lamplight.