“It could be a trick,” he reasoned. “A trick to lure me here. A trap? But why?”
He looked again at the runes on his skin, was reassured. He was strong, his magic was strong, back to normal. If it was a trap, these dragon-snakes were going to discover they’d caught more than they’d bargained for—
Cries, shouts, footsteps, jarred Haplo from his thoughts.
“Haplo!” It was Grundle, howling.
He flung open his door. The mensch came running toward him, racing down the corridor. Alake lit their way, holding in her hand a lantern containing some sort of spongelike creature that gave off a bright, white light.[25] The mensch appeared considerably startled to see Haplo, whose skin was glowing as brightly as their lantern. They stumbled to a halt, huddled together, stared at him in awe.
In the darkness, the sigla shining brilliantly, he must be a marvelous spectacle.
“I ... I guess we don’t need this,” said Alake faintly, and dropped the lantern.
It fell to the deck with a clatter that went through Haplo like sharp knives.
“Shut up!” he hissed.
The three gulped, nodded, exchanged frightened glances. They must think the dragon-snakes are spying on us. Well, perhaps they are, Haplo thought grimly. Every trained and inbred instinct warned him to tread softly, walk warily. He motioned, with his hand, for them to come closer. They moved down the passageway, trying their best to be quiet. Alake’s beads jangled, Grundle’s heavy boots thumped on the deck with a hollow sound, Devon got tangled up in his skirts, tripped, stumbled into a wall.
“Hush!” Haplo commanded softly, furiously. “Don’t move!” The mensch froze. Making less noise than the darkness, Haplo crept over to Grundle, knelt beside her. “What’s happened? Do you know?” The dwarf nodded, opened her mouth. Haplo drew her near him, pointed to his ear. Her whiskers tickled his cheek.
“I think we’ve sailed into a cave.”
Haplo considered. Yes, that made sense. It would explain the sudden darkness.
“Is this place where the dragon-snakes live, do you think?” asked Alake. She had moved over to stand beside Haplo. He could feel her slender body trembling, but her voice was firm.
“Yes, the dragon-snakes are here,” Haplo said, looking at the glowing sigla on his hands.
Alake edged closer. Devon drew a deep, shivering breath, pressed his lips tightly together. Grundle humpfed and frowned.
No screams, no tears, no panic. Haplo was forced to give the mensch grudging credit for that much courage.
“What do we do?” asked Devon, trying very hard to keep his voice from cracking.
“We stay here,” said Haplo. “We don’t go anywhere or do anything. We wait.”
“We’re not going to be waiting very long,” Grundle observed.
“What? Why not?” Haplo demanded.
In answer, she pointed above his head. Haplo looked up. The light shining from his skin illuminated the wooden planks above them. They were wet, shining. A drop of water fell to the floor at Haplo’s feet. Another followed, and another.
Haplo sprang back, flattened himself against the wall. He stared at the water on the deck, looked up at the drops that were falling from the overhead. The drops had merged into a trickle, the trickle was rapidly becoming a stream.
“The ship’s breaking apart,” stated Grundle, then frowned. “Dwarven submersibles don’t break apart, though. It must be the snakes.”
“They’re driving us out. We’ll have to swim,” said Alake. “Don’t worry, Grundle. Devon and I will help you.”
“I’m not worried,” said the dwarf. Her gaze slid to Haplo. For the first time in his life, he knew stark terror—weakening, debilitating. His fear robbed him of his ability to think, to reason. He could do nothing except stare with a terrible fascination at the water that was creeping nearer and nearer his feet.
Swim! He almost laughed. So it is a trap! They lure me here, then see to it that I’m helpless.
Water splashed on his arm. Haplo flinched, wiped it off hastily. Too late. Where the seawater touched the skin, the sigla’s glow darkened. The water was rising, it sloshed over the toes of his boots. He could feel the circle of his magic slowly begin to crack and crumble.
“Haplo! What’s wrong!” Alake cried.
A section of the hull gave way. Wood snapped and splintered. Water cascaded in through the gaping hole. The elf lost his footing, slid beneath the torrent. Alake, clinging to an upright beam, caught hold of Devon’s wrist, saved him from being washed down the corridor. He staggered to his feet.
“We can’t stay here!” he shouted.
The water was level with Grundle’s waist and the dwarf maid was starting to panic. Her nut-brown complexion had gone sallow. Her eyes were round, her chin beginning to quiver. Dwarves can breathe the seawater, in the same manner as elves and humans, but—probably because their solid bodies are so ungainly in the water—they don’t like the sea, don’t trust it.
Grundle had never been in water up over her ankles. Now it was rising to her chest.
“Help! Alake, Devon! help m-me!” she shrieked, flailing about with her arms, splashing wildly. “Alakeeeee!”
“Grundle! It’s all right!”
“Here, catch hold of my hand. Ouch! Don’t pinch. I’ve got you. Let loose a bit. There, take Alake’s hand, too.”
“I have you, Grundle. You’re going to be fine. Relax. No, don’t swallow the water. Duck your head down and take a breath just as you would the air. No! Don’t! You’ll choke! She’s choking. Grundle . . .”
The dwarf sank beneath the water, came up coughing and sputtering, increasing her panic.
“We better get her to the surface!” cried Devon.
Alake cast a worried look in Haplo’s direction.
He had neither moved nor spoken. The water was up to his thighs. The light from his skin had all but died out.
Haplo saw her look, saw that she was concerned about him. He almost laughed out loud.
“Go on!” he snarled.
More planks were giving way, the water was almost to Grundle’s nose. The dwarf maid fought to keep her head above it, panted and gurgled. Devon winced in pain. “She’s tearing my hand off, Alake! Come on!”
“Go!” Haplo commanded angrily.
The hull gave way with a shattering crash. Water surged inside the ship, closed over Haplo’s head. He lost sight of the mensch, lost sight of everything. It was as if night had taken on liquid shape and form. He knew a moment’s panic equal to the dwarf’s. He held his breath until it hurt, not wanting to breathe the darkness. A part of his despairing mind told him it would be far easier to drown. His body refused to let him, however. He gasped, began to breathe water. After a few moments, his head cleared. He couldn’t see, and groped his way among the wreckage. Shoving broken timbers to one side, he managed to free himself.
He swam aimlessly, wondering if he was going to be doomed to flounder about in this watery night until he collapsed from exhaustion. But even as the thought took shape in his mind, his head popped up out of the water. Gratefully, he sucked in air.
Floating on the surface, he trod water quietly, and looked around him. A large campfire had been built on the shore. Wood crackled and burned, offering comforting warmth and light. Its ruddy glow was reflected off the cavern’s rock ceiling and walls.
Haplo sensed fear, coming from outside him. Overwhelming terror surrounded him. The walls were covered with some sort of sticky green-brown substance that seemed to ooze from the rock like blood. He had the strange impression that the cave itself was wounded, that it lived in fear. Fear and horrible pain.
Ridiculous.
Haplo glanced swiftly behind him, to either side, but could see little. Here and there, a gleam of firelight played on wet rock.
The sound of splashing drew his attention. Three figures—black shadows against the orange firelight—emerged from the water. Two of the figures were helping the third, who could not walk. By this, the musical sound of clashing beads, and a muffled groan from the third figure, Haplo judged them to be his mensch.
25
The pricklebulb fish. Spherical with long razor-edged fronds, it emits a bright light that serves as a lure for its victims. If it feels threatened, its light glows even brighter, until it blinds the potential predator and drives it away. For this reason, it is wise to keep the lantern well fed and comfortable.