“Only later did I realize how much I missed him. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I’ve gone back to the cavern every day since then, to see his frozen body. Now I know what friendship is… maybe even love. This kind of feeling does not usually exist among gorgons. So this has been a great revelation for me. I am truly sorry, and I came here to make amends for what I did. I’m willing to betray Karmakas and to tell you secrets that you’ll be able to use against his powers.”
Amos was touched by Medusa’s account. He sighed and kept silent a moment. “This won’t bring back my friend,” he said finally.
“You know, he talked a lot about you,” the young gorgon answered. “I know that you don’t get discouraged easily, and I know how to bring Beorf back to life. Win this battle, take back the city, and I’ll give you your friend just as he was before.”
“How can I trust you after what you just told me?” Amos asked. “Who says that this isn’t a trick to help Karmakas?”
“Let me finish, then you’ll decide if I’m loyal to you. I know the sorcerer’s plans. He’ll attack you as soon as you take the road to Bratel-la-Grande. He’ll sense your presence and send hordes of venomous vipers against you. I know these animals well and it takes only one bite from them to send their victims into a deep coma. Their venom moves slowly to the heart and blocks all the arteries. Death is certain for whoever is bitten. I know also that Karmakas has a basilisk. I can’t tell you what a basilisk is. I only heard him mention it a few days ago.”
Amos frowned. “I was right, then. The pendant contained a rooster’s egg. I know the power of this animal-the basilisk.”
“Good, because Karmakas will not hesitate to use it against you. And that’s not all. Inside the city walls, an army of gorgons is eager to wage battle. Karmakas’s two hundred warriors are bored and squabble all the time to amuse themselves. They’ve pilfered the knights’ weapons storehouse and have all kinds of swords, bows, spears, and clubs at their disposal. You and your men seem to know the secret to killing gorgons. I realized that as soon as I heard one of your men give the order to raise the mirrors. But I must tell you that this is also the only way to bring the city inhabitants back to life. The stone statues will be immediately freed of the curse when the gorgons who petrified them die as they see their own reflections. You know, I’m sorry that-”
Amos interrupted her. “If I understand properly, the only way to free Beorf from the curse is for you to look at your reflection in a mirror?”
Gravely, Medusa nodded. “I know how to free Beorf,” she said. “Trust me. Let me help you by redeeming myself. I promise I’ll give you your friend back. Consider me an ally. My help will be invaluable. I have a few good ideas to ensnare Karmakas. With my knowledge and your cleverness, we can defeat him.”
17 THE BATTLE
Led by their lord Junos, the Knights of Equilibrium reached Bratel-la-Grande just before sunrise. The night had been long and sleepless for the men of Berrion. Heavy clouds hung in the sky. The pale light of dawn tarnished the landscape around the capital. The sinister atmosphere filled the knights with anxiety. Even Junos looked gloomy and he had lost any trace of his good humor.
From the top of the highest tower in the castle, Karmakas rejoiced when he saw the Berrion army take position in the fields. The sorcerer stroked the head of his basilisk tenderly. The creature had hatched the day before. Now, Karmakas put it down in a gold cage at his feet.
“Be patient, little one, ssss, my little treasure,” he said with affection. “It will soon, ssss, be your turn to act.”
The sorcerer raised his arm. He concentrated and repeated a magic formula in an ancient dialect. In the fields, the knights saw a black cloud rise above the city.
“Stay on your horses and get ready to flee quickly,” Junos shouted to his men. “If Amos is right, we’ll easily win this first encounter.”
Karmakas continued his incantation. A strong wind rose over Bratel-la-Grande and pushed the dark cloud toward the army. Suddenly, midway between the walls of the city and the spot where the Berrion men were, the cloud exploded in a deafening thunder. Hundreds of asps and cobras fell from the sky like a rain of swarming and slimy pieces of rope. The horses reared up and several knights were about to run off.
“Keep your position! Keep your position!” Junos shouted as he galloped in front of his men.
The army remained in place as the snakes crawled toward them upon touching the ground. They moved through the high grass in the fields like an ocean wave coming quickly to shore.
“Prepare the cages!” Junos ordered.
Every knight reached for the cage doors containing the starving mongooses. The snakes were arriving rapidly and were now only a few yards away from the horses. From the top of his perch, Karmakas looked at the sight with glee. He sniggered and rubbed his hands, sure that his snakes would quickly destroy these conceited humans.
“Free the mongooses!” Junos shouted when the time was right.
The doors of four hundred cages, containing one or two mongooses each, opened in unison. Seven hundred and seventy-seven small mammals that had been starved for days pounced onto the reptiles. The knights bolted away at full gallop. Being more agile than the snakes, the mongooses were jumping through the air, avoiding the fangs of their enemies and inflicting them with deadly wounds at each attack. As quick as lightning, their paws immobilized the cobras on the ground, while their strong teeth crushed the cobras’ heads. The mongooses caught the asps by their tail and twirled them in the air. Dizzy, the small snakes lost their reflexes, which allowed the mongooses to pin them to the ground and inflict a deadly bite. Although superior in number, the reptiles were completely overwhelmed. There was no escape, no place to hide.
The battle lasted hardly ten minutes. About twenty mongooses lost their lives. Around the surviving ones, thousands of snakes lay lifeless in the grass. The mongooses began to feast under Karmakas’s eyes.
The sorcerer seethed with rage. He stamped his feet, howling insults in his naga language and shaking his head in disbelief. How had the Berrion army known that he was going to send a cloud of snakes to rain over them? He had used this magic trick often, and few had ever managed to survive! As he looked at the unscathed men of Berrion, who were returning to their position in the fields, he smiled a tight smile.
“You’ve now, ssss, met your end!” he shouted.
Karmakas opened the cage of the basilisk and took the horrible creature in his hands.
“Go and shred, ssss, this band of buffoons!” Karmakas ordered it.
Amos and Medusa were hiding in the tall grass, not far from the walls of Bratel-la-Grande. From this strategic spot, the mask wearer could easily see the city gates through a telescope. He was happy with what the mongooses had accomplished and waited confidently for the rest to unfold. He knew that Karmakas would be enraged and would unleash his basilisk. Amos had his rooster on his knees and was ready for the next round.
He had evaluated the situation and sent his orders to Junos in a sphere of wind. Suddenly the gates of the city opened. The basilisk-the size of a large hen-came out. He was exactly as described in the book that Amos had read: His body was snakelike, but he had the head of a rooster and the beak of a vulture. He walked on two thin, featherless legs much like those of a chicken.