[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.He took a deep breath and shook his head; the effect was that his wild-looking hair jumped and fell in unusual ways.“A reason?” he repeated.“Does this reason have anything to do with helping Telur fight their battles?”“That’s why we came here, but it has nothing to do why we came to your palace, knowing we’d be arrested,” Kara shouted.Her tone was every bit as angry as the king’s, although spittle didn’t fly as she hollered.“What’s this?” Vognar asked, his anger blunted by his confusion.“You came to the palace? I thought you were arrested and brought here.” His body started to turn, undoubtedly searching for Grom, but he stopped as Kara started speaking again.“Yes, that’s why we came here, to ask for your help, but we already knew it was pointless.That’s why we were trying to flee this damned city, and that’s when we discovered that you have goblins loose in your tunnels.”Vognar’s eyebrows pulled down in confusion, deep furrows completely covering his forehead.“What did you say?” he demanded.The anger was gone from his voice, but there was still a cold, threatening tone.“Goblins?”Blore took a deep breath and stepped closer.“Yes, Vognar, there are goblins in the tunnels.”Derek started at Blore using the king’s first name; it implied a very close relationship and he found that surprising.Vognar stared at Blore hard for several moments and then he said, “If you’re lying, I’ll have no choice but to execute you.”“I understand and I would never lie about such a thing,” Blore said, his back straightening.It seemed to imply that he didn’t much like the suggestion that he would lie.Or perhaps it wasn’t so much that the king had implied he would lie, but rather that he would lie about goblins.“We all saw the goblin,” Derek said.The room was deathly quiet and his words seemed to reverberate around the small space.“Where did you see them?” Vognar asked, and for just a moment his eyes came to rest on Derek.In that moment, Derek felt like the king was looking into his very soul, searching for answers.“At the gates to the Wizard’s Portal,” Belgil answered quietly.“King Vognar, you did remove the key after Flare, Holgar, and myself traveled through, didn’t you?”Vognar took a deep breath, glaring at Belgil.“Of course I did.What do you take me for, a fool?”Kara snorted, leaving little doubt that she, at least, thought the king was a complete and utter fool.No one else said a word.Vognar shot a nasty look in Kara’s direction, but let the insult pass.“It is impossible for the goblins to use the Wizard’s Portal.” He glared once more at Belgil.“Remind me later to have a talk with you about secrets.”Belgil swallowed hard but said nothing.Derek thought he knew what that was about.Vognar had told Holgar and Belgil about the portal, but it was supposed to be a secret.Given the number of people in the room, it was one secret that was now bound to spread.“Forgive me, my king,” Belgil said, “but where is the key?”Vognar’s eyes narrowed, it seemed he didn’t like being questioned.After a moment, the king sighed.“It’s in the throne room, but I assure you that there aren’t any goblins in Az’ha’rill’hadell.You must be mistaken about what you saw.”Derek noticed he was careful not to accuse the dwarves of lying.“Can we see it?” Blore asked.“Can we see the key?”“We were not mistaken,” Derek said quietly.“There are goblins in the tunnels.If they are not using the portal, then there has to be another secret way into Az’ha’rill’hadell.”Vognar considered briefly and then threw his hands up in frustration.“Follow me and I’ll show you the key.”The king turned and stalked from the room, followed closely by Emlin.The old dwarf gave a nervous glance over his shoulder at the captives.The four captives followed Emlin quickly from the room.Grom and the other dwarven guards brought up the rear.Derek noticed Grom was pink-faced and shooting hateful looks at Kara.She had exposed his boasting for lies and in front of the king.Derek hoped that she was never left alone where the fat dwarf could get at her.The king led them through stone hallways where heavily-carved pillars held up the ceiling far above their heads.Many doorways opened off the hallway on either side, but the king kept going straight, not even bothering to look to the left or right.There were few other dwarves in the halls at this time of night, the few exceptions being guards and servants; both hurried to get out of the group’s way.After a brief walk, they approached a magnificent rounded arch.On either side of the arch was a guard.The one on the right opened the door for the king.“Has anyone entered the throne room this evening?” Vognar asked.“Entered? No, my king, no one has entered since you left,” the guard replied.The king nodded his head, apparently that was the answer he had been expecting.Without another word, the king stepped between the guards and into the throne room.The throne room was awe-inspiring.Four rows of columns held up the ceiling several stories above their heads.The columns and the stone walls were made of worked marble.The columns were covered in carvings showing famous events of dwarvish history.The room was moderately well-lit, but none of the light-producing mold was in evidence, which left only one answer.“Magic,” Derek said quietly.A guard shoved him from behind and Derek took several quick steps forward to prevent himself from sprawling on his face.He whirled to face the guard but pulled up at the sight of three others, all shoulder-to-shoulder.“Keep moving!” the nearest guard growled and hefted a small cudgel in the air.Derek idly wondered if they would beat him here in the throne room and with the king watching.He quickly decided not to try the guards.He got the feeling they would enjoy beating him, or any of them for that matter.The king led them through the center of the columns.After twenty yards, stairs led up to an ornate throne.It was made of solid gold and precious stones covered the chair’s back above where the king’s head would rest.In the very center of the chair was a large, blood-red ruby.The ruby was easily the size of a man’s balled fist.Behind the throne, and slightly lower, were two doors, one on either side of the throne
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]