Part 28 (1/2)
”Dennis, I just felt it again.”
”Felt what?”
”That sense that someone or something has come into the world.
Like the time I knew your little metal house had arrived, many months ago. . .and when I felt you, as well, arrive on Tatir.”
Dennis shook his head to dear it. ”You mean someone's using the zievatron?”
Linnora didn't understand. She merely stared into the night.
He wondered. Could Linnora really tell when the zievatron was operating? If she could, then did that mean someone else had just stepped through the reality transfer machine, following him onto this world?
Dennis sighed. He pitied the poor sucker, whoever it was. There was nothing he could do to help the fellow right now, that was for sure. The guy was in for one series of rude shocks.
”Well, no sense worrying about it,” he told the Princess. ”Come back and get some sleep. It'll be a busy day tomorrow.”
3 As the dawn light spread across the upland meadow, the little alien house shone with the colors of a King's ransom in metal. The scholar Hoss'k whispered for his guards to keep still.
Hoss'k eyed the little house speculatively. The G.o.ds only knew how he was going to take the d.a.m.nable thing apart. There had been a reason he had refrained from harvesting the whole thing months back. And it hadn't only been the need to get the captured Princess back to Kremer as quickly as possible.
Anyway, the whole question might be moot. Just like the last time, Hoss'k had arrived only to find somebody here ahead of him! A solitary figure paced impatiently about the clearing, muttering softly and carrying boxes out of the little metal house.
In the dim light, Hoss'k could half imagine that it was the foreign wizard himself! After all, the metal house was one of the obvious places to look for the fellow.
Perhaps Nuel could be made to disa.s.semble the house for him! In any event, capturing and returning the wizard to Kremer would do a lot to relieve the warlord's wrath.
Hoss'k was disappointed when the growing light revealed the intruder to be a light-haired man. It wasn't Dennis Nuel at all, although the fellow did seem rather tall, like the wizard.
And as he and his guards listened from the cover of a nearby copse of trees, it seemed the fellow did speak with the same outrageous accent. Hoss'd strained to pick up the words as the foreigner mumbled to himself.
”. . .b.l.o.o.d.y mess!. . .return mechanism torn apart. . .stuff strewn around on the ground. . . crazy note about local intelligent beings!”
The foreigner snorted as he picked through a pile of items pulled from crates on the ground.
”. . .getting even with me, that's what he's doing. Just because I went to N-Mart for his gear instead of that expensive wilderness store he picked. . .probably decided to go play explorer, and really did a number on the d.a.m.ned zievatron just to make certain n.o.body else could fix it. . .must've known Flaster'd pick me next. . . .”
Hoss'k had heard enough. One wizard would do in place of another.
Maybe this one would be more tractable!
He motioned for his guards to spread out to surround the unsuspecting alien.
4 ”Watcha doin', Dennizz?”
Dennis looked up from his work. In the predawn half light he felt tired and irritable. Arth was supposed to be with Linnora, helping prepare breakfast for their busy day ahead. ”What does it look like I'm doing, Arth?”
”Wellll. . .” Arth rubbed his chin in what he had adopted as his ”engineer's” stance. He clearly thought Dennis's question was Socratic, not sarcastic.
”Uh, it looks to me like you're attachin' the glider to th' cart, makin'
its wings into sails, like on a boat.”
Dennis shrugged.
Arth snapped his fingers. ”Sure! Why not? There's lots o' wind up in these heights. Might help us along some o' those uphill stretches ahead!” He turned and called back to the shack, where cooking smells were beginning to waft.
”Hey, Princess!” Arth shouted, ”come lookit what th' wizard's come up with!”
Dennis sighed and worked steadily. They would have to get out of here soon. They had gained a good head start yesterday afternoon.
But Kremer's troops couldn't be tar behind them. He only wished he were really as sure as Linnora and Arth were that he could get them out of their next jam. He would hate to see the disappointed looks on their faces when he finally let them down.
5 ”Father, the attacks have begun!”
Prince Linsee looked up from the great map table as his son, Proll, strode into the conference room.
”Where have they struck?”
”All of the pa.s.ses to the east are under a.s.sault by Kremer's toady allies. The attacks were synchronized by messengers riding his accursed gliders. We expect another major force to hit us along the northern trade route within a day at most.”
Linsee looked to Demsen. The leader of the Royal Scouts detachment shook his head. ”If all the western lords have joined Kremer, I cannot get a message out to the King, especially not when those gliders are aloft. The plains of Darb are too broad to cross in a single night, even on a fast horse.”
”Perhaps with a balloon?” Linsee suggested.
Demsen shrugged. ”And risk the few we have? Sigel and Gath are doing their best, but unless one of your people can lure a coven of Krenegee to help, I doubt the flotilla will be ready in time.”
Prince Linsee looked downcast. There seemed to be little hope.
”Don't worry, old friend.” Demsen clasped Prince Linsee's shoulder. ”We shall give them a fight. And something may come up.”
6 ”I thought those sails were supposed to help us!” Arth grunted as he pulled on the little cart. From behind, Dennis pushed, ”So maybe it doesn't work! Not every good idea pans out. Sue me!”
They pushed the cart up a steep incline and finally reached a long, even stretch where they could rest. Dennis wiped perspiration from his brow and motioned Linnora to climb back aboard.
”I can walk some more, Dennis. Truly I can.” Linnora looked angry at being forced to ride and having to watch as the two men did all the work.
Dennis was impressed with her stoicism and courage. Surely her feet and ankles still caused her great pain. Yet it was she who seemed the most anxious to press on rather than find a place in the hills to hide and wait out the coming battles.
”Sure you can probably walk some more,” Dennis said firmly. ”But pretty soon you may have to run. I want you to be able to do it when the time comes.”
Linnora looked as though she were about to become stubborn.
Finally she sighed.
”Oh, all right! I shall practice the cart some more and work on your sails for you.”
She reached up, grabbed Dennis by the hair, and kissed him soundly. When she finished, she nodded ”Hmmph!” as if by doing so she had established some important point. Then she climbed into the cart and took her accustomed seat, looking straight ahead.
Dennis blinked in confusion for a moment but decided not to question anything that felt so nice.