Part 12 (1/2)

Wind-voice dove through the empty doorway and into a long, narrow tunnel. He soared down the stone corridor.

He was in a great round hall. There were towering panels of stained gla.s.s standing on all sides but no sign of Maldeor. Where had he gone? Wind-voice hurried down the hall, peering around him. As he pa.s.sed the first panel, a candle behind it burst into flame, making him jump back. It showed a finch, dying, crushed beneath the claws of a huge archaeopteryx who, laughing, held a long sword.

Cruel scenes blazed out from each panel as Wind-voice pa.s.sed by. But still there was no sign of Maldeor.

There was only one panel still dark. As Wind-voice dashed past it, the image on it glowed with brilliant color. Wind-voice stopped, hesitated, and came back to look.

The panel showed a group of hopeful birds-a robin, a kingfisher, a penguin, an eagle, a seagull, a parrot-reaching their claws out. Above their heads hovered gemstones.

As Wind-voice stared, the gla.s.s window split and opened like a door.

Inside was a tunnel that curved up and out of his sight. He launched himself forward and pumped his wings for height. The smooth, rounded walls of the tunnel were covered by a smooth white surface, like mother-of-pearl, that gave off its own light so he could see where he was going. The tunnel spiraled, taking him higher and higher. One wing tip lightly brushed the outer wall as he flew faster and faster. The turns were tight but the slope was not steep.

Then he heard vibrating booms inside. They got louder as Wind-voice flew higher.

The tunnel abruptly ended and he nearly ran into the back of the archaeopteryx, hovering, staring at a solid flat wall, a dead end, before him. On the wall hung a carving of gray feldspar. Concentric rings went dizzyingly around a central point, where two flat rocks twice the size of Maldeor overlapped each other. Maldeor jerked his head up at the sound of Wind-voice's panting.

His eyes widened momentarily. Wind-voice was now the same size as he was!

”Trying to stop me, are you? Seeking death?” he snarled. He drew his sword and dove at Wind-voice.

Wind-voice flew to one wall, braced himself against it, pushed off, and leaped to the left. He kept his sword between himself and Maldeor. He must distract him and buy time for the hero to arrive and claim the sword.

”There's something I don't understand,” he heard himself saying. ”How can you wage such war and yet say that you want to bring peace?”

Maldeor snorted as if it were obvious. ”I will make a better world, free of ignoramuses and meaningless fighting, where birds have common sense, like me.” Better kill him off immediately now when he has little room to escape, Better kill him off immediately now when he has little room to escape, Maldeor thought. The archaeopteryx unleashed his ultimate move, the Deadly Fate. Wind-voice met it with a vertical slash. His cheek and neck burned and he felt blood beneath his eye. Otherwise he was unharmed. Maldeor thought. The archaeopteryx unleashed his ultimate move, the Deadly Fate. Wind-voice met it with a vertical slash. His cheek and neck burned and he felt blood beneath his eye. Otherwise he was unharmed.

Maldeor stared at Wind-voice. ”You ought to have died! Slave you have been; though you've grown in size, now you bear such a mark again.” Maldeor laughed, trying to cover his confusion. ”And you have a slave's stupidity, too, or you would understand the obvious. Peace can only be gained by force. Birds must be controlled. There is no other way.”

”Peace cannot be forced,” Wind-voice retorted firmly. ”There is no true peace under force.”

Maldeor's face was a picture of derision and contempt. He slashed out again, but Wind-voice parried successfully. The clang of the steel blades rang and echoed off the close stone walls.

Where was the hero? Surely he would come any moment now. Wind-voice knew he could not hold out for long. ”When the hero comes,” he murmured. ”When he comes...”

”He is here,” Maldeor said. ”I am he. How does this door open?” Maldeor demanded. ”You wouldn't have come here unless you thought you could open it. Tell me and perhaps I'll let you live!”

Wind-voice retreated until the stone wall was at his back, and Maldeor swooped in closer. Wind-voice could see a vein pulsating on the archaeopteryx's left eyelid like a small azure snake.

”I don't know!” Wind-voice shot back. Peace opens the door Peace opens the door, he thought. But what does that mean? But what does that mean? He folded his wings, dropping suddenly below Maldeor, and then rose up beneath him. Maldeor screeched with rage and struggled to turn in the narrow s.p.a.ce. Now Wind-voice was nearer to the mysterious door than his enemy was. But when he tried to lay a claw upon it, something unseen but too powerful to be resisted seemed to brush him aside. He folded his wings, dropping suddenly below Maldeor, and then rose up beneath him. Maldeor screeched with rage and struggled to turn in the narrow s.p.a.ce. Now Wind-voice was nearer to the mysterious door than his enemy was. But when he tried to lay a claw upon it, something unseen but too powerful to be resisted seemed to brush him aside.

All of a sudden, something clicked in Wind-voice's mind. To get through that door, he must not be armed. He must go in peace.

He looked back. Maldeor was growling at him now. Would he be crazy to disarm himself when he was a mere wing's length away from a murderer?

The hero wasn't here, and if he let Maldeor kill him, the archaeopteryx might easily figure out how to open the door, and then the sword would be his.

Wind-voice dropped his weapon. It fell and clattered on the s.h.i.+ning floor of the tunnel and started sliding, curving out of sight along the spiral.

A deep grinding noise shook the carving on the wall. The two flat rocks trembled and slowly slid apart to reveal a round gaping hole.

Maldeor understood at once. I must disarm myself, but I won't let 013-Unidentified off so easily.... I must disarm myself, but I won't let 013-Unidentified off so easily.... Instead of dropping his weapon, he flung it at Wind-voice's head. As Wind-voice ducked to avoid the whirling blade, Maldeor got a head start. He charged into the hole and disappeared. Instead of dropping his weapon, he flung it at Wind-voice's head. As Wind-voice ducked to avoid the whirling blade, Maldeor got a head start. He charged into the hole and disappeared.

”Oh no...” Worry gnawed at Wind-voice's heart. He immediately zipped into the hole as well. Blackness blanketed him. Nothing could be seen ahead. Where was Maldeor? The darkness lasted for a few seconds, and then unexpectedly two monstrous eyes lit up before them. What's that? What's that? Wind-voice wondered. As he flew closer, he discovered that they were only eye-shaped crystal doors. ”Look into the eyes to choose your path,” Wind-voice said to himself. Wind-voice wondered. As he flew closer, he discovered that they were only eye-shaped crystal doors. ”Look into the eyes to choose your path,” Wind-voice said to himself.

A milky white mist swirled across the doors; then it cleared and on each crystal a scene appeared. Wind-voice saw himself raising a blazing sword in his claws on the right crystal. On the left crystal loomed ghostly, thin faces, all sorts of birds, ragged and dirty, with big eyes. They reached out their claws beseechingly.

”Which way did Maldeor go?” Wind-voice wondered. He looked at the image of the poor birds on the left. He pushed it and it swung inward.

The left door didn't lead to a room at all but into a deep green forest. Above was a clouded sky. A s.h.i.+ning light low in the mid-distance caught Wind-voice's attention. ”A fallen star,” he whispered, and drifted toward it. But the light spilled from a crystal casket, caught in the twining boughs of an oddly shaped tree. The sheer intensity of the light made the casket glow like a white cylinder.

Where is the hero? Where is Maldeor? Wind-voice thought. Wind-voice thought. Since the hero's sword is here, and since Maldeor is near, Maldeor could get the sword at any moment. I'll stay here and fight him if he does. But what if I lose? I must take the sword out and hide it somewhere for the hero so that Maldeor cannot find it. Since the hero's sword is here, and since Maldeor is near, Maldeor could get the sword at any moment. I'll stay here and fight him if he does. But what if I lose? I must take the sword out and hide it somewhere for the hero so that Maldeor cannot find it.

A golden disk remained visible where the keyhole should have been. At the very center a heart had been etched, so painstakingly detailed, it seemed to throb in the flickering light. Seven round, clear stones were inlaid in a circle around it. A miniature object was suspended in each stone: a ruler's crown, two crossed swords, a treasure chest, a bird holding a green sprig, a rose, a book, a gra.s.s nest. What you love most is the key, What you love most is the key, Wind-voice said to himself. Wind-voice said to himself.

Suddenly a deep, rich voice echoed out of the darkness. ”You have only one choice.” ”You have only one choice.” Wind-voice turned around, but there was n.o.bird. Mystified, he looked down again at the stones. Wind-voice turned around, but there was n.o.bird. Mystified, he looked down again at the stones.

A crown...ruling, he thought. he thought. I certainly don't want to control others. I certainly don't want to control others. His eyes fell lower. His eyes fell lower. The two swords together could only mean battle, and battle is cruel. Then the treasure chest? With riches, a bird can help the poor... The two swords together could only mean battle, and battle is cruel. Then the treasure chest? With riches, a bird can help the poor... he thought, and hesitated before continuing. he thought, and hesitated before continuing. The bird with the branch is the only image that contains an animal. The bird with the branch is the only image that contains an animal. He hesitated again, longer this time. He hesitated again, longer this time. The rose might mean love; the book, learning; and the nest, family...All of those are surely important. The rose might mean love; the book, learning; and the nest, family...All of those are surely important. Wind-voice swayed in a second of indecision. He looked back up again, and his eyes stayed on the stone of the bird with the branch. Wind-voice swayed in a second of indecision. He looked back up again, and his eyes stayed on the stone of the bird with the branch. It looks like an olive branch. It must mean peace, It looks like an olive branch. It must mean peace, he thought. he thought. How can families stay together and survive in the cruelty of battle? Aren't books destroyed in war? Even if there were books, how could fighting birds have the time to read them? War is synonymous with death. Can riches stop any of it? No. To have love, learning, and family, peace must come first. I care about peace, How can families stay together and survive in the cruelty of battle? Aren't books destroyed in war? Even if there were books, how could fighting birds have the time to read them? War is synonymous with death. Can riches stop any of it? No. To have love, learning, and family, peace must come first. I care about peace, he thought. He raised a foot and pressed the stone with the bird holding the olive branch. he thought. He raised a foot and pressed the stone with the bird holding the olive branch.

Though it was only a click, in the echoing forest it sounded like a loud clattering bang as the casket opened, the lid slowly rising and swinging back.

The voice spoke again. ”This is the hero's sword.” ”This is the hero's sword.”

How often had Wind-voice thought about the sword since the first time he had heard of it from Fisher?

The beauty of it was its pure, strong simplicity-it was long and straight like a ray of suns.h.i.+ne. The ivory scabbard's designs of water and wind were clean and flowing; the bold curves on the dragonlike hilt seemed alive. The source of all the light was the Leasorn gemstone embedded in the hilt. A living rainbow seemed to swirl inside.

”How can I make sure Maldeor doesn't get the sword?” asked Wind-voice.

”There is only one way. You must use the strength of your heart to seal the casket from evil. This is a sacrifice. Are you willing?”

Wind-voice gazed at the sword. Then he closed his eyes. He could almost see the figure of his mother in the suns.h.i.+ne. His memory was blurred by time, but Wind-voice tried to bring the picture into focus. Then, in the background, a lost heron drifted into view. ”He made the most beautiful candles,” ”He made the most beautiful candles,” Aredrem whispered. Aredrem whispered. ”Even ones of heron chicks...it's a pity, but they've all burned out now...” ”Even ones of heron chicks...it's a pity, but they've all burned out now...”

Appearing out of the darkness, Winger spoke. ”I am an orphan. With my eyes, I have seen the deaths of my mother, father, and sister.”

Then Forlath's voice rang out. ”Fleydur let himself be disowned by his family, where he was a prince, so that he could bring joy to war-stricken birds.”

At last Stormac's voice carried to him, again telling Wind-voice his regret. ”I was like the fool who flew through a rain cloud, thinking it was cream, and came out wet on the other side.” ”I was like the fool who flew through a rain cloud, thinking it was cream, and came out wet on the other side.”

Wind-voice opened his eyes. ”Yes,” he whispered. ”How shall I do it?”

”All you need to do is to place your right claw on your heart.”

Somehow, the figures of his mother, Irene, Ewingerale, Fleydur, Stormac, and Aredrem seemed to linger in the corners of his eyes, waiting. Why isn't the hero here? Why isn't the hero here? he wondered. Facing the sword, he raised his claw slowly and pressed it on his chest, next to Stormac's strawberry. he wondered. Facing the sword, he raised his claw slowly and pressed it on his chest, next to Stormac's strawberry. Thump-thump...thump-thump... Thump-thump...thump-thump... His heartbeat filled his ears, faster and faster, louder and louder. With each loud pound, the crystal lid moved. The lid swung closed with a click. Before his eyes, the casket, the sword, and the s.h.i.+ning light disappeared. His heartbeat filled his ears, faster and faster, louder and louder. With each loud pound, the crystal lid moved. The lid swung closed with a click. Before his eyes, the casket, the sword, and the s.h.i.+ning light disappeared.