Part 79 (1/2)

Cursing him, Tirior reached down. Nish took her hand. She tried to pull him out. He did not budge.

'Give me a hand,' she shouted at Minis, who had his hands over his face and was rocking on the rim. 'Minis, now now!'

Catching Nish under the arms, Minis strained, and slowly Nish's feet emerged from the tar.

'You b.l.o.o.d.y fool!' Tirior handed him her knife. 'Sc.r.a.pe it off. Remove your boots and trousers before you come inside.'

Nish set to work. Tirior went down the hatch and soon that familiar whine returned. 'The field's back,' she said over the edge. 'At least, part of it. Let's see if we can get ourselves out.'

The whine rose in pitch, until the construct shuddered and pulled free. They continued through the strangeness, which was stranger than ever. The walls oozed and bulged. Layers of soft tar flowed down them, and across, and sometimes up. Clots of tar drifted in the air; hot tar dripped onto the closed hatch.

'How close are we?' Nish yelled.

'There's no need to shout,' she said. 'Another few minutes and we should be there.'

'To Tiaan?' said Nish.

'No, to the node-drainer.'

Minis spun around. 'But, Tirior ...'

'We've got to stop the scrutator first, Minis.'

'It seems awfully hot in here,' said Nish, mopping his brow. 'It wasn't hot before.'

Something burst through the wall in a spray of sparks. The tunnel vibrated visibly, then the side wall pushed in until it reached the construct. Further ahead, the walls were almost together.

'We can't get through,' said Nish. 'We're going to be '

A shockwave pa.s.sed through them. Up ahead the tunnel touched, then peeled apart with a grotesque squelch. The whine disappeared; again the construct splatted to the floor. This time Tirior could not get it up.

'We're stuck,' she said. 'The field is gone.'

They stared at one another. Nish could feel his claustrophobia, never far away when underground, rising like a skyrocket. 'Got to get out,' he gasped.

'We'll have to go the rest of the way on foot, if the floor is solid enough.'

'But without the construct we're '

'I know!' she snapped, 'but we can't carry carry it.' it.'

'Was that the node-drainer going?' Nish whispered.

She laughed scornfully.

'Then there may still be time.' He put his leg over the side, searching for a patch of floor solid enough to stand on.

Tirior dragged him back. 'Look out!'

A great bulge had developed in the roof, like a wagonload of mola.s.ses hanging above him. He threw himself backwards. Tirior slammed the hatch and tightened the clamps. There was an interminable wait before the bulge came down with an oozing splat. It surged across the clear screen; then, with a thump, the rest followed, the level of tar rising until it covered the screen completely.

'We're buried,' said Nish. 'We'll never get out.'

SIXTY-TWO.

'Where is the watcher?' whispered Flydd urgently. 'Around corner,' grunted Ullii.

'I told you so,' Irisis muttered. 'What are you going to do now, scrutator?'

'Pipe down. Ullii, come here. You're my eyes and ears into this device.'

He squatted on the floor, knees popping like little fireworks. Ullii crouched beside him, whispering. She seemed quite cooperative now, but Ullii usually was when she she was in danger. was in danger.

Flydd rose, rubbing his knees. 'The watcher, or sentinel, is a kind of growth growth. If I attack, it will give an alarm.'

'Can you conceal us from it?' said Irisis.

'No. It picks up the aura of the Art, and we all bear enough of that to set it off.'

'Then we've failed before we begin.'

'There are ways, crafter. I'm just running though a dozen or two. You might as well sit down.'

Looking at the tarry floor with distaste, Irisis leaned against the cleanest wall she could find. Time ticked by, and every moment of delay meant more bloodshed outside. She began to pace up and down. Ullii gestured at her to stop the watcher might detect it. Irisis returned to her post. Her organs vibrated in her belly and the way the flesh s.h.i.+vered beneath her skin was uncanny. How long would it take before the unreality of the node-drainer pulled her apart?

Flydd's eyes were closed but his lips moved as he ran through all the forms and adaptations of scrutator magic, searching for the right one.

'The spell must disable it instantly, before it can send an alarm.' He sought more precise directions from Ullii. 'I think I have it.' He held out his hands and uttered words in a language Irisis did not know.

'No,' said Ullii, after a long pause.

'Are you sure?... Of course you are. d.a.m.n it!' he yelped, holding his head.

'What is it?' said Irisis.

'That hurt. I used a spell to freeze it into place. That's a reliable way of attack, as a rule, but the spell hasn't taken.'

'Why not?'

'I don't know. It's as if a similar spell was already at work nearby, but that makes no sense at all. Let me get my strength back and I'll try another.'

Recovering from the spell took so long that Irisis thought it was not going to happen at all. Flydd looked like a man having his leg amputated with a broken bottle. Drops of sweat stood out on his forehead, though in the gloom they had a ruddy look like blood.

'Aargh!' he gasped, spitting gobs on the floor. 'I think I can manage it now.'

He moved his hands and spoke his words of power. They waited, then a crack-crack-SNAP crack-crack-SNAP came from around the corner. came from around the corner.