Part 35 (1/2)
”Hold his friends as hostage for the Hammer's return,” the Daewar suggested.
”Do that and the Hammer can stay lost for another three hundred years!” Flint said angrily.
Realgar's squinting eyes had been observing Flint narrowly. He smiled, then said, ”I propose a wager.”
The other Thanes looked intrigued. Like their G.o.d, dwarves loved to gamble.
”What wager?” asked Hornfel.
”If this Neidar finds the Hammer of Kharas and returns it to us, then we will consider permitting these humans safe entry into our realm-provided they are not an army, of course. If he fails, then he and his friends remain our prisoners, and we seal up the gate.”
Hornfel stroked his beard and eyed Flint speculatively. The Daewar nodded in satisfaction and the Klar gave a low chuckle and scratched his chin with the knife blade.
”You can't mean they are actually considering doing this!” Sturm said, when Tanis translated. ”I cannot believe they would gamble on something this serious! Of course, Flint will have no part of it.”
”I agree with the knight,” Raistlin said. ”Something's not right about this.”
”Maybe so,” Flint muttered, ”but sometimes you have to risk all to gain all. I'll take that bet,” he called out loudly, ”on one condition. You can do what you like with me, but if I lose, my friends go free.”
”He can't do this, Tanis!” Sturm protested, shocked and outraged. ”Flint cannot gamble with the sacred Hammer of Kharas!”
”Calm down, Sturm,” Tanis said testily. ”The Hammer is not anybody's to do anything with yet.”
”I won't stand for this!” Sturm stated. ”If you will do nothing, then I must. This is sacrilege!”
”Let Flint handle this his way, Sturm,” Tanis warned. He gripped the knight's arm as he would have turned away, forced him to listen. ”We're not in Solamnia. We're in the realm of the dwarves. We know nothing about their rules, their laws and their customs. Flint does. He took an enormous risk, putting on that helm. We owe him our trust.”
Sturm hesitated. For a moment, he seemed prepared to defy Tanis. Then he thought better of it and gave a grudging nod.
”We will make the wager,” Hornfel said, speaking for the rest of the Thanes, ”with these conditions: We make no terms regarding your friends, Flint Fireforge of the Neidar. Their fate is bound up in yours. If you do indeed find the Hammer of Kharas and return it to us, we will consider allowing the humans you represent to enter Thorbardin, based on our a.s.sessment of them. If they are, as you claim, families and not soldiers, they will be welcome. Is this agreeable?”
”The G.o.ds help us!” Sturm murmured.
Flint spit into his palm and extended his hand. Hornfel spit into his palm. The two shook on it, and the wager was done.
Hornfel turned to Tanis.
”You will be our guests in your friend's absence. You will stay in guest quarters in the Life Tree. We will provide guards for your safety.”
”Thank you,” said Tanis, ”but we're going with our friend. He can't undertake what may be a dangerous quest alone.”
”Your friend will not go alone,” Hornfel replied with a slight smile. ”My son, Arman, will accompany him.”
”This is madness, Flint!” Raistlin said in his soft voice. ”Let us say you find the Hammer. What is to prevent this dwarf from turning on you and murdering you and stealing it?”
”I'm there to prevent it,” stated Flint, glowering. there to prevent it,” stated Flint, glowering.
”You are not so young as you once were,” Raistlin countered, ”nor as strong, whereas Arman is both.”
”My son would never do such a thing,” said Hornfel angrily.
”Indeed, I would not,” said Arman, insulted. ”You have my word as my father's son and as a Hylar that I will consider the life of your friend as a sacred charge.”
”For that matter, Flint could murder Kharas and steal the Hammer,” Ta.s.slehoff piped up cheerfully. ”Couldn't you, Flint?”
Flint went red in the face. Caramon, heaving a sigh, put his hand the kender's shoulder and marched him toward the door.
”Flint, don't agree to this!” Sturm urged.
”There is no agreement to be made,” said Hornfel in tones of finality. ”No human or half-human, and certainly no kender, will defile the sacred tomb of our High King. The Council of the Thanes is ended. My son will escort you to your quarters.” Hornfel turned on his heel and left.
The soldiers closed in around the companions. They had no choice but to go along.
Flint walked at Tanis's side. The old dwarf's head was bowed, his shoulders slumped. He held tightly to the Helm of Grallen.
”Do you really know where to find the Hammer?” Tanis asked in a low undertone.
”Maybe,” Flint muttered.
Tanis scratched his beard. ”You realize you agreed to gamble the lives of eight hundred people on that 'maybe?'”
Flint c.o.c.ked an eye at his friend. ”You got a better idea?”
Tanis shook his head.
”I didn't think so,” Flint grunted.
Chapter 12.
The Inn of The Talls. Sturm argues.
FIint Whittles.
The quarters provided the companions by the dwarves were located on the ground floor of the Life Tree in a part of the city that was older than the rest and little used. All the buildings were abandoned and boarded up. Flint pointed out why.
”Everything is human height-the doors and the windows. This part of the Life Tree was built to house humans.”
”It used to be known as Tall Town,” Arman informed them. ”This was the area set aside for the human and elven merchants who once lived and worked here. We are giving you quarters in one of the inns built specially for your race.”
Caramon in particular was relieved. He had already squeezed his big body into dwarf-size wagons and buckets, and he'd been worried about having to spend the night in a bed built for short dwarven legs.
The inn was in better repair than most of the buildings, for some enterprising dwarf was currently using it as a warehouse. It was two stories tall with lead-paned gla.s.s windows and a solid oak door.
”Before the Cataclysm, this inn was filled every night,” said Arman, ushering his ”guests” inside. ”Merchants came from all over Ansalon, from Istar, Solamnia, and Ergoth. Once this common room rang with the sounds of laughter and the clink of gold. Now you hear nothing.”
”Except the screeching of rats.” Raistlin drew his robes close to him in disgust as several rodents, startled by the sudden light shed by a larva lantern, went racing across the floor.