Part 11 (1/2)

I stood still and let her run past me. As theMagon followed-ignoring me completely in its mania to get Jodi-I swung the iron at one of its legs hard enough to break it. There was no heating; Jodi's trick had ended that problem. The monstrous centipedal creature skidded to a halt and whipped around, screaming at me-and that's when I pitched the ball in my other hand down its throat.

For a moment only I saw it, sparkling silvery in the LED light with its duct-taped surface. Then I flung myself flat behind a low, domelike stalact.i.te.

The blast deafened me and shattered helict.i.tes sixty feet away. When I rose up, I could see that the Magon was writhing on the floor, headless and dying. All Jodi and I had to do was dance like madmen to stay out of the way of the rocky coils until they juddered slowly into stillness. Two pounds of C-4 makes for a h.e.l.l of a case of indigestion.

Rokhaset and the other Nomes moved forward slowly. Even though they didn't have expressions, everything about the way they moved shouted out their incredulity. ”Clinton Slade, Jodi Goldman . . . you have defeated aMagon . I did not think it possible.”

”Nishtkefelecht, it's nothing. Without you singing backup, my main performance would've bombed. We did it together.”

”Perhaps, perhaps. Still, such a thing has not been done in my memory.”

”Enough time to congratulate later. Let's finish this job and get out of here before they come back to check on us.”

As we turned towards the door, a quiver ran through the floor. Then another, stronger shake that jangled the remaining helict.i.tes.

”Jh'amos!They know we have won out here. They seek to complete the ritual now, though it will be slightly weakened!”

”Oh, no they don't!”

Into the room we ran. There were some guards now, running to stop us in these last desperate minutes, but this time I had the pistol out and was shooting. It probably wouldn't kill them, but the impact of the slugs startled them, knocked them off balance, broke armor where it hit. I ran past, kicking over a tall stone with an intricate crystal atop it, and then I saw him-like Rokhaset, bigger than his subjects, surrounded by crystalline structures, mumbling incomprehensible sounds. His personal guard swung at me, but I bowled him over and grabbed theLisharithada ruler, swinging him right up against the wall.

”Rokhaset!” I shouted. ”Tell 'em to cut it out right now, or I'm about to break their king in half!”

Rokhaset and theLisharithada exchanged hurried words. ”They say it is all over for them in any case, now that you monsters have found them. They might as well take us all with them.”

”It's all over! Tell 'em, Rokhaset-we only got here because you showed us, and we ain't told anyone else!”

A shattering sound told me Jodi was finis.h.i.+ng off the crystals. TheLisharithada king struggled desperately in my grip; then, as the sound of cras.h.i.+ng crystal faded, went limp.

”It would seem, Clinton Slade, that he has recognized a losing position, now that Jodi Goldman has destroyed the channeling crystals.”

I dropped the king. ”Okay. So they can't do the earthquake now?”

”No, Clint. It will be a long time before they can regrow such a ma.s.s of channeling crystals and even attempt such a ritual again.”

”Good. Let's go get your stuff, Jodi, and go home.”

TheLisharithada king suddenly whirled around, yanking a long staff of stone capped with a green-glowing gem from its hiding place in the depression from which I'd yanked him. I threw up my hands instinctively, but the gem hit me like a wrecking ball combined with a cattle prod. Concussion and seething energy catapulted me backwards, twitching.

The room erupted in renewed combat as the king directed his next attack, a sickly emerald bolt of energy, straight at Jodi. She tried to block it with her steel rod and had no more success than I had.

Seeing her collapse, I tried desperately to get up, but my legs and arms wouldn't move.

Rokhaset roared something I couldn't make out, and there was a confused exchange of lightnings, red and green clas.h.i.+ng as though the rainbow was having an internal debate. A glittering, three-crested head loomed above me, then fell as Rokhaset's own scepter came down on it.

Everything was dim, silent. I wondered why it was growing so dark, realized that I must be losing consciousness.

”Clinton Slade! Can you hear me?”

I made a supreme effort, managed to force out the word, ”Yes.”

”It is over. Their ruler is dead, they will have to select a new one, and we can escape.”

”Guess . . . over for us . . . too.”

”No, Clinton Slade. We shall bring you home.”

I felt strong, slender rods of stone . . . Nome arms . . . slide under me. ”Jodi . . .”

”We have her too. Save your strength.”

I tried to tell him that I wasn't lying down here while Jodi might be hurt, but my lips wouldn't move. The light faded, and then everything was dark and I fell away into nothingness.

15. Some Slight Side-Effects.

Consciousness returned in fits and starts. I vaguely remembered shouting Nomish voices, and a feeling of sudden comfort overwhelming me as we enteredNowemosdet again. Darkness giving way to light and Mamma crying. Being forced to drink something that stank like rotten eggs and tasted . . . well, it was a good thing I couldn't fight it then or someone woulda gotten hurt.

I opened my eyes. It was dim in the room. Shades were pulled over the windows. I tried to get up, but just getting to a sitting position took the wind out of me. ”h.e.l.lo?” I called.

The door flew open and Mamma ran in. ”Clint? Oh, thank the Lord, Clint, you're awake! How do you feel, boy?”

”Like I've been pulled through a knothole and wrung out. And like I could eat a bear whole, without salt.”

Tears glinted in her eyes. ”Well, I'm sure we can find something to eat for you! Just stay there and take it easy and I'll be right back!”

”Jodi, Mamma! What about Jodi?”

Mamma hesitated. ”She hasn't woken up yet, Clint, but now that you've come back to us I'm sure she'll be up and about in no time.”

”But she's alive?” I felt a huge weight lift off my chest.

”She is indeed alive, Clinton Slade.” Rokhaset entered the room. ”Did I not give my word that we would get you home and that we had Jodi as well?”

”Yeah, and I didn't doubt you meant it . . . but sometimes the world can make liars of the best of us.”

Mamma, seeing that I had someone to talk to, headed on out, presumably to round up some food.

It suddenly dawned on me that I was not wearing any transducers. I glanced around and saw speakers on the bedside table. Obviously someone had decided to distribute the ability to talk to the Nome King around the house. Probably Adam, I guessed.

”She is recovering, I a.s.sure you. Though it was indeed a near thing for you both. It took the medicine of both worlds to bring you back from the edge of death.”

”So you were the one making me drink that stuff.”

”You needed theNowe H'wadalo , the True Fire of Her spirit, and the elixir gave it to you.

Mishtarkistekh' orametanerala intended for both Jodi Goldman and yourself to never return from the paths below the Earth, and tried to extinguish the fire of life within you. Had you been of our people, you would have died on the spot; had you been ordinaryTennathada , I doubt it would have affected you any more than an ordinary blow. But by being brought closer toNowe by theH'adamant elixir, you were in a unique state and his attempt to destroy you neither entirely failed nor entirely succeeded.”