Part 3 (1/2)

”Oh, Crow's gone off to rescue Tal,” said Ebbitt airily, waving his hand around as if it suddenly had a life of its own. ”And since Sus.h.i.+n is going off to destroy the Veil with his half of the Violet Keystone, it is hardly likely anyone will want to call him Emperor.”

Milla shook her head. She felt like she wasn't hearing properly. Crow and Tal were practically sworn enemies.

”You've sent Crow to rescue Tal? And who is going to stop Sus.h.i.+n from destroying the Veil?”

Ebbitt stopped waving. He pulled his arm back and bent his hand as if he were imitating a bird for children, moving his thumb and fingers like a beak. Then his hand-puppet spoke, with Ebbitt throwing and changing his voice so realistically that the Icecarls jumped.

”Crow feels bad about Tal, so he will do his best to save him. I think he will succeed. Who will stop Sus.h.i.+n? Why, Milla, of course! And Ebbitt and all the little Icecarls will help.”

”Should we kill him?” asked Saylsen, frowning. This sort of madness could be contagious.

”No,” sighed Milla. ”I fear that he is speaking the truth. We will have to stop Sus.h.i.+n. Only I don't know how, or even where we should go to find him.”

”The Seventh Tower,” said Ebbitt, dropping his hand and speaking in his normal voice. ”The Violet Tower. Everything will come together there, for better... or worse.”

CHAPTER EIGHT.

Tal looked down at the pathetic remnant that had been Fashnek. Adras stood next to him, still rumbling with distant thunder.

” 'It was Sharrakor who wounded me, in dragon-shape, and Sharrakor who gave me life. I should not have taken it from his hands,' ” Tal said quietly, repeating Fashnek's last words. ”What in Light's name does that mean? How can a dragon have hands?”

”Jailer die,” said Adras, which wasn't much help. ”Where do we go now?”

Tal considered for a moment, biting his lip in anxiety. There was no point in looking for the Underfolk, not since he'd accidentally killed Crow, Ebbitt, and the others. But perhaps he could join the Icecarls who were attacking the Castle. Adras had sensed that Odris was with them, so Milla must be there, too. At least Tal fervently hoped so. Otherwise she would have gone to the Ice, and that would be another death on his conscience.

But Tal knew he couldn't just go and join the Icecarls. There was Sus.h.i.+n, always the enemy. Tal had to admit there was very little chance his mother had taken the stone before he pa.s.sed out. Sus.h.i.+n almost certainly had Tal's half of the Violet Keystone, so he finally had the ability to destroy the Veil.

”I guess we have to go up,” Tal said slowly. ”Up to the Violet Tower. The Icecarls won't know what Sus.h.i.+n can do, at least not until it's too late. Even if Milla suspects Sus.h.i.+n, she won't know how to stop him.”

”Sus.h.i.+n is the one who throws poison?” asked Adras. He puffed himself into a ball that was a reasonable imitation of Shadowmaster Sus.h.i.+n.

”Yes.”

”I don't want to go there,” said Adras. ”I want to go to Odris.”

”We have to go to the Violet Tower,” repeated Tal. The more he thought about it, the more the urgency grew inside him. Sus.h.i.+n could be using the Violet Keystone right now, as they wasted time talking. They had to get to the Violet Tower and stop him from destroying the Veil.

”I'm not going,” announced Adras, folding his arms. ”You can't make me.”

Tal was about to let his anger burst out into words when they both heard someone open the door. Instantly Tal ducked behind one of the workbenches, and Adras shot up to the ceiling and spread himself out among the shadows there.

The unknown intruder was trying to be very quiet. The door only opened a little way, and Tal saw someone slide in. In the dim light he couldn't even tell whether it was a Spiritshadow or someone wearing black.

Adras drifted over, ready to drop on the intruder. Tal lifted his Sunstone, and it began to swirl with red light in preparation for a Ray of Destruction.

It was a person, Tal saw, not a Spiritshadow. All dressed in black, with a black hood drawn tightly around his face. Tal saw a dagger in the hand held close by the intruder's side. He moved from shadow to shadow, until he could see the open globe and the body of Fashnek. He stopped suddenly then and looked around.

”Tal?”

It was a voice from the past, a voice from the dead.

Crow's voice.

But that was impossible. For a moment, Tal thought he might still be under the control of the nightmare machine. But the Sunstones on their silver stands were dark, the globe still open.

”Tal?”

Tal stood up slowly. Crow faced him and slowly undid his hood. He was very pale, and there was a partly healed scar across his forehead.

”I thought I killed you,” whispered Tal.

”Ebbitt saved us,” said Crow.

”Ebbitt's alive, too?” exclaimed Tal. He felt relief flood his entire body, making him feel weak. He needed to sit down.

”We all survived,” said Crow. ”I thought I'd killed you.

And I did hit you on the head. I... I'm sorry. I guess I went crazy... There is so much the Chosen have done to my family... ”

”I've been in the nightmare machine,” said Tal. He didn't need to say anything else.

Crow nodded and went over to look down on Fashnek's body.

”It took too long to come to this,” he said.

”I'm sorry, too,” said Tal after a moment.

”For bringing down the roof. For everything my people have done to yours.”

”It's all changing now,” said Crow. ”The Icecarls will win. They have agreed that we will be free.”

”I hope that happens,” replied Tal. He was surprised to find that he meant it. He had come to learn that there was no such thing as the natural superiority of the Chosen over everyone else. In fact, Tal realized with surprise that there were more Underfolk and Icecarls who he admired and looked up to.

”I came to rescue you,” said Crow. ”The Codex told Ebbitt where you were. Or so he said. Only you seem to have rescued yourself.”

Silence fell awkwardly between them then. Tal still wasn't absolutely sure Crow could be trusted. Too much had happened between them in the past. Could the Freefolk boy have changed so much?

”Um, I have to go,” Tal said after a few more seconds of uncomfortable silence.

”Where?” asked Crow.

”The Violet Tower,” Tal answered slowly. ”Sus.h.i.+n has part of the Violet Keystone. It's probably enough for him to destroy the Veil. The Sun will come again and melt the Ice. There will be an invasion of shadows. Thousands and thousands of shadows. I have to... I have to stop him.”

”You will need help,” said Crow.