Tales of Uncle Trapspringer ll-3 Page 27

"You'll never hold them off," she said to Tolem. "Tell us how to get into Digondamaar. It's our only chance."

  The goblins were sneaking up toward the entrance, but the dwarves, each with a crossbow, now had targets. Tolem caught one goblin in the throat, one died with a short quarrel in his eye and another fled with his companions, limping from a wound in his right leg. Once out of range of the dwarves' missiles they stopped and huddled together, apparently discussing strategy.

  "You took the map," the dwarf snarled as the goblins retreated. "Or the kender, more likely."

  "If you mean that string of disks," Halmarain said, "That was one of the Aghar, and he didn't know what he had. He just wanted something pretty to give the kender girl."

  "And you didn't study and memorize it?" Tolem demanded.

  "If we had, we'd know how to get inside," the little wizard snapped.

  "No need necklace," Grod spoke up. "Dwarf lead. Dwarf camp by door of dwarf This Place."

  "We could have used the disks," Trap said, unwilling to admit there was any secret he could not ferret out. He dug in his pouch and handed the string of disks to the dwarf. "But we didn't have time with all the traveling and the following and everything that happened. Now I suppose you'll want it back and I'll never get to study all the drawings."

  Halmarain drew the little light back into the shelter to aid the dwarf in his search for the opening.

  "You know I'll want it back," Tolem snarled. "And we'd better get inside fast. Those bugbears can knock down these thin sections of this curtain wall with one blow."

  "At least it's getting bright enough so you can see what you're doing," Trap said as he watched the dwarf flip through the disks, looking for the one that told the secret of Digondamaar.

  "Of course, if I had light enough, I could probably have opened the door myself," he sniffed. Even as a small child he had showed promise with traps; it was the reason he had been given his name. It seemed unjust that he had so little chance to use his talents on his first adventure.

  By the time Tolem had found the disk he had no time to study it. The goblins and bugbears were advancing up the mountainside to the foot of the cliff. Since the entrance was narrow and its configuration too eccentric to allow more than two dwarves to see out at one time, the goblins had little fear of a truly concentrated attack from within.

  Halmarain doused the light, though the humanoids had obviously seen it glowing through the wafer-thin rock. The bugbears hammered against the curtain wall with their spears, but with no light to indicate the thin sections, they missed the more vulnerable areas.

  The dwarves used their crossbows. Two at a time they stepped out of the entrance to shoot and darted back in again to give others with ready bows a chance, the kender stood by, dancing with impatience, wanting to get into the fight. Halmarain held the arm of the little fiend and stayed as far away from the entrance as possible. She did not have to urge the gully dwarves, who would much rather hide than fight.

  The bugbears continued to hammer against the stone curtain wall.

  The little wizard squealed as from behind her came the sound of sliding stone and a door opened, not where the cut lines indicated, but at the far end, where the roughest of the stone seemed to have been left untouched.

  "Who invades my privacy?" the voice boomed.

  The gigantic sound came from a human who stood only slightly taller than the dwarves. He was surrounded with light which showed him to have a bright pink complexion, at least partially accounted for by the anger that snapped in his bright blue eyes. His beard and hair were snow white and long. He kept it out of his way by dividing both hair and beard on each side of his head and plaiting it in two long braids that hung to his knees.

  He wore a dirty white robe trimmed with runes.

  He was only a moment understanding that the dozen beings sheltering in the antechamber were being attacked by humanoids on the outside.

  "Inside," he ordered. Pointing to the door behind him, he muttered an incantation.

  Trap felt as if he were being whisked along in a strong wind. He looked down at his feet, which were moving rapidly across the floor, but they acted according to a will other than his own.

  In front of him, Halmarain, the gully dwarves, and Beglug were traveling just as rapidly. Trap couldn't stop himself but he could turn his head and look over his shoulder. Ripple, right behind him, and the dwarves further back, were moving at the same speed. The dwarves were staring down at their feet with eyes wide.

  Chapter 35

  As Trap was whisked through the hidden door and into the outlying passage of Digondamaar, he smiled up at the wizard.

  "Hello, my name is Trapspringer Fargo," he held out his hand but he was moving too fast for the wizard to take it. "I appreciate being saved from the goblins, but did you have to move us so fast? I would have liked to take a look at the secret door." He had to turn his head to look back at the wizard. Behind him the last of the dwarves rushed through the doorway. The grinding began again as the door closed.

  The involuntary movement of his feet stopped and he nearly fell over. Ahead of him Halmarain and the gully dwarves staggered. Beglug danced sideways on his tiny hoofed feet and fell against the wall, scraping his hand. He whined and licked at the abrasion.

  The kender could see the others in the light that emanated from the wizard. He seemed to be enveloped in a glow that lit the entire passage.

  He strode past the dwarves, who were alternately looking at the walls of the passage and giving wary attention to their glowing and magical host. The wizard was more interesting than the walls, the kender thought. The floor, ceiling and walls were as smooth and even as if they had been cut with a knife, but one spot looked just like any other. The name of the delving in the dwarvish tongue meant golden halls, but there was no evidence of gold.

  Chalmis Rosterig attempted to pass Ripple. She stepped into his path, and like her brother, she held out her hand.

  "I'm Ripple Fargo, and I'm pleased to meet you," she thrust her hand into his, so he could not ignore her. "Are all wizards so small?" she asked him, oblivious to the frown her remark brought out. "If it's a requirement for the art, maybe I could become a wizard. I'd love to study books and learn spells and do magic. Can you make fireworks?"

  "Kender!" The word burst out of Chalmis in an explosion of sound. "That's all I need-kender."

  "Oh yes, we can be really helpful if you give us a chance," Trap agreed, padng the rapid steps of the wizard on the right while Ripple walked on his left. "We tried to help Orander, but he went through a portal and we weren't able to do much, but if you'll bring him back- though he may not want to return if he likes it over there-and that would be a shame, because Halmarain said he would do magic for us. Is that pendant magic? It certainly is beautiful. Can I touch it?" He reached toward the jewel that hung from a chain and laid on the wizard's chest.

  Chalmis pushed the kender's hand away as he turned to look back over his shoulder.

  "Come along!" he shouted at the dwarves. "If not you'll be left in the dark. You don't want to meet what crawls through these tunnels when the lights are out."

  While the dwarves hurried to catch up, Halmarain caught Beglug's arm and rushed him down the passage just ahead of the white wizard. Umpth and Grod, Umpth still rolling the wheel, trotted along just behind Halmarain and the little fiend.

  Behind them they could hear a faint thudding as the humanoids apparently tried to open the secret door. Ahead they could see torchlight. The glow that surrounded the wizard died away as they reached a chamber that was lit with torches set in wall sconces.

  "Wow, this is more like it," Trap said as he looked around. In the light of the torches he could see what appeared to be golden drawings on the wall. Even to his limited knowledge of metal working, it was apparent that refined gold had been used to fill grooves in the stone. The drawings were hardly more than sketches, yet finely detailed. Several colors of gold had been used, and in the light of the torches, the tints of green, r
ed and yellow gave a hint of color to the drawings.

  The chamber had obviously been created as a dining hall. More than fifty tables and benches, also of stone, sat in long rows. Several had been broken; the slabs that had been seats and tabletops leaned askew, but most were still intact.

  When they were all in the room, Chalmis stopped and glared at them, his glance lingering longest on Beglug.

  "Why have you come here, bringing those foul creatures in your wake and disturbing my solitude?" The wizard thundered. He pointed his finger back in the direction they had come when he spoke of foul creatures, obviously meaning the goblins. The gully dwarves, who still clutched their blankets around their shoulders, thought it safest to take shelter behind the kender. Beglug snarled and swiped at the wizard with a clawed hand.

  Chalmis Rosterig pointed a finger at the merchesti and muttered under his breath. Beglug was frozen on the spot.

  "Now answer my question!" Chalmis ordered.

  The wizard's question brought out a deluge of explanations and excuses, questions and comments. Everyone seemed to be pointing at Trap as Halmarain rattled off a full account of Orander's attempt to travel between planes and the result of the kender's drastic intervention. The dwarves had not accepted the idea that a mere gully dwarf could have picked their pockets. They were loudly blaming the kender for the theft of the Map of Secret Lore, as they called the necklace.

  Trap himself was explaining that he neither stole the necklace nor intentionally interrupted Orander's spell, and he certainly wanted Orander to return from the other world so he could discuss with him the problems with the magic rings. Ripple was renewing her request to study magic, and in the meantime, could Chalmis please do some fireworks? She really wanted to see some. The gully dwarves, their fright temporary, were discussing all these people interrupting each other, which the kender had told them was rude and inconsiderate.

  "Enough!" Chalmis boomed.

  "My, you have a loud voice," Trap said. "Can you teach me how to roar? It would be great. I could sneak up behind people very quietly-I wouldn't want to roar all the time, of course, but-"

  "I'll turn you into a frog, and that will stop your chatter," Chalmis warned.

  "Will you really?" Ripple taunted, suddenly angry. "That's what Halmarain said, but she couldn't do it."

  "But Master Chalmis can, so you'd better watch your manners," the little wizard warned.

  "One thing at a time," Chalmis spoke in a lower tone. "If I'm going to have any peace, who took the lore map from the dwarves? Give it back."

  "They got," Grod said.

  "Then your problem is solved so we don't need to hear anymore about it," the white wizard told the dwarves. "Now what is this about the merchesti, Orander, and the plane of Vasmarg? And know, little red-robe, I have no truck with those outside my order."

  Halmarain answered with a humility that surprised the kender.

  "I understand, Master Chalmis, but we are in dire need and beg your assistance-not only for ourselves and Orander-our entire world could be affected."

  She went through the story again, this time putting less emphasis on the fault of the kender and more on the danger of Beglug's parent entering the world, or of Beglug growing up on Krynn. She was clearly bent on rescuing Orander if he were still alive. She raised imploring eyes to the master wizard.

  "And I believe others know of Beglug and the gate stone the kender carries."

  She described Jaerume Kaldre and told Master Chalmis she thought he was one of the undead.

  Chalmis Rosterig listened with steadily lowering brows. The last bit of information seemed to affect the white wizard more profoundly than the rest.

  Halmarain went on to describe the kidnapping of Ripple and Beglug. "Since the kobolds were careful not to injure them, but traveled as fast as they could in this direction, I suspect they were under instructions to take them to Pey." She paused expectantly.

  "To Draaddis Vulter," Chalmis announced on cue, his face darkening in anger. "He came to mind when you mentioned the undead. I wish I could believe the Dark Queen was not behind this, but that would be too much to hope for."

  "I didn't know any of that," Trap spoke up. "You didn't tell us. That wasn't fair. The trip would have been much more interesting if we had known that Takhisis was after us. Do you think she might come here? I'd love to see a dragon."

  "Why do you think I've been fighting to get to Master Chalmis?" the tiny female rounded on the kender "Did you think I fussed and fought through the entire journey because I enjoyed it?"

  "Did," Grod nodded decisively.

  "Did too," Umpth was quick to second his brother.

  "Oh, shut up!" Halmarain glared at the Aghar and turned back to the white-robed wizard. "I've brought Master Orander's books written by the great Master Alchviem. I can open and read them, but I'm not powerful enough to use them."

  "Pretty Kender bring cook pot," Grod added.

  "Still, we have only one gate stone," Master Chalmis said. "But if Orander still has the other we might have a chance…" He tugged at his long white braids. "Let's take a look. If Takhisis has her minions on your trail, we don't have much time."

  "Eat now?" Grod asked.

  Master Chalmis frowned at the gully dwarf and then looked over the rest of the assembled group. He pointed across the large chamber toward another door.

  "You'll find the scullery through there. Take the gully dwarves and leave us in peace." he said, and then turned his attention back to Halmarain. "Bring the merchesti and books back to my laboratory." He led the way through another door.

  "Pretty Kender make maize pudding?" Grod asked as he followed Ripple. Behind them the six Neidar stumped along, but the Aghar's suggestion caught their attention.

  "I've heard that kender women make the best maize pudding," one said, begrudging the compliment, but obviously looking forward to the treat.

  "And Ripple's is famous," Trap told the large dwarf. Now that the dwarves had their necklace back, he didn't see any reason why they couldn't all be friends.

  In the scullery they found a pot of water already hot, and while Ripple tested it to be sure it was just water and not some potion, the dwarves searched and found some ground maize as well as the other ingredients she asked for.

  In minutes the maize was in the pot.

  While the kender girl stirred, the rest stood around, watching the kettle hopefully. Before long they heard a droning from the other chamber. The dwarves proved they were from one of the highly musical societies by covering their ears to block out the noise.

  "They're singing again, and if there's one thing a wizard can not do, its sing," Trap said with a frown. "I'd better go and teach them how to-" He started for the door when Tolem caught his arm.

  "You stay right here! If I understood the little wizard aright," he said with a frown, "It was your wanting to help them that caused this mess."

  Two of the dwarves moved to block the door to the scullery and a third, the largest, joined Tolem.

  "I'm still not sure you didn't steal the lore map," he said, glowering at the kender. "You stay where we can keep an eye on you."

  "I wanted to see some magic," Trap complained.

  "Best what they do remains unseen," Tolem replied with a dark glance over his shoulder. "It doesn't do to go messing with wizards."

  "I'm not sure you're right," Ripple said as she tapped the large wooden spoon on the side of the pot to knock off the thick mixture. "They are really off key. I don't see how they can do anything-"

  Suddenly the strange off key droning of the wizards was drowned under a low booming that echoed down the passage. The booms were soon followed by the sound of cracking stone in the distance and almost immediately by the shouts and roars of goblins.

  "They broke in," Tolem said, grabbing his crossbow and drawing his axe.

  "How could they when the wizard sealed the door?" one of the dwarves asked as he followed Tolem from the scullery.

  Ripple swung the pot off
the fire and grabbed her whippik that she had laid on a stool.

  "I didn't know he did," she said. "I never get to see any magic."

  By now the six dwarves, the kender, and the Aghar had trotted down the passage and were back in the dining cavern where they had parted from the two wizards and Beglug.

  "If he really sealed it the goblins couldn't get in," Trap objected, expressing his opinion as well.

  "Look out!" one of the dwarves shouted and fell flat on the floor. Over his head sailed a fireball. It had come down the passage from the front entrance.

  "I don't think it was broken by humanoids," Tolem said. "It took another wizard, and he's on the way!"

  "Now we'll really see some magic," Ripple said, her eyes sparking.

  "And it may be the last thing you see," Tolem replied.

  Chapter 36

  A second fireball sailed out of the passage and into the chamber. Again the Neidar, Aghar, and kender ducked behind the tilted stone slabs of the broken tables.

  "Zow! That was a great shot! Wonder how hard it is to send something down a passage?" Trap asked. He was not seeking an answer from the dwarves. He picked up a small, jagged rock, set his hoopak against the stone column that had once been the leg of a table, and drew back the pouch. The missile went sailing and disappeared into the darkness of the passage.

  The reaction was an entirely human curse, the voice full of pain, surprise, and outrage.

  "You hit the wizard!" Tolem said, giving Trap a look filled with respect. The dwarf fitted a quarrel to his cross-bow and shot down the dark passage. A goblin screamed.

  "There must be a lot of them bunched together," Ripple said. "We'll hit something every time." She set her whip-pik and nocked a small arrow into the loop. Her arrow and five dwarf quarrels entered the dark hole of the passage at once. They heard cries of pain and howls but no one would know which had found a target. Volley after volley of dwarf quarrels, Ripple's small arrows, and Trap's stones went sailing down the passage and by the sound, each one found some target, but they did not hear another cry from the wizard.