[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.The spell may work.Which means I must somehow prevent your companion from executing it."You really do know how to treat guests."It's a gift.Stand by to be mutilated beyond recognition."Oh, you're too kind.""I said shut up!" Benarus growled."You're spoiling my concentration! If Imuff even a word or two, something vile is likely to happen.""Something vile.On the order of, say, this great shambling beast that nowapproaches?""What great sham-? Ye gods."Meet Krak, my manservant.Well, he's really not a man.The thing called Krak was large, hairy, and had red glowing eyes, but it wasindeed manlike in that it walked on two legs, at the extremities of which weretwo clawed feet.Its face was like that of a bat, itsmouth fearfully fanged to coordinate with the razor-sharp talons of its claws.All in all, the beast resembled the get of an unholy union between an ape anda giant rat."Such a beast never lived!" Benarus yelled.Oh, it's just something I threw together out of rat carcasses and a dead humanor two, all stuck together with bat shit and dried puke.Charming, isn't he?"He has his good points, I'm sure," Rance allowed.Krak advanced from theshadows and passed near the power grid.A large spark leaped from thesky-stone and struck the beast, enveloping him in a crackling cloud of energy.Krak struggled, but was trapped.He roared in frustration."I had an idea we'd be attacked," Benarus said."So I added protectivemeasures.""Good idea," Rance told him."Now, trip the spell.""The invocation is done.The spell will trip of its own accord in but a fewseconds.Enough time to do what my conscience bids me.I must tell yousomething.This spell is designed to transport you to a point on the globedirectly opposite this one."Rance's eyes widened.He took a step forward."What? Not to another world?""Stay in the circle! If you move you'll be cast into oblivion!""What about those other worlds?""There are none! Purest fancy.And if they exist, I certainly don't know howto get you to any of them.Ido know that if you move out of the circle you'll be transported in an arcanedirection.""Arcane direction? What does that mean?""It means one perpendicular to all the dimensions of the world we live in.""How could that be?""Never mind.I designed this spell to transport you to the other side of theworld, and me safely back home." Benarus limped to the small circle and stoodinside it, a triumphant smile on his lips."You fraud!" Rance snarled."You hoodwinked me!""Need I remind you that I was coerced?"He does have a point."Shut up, demon! All right, Benarus, but I'd rather take my chances here thanbe transported to some gods-forsaken hinterland on the backside of creation."Rance moved out of the circle."Don't do it! The spell will trip at any moment!"At that moment Krak broke free of his magical bonds and lunged.Rance drew Bruce and hacked at the thing.The sword seemed to disappear insideit, burying itself deep into the matted fur.In fact, Krak seemed to becomposed of not much but dried hair and a few bones.The fur flew and the bones rattled to the floor.Rance stood over an unmoving pile of debris on the stones.He blew fur awayfrom his face.Page 48ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlA bluff, as you can plainly see, the voice said.Ah, well."Get back to that circle before it's too-" But it was already too late.?CHAPTER EIGHTEENTHE WEDDING REHEARSAL WAS NOT GOING WELL.In hushed tones, the members of thewedding speculated that the groom's absence was having its effect on thebride, thus affecting the general mood.No one knew where Gene had gone, norwas there any word when he would return.Snowclaw was missing, too, and thatwas in a sense reassuring, for the two were probably together; but at the sametime it was a clue that he and his human pal might be off on some adventure.It was, to say the least, an inappropriate time for them to be off on anadventure."Let's have the flower girls split into two columns, each going off inopposite directions when they reach the altar."Linda was looking off into the choir loft.She turned to Melanie McDaniel, whohad made the suggestion."Huh?"Melanie said with wry grin, "You're not all here, Linda.""Sorry.What were you saying about the flower girls?""Two columns [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]