Lord of the Libraries (7 page)
Drenched by the sea, the wizard stood wide-legged on the tide. He’d lost his hat and his gray hair and beard hung in matted clumps. With the cloak wet and sticking to him, he looked like a drenched cat, somehow shorn of its size. If he hadn’t been riding the sea, obviously in control of at least that part of it, he would have looked like an old man about to meet his doom.
But Juhg knew the wizard, and knew what Craugh was capable of. The air popped and cracked with the power the wizard called to him and gathered.
“By the Old Ones,” Craugh roared, “this ship and these people are under my protection!
My
protection! I am
Craugh!
You know me! And I will not allow this!”
My
protection! I am
Craugh!
You know me! And I will not allow this!”
Incredibly, the bearded hoar-worm paused. Then it laughed, throwing its head back and howling with mirth like a madman. The whole time, the monster kept pace with the pirate ship just as the wizard and the magicked wave did. When it finished laughing, the creature looked at the wizard and cocked its head to one side.
“Do not forget your place,
Craugh.
O mighty wizard.” The monster’s voice came out thunderous and insulting and hoarse, like the watery wind whipped through a tidal cave. “These petty beings are forfeit. They are
mine.
Because I wish it so.”
Craugh.
O mighty wizard.” The monster’s voice came out thunderous and insulting and hoarse, like the watery wind whipped through a tidal cave. “These petty beings are forfeit. They are
mine.
Because I wish it so.”
“No,” the wizard returned. “I will not allow it.”
The huge face scowled. “You cannot stop me.”
“I can,” Craugh declared forcefully. “And I will.”
“You and the others put me and my kind to sleep at the bottom of the ocean for years,” the monster accused.
“You worked at cross purposes to us.”
Juhg listened to the exchange. Little had been written about the bearded hoar-worms. Most of what he had read in the Vault of All Known Knowledge had been speculation and myth. But to learn that Craugh had known them, had interacted with them—that one of them actually knew Craugh!—was astounding. So much of the wizard’s long life was unknown. Even the Grandmagister talked little of Craugh’s background.
“You are no friend of mine,” the monster said.
“I never was,” Craugh agreed. “Who awakened you, Methoss?”
The monster laughed again. “So inquisitive. All these years, Craugh, and you have not changed.” The big eyes blinked. “Except, I see, to finally get old and frail.”
Craugh glowered at the creature and lifted his nose ever so little. “Believing that would be a mistake on your part. You should have left as soon as you recognized me.”
“Why? You, even with those others of the Round, could not kill us. You only succeeded in enchanting us.”
“That was a long time ago,” Craugh warned. “I have learned things since those days that I did not know then.”
“I do not fear you, Craugh.”
The wizard stood straight and tall, a reed that would not bend in the howling wind. “Then you will surely die.”
Juhg didn’t know if Craugh was bluffing or not. Craugh was powerful. Juhg had seen the wizard do amazing things over the years. Turning annoying people into toads was a hobby, nothing more. A parlor trick, Craugh claimed, though his victims lived out long, sad lives filled with flies.
But the creature that swam in the sea before him? Juhg had never seen Craugh face anything like that.
“Your time is over, Craugh,” the bearded hoar-worm snarled. “You are not as good a man as you would have yourself to believe. You still battle the darkness that is within you.”
“Perhaps. But I win. And every day I find more reasons to fight against it.”
“You should have sided with us when you were given the chance.”
“I would rather die.”
“Then you shall.” Without any preliminary flicker of movement to betray its intent, the monster popped its head forward and gulped Craugh down whole.
One moment the wizard stood there on the small shelf of water he’d controlled, and the next he was gone.
The bearded hoar-worm laughed uproariously, as if at the best joke that it had ever heard. Then it turned its attention back to the pirate crew. “Now, where was I?” It smiled. “Oh yes. Now that you’ve lost your would-be defender, you should be absolutely filled with fear and
—aaaccckkk!”
—aaaccckkk!”
Aaaccckkk?
That didn’t sound like part of a gloating speech to Juhg. And the monster was surely in a position to gloat.
That didn’t sound like part of a gloating speech to Juhg. And the monster was surely in a position to gloat.
Then the giant creature loosed a howl of pain. In the next moment, it coiled in on itself as if in agony, whipping back and forth like a snake that had been run over by a wagon wheel.
Mesmerized by what he was seeing, Juhg walked forward, stopping at the railing, then running back toward the stern as the bearded hoar-worm stopped pacing
One-Eyed Peggie
and fell by the wayside. Juhg halted behind the helmsman, unable to go any farther.
One-Eyed Peggie
and fell by the wayside. Juhg halted behind the helmsman, unable to go any farther.
“The monster’s sinkin’,” Hallekk said as he stood beside Juhg. “Craugh killed it.”
In the distance, the bearded hoar-worm began slowly drifting under the sea.
“But it’s taking Craugh down with it,” Juhg said as he saw the coils of the monster sinking beneath the ocean surface. Grief filled him. Although the wizard had always treated Juhg as if he were a child with straw for brains, Craugh had been a part of Juhg’s life almost as much as the Grandmagister.
“He’s done fer,” Hallekk said, patting Juhg sympathetically on the shoulder.
“No. He may still yet live.” Juhg ran for one of the longboats hanging from davits on
One-Eyed Peggie’
s starboard side.
One-Eyed Peggie’
s starboard side.
“Ye can’t hope to put a longboat out in that water,” Hallekk protested. “Not an’ stay afloat.”
“I’ve got to try.” Juhg reached for the rope that held the longboat tied up.
“Wait,” one of the pirates cried. “The monster ain’t dead yet! Craugh didn’t get it killed!”
Impossibly, Juhg watched as the bearded hoar-worm surfaced, then struck out for
One-Eyed Peggie,
overtaking her in short order. The creature came up on the starboard side, away from the tangle of rigging and sails the broken mainmast had caused. The dwarven pirates trotted alongside, watching the creature and cursing it to the best of their abilities, which were quite extensive and improved by the fear the monster had put into them.
One-Eyed Peggie,
overtaking her in short order. The creature came up on the starboard side, away from the tangle of rigging and sails the broken mainmast had caused. The dwarven pirates trotted alongside, watching the creature and cursing it to the best of their abilities, which were quite extensive and improved by the fear the monster had put into them.
Despite the fact that the monster moved beside them, Juhg noticed the dead way its eyes simply stared.
A moment later, the creature’s mouth opened and smoke boiled out of it, bringing the stench of rot and burned meat. When the smoke cleared, Craugh stood in the bearded hoar-worm’s open mouth. Seawater lapped up over the broken fangs and swirled around the wizard’s boots.
Craugh looked haggard and worn. Smoke clung to his hair and clothing. He held his staff and gazed up at the crew.
“Well,” Craugh demanded in a disgusted tone, “am I going to have to crawl up the side of the ship to get back aboard?”
A mighty cheer went up from the pirates. Despite the losses of their comrades in arms, the wizard’s survival cheered the pirates’ hearts. Also, the dead monster floating beside the ship spoke volumes about their increased chances of getting out of their current situation alive if the wizard was with them.
Hallekk gave the orders and a net was quickly put over
One-Eyed Peggie’
s side.
One-Eyed Peggie’
s side.
Craugh grabbed hold of the net and waited a moment. “Hallekk,” he called up.
“Aye,” Hallekk responded.
“You’ll need to tie this carcass to the ship.”
“Whatever for?”
“So we can bring it along with us for a while.”
“An’ why should we want to do that?”
“Because I need to harvest some of the things Methoss has eaten over the years.” Craugh started up the net, moving slowly, like a man near exhaustion. “I’ll want its heart, too.”
Juhg helped Craugh onto the ship. He felt how shaky the old wizard was although Craugh gave no indication of it as he peered at the destruction made by the fallen mast.
“It’s made a proper mess of your ship,” Craugh commented.
“Aye.” Hallekk scratched his beard. “We’re gonna be some‘at shorthanded now, an’ definitely gonna fall behind them goblinkin ships.”
“We’ll do the best that we may,” Craugh told him. “As for reinforcements and supplies, there is that ship of reinforcements I asked for.”
Seventeen days ago, Craugh had pulled a dove out of his hat, tied a message to its leg requesting additional supplies and men, and put it into the air to fly to Greydawn Moors. There had been no answer. When Juhg had asked the wizard how he expected another ship to find them even
though they didn’t know where they were, Craugh had pointed out that the other ship would know where they would be.
though they didn’t know where they were, Craugh had pointed out that the other ship would know where they would be.
During the few minutes he’d gotten to talk to the Grandmagister aboard the goblinkin ship right after the battle for Greydawn Moors had begun, the Grandmagister had told Juhg that he’d left something for him in Imarish, also known as the City of Canals. So far, the goblinkin ships were heading for Imarish as well.
The fact had filled Juhg with some trepidation. Despite the fact that he believed the Grandmagister could do anything, Juhg couldn’t help feeling that Aldhran Khempus—the man who had captured the Grandmagister in Greydawn Moors—might have tortured the information out of Edgewick Lamplighter.
And if Aldhran had, was
One-Eyed Peggie
sailing into a trap? The possibility was unsettling. Then Juhg realized that Craugh was talking to him.
One-Eyed Peggie
sailing into a trap? The possibility was unsettling. Then Juhg realized that Craugh was talking to him.
“Yes?” Juhg replied, looking up at the wizard.
“I said that you and I have a task to accomplish once Hallekk and his men have the bearded hoar-worm tied up alongside.”
“What task?” Juhg felt instantly rebellious.
“We’re going to cut the heart out of that monster.”
Juhg gawped. He couldn’t help it. “Not me.”
“Yes, you,” Craugh thundered. “By the Old Ones, I find this rebellious nature you’ve suddenly sprouted to be totally insufferable.”
“I am
not
going to do that,” Juhg said. He couldn’t put up with the wizard ordering him around any more.
not
going to do that,” Juhg said. He couldn’t put up with the wizard ordering him around any more.
The crew drew back from Juhg, obviously afraid that they might get turned into toads by the fallout of the spell Craugh was undoubtedly going to blast the object of his irritation with.
Craugh glared at Juhg.
Juhg stubbornly held his ground. At least, he liked to think that he was stubbornly holding his ground. The truth was that after his outburst, after realizing what was likely to happen, he was frozen to that very spot.
Green sparks leapt from the crooked end of Craugh’s staff.
“Uh,” Hallekk said quietly. “Mayhap I can get one of the crew to do that, Craugh. It’s a mite dirty work. Not fit fer a proper Librarian at all, much less a First Level Librarian like Juhg. I mean, there’s gonna be blood involved. I could get Cook to have a go at it, because he’s used to bleedin’ things an’—”
“Captain Hallekk,” Craugh interrupted.
Hallekk blinked and took a half step back. “Aye.”
“I want this ship fixed. You’ll need everyone of your crew to do that.”
After a brief pause, Hallekk said, “Aye.”
“You do want to rescue the Grandmagister, don’t you?” Craugh asked.
“Aye.” There was no hesitation at all.
“Then see to those repairs.”
“Aye.” Hallekk turned and yelled orders at the crew.
Juhg stood there, alone as anything, as the dwarven pirates jumped to do their assignments. They weren’t abandoning Juhg, after all, they were tending to the rescue of the Grandmagister.
“What about you?” Craugh demanded.
Juhg swallowed hard and hoped that he wouldn’t stammer. “Me?”
“Yes you. Do you want to rescue the Grandmagister?”
Juhg licked his lips. He’d been asked trick questions before. Was this a trick question? “Yes.”
“Then get a knife. A really sharp knife.” Craugh turned away from him and went to the railing where Hallekk had crew throwing out ropes to bind the bearded hoar-worm’s body to
One-Eyed Peggie.
One-Eyed Peggie.
Juhg stood there on the rolling ship’s deck. He’d wanted to ask how getting a knife would help save the Grandmagister, but he knew that Craugh had said all he would say on the matter. He also felt certain the wizard was speaking the truth. Getting the knife would—somehow—help save the Grandmagister.
After a moment, he took a breath, only then realizing he’d stopped breathing. Then he blinked. After that, he went to get the knife.
Walking barefoot across the belly of the dead monster wasn’t the most unpleasant thing Juhg had ever done. Certainly carrying around the severed leg of a fellow dweller who had died from overwork and beatings down in the goblinkin gem mines had been horrible. The slaves had to bring up the leg to prove that the dweller had died rather than escaped, and dragging a corpse around all day hadn’t been possible. They’d had to stay down in the mines till they filled their carts.
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