Timura Trilogy - The Gods Awaken Part 32

"I never worry about you, Renor," Safar said. He grinned at Sinch. "Or you either, Sinch. Except for your tasteless jokes, of course."

Sinch blushed, pleased that the great Lord Timura remembered such a personal thing about him.

"I'll have a dozen more ready, my lord," he said, "for when you get back. I know you love a good joke."

Safar smiled in appreciation. Then he said, "The only thing that really worries me is Captain Brutar and his pirates. I want you both to be on your guard in case they decide to forgo the bonus and play the traitor."

Renor nodded. "I'll get all our boys together," he said. "Drill them in full armor and all. That ought to put the fear of the G.o.ds into those pirates. They're just rabble and they know they can't stand up to real soldiers. And if that doesn't work, we'll already have our weapons at hand to teach them some lessons about loyalty."

Safar approved this plan, issued a few more orders to cover details they hadn't discussed before, then took his leave.Half an hour later Safar was retrieving the wine jar from the tidepool. A squad of Kyranian soldiers stood by for his orders, while Leiria and Jooli scoured the beach for some sign of Palimak.

From above came a whoosh of air and the throb of the magical engines as Biner took the airs.h.i.+p aloft.

The plan had been thoroughly discussed and the system of signals worked out. Now all Safar had to do was find Palimak.

"Over here, Safar," Jooli shouted.

He hurried to her side, Leiria joining him.

Jooli pointed at several impressions in the sand "Footprints," she said. "Although they're too faint for me to make out who they belong to."

Safar knelt, fis.h.i.+ng out his silver dagger. He waved it over the impressions, muttering a spell. The sand s.h.i.+fted, moving only a few grains at a time and gradually the footprints took form, standing out deep and clear.

They were human prints--long and narrow with well-formed toes. The only thing out of the ordinary were tiny marks like hooks springing from the toes. Not hooks but talons, Safar thought. Which could only mean one thing. Relief flooded in.

"It's Palimak," he said.

Safar looked up at the forest bordering the beach. The trees were so dense they might as well have been castle walls. Then he saw the break of a narrow avenue leading into the woods.

"He went that way," he said, rising.

They followed the footprints a short distance along the beach, Safar stopping every now and again to work his magic.

Then, suddenly, the distances between the tracks started lengthening. Each footprint far in front of the other.

"He's running!" Leiria said.

"Yes, but from what?" Safar said.

Heart racing, he looked about the beach, but saw no other signs.

"I don't know what's happening," he said, "but we'd better hurry."

Then he called for the soldiers and they all plunged into the dark, ancient forest of Aroborus.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR.

THE RAVENOUS SEAS.

Little Master's getting tired," Gundara observed from his perch on Palimak's shoulders.

"That's too bad," Gundaree said. "We still have a long way to go."

"I'm all right," Palimak gasped. "I'm just thirsty, that's all."He was lying more to himself than to the Favorites. Trying to stay afloat in the increasingly choppy surf was difficult. Palimak only had his tunic, which he'd turned into water wings, to support him. He'd kept his breeches on, although their weight made things more difficult. But, except as a last resort, he was loath to shed them as he had his boots.

It had nothing to do with modesty. Naked and alive was better than clothed and dead in even the shyest person's rule book. He had a few items in his pockets and hanging from his belt that might better his chances of survival once he reached land. Such as a knife and his waterproof wizard's purse, which contained all sorts of useful things.

More importantly, he needed a pocket to hold the stone turtle, otherwise the Favorites would be lost to him. Even if he could do without them, as irritating and cold-hearted as they could sometimes be, Palimak would never condemn his mischievous friends to an eternal prison at the bottom of the sea.

"You should have told us you were thirsty, Little Master," Gundara said.

"We can do something about that!" Gundaree put in.

"Then do it, please!" Palimak croaked, throat sore and raspy from all the salt-water he'd taken in.

The Favorites directed him to put his head back as far as he could. Then they hopped onto his forehead and crouched down to suck up sea-water. To his surprise they drew in enormous quant.i.ties, blowing up like little toads.

Gundara signaled for him to open his mouth and then both of them expelled the water in a torrent so heavy he had to swallow fast to avoid choking. Transformed in their bodies, the water was amazingly clear and sweet, like fresh spring water mixed with honey.

"Enough!" Palimak finally sputtered and they stopped, resuming their perch on either shoulder.

He took in a few deep breaths and suddenly felt his strength coming back. Most likely from the nectar the Favorites had expelled along with the water. He wondered idly if perhaps spirit folk were like bees, processing what they ate into honey.

"Thanks," Palimak said. "I didn't know you could do that."

"You never asked," Gundara pointed out.

"There's lots of things we can do," Gundaree added, "that you've never asked about."

"If any of them include a way of getting us out of this fix," Palimak said, "now's the time to speak up."

The Favorites thought for a moment.

Then Gundara said, "Well, if we could make you small enough, maybe we could fit you into the turtle with us."

"But first we'd have to make the turtle float, like a little boat," Gundaree pointed out.

"I already thought of that!" Gundara sniffed. "I'm not stupid, you know."

"That's not what our mother said," Gundaree replied.

"She never!" Gundara protested."Sure, she did," Gundaree said. "The last time we saw her she said Gundara was the stupidest--"

"Please, please, please!" Palimak broke in. "I'm dying here, in case you've forgotten. And if I go, both of you go!"

"Little master has a good point," Gundara said.

"I'll stop if you do," Gundaree said.

"Truce?"

"Truce!"

When they were quiet, Palimak said, "We were talking about getting me into the turtle and then making it float."

"Two very good ideas, if I do say so myself," Gundara said.

"The tide's going in," Gundaree said. "So that means we'd end up on dry land in no time."

Hopes stirring, Palimak said, "Let's get started, then. What do you want me to do?"

This was greeted by dead silence. Frustrated, Palimak said, "Come on! We're wasting time!"

"There's nothing to start, Little Master," Gundara said.

"But you both said they were good ideas," Palimak pointed out.

"They are," Gundara said. "But they were only theories."

"And, unfortunately, we can't actually do either one," Gundaree said.

Palimak groaned. Some day the Favorites were going to be the death of him--literally.

"The best thing to do is keep swimming, Little Master," Gundaree advised.

"Except maybe a bit faster, before the shark catches up to us," Gundara put in.

"Shark!" Palimak exclaimed.

He stopped treading water, paddling about to look. He saw nothing but the empty Demon Moon-lit seas.

"There's two of them, actually," Gundaree said.

"And a crocodile," Gundara added. "Don't forget that."

"I didn't want to scare the Little Master," Gundaree said. "Two sharks seemed bad enough."

"What should I do?" Palimak gasped, trying to hold back panic. "I can't outswim any of them!"

"That's certainly true," Gundaree admitted.

"We have such a smart Little Master," Gundara said. "Too bad he can't swim as fast as he thinks."

"Even if he could," Gundaree said, "he'd never get away from the sea serpent."

"Sea serpent!" Palimak cried. "Where?""Oh, he's about thirty feet below us," Gundara said.

"He's not sure yet if you're food," Gundaree said. "But he's starting to get the idea."

Just then, off in the distance, Palimak saw a huge fin break the surface. It started to circle him--slowly, almost lazily. A moment later another popped up, circling in the opposite direction.

He couldn't see the crocodile, but he knew it'd remain so low on the surface that his first sight would be its jaws opening wide to take him.

As for the sea serpent, he'd never spot it. The thing would probably just wriggle up to grab him by the legs and pull him under.

Palimak had been in trouble many times before, but never had he been so thoroughly trapped. His panicky mind churned for inspiration but was continually interrupted by images of being eaten alive by one--or all--of the big sea carnivores closing in on him.

Meanwhile, the Favorites were conferring. Palimak was too frightened to make out what they were saying, but he supposed it was a discussion of the dubious merits of being trapped beneath the sea, with no possibility of a new master coming along to rescue them for several thousand years--if ever.

Finally, Gundara said, "We have an idea."

"Not another d.a.m.ned theory!" Palimak groaned, imagining the sea serpent examining his dangling legs with hungry interest.

"Oh, no," Gundaree said. "It's not a theory. This idea we can actually do something about."

"Maybe," Gundara cautioned.

"All right ... maybe," Gundaree grudgingly admitted.

"But it's worth a try, at least," Gundara said.

"I suppose so," Gundaree agreed. "And if it doesn't work we could always try the other idea."

"What other idea?" Palimak asked.

He felt as if he'd been cast into some other world, a surreal world. A world where his impending death could be discussed so casually. While less than fifty feet away the circling sharks were closing slowly in.

And although it might only have been his imagination, Palimak thought he could see the k.n.o.bbed eyes of the sea crocodile poking up a few feet within the circles.

And the serpent--oh, d.a.m.n the serpent! Let him eat the leftovers! Palimak suppressed an hysterical giggle.

"Never mind the other idea," Gundara said.

"Absolutely!" Gundaree agreed. "It'll only make you mad."

"Fine, fine!" Palimak moaned. "It's forgotten. Now, please do something! I wasn't born to be somebody's dinner."

"That's not quite true, Little Master," Gundara said."Yes," Gundaree said. "Don't you know that everybody is somebody's food?"

"Not necessarily right away, you understand," Gundara said. "But eventually. It's life's most important lesson, you know."

"Our mother used to sing us the most wonderful lullaby that sums it all up," Gundaree said. And he sang: "Everybody's somebody's food.