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one-eyed gaze to the east, seeing farther and better than mortal sight. He
descried the war-dray far off, throwing out a plume of dust. Its way led
through low, gutted hills from which much stone had been quarried and cut for
use in Salamá. Beyond those rose the bare little mount upon which the Lifetree
could thrive.
He sensed an emanation he d come across before; Calundronius, accursed
gemstone of the deCourteneys, was there. No simple spell would stop his prey.
And even with his infernal steed, Bey could not overhaul them in time; they d
gained a commanding lead. It would require extraordinary measures to halt
them, or at least impede them until he could catch up.
He ordered his thoughts, sorting out the things he must invoke, flows he must
tap, oaths to bind and vows to make. He used a forbidden tongue, his
aristocratic hands darting through the passes of his Shaping. The hellhorse,
scenting sorcery, reared high, beams of amber light arrowing from its eyes.
Ears flattening to its skull, it screamed its excitement; not an equine sound,
but rather the cry of a giant feline.
Van Duyn and Katya, having dropped far behind the main party as rearguard,
heard that sound. They turned, and saw a horse and rider, tiny in the
distance, coming at uncanny speed. They brought their horses around, the
American unslinging the M-1, to do whatever they must to buy time for those
riding with the Lifetree.
* * * *
The main party thundered down into the lowest part of the valley, their horses
lathered with sweat, flinging up the earth in clots. They passed striated
cliffs and deserted stoneyards, catching sight of low-lying excavations where
ground water had formed pools. That an open body of water could exist here
proved their destination was close.
Springbuck s heart was alive with hope; all victory seemed possible. Then
Fireheel slowed, his senses sharper than his rider s, testing the breeze, ears
pricked forward, moving with quick, high steps, head swiveling. Springbuck
scanned for danger, taking Calundronius from his chest and holding it by its
chain. He saw nothing approaching from any direction, and the sky was vacant.
The brown earth jumped, like a horse s shoulder-twitch; Yardiff Bey s sorcery
was taking hold, Shaping this most inert and difficult of the elements to his
purpose. Rising in a mound, as if a baker kneaded dough, it folded and
refolded, swelling. Here, where the earth had already been opened and raided,
Yardiff Bey had found pliant material, receptive to his arts.
The earth-elemental found its feet like a drunkard, the problems of balance
and motion altogether alien to it. It came from quiescent soil, used only to
movements dictated by simple gravity and the patient adjustments of the
substrata. It was twice as tall as the tallest of the humans, crudely wrought.
Headless, it worked its arms and legs slowly, with a rain of dust and gravel,
chance minerals and bits of rock.
To the right of the road was the valley s side, and to the left, a jumble of
stone blocks in the abandoned yards, leaving no room to go around. The eight
bulky dray horses reared and neighed, kicking, threatening to break their
cracking swingletrees. Gil and Hightower could do nothing but endure the
rocking and jolting grimly.
Dunstan had himself braced in the curve of the driver s waist-bar, fighting
the reins. Fireheel had shied away from the apparition, but now Springbuck
forced the gray close, holding Calundronius out. The thing sensed the gemstone
and its power. It stomped clumsily, gathered more earth to it and flung it at
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the Ku-Mor-Mai. Sand, dirt and shale hit Springbuck like a wall. The stallion
and his rider were blasted backward, falling; Fireheel whinnied in fright, and
Calundronius was torn from the Protector-Suzerain s fingers. Swan lofted a
javelin that drove deep into the creature s side, then began to slough out
again without effect, telling her no mortal weapon would avail.
Dunstan and Ferrian were working together to back the neighing, bucking team.
Reacher rode up to seize the right lead horse s bridle.
Sorcery drew the elemental to the axe, guiding it in its only purpose, to stop
the Lifetree. It lifted a boulder, hurled it at the dray. Its aim was off;
docile earth, it was unused to something as bizarre as trajectory. The boulder
missed the team, but smashed into the dray, snapping a wheel rim, crunching
its spokes.
The elemental went to the wagon and, without sign of effort, it began to
topple the vehicle over on its side. Dunstan clung to his place at the prow a
moment, then the reins were dragged from his hands and the weakened hitch
broke. The eight horses milled and reared. Ferrian, arms and legs gyrating,
was tossed headlong. Reacher managed to break his fall by leaning far out of
his saddle, but the King s own horse, flinching in fright, robbed him of
balance. Both went down. The team broke and ran blindly, and with them went
Reacher s horse. The King scrambled madly to pull Ferrian and himself from
beneath the great hooves, but his leg was struck, and Reacher s left leg hung
useless, crushed and numb.
Inside the dray, men tumbled as wall changed place with ceiling and floor. Gil
managed to catch himself by a handhold ring, igniting white agony in his side.
Red Pilgrim lay nearby, having narrowly missed his head. Hightower s
restraints came loose, and he met the wood with a thud.
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