Page 16 (1/2)
The cellar Bill-E beating at the bars of his cage with a bloody leg he&039;s torn fro the chess boards and weapons, ignoring Bill-E I want him to talk me out of it, tellIn the study, he didn&039;t even ask if I was sure, just nodded once and told Pablo he&039;d call hiht back here No "Thank you," or "Well done, Grubbs," or "I&039;m proud of you"
I examine the chess boards with forced interest, desperate to keep my mind off the weapons Five boards laid in a line across the three tables The Lord of the Rings set in the centre, flanked by a board of crystal pieces on one side and Incan-fashioned pieces on the other The sets at either end are ordinary
"Did you lay the boards out that way for a reason?" I ask Dervish
"No," he replies, testing a sword&039;s handle, wiping it clean "The sets don&039;tas there are five"
"Explain how the contest works," I urge hia over "When it&039;s my turn, I can move any piece I like, on any board Lord Loss can then reply to the piece I&039;ve moved, or "
"Yes But it&039;s confusing for hiht of a thick candle and squints, judging the sharpness of its blade "Lord Loss is an accoae If I keep my head, focus on the moves and don&039;t lose my nerve, I&039;ll stand a fair chance"
"What sort of chance do I stand against Artery and Vein?" I ask
Dervish looks at me coldly - then whips his arht at me!
Instant reaction - I spin - ers close around the axe handlethe speed out of it - then raise it high to defend , confused and afraid
Then I seehard, I stare at Dervish, then at the axe in my hand
"That sort," he says
"I still don&039;t kno I caught it," I gru his books for a particular volume
"You don&039;t have to know," Dervish says "It&039;s ic" He pauses and looks up at me "Your instincts have been sharpened by your previous encounter with the demons Obey those instincts Let Vein and Artery set the tone and pace of the battle React Don&039;t think Suspend the laws of reality completely"
Dervish returns his attention to the books, finds the one he&039;s after, flicks it open and stands "Make your inexperience work for you," he says "You can&039;t out-plan or out-think the deo with the flow"
"You make it sound easy"
"It certainly won&039;t be easy! But if you switch your brain off, you&039;ll be amazed by what your body can do"
Dervish lays the book on the floor, bends over it and reads a passage, running a finger over the words, ?" I ask
"Several spells must be cast to open a een Lord Loss&039;s world and ours," Dervish says "I have to ateway - we don&039;t want other deh"
"That can happen?"
"Sure The Deer to cross the divide and wreak havoc They&039;ll seize any opening which presents itself"
"But don&039;t you know the spells already?" I frown "I thought you summoned him before"
"I did," Dervish nods "Several times But soraph and closes the book Walks to the wall to his left and lays both hands on it "I&039; now," he says, "but it&039;ll be twenty minutes, maybe half an hour before theopens Stay close to the tables Relax Don&039;t distractand scratching at the wood, Dervish ns upon it with his fingers After a few h stone Dervish leans into the steam, inhales, turns and breathes out
A shadowy bat flies from his mouth and flits across the cellar I duck instinctively, even though it&039;s nowhere near ain, the bat has vanished and Dervish has moved on to another patch of wall
FifteenThe air of the cellar isnoises and flaps at the air with blood-red hands Dervish has been breathing out a variety of ss, insects As I watch, he turns and exhales his largest yet - a full-sized wolf
Bill-E gibbers wildly at the sight Hisses at it, then ducks to the rear of his cage and crouches lohi before it touches the bars
At any other time I&039;d feel pity for the poor beast Bill-E has becoht now there&039;s only room in my heart for terror
Dervish steps away from the walls at last, eyes closed, face contorted Walks directly to the folder containing the Lord Loss drawings Picks it up and clutches it to his chest