in.'
He will not succeed in this,' Taran said. 'Somehow, we must find a way to escape. We dare not lose hope.'
'I agree absolutely,' Fflewddur answered. 'Your general idea is excellent; it's only the details that are lacking. Lose hope? By no means! A Fflam is always hopeful! I intend to go on hoping,' he added ruefully, 'even when they come and pop me into the Crochan.'
Gurgi and Ellidyr still lay unconscious, but Eilonwy had not ceased working furiously at the gag and now at last she succeeding in forcing it out of her mouth.
'Morgant!' she gasped. 'He'll pay for this! Why, I thought I'd stifle! He might have kept me from talking, but he didn't keep me from listening. When he comes back, I hope he tries to put me in the cauldron first! He'll soon find out who he's dealing with. He'll wish he'd never thought of making his own Cauldron-Born!'
Taran shook his head. 'By then it will be too late. We shall be slain before we are taken to the Crochan. No, there is only one hope. None of you shall be sacrificed because of me. I have decided what I must do.'
'Decided!' Eilonwy burst out. 'The only thing you have to decide is how we shall escape from this tent. If you're thinking of anything else, you're wasting your time. That's like wondering whether to scratch your head when a boulder's about to fall on it.'
'This is my decision,' Taran said slowly. 'I will accept what Morgant offers.'
'What?' Eilonwy exclaimed in disbelief. 'For a while I thought you'd actually learned something from Adaon's brooch. How can you think to accept?'
'I shall swear my allegiance to Morgant,' Taran went on. 'He shall have my word, but shall not make me keep it. An oath given under threat of death cannot bind me. This way, at least, we may gain a little time.'
'Are you sure Morgant's warriors didn't strike you on the head and you didn't notice it?' Eilonwy asked sharply. 'Do you imagine Morgant won't guess what you plan? He has no intention of keeping his part of the bargain; he'll slay us all anyway. Once you're in his clutches? I mean more than you are? you won't get out of them. Morgant might have been one of the greatest war leaders in Prydain; but he's turned evil, and if you try coming to terms with him, well, you'll find it's worse than being a Cauldron warrior. Though I admit that isn't very attractive either.'
Taran was silent for a time. 'I fear you are right,' he said. 'But I don't know what else we can do.'
'Get out first,' Eilonwy advised. 'We can decide what else when the time comes. Somehow it's hard to think about where to run as long as your hands and feet are tied up.'
With much difficulty, the tightly bound companions struggled closer and sought to undo each other's thongs. The knots refused to yield, slipped from their numb fingers, and only bit more deeply into their flesh.
Again and again the companions returned to their labors until they lay breathless and exhausted. Even Eilonwy no longer had the strength to speak. They rested a while, hoping to gain new energy, but the night moved as a heavy, tormented dream and the moments they passed in fitful drowsing did nothing to restore them, nor did they dare lose too much precious time; morning, Taran knew, would come swiftly. The cold, gray trickle of dawn had already begun to seep into the tent.
All night, as they had toiled, Taran had heard the movements of warriors in the clearing, the voice of Morgant crying harsh, urgent commands. Now he dragged himself painfully to the curtain at the entrance of the tent, pressed his cheek against the cold ground, and tried to peer out. He could see little, for the rising mists swirled above the turf, and he made out only shadow shapes hastening back and forth. The warriors, he imagined, were gathering their gear, perhaps making ready to strike camp. A long, pitiful whinny came from the line of tethered horses and he recognized it as that of Islimach. The Crochan still squatted where it had been; Taran made out the dark, brooding mass, and it seemed to him, in a flare of horror, that its mouth gaped greedily.
Taran rolled over and pulled himself back to the companions. The bard's features were pale; he appeared half dazed by fatigue and suffering. Eilonwy raised her head and looked silently at him.
'What,' murmured Fflewddur, 'has the moment already come for us to say farewell?'
'Not yet,' Taran said, 'though Morgant will be here soon enough, I fear. Then our time will be upon us. How does Gurgi fare?'
'The poor thing is still unconscious,' Eilonwy answered. 'Leave him as he is, it is kinder thus.'
Ellidyr stirred and groaned feebly. Slowly his eyes opened; he winced, turned his bloodstained, broken face to Taran, and studied him for a time as though without recognition. Then his torn lips moved in his familiar, bitter grimace.
'And so we are together again, Taran of Caer Dallben,' he said. 'I did not expect us to meet so soon.'
'Have no fear, Son of Pen-Llarcau,' Taran answered. 'It shall not be for long.'
Ellidyr bowed his head. 'For that I am truly sorry. I would make up the ill I have done all of you.'
'Would you have said the same if the cauldron were still in your hands?' Taran asked quietly.
Ellidyr hesitated. 'I shall speak the truth? I do not know. The black beast you saw is a harsh master; its claws are sharp. Yet I did not feel them until now.
'But I tell you this,' Ellidyr continued, trying to lift himself, 'I stole the cauldron out of pride, not evil. I swear to you, on whatever honor remains to me, I would not have used it. Yes, I would have taken your glory for my own. But I, too, would have borne the Crochan to Gwydion and offered it for destruction. Believe this much of me.'
Taran nodded. 'I believe you, Prince of Pen-Llarcau. And now perhaps even more than you believe it yourself.'
A wind had risen, moaning through the trees and shaking the tent. The curtain blew back. Taran saw the warriors forming in ranks behind the cauldron.
Chapter 20
The Final Price
ELLIDYR!' TARAN CRIED. 'Have you strength enough to break your bonds and free the rest of us?'
Ellidyr rolled on his side and strained desperately against the tight cords. The bard and Taran tried to aid him, but at last Ellidyr fell back, exhausted and gasping with the pain of his efforts.
'Too much of my strength is gone,' he murmured. 'I fear Morgant has given me my death wound. I can do no more.'
The curtain blew open again. An instant later Taran was flung full length and roughly spun around. He kicked wildly with his bound legs and tried to right himself.
'Stop struggling, you clot!' a voice shouted in his ear.
'Doli!' Taran's heart leaped. 'Is it you?'
'Clever question!' snapped the voice. 'Stop trying to fight me! Things are hard enough without your squirming! Whoever tied these knots, I wish he had them about his neck!'
Taran felt firm hands drawing at the thongs. 'Doli! How did you come here?'
'Don't bother me with silly chatter,' growled the dwarf. Taran felt a knee jabbing into the small of his back as Doli took a better grip on the bonds. 'Can't you see I'm busy?' muttered the dwarf. 'No, of course you can't, but that doesn't matter. Drat! If I hadn't lost my axe I'd be through this in no time! Oh, my ears! I've never stayed invisible so long at one go! Hornets! Wasps!'
Suddenly the thongs parted. Taran sat up and began as best he could to unbind his legs. In another moment Doli himself flashed into sight and set about freeing the bard. The stout dwarf was grimy, muddy, and his ears were tinged bright blue. Doli stopped his exertions to clap his hands to his head. 'Enough invisibility is enough!' he cried. 'No need for it here. Not yet. Bumblebees! A whole hive of them in my ears!'
'How did you ever find us?' cried Eilonwy, as the dwarf ripped away her bonds.
'If you must know,' the dwarf snapped impatiently, 'I didn't find you. Not at first. I found Ellidyr. Saw him come up from the river a little before Morgant reached him. I was on my way to Caer Cadarn, after I shook off the Huntsmen, to get help from Gwydion. I didn't dare waste time chasing through the Marshes after you. Ellidyr had the cauldron. And your horses, too. That got my suspicions up. So I went invisible and followed him on foot. As soon as I understood what had happened, I turned back to look for you. My pony had run off? dratted beast, we never liked each other? and you got here ahead of me.'
