'It's market day,' said Miphon, hitting on the same lie that Drake had used. 'Think nothing of it.'
'It's a riot, isn't it?' said Zanya, sure of her facts even though the stone-throwing had stopped for the moment.'Not. . . not yet.'
'But it will be,' said Zanya, 'won't it? They're stirring themselves up to kill us!' When Miphon made no reply, she said: 'Who is it? Who's out there?'
'Some few dozens who cry for leper-blood,' said Miphon reluctantly. 'Also, from Sully Yot's temple, about fifty lunatics who say we hold the son of the demon Hagon within.'
'While others join in for the fun of it,' said Zanya. 'Well – do you give us to the mob? Or do you let us escape from here?'
'She speaks sense,' said Drake. 'Man, you've two choices. Kill us, then throw the crowd their corpses. Or break us out of here, lest they storm this gatehouse. If they do that, they'll not stop there. They'll burn your town by nightfall.'
'It's easy to say,' said Miphon. 'But we lack the men to break you out past a mob like that.'
'What do you want?' said Drake. 'An army? Twenty soldiers, man. That's all it takes. Twenty good men on twenty good horses, aye, swords and spears. Man, that orderless rabble would run like rats.'
'We have not twenty men within,' said Miphon. 'Only half a dozen.''Then those men who arrested me-'
T sent them chasing after Lord Blackwood and Lord Hearst.'
'Man, that was foolish!' said Drake, shaking his head. 'Mobs grow by moments. Smash them to start with, aye, that's the story.'
At that moment, the gaoler intruded on their conversation. He was hot, panting, excited.'Masters, Lord Blackwood's outside! He's in trouble!'
Miphon exited the cell, with Drake and Zanya close behind. Crowding to arrowslits, they saw Lord Hearst outside, along with a dark-haired, heavy-jowled man whom Drake recognized as Blackwood. Both were on horseback, as were the four soldiers helping force a way through the crowd. Suddenly, one of the soldiers was hauled from his horse. Blackwood raised something in his fist. He shouted. The mob fell back in a confusion close to panic.'What's happened?' said Zanya.
'He's threatened them with the death-stone,' said Miphon.'The door!' shouted Drake. 'To the door!'
All raced to the door of the western gatehouse, which they hauled open. Blackwood, Hearst and the surviving soldiers spurred their horses for the door. The mob surged after them – but the sight of cold steel made the mob hesitate just long enough for the door to be closed.Hearst swung down from his horse.'How many men here?' he said.
'Nine all told,' said the gaoler, 'counting me, and counting Master Yot's prisoner.'
'Yot!' said Hearst. 'I'll kill him when I get hold of him.' Then, to Blackwood: T told you he should have swung with those lawyers.'
'I gave him my support for I saw good things in his doctrine,' said Blackwood. 'The flesh, after all, must be disciplined to live within its limits.'
'Yes yes yes!' said Hearst. 'You meant well. You always mean well. Me, I'm content to govern! Is the death- stone safe?'
'Here,' said Blackwood, thumping a stone egg onto a convenient table.'Good,' said Hearst.'Man,' said Drake, 'is that it?''The weapon of recent legend,' confirmed Hearst.
'Well then,' said Drake, 'let's use it, for the mob without is close to murder.'
'We cannot do any such thing,' said Hearst. 'We'd turn the whole town to stone.''It's us or them, man!' cried Drake.
He snatched up the death-stone. It was cool. It was heavier than he had expected. There was a sizzle of steel as soldiers drew weapons against him. Drake menaced them with the death-stone. They fell back. Now what? He waved the death-stone about in the air.'Work, you ganch!' screamed Drake. 'Kill people!'Hearst laughed, harshly.
'Read the Words on the side of the stone,' said Hearst. 'Read them, now! Or drop the stone – or it will kill you.'
Drake saw strange writing on the side of the death-stone. The stone egg kicked in his hand like a living heart. He put it back on the table.
'I would have saved us if I could,' he said sadly, 'but I know not the letter Ac0was from any other.'
'You'd have saved none,' said Hearst, 'but would have killed many. When the death-stone works its magic, all die unless huddled close, within an arm-span of the stone itself. Let's use the bottle.''What bottle?'said Drake.
'That one,' said Hearst, pointing to a red bottle which was tied to Blackwood's belt. Blackwood pulled a ring off his finger and handed it to
Hearst. The soldiers, who had done this before, grabbed hold of Hearst. Who slipped the ring onto his finger then turned it. As Drake goggled, Hearst and the soldiers holding him were turned to smoke. And sucked into the bottle.
Drake had learnt bits and pieces about the lore of such magic bottles. He had heard tales from Andranovory in Selzirk. While ruling the Gates of Chenameg, he had heard more from other people. But stories were one thing – it was quite another to see such magic in action.Moments later, Hearst materialized again.'Hold me,' said Hearst. 'Yes, you, woman. And you.''No!' said Zanya.
'No!' said Drake. 'We'll not be devilled to smoke like those others.'
He was fearfully afraid of going inside that bottle. For the only way in or out of that bottle was through the magic of the ring which commanded it. If that ring was to be lost or destroyed – why, then anyone inside that bottle would be trapped there for life.Miphon tried to explain.'It's only-'
'Don't waste breath or time,' said Hearst. 'Help me get the horses inside.' Miphon and Hearst took the horses into the bottle. They rematerialized shortly. 'We're going to the roof,' said Hearst. 'Gaoler – come with us. As for you two – follow if you wish.'
Hearst led the way upstairs, with Drake and Zanya hot on his heels. All were panting heavily by the time they reached the top of the western gatehouse. Zanya was gasping like a fish out of water. Her face streamed with sweat.
From this height, they could see for league upon league. Sinuous line of river. Far to the west – perhaps thirty leagues away – a hint amidst haze of something which might have been the sea. From the eastern wall of the roof, a view directly down into the street where the mob was using a battering ram against the door of the gatehouse.
Hearst strode to the western wall. Directly below was a dry ditch, with ragged wasteland beyond.
'Gaoler!' said Hearst. 'Come here!' The gaoler did so. 'We are going to use the ring,' said Hearst. 'We will venture inside the red bottle. Then you must throw that bottle so it lands in yonder wasteland.''My lord,' said the gaoler, bowing his head.
Swiftly, Blackwood unfastened the bottle from his belt. He handed it to Hearst who put it down on the roof. The gaoler went to pick it up.
'No!' said Hearst, fearing the bottle would be thrown too soon. 'Don't pick it up until we're inside!' He looked at Drake. 'Friend,' said Hearst, 'will you join us in the bottle? Or stay to meet your doom?''We'll come,' said Drake.
Zanya grabbed Drake who grabbed Miphon who grabbed Blackwood who grabbed Hearst who turned the ring on his finger. All five dissolved into smoke and were sucked into the bottle. The gaoler, left alone on the roof, picked up the red bottle and threw it. High it spun. Down, down, down it fell. And landed amidst thistles on the wasteland west of the gatehouse.
Down at street level, the door to the gatehouse shattered. With a deep-throated growl, the mob surged inside. They were unlikely to handle the gaoler kindly if they laid hands on him.
'Well,' said the gaoler, 'time to try the transformation pill, I guess.'
He took from his neck an amulet inherited from his great-great-grandfather who had bought it from a peddler who claimed to have purchased it from a judge who had confiscated it from a thief who had stolen it from a sorcerer's apprentice who had in turn thieved it from a master wizard.
The gaoler fumbled with a tiny catch. The amulet opened. Inside was a little white pill.T hope this works,' said the gaoler.
And swallowed it down. His hands tingled. His feet Changed. Nine heartbeats later, he had turned into a
