He did not doubt what it was. Nothing but a Sandgorgon could travel with enough swift strength to raise that much dust.
Mutely, Linden moved to his side as if she wanted to take his arm and cling to it for support. But the dark peril he radiated kept her from touching him.
Mistweave watched the dust with growing amazement Pitchwife muttered inanely to himself, making pointless jests that seemed to ease his trepidation. The First grinned like a scimitar. Of the Giants, only Honninscrave did not study the beast's approach. He stood with his head bowed and his arms manacled across his chest as if throwing stones at the Riders had whetted his hunger for violence.
Unexpectedly, Findail spoke. He sounded weary, worn thin by the prolonged burden of his responsibility; but some of the bitterness was gone from his voice. “Ring-wielder,” he said, “your purpose here is abominable and should be set aside. Those who hold the Earth in their hands have no justification for vengeance. Yet you have found a wise way to the accomplishment of your ends. I implore that you entrust them to this beast. You little comprehend what you have summoned.”
Covenant ignored the
Nom had become visible at the arrow point of the advancing dust.
Albino against the desiccated waste, the beast approached at a startling pace. Its size was not commensurate with its might: it was only a few hands taller than Covenant, only a little more thickly built than the
And it had no face. Nothing defined its hairless head except the faint ridges of its skull under its hide and two covered slits like gills on either side.
Even to Covenant's unpenetrating sight, the Sandgorgon looked as pure and uncontestable as a force of nature-a hurricane bound into one savage form and avid for a place to strike.
It came running as if it meant to hurl itself at him.
But at the last it stopped in a thick nimbus of dust, confronted him across a scant stretch of bare dirt. For a moment, it trembled as it had trembled when he had defeated it in direct combat and it had not known how to hold back its elemental fury even to save its own life. Service was an alien concept to its brute mind; violence made more sense. Sweat blurred the edges of his vision as he watched the beast quiver for decision. Involuntarily, he held his breath. A few small flames slipped past his control and licked at his forearm until he beat them back.
Nom's trembling mounted-and abruptly subsided. Lowering itself to the ground, the beast placed its forehead in the dirt at Covenant's feet.
Slowly, he let pent air leak away through his teeth. A muffled sigh of relief passed through the company. Linden covered her face momentarily, then thrust her fingers through her hair as if she were trying to pull courage up out of her alarm.
“Nom,” he said, and his voice shook. “Thanks for coming.”
He did not know to what extent the beast was able to understand him; but it surged erect by unfolding its knees and stood waiting before him.
He did not let himself hesitate. The bond which held Nom was fragile. And he could feel venom gnawing in him like acid. His purpose was as clear to him as the soothtell which had sent him on his futile quest for the One Tree. Turning to his companions, he addressed them as a group.
“I want you to stay here.” Gritting his will, he strove to suppress the tremors which made his tone harsh. “Leave it to Nom and me. Between us, we're already too much for the job.” And I can't bear to lose any of you.
He had no right to say such things. Every member of the company had earned a place in this hazard. But when he considered what might happen to them, he burned to spare them.
“I'll need Linden,” he went on before anyone could protest. “Gibbon's going to try to hide from me. I won't be able to locate the Raver without her.” The mere thought hurt him; he knew how deeply she dreaded Ravers. “And I'll take Cail and Fole. To guard our backs,” Even that concession made him want to rage. But Linden might need the protection. 'The rest of you just wait. If I fail, you'll have to do it for me.”
Unable to face what his friends wanted to say, the pained indignation in their eyes, the expostulations rising from their hearts, he impelled Linden into motion with his hand on the small of her back. A gesture called Nom to his side. Striding stiffly past the people who had served him with their lives and deserved better than this, he started up the slope toward Revelstone.
Then for a moment he came so close to tears that his courage nearly broke. Not one of his companions obeyed. Without a word, they arranged themselves for battle and followed him.
Under her breath. Linden murmured, “I understand. You think it all depends on you. Why should people as good as they are have to suffer and maybe get killed for it? And I'm so scared- ” Her face was pale and drawn and urgent. “But you have got to stop trying to make other people's decisions for them.”
He did not reply. Keeping his attention fixed on the open tunnel under the watchtower, he forced his power clogged-muscles to bear him steadily upward. But now he feared that he was already defeated. He had too much to lose. His friends were accompanying him into his nightmares as if he were worthy of them. Because he had to do something, no matter how insufficient or useless it might be, he moved closer to Call and whispered, “This is enough. Banner said you'd serve me. Brinn told you to take his place. But I don't need this kind of service anymore. I'm too far gone. What I need is hope.”
“Ur-Lord?” the
“The Land needs a future. Even if I win. The Giants'll go Home. You'll go about your business. But if anything happens to Sunder or Hollian- ” The idea appalled him. “I want you to take care of them. All of you. No matter what.” He was prepared to endanger even Linden for this. “The Land has got to have a future.”
“We hear you.” Cail's tone did not betray whether he was relieved, moved, or offended. “If the need arises, we will remember your words.”
With that Covenant had to be content, Nom had moved somewhat ahead of him, thrusting toward the great Keep as if it triggered a racial memory of the Sandwall which the
In that way, with Linden beside him. two Stonedownors and four Giants behind him, and eleven
There was no reaction from Revelstone. Perhaps the na-Mhoram did not know what a Sandgorgon was, wanted to see what it would do before he attempted to provoke Covenant again. Or perhaps he had given up provocation in order to prepare his defences. Perhaps the Raver had found a small worm of fear at the bottom of his malice Covenant liked that idea. What the Clave and the Banefire had done to the Land could not be forgiven. The way in which this Raver had transformed to ill the ancient and honourable Council of Lords could not be forgiven. And for Gibbon's attack on Linden, Covenant would accept no atonement except the cleansing of the Keep.
Like hell, Coven ant gritted. Like hell they don't.
But when he reached the base of the watchtower, he commanded Nom to halt and paused to consider the tunnel. The sun was high enough now to make the inner courtyard bright; but that only deepened the obscurity of the passage. The windows of the tower gaped as if the rooms behind them were abandoned. A silence like the cryptic stillness of the dead hung over the city. There was no wind-no sign of life except the stark hot shaft of the Banefire. Between the two slain Coursers, dead wasps littered the ground. The Riders had taken their own fallen with them for the sake of the blood. But red splotches marked the rocks in front of the tower as if to tell Covenant that he had come to the right place.
He turned to Linden. Her taut pallor frightened him, but he could no longer afford to spare her. “The tower,” he said as the company stopped behind him. “I need to know if it's empty.”
The movement of her head as she looked upward seemed fatally slow, as if her old paralysis had its hand on her again. The last time she was here, Gibbon's touch had reduced her to near catatonia.
