The Zhakar pulled a lever, and immediately the plat shy;form lurched below their feet, sinking through the floor into a shaft that had been bored into the rock. Trying to suppress his nervousness, Ariakas watched the stone walls appear to rise around them. He listened uneasily to the clanking of chain overhead.
'This lift is counterbalanced with another one, not too far away,' Tale Splintersteel explained. 'When this one goes down, that one comes up. If the job is to take some shy;thing down to the city, then there's no need for any power-our weight does the job, though the chain rolls through several brakes so it doesn't go too fast.'
'How can it lift cargo up to the ground level?' asked Lyrelee.
'For that we have the winchmasters,' the Zhakar explained. 'It doesn't move so quickly, but they can crank a load from the Promenade up to the Keep in a matter of ten minutes or so.'
Personally, Ariakas didn't think their descent was any too speedy. His heart pounding, he could not banish the feeling that they had walked into a perfect trap.
Then the lift clanked to rest on a solid stone floor, caus shy;ing them all to lurch unsteadily. A metal door before them rumbled aside, and they stepped into a vast, dimly lit chamber. A vague, fiery illumination spilled into the place from two yawning cave mouths off to their right. Before them, twin rows of columns towered upward from the floor, vanishing into the darkness overhead.
At the end of the row of pillars, nearly lost in the shad shy;ows, the companions saw a pair of immense statues. Carved into the shape of hideous beasts, these figures stood with their backs to the cavern wall. Between the trunklike legs of the statue on the right, they saw a large, stone throne, then noticed a similar seat beneath the statue on the left.
'The King's Promenade,' explained the messenger, indicating the wide roadway between the two rows of columns.
Slowly, deliberately, they started down the walk. Aria shy;kas naturally moved into the fore, his bright gem casting a wash of white on the floor before them. The columns to either side and the roadway to the thrones plainly indi shy;cated their route. In one of the thrones Ariakas saw a shrouded, shadowy figure. The warrior was amused to see the king shrink into his seat as the party moved closer.
Ferros and Lyrelee flanked the human warrior, a step or two behind, while Tale Splintersteel and the Zhakar messenger brought up the rear. Around them Ariakas sensed a huge number of dark, silent figures. Several forms stood just within range of his light, and the war shy;rior concealed his surprise as he saw Zhakar warriors mounted on four-legged lizards. The animals had a dull, unintelligent look, but the sleek sinew in their shoulders and legs suggested both speed and power. They were no bigger than large hounds, though sharp claws on their forefeet indicated that they could be savage foes in a fight. Yet even these bizarre cavalrymen cringed back when Ariakas swiveled his sword, or let his haughty gaze sweep over them.
His nervousness vanished entirely as he approached the Zhakar king. Ariakas carried the blue blade casually, the weapon unsheathed but resting easily on his shoul shy;der. With a flick of his wrist he could bring it down against a target on any side.
'Kneel when you meet the king!' hissed Tale Splinter-steel as they drew closer to the end of the promenade.
Now Ariakas's light fell on the figure seated in one of the huge thrones. The Zhakar was cloaked but unhooded, revealing a face that was scarred by the rav shy;ages of the mold plague. The king's beard was mostly gone, though several tufts of hair still sprouted from the skin over his jawbone. He looked bald, though he wore a heavy golden crown that concealed the top of his head.
'King Rackas Ironcog of Zhakar!' proclaimed a dwarf concealed in the shadows off to the sides. 'Kneel before the greatness of his royal presence!'
Ferros Windchisel stepped to the warrior's side, and then knelt humbly-a dwarven warrior showing respect to the monarch of another dwarven state. Ariakas nod shy;ded to Lyrelee on his other side, and she, too, knelt. Meanwhile Tale Splintersteel all but groveled, prostrat shy;ing himself on the floor and crawling to the Hylar's side.
Only Ariakas remained standing. He met the flashing eyes of Rackas Ironcog with his own proud stare and then, with regal dignity, leaned forward in a gracious bow. His knees, however, did not bend.
'Who are you?' demanded the king, nonplussed by the display of confidence.
'I am Lord Duulket Ariakas, emissary of a powerful queen-the mightiest monarch on all Krynn,' he pro shy;claimed grandly. 'I bring salutations and praise to the esteemed lord of Zhakar!'
Somewhat mollified, Rackas Ironcog huffed in his throne. Apparently he was unused to anything even vaguely resembling diplomacy.
For the first time Ariakas noticed another Zhakar, standing in the shadows beside the throne. This one wore a cloak over even his face, which was unusual in the city so far as the human had seen. Also unique was the extensive golden thread embroidered around the fringes of the cloak. The masked dwarf leaned toward the king, apparently whispering something in his ear.
'Welcome to my realm,' Rackas Ironcog said grudg shy;ingly, after a moment's silence. Ignoring any further pleasantries, he spoke bluntly. 'This is the sword that killed one hundred of my finest troops?'
'Aye, Your Majesty,' answered Ariakas. Inwardly, he scorned the repulsive monarch, who obviously knew less about court manners than the lowliest pageboy of Khuri-Khan. Still, he would go along with the charade as long as it suited his purpose. 'The blade is a gift to me from my queen, and she bid me use it as an instrument of her will.'
'She is mighty, this queen of yours,' replied the king. 'Now tell me, human-why does she send you to me?'
'We have come on a peaceful mission of trade,' Aria shy;kas responded. 'It is a mission that could bring unimag-ined profits into Your Majesty's treasuries, and at the same time form the basis of an alliance that will greatly benefit both our peoples.'
'And you, Tale Splintersteel!' The monarch finally addressed the merchant lord. 'This matter is important enough to cause you to defy ancient tradition, bringing outsiders to the heart of our realm?'
'Indeed, Majesty,' replied Tale. 'After heartfelt con shy;sideration I believe the human's suggestions of profit are based in fact. He who bears the colored sword has proven himself a fighter and negotiator of great strength and determination.'
'Strength and determination.. those are admirable traits.' The king nodded, scowling.
'Lord Warrior, will you and your companions accept our hospitality? I shall provide you with chambers in the royal apartments, where you shall have every comfort we can provide. When you have rested, I invite you to attend my table. Tonight, we shall make the arrange shy;ments for trade.'
'Your hospitality is welcome,' Ariakas agreed. 'It is a fitting gesture for a meeting that will doubtless result in a long and profitable friendship.'
As courtiers led them toward the royal quarters, Aria shy;kas risked a quick look behind. He saw the king's eyes staring at him-but not at the warrior himself, he sud shy;denly realized. Instead, Rackas Ironcog's eyes, glittering with greed, remained fastened to the azure blade in the human warrior's hand.
Chapter 21
The quarters that were given to the companions by Rackas Iron-cog had been hailed by the Zhakar king as the finest ambassadorial apartments in the realm, but to Ariakas they were more reminiscent of a stinking dungeon. Low ceilings forced the warrior into a permanent stoop, while his sleeping chamber gave him barely enough space to turn around. A central anteroom linked their small indi shy;vidual compartments, but the bare stone walls and dank, stale air suggested a place more suited for imprisonment than hospitality. A heavy door barred them from the rest of the royal chambers, and as a precaution, the warrior jabbed a dagger into the frame, ensuring that the portal could not be shut tightly from the outside.
The only concessions to luxury in the sleeping rooms were mattresses of fur-lined stuffing and plush blankets of animal pelts. The companions took advantage of the hours until dinner by resting, though after a little time
