'Palin!' Tanin's quiet voice cut through the buzzing in his brother's head and the laughter of the women and the shouts of the dwarf. 'Don't listen to Dougan or me or anyone for a moment. Just listen to yourself.'
'And what's THAT supposed to mean, my brother?' Palin scoffed. 'Something wise that suddenly struck you? Did a brain finally make an appearance through all that muscle?'
He leered mockingly at Tanin, expecting — no, HOPING that his brother would become angry and try to stop him. Then I'll REALLY show him a trick or two! Palin thought. Just like my uncle showed my father…
But Tanin just stood there, regarding him gravely. 'I–I
Name of the gods!' Palin faltered, putting his hand to his
head. His cruel words came back to him. 'Tanin, I'm sorry! I don't know what's come over me.' Turning, he saw Sturm, hanging helplessly in the air. 'Sturm!' Palin snapped his fingers. 'I'm sorry! I'll let you go — »
'Palin, don't —!' Sturm began wildly, but it was too late.
The spell broken, the young man fell to the floor with a yell and a crash, to be instantly surrounded by cooing and clucking women. It was a few moments before Sturm made his appearance again, his red hair tousled, his face flushed. Getting to his feet, he pushed the women aside and limped toward his brothers.
'I was wrong,' Palin said, shivering. 'I understand now. These women ARE being held in thrall…'
'Aye, lad,' said Dougan. 'Just as you were yourself. It's the power of the Graygem, trying to take hold of you, exploiting your weaknesses as it did theirs — »
' — by giving us what we want,' Palin finished thoughtfully.
'That's what we'll turn into, the longer we stay here,' Tanin added. 'Slaves of the Graygem. Don't you see, these women are guarding it just as effectively INSIDE this castle as their men are outside. That's why nothing changes in here. The Graygem's keeping it stable for them!'
The women began sidling nearer, reaching out their hands once more. 'How boring… Don't go… Don't leave us… Stupid rock…'
'Well, let's go find this Lord Gargath then,' Sturm muttered, shamefaced. Try as he might, his gaze still strayed toward the blonde, who was blowing kisses at him.
'Take your spears,' said Tanin, shoving aside the soft hands that were clinging to him. 'These women might or might not be telling us the truth. That old wizard could be laughing at us right now.'
'They said he was 'up there.' ' Palin gazed at the ceiling. 'But where? How do we get there?'
'Uh, I believe I know the way, laddie,' Dougan said. 'Just a hunch, mind you,' he added hastily, seeing Tanin's dark look. 'That door, there, leads upstairs… I think…'
'Humpf,' Tanin growled, but went to investigate the door, his brothers and the dwarf following behind.
'What did you mean, YOU'RE the only one who has a right to the Graygem?' Palin asked Dougan in an undertone.
'Did I say that?' The dwarf looked at him shrewdly. 'Must have been the gem talking…' 'Oh, please don't go!' cried the women. 'Never mind. They'll be coming back soon,' predicted the dark-haired beauty.
'And when you do come back, maybe you can show us some more of those cute magic tricks,' called the blonde to Palin politely.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Dougan was right. The door led to another flight of narrow stairs carved out of the stone walls of the castle. It was pitch dark; their only light was the burning crystal atop the Staff of Magius. After another leg-aching climb, they came to a large wooden door.
'Would you look at that!' Sturm said, stunned.
'What in the name of the Abyss is it?' Tanin muttered.
IT was a fantastic mechanism, sitting on the door-stoop in front of the door. Barely visible in the shadows, it was made of iron and had all sorts of iron arms and gears and rope pulleys and winches extending from the stone floor up to the ceiling.
'Hold the light closer, Palin,' Tanin said, stooping down beside it. 'There's something in the center, surrounded by a bunch of… mirrors.'
Cautiously, Palin held the light down near the device and the room was suddenly illuminated as if by a hundred suns. Tanin shrieked and covered his eyes with his hands. 'I can't see a thing!' he cried, staggering back against the wall. 'Move the staff! Move the staff!'
'It's a sundial!' Palin reported, holding the staff back and staring at the device in astonishment. 'Surrounded by mirrors…'
'Ah,' said Dougan triumphantly, 'a gnome time-lock.'
'A timelock?'
'Aye, lad. You wait until the dial casts the shadow of the sun on the correct time, and the lock will open.'
'But,' pointed out Palin in confusion, 'the way the mirrors are fixed, there could never be a shadow! It's always noon.'
'Not to mention,' added Tanin bitterly, rubbing his eyes, 'that this place is pitch dark. There're no windows! How's the sun supposed to hit it?'
'Small design flaws,' said Sturm sarcastically. 'I'm sure it's in committee — »
'Meanwhile, how do we open the door?' Tanin asked, slumping back wearily against the wall.
'Too bad Tas isn't here,' said Palin, with a smile.
'Tas?' Dougan scowled, whirling around. 'You don't mean Tasslehoff Burrfoot? The kender?'
'Yes, do you know him?'
'No,' the dwarf growled, 'but a friend of mine does. This crazy dwarf under a tree near my for — near where I work, day in, day out, whittling his endless wood and muttering 'doorknob of a kender this' and 'doorknob of a kender that.'»
'A friend?' Palin said, mystified. 'Why that sounds like a story our father told about Flint — »
'Never you mind!' Dougan snapped irritably. 'And quit talking about kender! We're in enough trouble as it is. Brrrrr.' He shivered. 'Makes my skin crawl…'
The faintest glimmering of understanding lit the confused darkness of Palin's mind. Dimly he began to see the truth. But though the light shone on his thoughts, they were such a confused jumble that he couldn't sort them put or even decide whether he should feel relieved or more terrified.
'Maybe we could break the mirrors,' Tanin suggested, blinking in the darkness, trying to see beyond the sea of bright blue spots that filled his vision.
'I wouldn't,' Dougan warned. 'The thing's likely to blow up.'
'You mean it's trapped?' Sturm asked nervously, backing away.
'No!' Dougan snapped irritably. 'I mean it's made by gnomes. It's likely to blow up.'
'If it did' — Tanin scratched his chin thoughtfully — 'it would probably blow a hole in the door.'
'And us with it,' Palin pointed out.
'Just you, Little Brother,' Sturm said helpfully. 'We'll be down at the bottom of the stairs.'
'We have to try, Palin,' Tanin decided. 'We have no idea how long before the power of the Graygem takes hold of us again. It probably won't be a big explosion,' he added soothingly. 'It isn't a very big device, after all.'
'No, it just takes up the whole door. Oh, very well,' Palin grumbled. 'Stand back.'
The warning was unnecessary. Dougan was already clambering down the stairs, Sturm behind him. Tanin rounded the comer of the wall, but stopped where he could see Palin.
Edging up cautiously on the device, Palin raised the end of the staff over the first mirror, averting his face and shutting his eyes as he did so. At that moment, however, a voice came from the other side of the door.
'I believe all you have to do is turn the handle.'
Palin arrested his downward jab. 'Who said that?' he shouted, backing up.
