'We agree to it, ' said the dark-haired beauty, striding forward, the shaft of her spear thumping against the floor as she walked. 'What will be the stakes?'
Dougan stroked his beard. 'These young men,' he said finally, pointing at Tanin, Sturm, and Palin, 'for yourselves. Freedom for the Graygem.'
'What?' Both Tanin and Sturm came back to reality, staring around the room as though seeing it for the first time.
'You can't do this to us, dwarf!' Tanin shouted, lunging forward, but two of the larger and stronger women caught him and, with strength given them by the brightly burning Graygem, bound the struggling man's arms behind him. Two more took care of Sturm. No one bothered with Palin.
'If I lose the wager,' Dougan continued imperturbably, 'these young men will stay with you as your slaves. I'll break the magic spell that holds the gem trapped here, and it will be free once more to roam the world. If I win, the Graygem is mine and these men will be released.'
'We agree to the stakes,' said the dark-haired beauty, after a glance at the Graygem. 'And now what is the wager?'
Dougan appeared to consider, twirling his moustaches round and round his finger. His gaze happened to rest on Palin, and he grinned. 'That this young man' — he pointed at the mage — 'will throw my hammer in the air and it will hang suspended, never falling to the floor.'
Everyone stared at the dwarf in silence, considering. What was the angle?
Then, 'No! Dougan!' Palin cried frantically, pushing himself away from the wall. One of the women shoved him back.
'This young man?' The dark-haired beauty suddenly caught on. 'But he is a magic-user — '
'Only a very young one,' Dougan said hastily. 'And he won't use his magic, will you, Palin?' the dwarf asked, winking at the young mage when the women weren't looking.
'Dougan!' Palin wrenched himself free from the woman's grasp and lurched across the floor, his knees so weak he could barely walk. 'I can't! My magic — '
'Never say 'can't,' laddie,' Dougan said severely. 'Didn't your uncle teach you anything?' Once again, he winked at Palin.
It seemed the dark-haired beauty suddenly realized Palin's weakness, for she glanced about at her fellows and smiled in pleased fashion. 'We accept your wager,' she said.
'Dougan!' Palin said desperately, grabbing hold of the dwarf, who was looking up at him with a sly grin. 'Dougan! I CAN'T use my magic! I don't have any! The Graygem drained it!' he whispered urgently in the dwarf's ear.
Dougan's face crumpled. 'You don't say now, laddie,' he muttered, glancing at the women and rubbing his bearded chin. 'That's a shame,' he said sadly, shaking his head. 'A real shame. Are you sure?'
'Of course, I'm sure!' Palin snapped.
'Well, give it your best shot, lad!' the dwarf said, clapping Palin on the arm with his hand. 'Here you go!' He thrust the handle of the warhammer into Palin's hands. Feeling the unfamiliar touch, the hammer's red glow faded, turning an ugly, lead gray.
Palin looked around helplessly at his brothers. Tanin regarded him gravely, his expression grim. Sturm averted his head, his big shoulders heaving in a sigh.
Swallowing, licking his dry lips, Palin wrapped his hands around the handle of the hammer, uncertain, even, how to hold the weapon. He tried to lift it. A groan escaped his lips — a groan echoed by his brothers.
'By Paladine!' Palin gasped. 'I can barely move this thing, Dougan! How can I throw it?' Leaning closer, staring into the dwarf's eyes, the young man murmured, 'You're a god… I don't suppose…'
'Of course not, laddie!' The dwarf looked shocked. 'It's a matter of honor! You understand…'
'Sure,' Palin grunted bitterly.
'Look, lad,' Dougan said, positioning Palin's hands. 'It's not that difficult. You just hold the hammer like this..
there… Now, you pick it up and began spinning round
and round in a circle. Your momentum will help you lift the hammer and, when you're going good, just give it a heave, like so. Nature will do the rest.'
'Nature?' Palin appeared dubious.
'Yes' answered the dwarf gravely, smoothing his beard. 'It's called Centrifug's Force or some such thing. The gnomes explained it to me.'
'Great!' Palin muttered. 'Gnomes!'
Drawing a deep breath, the young man lifted the hammer. A groan of pain escaped his lips, sweat stood out on his forehead from the strain, and he heard several of the women giggle. Gritting his teeth, certain that he had ruptured something inside him, Palin began to turn in a circle, the hammer in his hands. He was startled to notice that Dougan was right. The momentum of his motion made the hammer seem lighter. He was able to lift it higher and higher. But the handle began to slip in his sweaty palms…
'He's losing it! Get down! Everyone!' Tanin called out, falling flat on his face. There was a clattering of spears as the women followed suit. Even the black dragon — seeing Palin spinning about in the center of the room, out of control, the hammer starting to glow a fiery red — crouched on the floor with a whimper, attempting to fold its wings over its head. Only the dwarf remained standing, his face split in a broad grin.
'I… can't… hold… it!' Palin cried and, with a gasp, he let the hammer fly.
The young mage fell to his knees, in too much pain and exhaustion to even bother looking to see what happened. But everyone else in the room, lying flat on the floor, raised their heads to watch the hammer. Round and round it whizzed, flying over the heads of the women, buzzing over Tanin and Sturm, whisking past the cowering dragon. Round and round it flew and, as it flew, it began to rise into the air. Dougan watched it placidly, his hands laced across his great belly.
Glowing now a fiery red, the hammer circled higher and higher and, as it rose, the Graygem's light began to waver in sudden fear. The hammer was aiming straight for it!
'Yes, my beauty,' murmured Dougan, watching the hammer in satisfaction. 'You forged it. Now, bring it home.'
Desperately the Graygem sought to dim its light, realizing, perhaps, that it was its own power that was drawing the hammer to it. But it was too late. The hammer flew to the Graygem it had helped create as a lass flies to her lover's arms. There was a shattering sound and a blinding flare of red and gray light, so brilliant that even Dougan was forced to shade his eyes, and no one else could see anything for the dazzling radiance.
The two energies seemed to strive together, the red light and the gray, and then the gray began to dim. Peering upward, tears streaming from his eyes in the bright light, Palin thought he caught a glimpse of a gray, sparkling jewel tumbling from the air to land in Dougan's hand. But he couldn't be certain because, at that moment, the red glowing hammer fell from the air as well, plummeting straight down on top of them!
Clasping his aching arms over his head, Palin hugged the floor, visions of his head being split open and his brains splattering everywhere coming to him with vivid clarity.
He heard a resounding clang.
Timidly raising his head, he saw the hammer, glowing red in triumph, lying on the floor at Dougan's feet.
Slowly, trembling, Palin stood up, as did everyone else in the room. He was hurting and exhausted; Tanin had to come help him or he would have collapsed. But Palin smiled up at him as his big brother clasped him in his arms. 'My magic's returned!' he whispered. 'It's back!'
'I'm back, too,' said a voice. Glancing around, Palin saw the dragon was gone. In its place, crouched on the floor, his hands over his head, was a thin, middle-aged wizard dressed in black robes. The wizard sat up, staring around him as if he couldn't believe it. 'I'm back!' he cried out joyfully, patting his head and his neck and his shoulders with his hands. 'No rabbit ears! No dragon's breath! No minotaur muscles! I'm me again!' He burst into tears.
'And you lost the bet, dwarf!' the dark-haired beauty cried out suddenly, getting to her feet. 'The hammer fell!'
'Yes!' shouted the women. 'You lost the bet! The men are ours!'
'Dougan…' growled Tanin ominously.
