for a moment, then go back to its searching, but at that distance, he couldn’t be sure.
“The bad creatures are looking for us,” Bradok explained. “If they hear us, they’ll try to hurt Teal. You don’t want that, do you?”
Omer clutched the rag doll to his chest protectively and shook his head anxiously. He cast his eyes toward the waterfall and shut them tight against the horror he’d glimpsed.
“Don’t worry,” Bradok said, patting Omer on the shoulder. “They won’t bother us if they don’t hear us, so just be as quiet as a mouse.”
Omer didn’t open his eyes again; he only nodded.
Corin motioned Jeni over and told her to keep an eye on him. Jeni sat and held Omer’s head in her lap, stroking his hair gently. Her kindly manner almost made Bradok forget that she was the woman who had been imprisoned for murdering her own children.
Corin gave Bradok a nod to indicate Omer would be all right then stood. Bradok got up and followed Corin back to where Rose waited anxiously.
“Look,” Rose said as they arrived, pointing.
The Disir that had been patrolling the bank by the waterfall had been joined by a second, and the two seemed to be conversing in a strange language made up of clicks and groans. After a short talk, they both began to probe the depths of the waterfall with their long arms.
“Can those things swim?” Rose asked.
“I hope not,” Bradok said. “Their bodies are pretty heavy, and they really don’t have anything to paddle with.”
“No, look, they can’t. Thank Reorx for small favors,” Corin said.
The Disir had finished their probing of the water, apparently finding it too deep for their liking. They had another short discussion; then the second one went away.
“What do you suppose that means?” Rose hissed.
“No idea,” Corin said. “One thing’s for sure, we’re not going anywhere soon with that thing hanging around out there.” He nodded at the Disir who had resumed his patrol along the water’s edge.
“Maybe we could kill it real quiet like,” Thurl said.
Everyone jumped. Bradok stifled a curse. The Daergar assassin had crept up on them so silently.
“That won’t help. There’s more of them out there,” Rose said.
“But if I could kill that one,” Thurl said, “and then maybe we could sneak out of here somehow.”
Rose shook her head.
The crunch of gravel announced another arrival. Bradok turned to see Xurces kneeling down beside them.
“We’ve got trouble,” he said in a ragged whisper.
“We know that, Xur,” Corin said, nodding at the patrolling Disir.
“No,” Xurces said, “another kind of trouble.” He pointed over his shoulder toward the back of the cave. “That kind.”
Behind Xurces, Bradok could see Lyra, lying back on her blanket. Her daughter, Jade, was holding her hand. Lyra’s breathing seemed to be coming in great gasps.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Corin said, glancing nervously back at the Disir. “Couldn’t be worse timing.”
Bradok stifled another curse. “Rose, go find Tal,” he said quickly. “Then get over there and help. For Reorx’s sake, keep her quiet.”
“If it’s all right, I’d like to go too,” Xurces said. “I promised her I’d hold her hand through the delivery.”
Bradok exchanged glances with Corin before jerking his thumb in Lyra’s direction. “Go,” he said.
As Rose and Xurces made their way back to Lyra, Much, Chisul, and Kellik joined the other dwarves warily watching the Disir poking around on the other side of the waterfall.
“Lyra’s tough,” Bradok whispered to the newcomers. “She’ll stay quiet.”
“I hate to burst your bubble, lad,” Much said in a low voice, “but I’ve seen babies birthed before, and they don’t come quiet.”
“He’s right,” Kellik said.
“And when that baby cries,” Chisul said, “the Disir will know right where we are.”
“I guess we’d better do something fast, then,” Tal said, joining the group, “because that baby will be crying soon.”
“Shouldn’t you be helping Lyra?” Kellik demanded.
“I’m more needed here,” he said. “I’m a doctor, not a midwife. Rose can handle what’s happening with Lyra.”
“There’s too many to fight,” Chisul hissed. “It’s hard to count them all, but I figure there are at least fifteen, maybe more.”
“We can’t just sit here debating,” Thurl said impatiently. “Somebody’s got to do something.”
“Look,” Chisul gasped, pointing through the waterfall.
The rippling water made it difficult to distinguish anything clearly, but Bradok could see a line of shadows moving past one of the pools of mushroom light-moving past and away.
“They’re leaving?” Chisul said, feeling a surge of hope.
“It sure looks that way,” Much said, nodding enthusiastically.
“Then why is that one still standing around out there?” Corin said, pointing at the Disir who stubbornly stayed outside the waterfall.
“They must be leaving him behind, like a guard or something,” Kellik whispered.
“One guard shouldn’t be too hard to deal with,” Tal said.
“That’s what I’ve been saying,” Thurl said.
“There may be others, out there beyond the light. We need to get out there and take a look,” Much said irritably.
Bradok silenced them with a gesture. After checking to make sure the Disir hadn’t heard them, he spoke quietly. “We need to give the others time to get far away from here,” he said. “Then we’ll kill this guard nice and quiet and dump his body in the pool.”
“And if there are others?” Corin said.
“We’ll have to deal with them too,” Bradok said.
“What about Lyra?” Tal said.
“We can carry her as far away from here as we can. We will stop long enough for her to give birth, then pick her and the baby up and keep going. With any luck, she’ll have the baby quietly,” Bradok said, adding, “and fast.”
“That’s a lot of luck you’re counting on,” Corin said, his whispered voice still managing some sarcasm. “We haven’t been very lucky so far.”
“At least it’s a plan,” Thurl said. “I can see us doing it.”
“Yes, it’s a plan that gives some hope,” Chisul admitted.
“So how long before we act?” Corin asked.
Bradok turned to Tal. “Go ask your sister how long Lyra’s going to be,” he said.
“You can never tell with these things,” Tal cautioned. “But I’ll ask.”
“But how in the world can we kill the Disir silently?” Chisul asked. “Last time they took a fair amount of effort.”
Thurl held out his scarred hand to Bradok. “Give me that fancy sword of yours,” he said.
Not wanting to go through the pain of drawing his sword, Bradok turned so Thurl himself could pull it from his scabbard.
Thurl nodded at the heft of it. “One of you needs to attract his attention,” Thurl said. “Throw some rocks through the waterfall and into the pool. While he’s distracted,” Thurl said. “I’ll rush in and cut off his head with this.” He held up Bradok’s sword, his eyes gleaming. “Quick and silent.”
“Bad news,” Tal said, hurrying back. “Urlish says the baby’s coming right now. It’ll be here in minutes.”
“Then I go now,” Thurl declared.
“Wait,” Bradok said, putting out a hand to stop him. “It’s too soon. If there are other guards, they will call the warriors back.”
