“And that isexactly what the Sea Zombie wants,” Fibian said.
The froskman approached Cyrus and Edward from behind.
“She wants youhateful and callous. She wants your blood to run cold. Only love will wipe herfrom the seas. If your heart turns black, your soul is hers, and she hasalready won.”
“You sound likeone of those stale fairytales the preacher would tell the children, Sundaymorning,” Cyrus said, still watching the fire.
Fibian stepped between Cyrus and the fireplace.
“Universaltruths always sound simple and commonplace. What is uncommon is people strongenough to believe and act on those truths.”
Cyrus stared upat the froskman, anger rising in his chest. Who washe to lecture Cyrus? If Fibian had had his way, theyall might be dead.
Fibian stared back at Cyrus. Neither’s eyes wavered.
Stark calledout from the northeast corner of the hall.
“Come, youtwo; you will want to see this.”
* * *
CYRUS AND FIBIAN FOLLOWEDSTARKinto Moro’s chambers, through the secret passage, and past Vaca.Stark looked back several times at Edward, resting on Cyrus’ shoulder.
“He’s our friend,”Cyrus said, “and one of the reasons we made it this far.”
The yetigrunted, looking unsure.
“You can’t leaveme here like this, you can’t,” Vaca moaned, chewingon her roasted rat, “Take me to the sea. You will never see me again. I’llnever come back.”
The smallgroup ignored the female klops.
“What willhappen to her?” Edward asked, pity in his voice.
“Maybestarve,” Stark said, “Maybe the wolves will get her. We have our own sick andinjured to worry about.”
Cyrus lookedinto his heart. He felt nothing for the foul creature. She had willingly fedher children to the queen’s army. She deserved whatever she got.
Cyrus unhookedan oil lamp from the wall. He used the lantern to pick his way through thepuddles and uneven stones. They delved deeper into the cavern, venturing down anorthern passage that led to a dead end. There, two female yeti armed withcrossbows had a tall, hunch-backed klops on hisknees. It was Lieutenant Knavish. He had survived the battle.
“We found himtrying to escape,” the black and white females said.
“Escape where?”Cyrus asked.
Four boulderslay in a group on the damp floor.
“We found himtrying to move these rocks,” the dark brown female said.
With greateffort, the females shoved the boulders aside. Cyrus shone his lamp on thecleared cave floor.
“Sneaky littlerunts,” Stark said, “We always wondered how they got the armor out of the mineunseen.”
“This is wherethey took the armor?” Cyrus asked, his hopes rising.
“There’s alarge passage that leads to the mine, back that way,” Stark said, nodding hishead to the south.
The klops had embedded a pair of iron doors into the stone ground.The two female yeti heaved the hatches open. The doors crashed to the floor inan ear-stabbing thunderclap. Mud and muck splashed the group’s feet.
“Where does itlead?” Fibian asked.
He dropped tohis hands and knees and ducked his head into the wide tunnel.
Knavish saidnothing. Stark motioned to his kin. One grabbed the klopsby the neck. The other held the crossbow to his head.
“We have killedall but the female klops,” Stark growled, “Don’tthink we’ll hesitate to kill one more.”
“And what if Itell you where it leads?” Knavish asked.
“We’ll let youlive a little longer,” Stark said.
The klops looked around at his captors, seeming to weigh hisoptions.
“Southwest,down the mountainside and to the ocean,” he said, staring Fibianin the eye, “There is a slave village there that provides us food.”
“And a giantshelled creature?” Cyrus asked, “A hune?”
Knavish’s eyes shifted between Cyrus and Stark. The klops nodded his head.
“It’s nearlyfully armored,” he said, “and over half its cannons are assembled and equipped.”
“We could useits defenses for ourselves,” Edward said.
“We can makemore cannons, in time,” Stark said, “We owe you that much.”
“The hune is not well,” Fibian said,“We need to get to him as soon as possible. The defenses as they are will haveto do.”
Thank theangels, Cyrusthought. All was not lost. He still had a chance to save his people.
“If you wantto live,” Cyrus said, clenching his thick fists, “You will lead us to the hune.”
Knavish’s eyes shifted about like a cornered rat. Again, he nodded hishead in agreement.
“You will neednew clothes, weapons and equipment,” Stark said.
“Can you helpus with that?” Cyrus asked.
The yetinodded.
“The minute weset sail, the Sea Zombie’s minions will be on the hunt for us,” Fibian said, “Of that I am sure, and she knows our finaldestination.”
“Good,” Cyrusreplied, “We’ll find out if Moro’s theory was true. We’ll blow Rorroh’s armies into a thousand pieces, then blast her bodyinto a thin red mist.”
“Have youlearned nothing, young Master?” Fibian replied, hisanger rising.
The twofriends stared at each other, unblinking. The room grew still.
Chapter 40
THE RISE OF A QUEEN
RORROH STOOD AT THE TILLER of the Angel Queen.Several glowing pink and green lobsters clung to the sunken vessel, illuminatingthe dark waters. The ship rocked and groaned with the swaying current, alongthe craggy sea floor.
A large purplesquid came into view at the edge of the pink and green glow. It held in itscoiling tentacles a bunch of floating kelp. The Sea Zombie sneered, nodding hernewly stitched-on head towards the ship’s starboard. Venting a cloud of blackink, the squid jetted towards the ship’s railing. It slipped, spirit-like, overthe edge and into the murk.
Rorroh grasped a pink lobster clinging to the cabin wall, and followed. Shewaded through the sea as if caught in a slow windstorm. She leaned over the starboardrail and dropped the lobster overboard. The glowing crustacean drifted to theseabed, illuminating not one, but four squid. All four worked busily to fastenthousands of kelp bulbs to the underside of the hull. The kelp heads rocked andswayed, filling the sea with their eerie, ethereal tones. Rorrohpeered up into the scorched sails. Her neck was stiff and the stitches itched.Several thousand more bulbs floated from the ship’s rigging.
The vesselbegan to creak and moan. Then, ever so slightly, it started to pull free fromthe clinging sea floor. At the ship’s four corners, four thick ropes grew taut,keeping the Angel Queen from rising prematurely. Rorrohsignaled the squids. The four creatures raced to their moorings. They bit thelines
