Grimm considered the matter. If the small demon spoke the truth, and there was little reason to consider otherwise, then the plan would fail. Conscious of the little time remaining until the end of Starmor's period of grace, he still allowed his mind to race through alternative solutions.
'Thribble, could you pass along the Eye's webs of force?' Dalquist asked, before Grimm could put the thought into words.
The demon snorted; a brief sound like a high-pitched hiccup. 'Of course I could, Questor; such energies are as plain to my kind as a road or a river would be to you humans, once pointed out to us. Nonetheless, I cannot conceive of being more than a mild irritation to a mighty being like Starmor. My powers are, I must admit, limited in this regard.'
Grimm thought for a brief moment. 'Demon, could Shakkar achieve the feat? I feel sure he would pose a far more potent problem for an unprepared Starmor than you could. At the moment, Shakkar is confined in a cage near Starmor's throne, and his fury is evident.'
'I understand Shakkar has been stripped of his capacity for magic,' the demon replied, furrowing his tiny brow. 'Your proposal seems to lack merit. Even if his power is yet weak, as you suggest, I feel sure Starmor's magic will be more than a match for him.'
Grimm smiled, feeling his plan coalescing into clarity. 'I do not intend for Shakkar to defeat Starmor;' he droned, 'just to focus his attention. The Baron cannot hope to fight Shakkar with physical force. He will need to use powerful spells, and he may have to relinquish his magical shield to do so.'
'In such a case, the deed might be possible,' the tiny demon allowed, rubbing his stubbly chin, 'although you would need to act before Starmor recognised what was afoot. Shakkar would need to strike before his own hate and rage began to fill the sphere, since that would only serve to empower his captor. Speed and co-ordination would be of the absolute essence. Another problem is that, although we demons have a skill analogous to your magic sight, we need to have unfamiliar patterns of energy shown to us before we can see them. I do not fancy you can do this without attracting Master Starmor's attention.'
'I think you underestimate us, friend demon,' Dalquist said. 'I may have that matter in hand. We have little time to consider the matter further, so we'll go with this plan.
'Grimm; you will give Shakkar the spell to send Starmor to the pillar. It would be better if we were all stripped of our emotions as you are, but I feel the risk is too great for us all to become dependent upon the herbs you carry, especially if the plan is unsuccessful.
'Starmor should be shielded from our emotions while his ward remains in place. We will take the Eye to him whilst feigning reluctant acquiescence to his tainted offer. Grimm, you will act as our spokesperson and approach the throne as closely as you dare. With luck, I may be able to achieve a Telepathic rapport with Shakkar, acquaint him with the plan and show him the peculiarities of the Eye's magic.'
Grimm nodded. 'I agree, Dalquist.'
'I imagine he'll order us to toss the gem towards him and to leave the tower,' the older mage continued. 'I'll then withdraw the Eye from the extra-dimensional cubby-hole where I've been keeping it. Since I have some skill with Telepathy, I will extend my Mage Sight towards Shakkar and show him the Eye's lines of force. If this attack causes the Baron to drop the shield, even for a heartbeat, you will stand ready to dispatch our enemy to his deserts. I don't feel at all confident about our success, since the margins for error are slender at best, but the scheme seems to be the only option offering any hope at all. I don't relish the prospect of becoming another wailing face on Starmor's stairwell.'
'Dalquist, Starmor was able to pain his captive souls even whilst sitting in his force bubble,' Grimm said, frowning. 'It may be that he can strike without warning, without dropping the shield for a moment.'
Dalquist laughed. 'I told you, Grimm: there's nothing certain about this. It's a gamble, pure and simple. I'm gambling that the whole tower is an integral adjunct of Starmor's power. You told us that his ward extended into the structure of the tower itself. To me, this seems a sheer waste of much-needed power, when a smaller shield surrounding just Starmor's own body would seem a better and more cost-effective solution. I'm willing to bet his magic can't extend outside the sphere any more than ours can. I think he needs to be in contact with the fabric of the tower itself right now; and the new tower is not yet as steeped in power as its predecessor was.'
A broad smile spread over the older mage's face. 'If Starmor's magic is anything like ours, it will take far more power to restart a spell than to leave it running; he won't dare drop it while we're around. I'll bet he's still sitting in his ward, just waiting for us.'
Had Grimm's mind been under his full control, he knew Dalquist's decisive reasoning would have impressed him. Even in his untroubled state of mind, this idea had not occurred to him.
Perhaps the sense of urgency imparted by emotions has its advantages! he thought. Perhaps this is why Starmor made his offer to allow us to serve with our minds intact.
'A sound point indeed, Dalquist,' he replied. 'I admit it had not occurred to me to question the extra use of power needed to resume such a ward; power that Starmor can surely ill afford.'
As the effect of the herbal fumes on his brain again began to fade, Grimm felt strong emotions rising inside him once more.
'Let's do it!' he cried, and Harvel and Crest nodded fiercely.
One pull on the pipe calmed him; another deep draught of smoke, and Grimm was once more as an impassive automaton.
'I am ready,' he muttered.
As one in their determination, the warriors and the Questors made their way through the doors of the tavern.
The former landlord stepped forward from the large group of slaves in front of the inn.
'You will surrender the gem to me,' the burly man rasped in a dull monotone. 'I will take it to Lord Starmor.'
'I will talk only to the puppet-master, not to his plaything. I do not yet trust my soul to Starmor's tender mercies,' Dalquist snapped, shaking his head. 'If you stand in our way, he will have many fewer subjects to control before we are defeated. Step aside!'
Some human spark yet glimmered in the landlord's spell-addled eyes, as if some basic urge for self- preservation still flickered within him. He stood aside.
It is unwise to anger even a heavily-outnumbered Questor, Grimm thought with the last, dulled edges of pride.
Ten minutes remained until the expiry of Starmor's deadline, so the group did not hurry: every moment the demon sat within his ward might weaken him further. In his depleted state, the Baron would hardly dare risk a second demolition of the tower, his power base. He might be able to soak up the tortured emotions of his vassals in order to strengthen himself, but he might then risk the destruction of the tower, knowing that the adventurers must now know of its importance to him. Starmor must stay as he was, linked intimately to his abode.
As the group approached the tower, Grimm could tell the keening of the imprisoned souls had lessened. Presumably, Starmor was guarding his strength against the possibility of perfidy. Nonetheless, on reaching the throne chamber, the demon still assumed a confident grin. Shakkar, fangs bared, battered futilely at the shining bars of his cage.
'Questor Grimm, my dear, witless friend!' Starmor said. 'I trust you have convinced your friends of the futility of opposing me? You may be able to inconvenience me, but only at the cost of your precious mortal souls. Surrender the Eye to me and live. Oppose me, and suffer a fate far worse than the most anguishing death you can imagine. What is your answer?'
Grimm sensed an upsurge in Dalquist's aura. Shakkar's restless clattering ceased, and the young mage guessed that the senior mage was contacting the demon and outlining the plan to him.
'I have discussed your offer with my companions, Starmor,' he said, 'and I must say that we remain unconvinced of the value of your word. While we all feel that we have little choice in the matter, we would ask for some proof of your good faith.'
'I offer none,' the demon replied, snorting. 'I wish for a few good, keen minds about me as well as my useful but thoughtless vassals, as I have told you. You may take my word for this, and serve me as equals, or you may rot as my playthings; it is all the same to me. Surrender the Eye and live, or have it taken from you and suffer eternal torment. It is a simple matter, so I will allow you no further cogitation on the subject. Do you accept my kind offer or not?'
