Nunde again locked himself in his quarters and once more quaffed the bitter brew. And after but moments he fell back as if dead. Yet his aethyrial self flew free, and for the fifth time in as many years, he arrowed east. He soared over land, and to his astral sight all shades and colors were reversed: dark was light; light, dark; crimson shone viridian; sapphire shone ocherous; amethyst, amber; ebon, alabaster; and the reverse. The night skies were bright and speckled with dark stars; the moon, black, reminiscent of Neddra. Faster than any eagle he soared, swifter than even a shooting star. And when he reached his destination, dawn at that place broached the horizon, the skies darkening, the leading arm of the black sun even then beginning to lip the rim of the world. Quickly, he flew to where a man slept, and there upon a workbench, Nunde’s aethyrial self saw that the labor had at last been completed.
He swiftly flew out from there and to an adjoining chamber, where another man slept with a woman lying at his side. She gave a small start as Nunde entered, and he was careful not to let his spectral essence touch her. In but a moment, she settled back into sleep. Cautiously, Nunde merged with the man, but in a heartbeat or two he flew free again.
Nunde then darted westward, for he could feel his aethyrial strength ebbing. Out from this land and over Xian and Aralan and down through Alban he soared, arrowing for Caer Pendwyr. At last he arrived, where he momentarily merged with yet another man, one well away from the palace, for he knew that place was warded against creatures such as he. Nunde then flew up and out and fled back to his vile sanctum ere his aethyrial strength gave out.
He rested a full day and all the next, and then went to his laboratory, where he slew several Drik and took their essence into himself.
Then he unrolled a map and called Malik unto him, and when the apprentice arrived, Nunde said, “My vengeance will soon fall due.”
“Indeed, master,” said Malik, dreading what would come next.
“It is time. Take the Drik and Chun and Ghok and others that I have assigned to you and march east to here”-Nunde’s finger stabbed down to the map-“where you or my chosen one will slay Aravan and all those with him. I care not if he is mutilated, just as long as you bring his corpse to me.”
And then Nunde laughed, Malik laughing with him, even as the apprentice’s gut churned with dread at what lay waiting at the place he was ordered to go.
23
Risky Business
BURGLARS
MID SPRING, 6E9
Dogs. Ruck-loving, rat-eating dogs . Binkton slipped back down from the spike-fanged top of the moonlit wall to the shadow-clutched alley below. He came to rest beside his cousin. “You didn’t tell me they had dogs,” he whispered.
“Huh?” Pipper looked up from the carefully coiled rope as he finished attaching a small grappling hook to one end, a hook with its tines padded.
“Keep your voice low, Pip,” whispered Binkton, “else they’ll hear us.”
“Who’ll hear us?” whispered Pipper back.
“The dogs. You didn’t tell me they had dogs.”
“Dogs?” breathed Pipper.
Binkton growled low in exasperation. “Are you listening, Pip? There are dogs patrolling the yard-a couple of huge brutes with jaws that crush and teeth that bite. We fall afoul of those two, they’ll snap us up like we were no more than bits of bacon.”
Pipper frowned and shook his head. “Dogs?”
Through clenched teeth, Binkton hissed, “Yes, Pip, dogs; dogs you didn’t mention when we planned this.”
Dropping the hook, Pipper began free-climbing the ten-foot-high wall by jamming his fingers and toes into the mortar cracks. “Are you certain? I mean, there were no dogs when I-”
“Argh!” Binkton plopped down with his back to the wall.
Moments later, Pipper dropped down beside Binkton and murmured, “Well, Bink, you’re right. There are definitely two big dogs patrolling the yard. And a new kennel off to one side.”
Binkton sissed air out between clenched teeth, but otherwise made no comment.
“They weren’t here when I scouted out the place,” breathed Pipper. “No dog poop. No kennel. Nothing. It’s not like I’d miss something like dogs.”
“Oh, yeah? But miss them you did, even though you watched the house for five days.”
“I did watch it for five days, Bink, but I swear there were no dogs. Me, I think they are new.”
Binkton unclenched his jaw and drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Finally, he said, “Oh, Pip, I believe you. Maybe they are new, but it’s just that I’m frustrated. Rackburn is off to the Rivers End Theater, and we’ve not got a lot of time. And with dogs patrolling the yard, even if we escape their slavering jaws, they’ll alert Rackburn’s household, no doubt a bunch of Ruck-loving, rat-eating ruffians. That’d just put us in another pickle, and we’d not get Lady Jane’s money back to her.”
Pipper made a gesture of negation. “We can’t let that happen, Bink. Let’s take another look at the situation.”
Pipper started to climb, but Binkton sat still for a moment, brooding. Finally, with a sigh, he got up and followed Pipper, who at that moment gripped two spikes along the top and raised his head just above the wall to peer over. He quickly ducked back down and whispered, “Oh, lor.”
“What? What is it?” asked Binkton, his voice a low mutter.
“Another one,” murmured Pipper.
“Another dog?”
“Yes.”
Grasping two spikes, Binkton lifted himself up to where he could see.
Three huge mastiffs lounged near the rear entrance to the manse.
Binkton flinched down.
Once more Pipper raised up to study the scene. After a moment he murmured, “I think we’ve enough rope to reach the balcony.”
“And. .?”
“And I can cast the grappling hook over and snag the rail; then we’ll tie it off at this end on one of the spikes and walk across.”
“Are you insane, Pip? You’re the acrobat, not me.”
“Oh, Bink, walking a rope is as easy as falling off a log.”
“Good example, Pip, ’cause I’d fall off at the first step. Besides, your rope and hook were to be used to get us up to the balcony only after we crossed the yard.”
“But, Bink, that was just so we wouldn’t have to sneak through the house to get to the room with the strongbox.”
“That was the plan,” said Binkton, “over the wall, across the yard, up to the balcony, through the window to the left, and to the coffer. Well, the dogs have put an end to that scheme, and put an end to your new one, too. I mean, even if I could walk the rope, they’d bark the moment you threw the hook, and that would bring out the ruffians to catch two ninnies: one walking a rope above, the other screaming and falling down into the jaws of the beasts. But even if I didn’t fall, don’t you see, Pip, no matter what we try, the dogs, they’ll raise a hue and cry.”
Pipper frowned and then brightened. “You are right, Bink. But remember what Uncle Arley said about turning
