arched roof overhead. 'Let us go into that place and climb to its upper storey. See those flying bridges?'
'I had thought them supports for the roof, Gord. Perhaps they are, but I now see that there are piercings in the stone too — windows! They must be upper walkways.'
The young adventurer nodded. This place was once thronged with people, I'd say, especially if all the citizens of the City Out of Mind dwelled here at first.'
They and more,' Leda suggested as they entered the building Gord had selected.
It had no door, and the entrance was sized for humans. Whatever it had been before, the place was now a warehouse — perhaps abandoned even, for the crates and bales piled inside appeared very old and as though they had been untouched for years. They briefly scanned the contents of the room, but took nothing away except for a couple of lengths of rope that Gord thought might come in handy. After a search, they found a hatch in the ceiling leading to the next floor, and from there another one to the floor above. Because the building had high ceilings, the third storey of the place gave access to the roof-hugging walkways. Both looked out of the unglazed windows to see what was going on below. A few of the little white denizens of the strange community prowled about now, but most of the streets and alleys were empty.
'I hope you are right, Leda.'
'How so, love?'
'You said before that we were likely to be within the central portion of the city — or what the ancient ones had managed to save of their capital. We must search this subterranean metropolis for the hiding place of the Final Key. It will be near the heart of it all.'
The dark elf looked at him searchingly. 'What makes you think that, Gord?'
The one who instructed me told me that. I have no reason to doubt his wisdom or knowledge.'
'I thought only we drow had such intelligence about the location of the last part,' she added by way of explanation when she saw Gord looking at her with a strange expression.
'We drow? I thought you disclaimed the race, but you use that word more and more of late.'
'What Eclavdra knew, I too know, though I like not to examine such memories,' Leda told him seriously. 'At any rate, tell more of what you know. Does the Final Key lie in plain sight?'
Gord nodded. 'I am told it is plainly visible, the central object of worship in the great temple here. I am also informed that despite being in plain view, the Theorpart can neither be touched nor moved.'
'Yes, so too my knowledge. In addition, I believe that it is set within the center of a huge sphere of some unbreakable stuff which is as transparent as water, yet hard as diamond.'
Not wishing to be outdone by the dark elf, Gord added the rest of what he had been told. The folk here hold it as their sole remaining treasure, their link to their lost greatness and empire. Their evil teachings state that one day the artifact will restore them to their former condition, and the Empire of Suel will rise to dominate all Oerik. Thus, the thing is a holy relic in their eyes, and any who profane their temple, let alone approach too near the Final Key, are subject to death.'
'This seems a likely place to store our unneeded gear,' Leda said, having nothing further to add to the other subject. 'What do you think?'
'It will be easy enough to find this place again. I agree with you, girl. No sense in carrying unnecessary burdens on such a perilous mission as we now face. Speaking of which, I still need some good blade with which to arm myself. As puissant as this dagger is, it is no substitute for a sword when enemies must be fought.'
By utilizing the long-deserted walkways high over the floor of the place, the two began a systematic exploration of the nearest buildings. Gord insisted on this, for he wanted to be sure of their base before plunging outward to search for the temple that housed the last portion of the Artifact of All Evil. It turned out that not one of the three buildings connected to the warehouse was inhabited. Once this fact was established, Gord and Leda oriented themselves and headed toward the buildings the albinos had gone into when the dark elf had detected the high-pitched sound.
None of the upper floors they traversed were occupied, although exploration discovered that the lowest levels were in use. The deep channel of the long-vanished river turned to their left far beneath where they traveled. No upper bridgeway spanned its great width, so they had to parallel the path of the deep stone bed.
There was virtually no activity in the city now, and this encouraged Gord. 'I am going to venture below,' he told Leda. 'If the pygmies sleep now, it is the best time to discover what lies down there.'
'If we can find a lone albino, Gord, we can force him to tell us all we need to know,' the dark elf said. 'My power will enable me to know if a lie is told, and a known falsehood is almost as good as an unknown truth.'
'All right. Use that ring again, and let us see what can be found down there. These runts should be easy enough to take.'
This ancient building, or more correctly remainder of a building, was four stories tall. When the two crept down the stairway to the third floor, they immediately encountered pygmies. A pair of the pale little men dozed on a landing of the very stairway they were descending, their backs to Gord and the invisible drow. Gord located her by touch, pointed, and made punching motions, his fist balled and hammering downward. Leda became visible, nodded, and drew her Yoli sword and held it over her head, blade curved away from her target. Its heavy pommel was a splendid addition to her small fist. Gord held his dagger the same way, and seconds later both of the pale pygmies were unconscious. Gord disarmed them and slipped their little swords into his belt for possible use later.
Their mates below were not alerted, I think,' Leda whispered. 'I made too much noise when I struck, but you were absolutely silent, love. I wish I could operate as well as you do.'
'You are no thief, Leda, that is certain. Nonetheless, don't worry. The rap of your blow and the thud of the little bastard's fall were not loud enough to alert anyone who was not nearby and concentrating on listening. These albinos are careless and sure of themselves. I don't suppose there have been intruders in this place for years — if ever.'
'I hope you're right. Let's bind up both of them, then put a gag on one and toss him in an empty room somewhere nearby. Then we'll bring the other one around and begin our interrogation. Being alone and not knowing the fate of his comrade will frighten each of them and make them both more tractable.'
They did as Leda suggested, and then prepared to start the questioning. These pygmy folk looked so much alike that Gord couldn't tell one from the other, but the one they selected to begin with appeared the more important of the pair; he had bits of silver set into his belt, while the other gray-garbed one had no such ornamentation. When the albino's big eyes finally came open from Leda's gentle slapping of his face, they nearly started from his head. Gord put on his most fearsome expression, showed the pygmy his blade, and then held the dagger over the little fellow's heart. That didn't seem to scare him as much as the sight of the girl did.
'A drow here!' the albino squeaked in a scratchy, disused-sounding voice.
'Make no other sound as loud as you just did, minimus,' Gord warned, 'else this blade will dine on your heart's blood in that same instant.'
The albino glared defiantly at Gord with his pinkish, pupil-less eyes. Then Leda bent low and fixed him with her own glare. 'Listen to what he tells you, runt, or worse than that will befall you. I know a hungry demon who would find a morsel such as you an exciting little plaything — and tasty afterward, too.'
'I… I… can not speak as quietly as you seem to wish,' he said in a near-whine, addressing himself to the dark elf. 'Have your servant untie my hands, and we will converse in silent speech.'
Leda nodded, and Gord undid the binding that lashed the pygmy's wrists as he admonished their victim further. 'At the least sign of treachery, runt, I'll skewer you. We can always put others of your sort to the question.'
The little man began to move his arms, hands, and fingers in a complex series of signs and gestures. He appeared very desirous of supplying information, almost too much so. Leda signaled back more simply and briefly, and a series of such exchanges took place over the next three or four minutes. Then the dark elf spoke. 'Now, little one, use your voice in answer to this question. Have you said nothing but truth to me?'
'Yes, drow. I have not lied,' the pygmy answered in his squeaky tone.
'Bring in the second one,' Leda said imperiously to Gord.
The young adventurer complied meekly. For this purpose, he was willing to be commanded. If these little bastards feared drow, he would not do or say anything to discourage their terror. The second fellow was conscious and struggling against his bonds as Gord entered the chamber where he had been sequestered. For a second the little man actually redoubled his efforts, boldly attempting to free himself even with the human intruder looking on. When it became obvious to him that he would not succeed soon enough, the pygmy stopped his struggling and
