and focused her wrath on the Asper snake.
Palimak heard her roar words in a language he didn't understand and a bolt of blue flame exploded off the tip of her scepter. It struck the snake full force. The creature hung in the air for long seconds, both heads hissing and wriggling in agony.
Another blast of blue fire from the scepter crashed into the beast. This was followed by an enormous explosion of pure sorcerous energy.
Charize's sisters shrieked in pain as the blinding light burst over them.
Palimak came to his feet, rubbing burning eyes. Then his vision cleared and he saw that the Asper snake was gone and the chamber had returned to its former gloom.
Charize was the first to recover. She shouted to her subjects, 'Kill Timura! Kill him!'
Slowly, they formed around her. Then they advanced, Charize at their head.
Palimak backed up, feeling like a fool as he waved his puny sword before him.
'It's been nice knowing you, Little Master,' Gundara squeaked.
'Oh, shut up!' Gundaree snapped. 'We're going to be eaten too, you stupid thing!'
For a change Gundara did not reply. For some reason the lack of argument between the twins frightened Palimak more than any other experience in his young life.
Then his heels bumped against the bottom of the stairs leading up to Asper's coffin. Charize's jaws widened into a terrible grin. Her sisters tittered in ghastly amusement.
'And now, little one,' Charize said. 'And now…'
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Queen Charize leaned forward, one great claw stretching out to slice Palimak's life away.
He cut at her with his sword, but she only laughed and slapped it aside.
At that moment an enormous drumboom resounded from behind Charize and her army. They jolted about to see what this new threat might be. The boom was immediately followed by the trumpeting cry of what Palimak swore was a horse.
Then there was the thunder of hooves and a shouted war cry.
Palimak gaped as some invisible force burst through the line of monsters, hurling them aside.
There was a skitter of horse's hooves, another war cry, and then two more creatures fell to the ground, gutted and fountaining blood.
Then Palimak thought he heard someone shout, 'Palimak! To the tomb, Palimak!'
It was Safar's voice.
His father's voice.
Without hesitation Palimak whirled and rushed up the short flight of stairs to the coffin. He was too numb to be surprised when he saw that the huge lid had been thrown open.
The mummified corpse of an enormous demon stared blankly out at him. He had time enough to see that it was dressed in black wizard's robes decorated with bejeweled symbols. Then he heard Charize hiss orders and he came about to do battle.
The beast that was Queen Charize roared at her sisters to close in on the invisible force. At the same time she struck out blindly with her scepter. A blast of blue light shot out, but she must have missed because the magical light hammered at nothingness.
Although for just a moment Palimak thought he could make out the shadowy figure of an armored warrior astride a great stallion.
Then the vision was gone and everything became a strange, violent shadow-play as Charize and her sisters battled the invisible force.
He saw a line of beasts form before Charize, saw that line bend as the force cut through them. Then the way was open and Charize clubbed at the air with her scepter.
Palimak heard a heavy thump and a groan as her scepter struck something.
There was a long pause, as if the attacker were struggling to recover, then the moment broke and Charize roared defiance, charging forward.
He heard a meaty thunk, saw Charize stop in mid-charge. And suddenly a red line jagged across her throat.
Charize toppled over, huge head falling to one side-bony skull held only by a thread of gristle-and she crashed to the floor.
There was a shocked silence as Charize's sisters stared down at their queen's lifeless body. Then that silence grew longer and more thoughtful as both Palimak and the creatures realized that the horseman and his steed were no longer present in the chamber.
First there was a shuffle-many claws and talons clicking against the stone.
Then a single whisper: 'Who will be queen?'
That whisper became a chorus, 'Queen? Queen? Queen?'
And the first voice began to chant:
The others took up the chant, turning on Palimak as they did so.
And Palimak had the soul-shivering realization that the battle for royal succession would be fought over his body.
Thwack! as Biner once again assaulted the wall. His club blow did so much damage that Leiria had to shield her face against the shattered rock that exploded outward. Even so, a sharp piece of stone cut her hand and the blood started to flow.
Leiria ignored the wound. What's a little blood, even if it's your own? She studied the results of Biner's work. Strong as he was, mighty though his blows might be, he'd only managed to hammer out a shallow depression into the wall. At this rate, hours would pass before they broke through-assuming Biner didn't wear himself out first.
There was one dubious victory his efforts had won-the depression made a kind of funnel that magnified the sound on the other side. They could hear plainly the clash of battle raging in the chamber beyond.
'Dammit, Biner!' Leiria growled. 'This isn't working.'
Biner didn't waste his energy on a reply. Instead, he drew back the club once again-planting his feet far apart and bunching his big shoulders in readiness for the blow.
'Here, let me help you,' came a woman's voice.
Startled, Leiria turned to see Jooli standing there. Flanking her were the Kyranian soldiers who were gawking at King Rhodesa€™ daughter. Apparently they'd been so surprised to see her, that they had let her walk right through their ranks.
Biner-stopped in mid swing-glared at her. 'What're you doing here?' he demanded.
Jooli gave a throaty laugh. 'Not making a fool out of myself, that's for certain,' she said.
Leiria was angry. 'I don't know how in the hells you escaped your guard,' she said, 'but I don't have time for you. Get your royal behind out of here before I thin-slice it for rations!'
'I'm a witch,' Jooli said, answering Leiria's unasked question. 'Right now the guards on your airship think I'm tucked away nice and cozy in that tiny closet of a cabin you gave me.'
Biner was furious. 'I don't care if you are the witch of all witches!' he roared. 'Remove yourself from my sight, woman!'
Jooli chortled. 'You have more muscles in your head,' she mocked, 'than you'll ever get in your body.'
She took a step forward. Leiria started to block her, but there was something about Jooli that gave her
