dried goat flesh which they washed down with good Kyranian wine mixed with honey and water.
Refreshed and with their spirits restored, the expedition continued-following the narrow path that wound through the gloom like an uncoiling snake.
However, Safar was not as unconcerned about their situation as he'd made out. Dead magic permeated the forest. Rather than coming from a single source, the magic seemed to radiate from all sides as if the very trees were inhabited by unfriendly spirit folk.
Quietly, he cast some warding spells and hoped for the best. Moments after he'd finished, Jooli slipped up to his side.
'You can feel it, too?' she whispered so the others wouldn't hear.
Safar nodded. 'But I've taken some precautions,' he said.
'As have I,' Jooli said. 'Except I don't think any of our spells are strong enough.'
'That's because we don't know who or what we're guarding against,' Safar said. 'We're both working blind.'
He gestured ahead, where the path curved around a vine-choked tree, saying, 'Unless I'm well off my mark, I think we'll find out soon enough. There's something waiting for us just past that point.'
Jooli's eyes narrowed as she concentrated. Then she nodded. 'You're right,' she said. 'But I can't make out what it is. Everything seems … I don't know, scattered.'
That was exactly how Safar would have described the strange waves of magic he sensed. It was as if they were made up of many sorcerous particles with no particular center or purpose, but had only been brought together by coincidence.
'We'd better investigate before we walk right into some sort of trap,' Safar said.
'Why don't I go ahead,' Jooli asked, 'while you watch my back?'
Safar agreed and called another halt. He told the group there were some unexplained disturbances he and Jooli needed to investigate, playing down the danger and making it seem like a routine precaution.
Leiria knew what he was up to. They'd fought together so many times that even the subtle system of signals they'd worked out over the years was unnecessary. She sensed what was happening before he had a chance to tug his earlobe or straighten his sword belt.
Instantly, she took appropriate action. 'If Jooli's going to play witch when she takes point,' she said,
'we'll need plenty of hard steel behind her, not just more magic.'
Leiria spread the men out along the trail, spears and swords at ready. When Jooli signaled to begin, they all moved forward-Safar lagging back, alert to magical attack from both the front and the rear.
When she reached the tree that marked the bend in the trail Safar saw Jooli hesitate, then lean forward to concentrate. He'd become familiar with her sorcerous spoor and caught the tingle of her magic as she probed the area beyond.
Safar added his own powers to her work and found nothing to be alarmed about.
The he saw her shrug and step forward.
Immediately, the air around her began to glow. Although he caught no scent of magic-threatening or otherwise-Safar opened his mouth to call a warning.
Then the glow became a cloud of colorful butterflies that circled her for a moment, then swept along the path just above the soldiersa€™ heads. Except for quick glances, no one paid them the slightest attention-not even pausing to admire this swirling rainbow of flying insects.
Leiria and the soldiers were so tensed for possible danger that the butterfliesa€™ beauty escaped them.
Jooli turned her head and called back, 'Everything's fine. I'm going on.' Then she disappeared around the bend.
Leiria was the next to cross and once again a cloud of butterflies appeared, circling her briefly before flying down the trail. She too signaled that all was well and that she was proceeding.
Sergeant Hamyr followed, leading the soldiers around the bend, absently brushing at a third swarm of the marvelous butterflies.
Safar paused at the tree. He studied the ground, then examined the massive roots that rose twenty feet or more before they joined the trunk.
He saw a large snake, thick as a man's body, moving slowly up one of the roots. But its attention was fixed on a monkey, sitting silently and peacefully on a limb, grooming itself.
Other than the snake, he could see nothing that might endanger him. Nor could he see where the butterflies had come from.
He heard Leiria call to him, her voice calm and reassuring. So he stepped forward, alert for the slightest disturbance.
And nothing happened. No odd shimmer of the atmosphere. Not even a single butterfly rising up, much less a colorful swarm.
He went around the bend and some distance away saw Leiria and the others squatting on the trail, peacefully munching on rations and slaking their thirst.
Leiria waved to him. 'It's all right, Safar,' she cried. 'Come and have something to eat and drink.'
Then Jooli called out. 'We found more of Palimak's footprints.'
Safar hurried forward, anxious to see.
Without warning, the ground shifted under him. He fell heavily, hands shooting out to catch himself.
But when he landed, instead of the leafy jungle trail he found himself gripping hot, bare ground.
And all around him he heard hundreds of voices roar: 'Kill, kill, kill! Death to Safar Timura!'
Safar came up, bewildered-but automatically reaching for his sword. He found himself standing in a large arena made of hard-packed red earth.
And instead of the jungle and his waiting friends he saw hundreds upon hundreds of shouting, painted savages-all pounding the ground with the butts of their spears. Horns blared, drums thundered and somewhere a big cat screamed in fury.
From behind he heard the heavy slap of feet racing toward him and he whirled, sword coming up. But then he froze, gaping.
For charging toward him was a half-naked youth. Brandishing a long spear aimed straight at Safar's heart.
It was Palimak!
And the crowd roared: 'Kill, kill, kill! Death to Safar Timura!'
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Even over the whistling wind and hard-driven rain, Palimak could hear the waves boom against the reef.
Dimly he made out their jagged line-the boiling surf dyed pink by the grinning Demon Moon.
He tried to back-paddle, but the tidal current was too strong, sucking him inexorably toward the reef.
'To your right, Little Master!' Gundara cried.
Palimak obediently turned his head and saw a thick black object lifting up in the curl of a wave.
'Swim for it!' shouted Gundaree.
Palimak struck out for the object. One stroke. Two. Three. And then he was drawing close and could see it was a gnarled, twisted log, with a dozen or more limp branches trailing behind.
Palimak reached for it, then caught a glimpse of a horribly familiar set of teeth grinning out of the trunk.
Fear lanced his heart and he snatched his hand back, nearly drowning as he went under in a desperate effort to kick away from the tree-beast.
He came up, choking and sputtering, pawing at the water to stay afloat.
'Don't worry, Little Master,' Gundara cried. 'It's dead!'
'Well, it's almost dead, anyway,' Gundaree quibbled.
'Never mind that!' Gundara said. 'Get up on it before you drown, Little Master.'
