Текст книги "Albrek's Tomb"

Автор книги: Mark Forman

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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 26 страниц)

“It will be as you request,” said Thorson with a bow.

“There must be some way to find out who’s telling the truth,” said Thrang after Thorson had gone.

“They both must believe what they’re saying is true or else they wouldn’t have invoked the ancient dwarf law,” Kat pointed out.

“That’s true,” Thrang agreed. “But even if they both believe in their claims, they are taking a huge risk. The one you decide against will lose a great deal of honor.”

“Yet Haymar’s claim is already the stronger,” said Alex thoughtfully. “His name was given as the heir.”

“What appears to be true is not always true,” Arconn said in a thoughtful tone.

Alex nodded but didn’t say anything more. He wasn’t happy about the turn of events. He thought that returning the lost bag would be a simple task and a happy event. Now he feared that returning the lost bag might tear a family apart. He wondered if perhaps he should refuse both Haymar and Halbrek, at least until they agreed on who the true heir should be.

Alex had little time to think about what he should do, because Thorson arranged for Haymar to arrive less than an hour later. Alex remained in the garden alone, waiting for Haymar and thinking over his options.

As the sun was going down, Haymar Glynn walked into the garden. He looked nervous. Alex was sitting by the fountain, watching as the dwarf approached.

“Master Taylor?” Haymar questioned, a look of surprise on his face.

“Yes,” said Alex, trying to look wise.

“I’m sorry. I . . . I thought you would be older,” said Haymar, bowing. “Of course, I’ve heard the stories, but

still . . .”

“I seem young to be a wizard,” Alex finished for him.

“I mean no offense,” said Haymar, bowing once again. “It is not my place to judge wizards or their ways.”

“But it seems that it is my place to judge you and your half-brother,” said Alex.

“I am sorry for that,” said Haymar. “I’ve tried to talk to Halbrek, but he won’t listen to me. I’ve offered him an equal share of anything the bag holds, but he won’t accept. He insists that he is the rightful heir of the bag and that the honor of receiving it should be his.”

“And you are not willing to give up that honor,” said Alex, looking closely at Haymar.

“I would give up everything in the bag, but not the honor of being the heir,” said Haymar.

“Is this honor more important to you than your family?”

“Halbrek is my half-brother, but we’ve never been close. I am my father’s first son by his first wife, heir to his fortune and titles. Halbrek is my father’s first son by his second wife, and he is unwilling to accept that he can never be the true heir.”

“A difficult problem,” Alex commented.

“It has been, yes. I’ve tried to be understanding, but Halbrek doesn’t want understanding; he wants to be heir.”

“So you don’t believe your father ever said anything about making Halbrek his heir?”

“My father was old when he went on his last adventure,” said Haymar. “Old and tired and he shouldn’t have gone, but he did. He told me he was going to give any treasure he found on his last adventure to Halbrek. It was his way of making up for the fact that Halbrek could never be his heir, I think.”

Alex thought about Haymar’s words for several minutes before speaking again. Everything Haymar said made sense to Alex, but then it should. Haymar had probably known about his father’s death for some time, and he would have made up a convincing story to explain Halbrek’s claim.

“You have answered all of my questions without really answering them,” Alex said, watching Haymar’s every move.

“Yes, I suppose I have,” said Haymar. “I have tried to explain things that may not have needed explaining. I will say this: My family is more important to me than any honor or riches, but giving up the honor of receiving my father’s bag would, I think, do more to harm my family than not giving it up. I do not believe my father ever told Halbrek that he would be the heir of the bag, but I do believe that Halbrekbelieves that such a promise was made.”

“Why do you think giving up your claim on the bag would harm your family?” Alex asked, surprised by Haymar’s words.

“If Halbrek is given the honor of receiving the lost bag, he will use that status to make other claims,” said Haymar in a sad tone. “I fear Halbrek would try to take everything my father left to me and my brothers, and that I cannot allow.”

“Very well,” said Alex, looking Haymar in the eye. “I have heard your side of things. Tomorrow I will hear what Halbrek has to say. Once I’ve heard both sides, I will try to make a fair decision.”

“You are most kind,” said Haymar, bowing to Alex.

“One more thing,” said Alex as Haymar turned to leave. “Is there any chance that Halbrek knows the passwords to the bag?”

“There is always a chance,” said Haymar. “As I told you, my father was getting old. He may have told Halbrek the passwords, but I don’t believe he did.”

“And I suppose you’d rather not tell me the passwords until I’m ready to return the bag,” said Alex with a smile.

“I would trust you with the passwords if you asked me for them,” said Haymar sincerely. “Are you asking me to give them to you now?”

“I am not,” said Alex, bowing slightly. “I will talk with Halbrek and then let you both know what my decision is in a day or two.”

“As you wish,” said Haymar, bowing once more before he left.

Alex remained alone in the garden for some time, considering what Haymar had told him. He thought Haymar was telling the truth, but there was no way he could be completely sure. He wondered if he should have asked Kat to join him when he talked to Haymar, but he knew that wouldn’t have been right. Kat was not a wizard, and she could not make this decision for him, even if she wanted to.

“Did your meeting with Haymar go well?” Thrang asked when Alex finally returned to the main house.

“As well as possible. I’m not at all sure that I should be the one to settle this question. No matter what I decide, either Haymar or Halbrek will be unhappy, and they may continue to contest who the true heir is.”

“No, they wouldn’t do that,” said Thrang, his expression serious. “They have both accepted you as the judge in this matter, so they will both have to live with your decision. The law is very clear on that point. They will not be able to complain about the decision or contest it at all.”

“Making the correct decision will be hard,” said Alex with a sigh.

“You’ll do what’s right,” said Thrang confidently. “I’m sure you’ll be able to decide who the true heir is.”

Alex smiled at Thrang and nodded.

The next morning Alex was back in the garden, waiting for Halbrek to arrive. He wondered what Halbrek would have to say, and why he had insisted on coming after Haymar. Alex thought that if he were in the same situation, he would want to talk to the person deciding things first. Halbrek arrived slightly late and was led into the garden by Thrang’s cousin Dain.

“Master Halbrek Glynn, Master Alexander Taylor,” said Dain, bowing to Alex and Halbrek.

“A great pleasure,” Halbrek said, stepping forward and extending his hand.

Alex shook Halbrek’s hand but said nothing, waiting for Halbrek to begin after Dain left.

“I suppose Haymar has told you all about me,” said Halbrek, stepping back. “I can always count on him to tell people how terrible I’ve been to him.”

“The topic did not come up,” said Alex.

“I suppose there is a first time for everything,” said Halbrek, looking surprised. “He probably thought it would be a mistake to tell his stories to you. After all, you’re a wizard and can see through such falsehoods easily.”

“At times I can,” said Alex, watching Halbrek.

“Yes, of course,” Halbrek said, not meeting Alex’s eyes. “So, to the matter at hand.”

“As you wish,” said Alex, motioning for Halbrek to take a seat.

“I’m sure Haymar told you how he’s the oldest son of our father’s first wife,” said Halbrek. “How only the oldest son can be the true heir and all of that nonsense.”

“We did go over that,” said Alex, taking the seat opposite Halbrek. “Though I know adventurers can name anyone they wish as the heir to their bag.”

“Yes, that’s true,” said Halbrek with a smile. “Haymar doesn’t believe that, of course, but as you say, adventurers can name anyone they want to. My father named mehis heir, and so I must insist that the bag be returned to me.”

“But your father did not name you as his heir,” corrected Alex. “The bag maker in Telous listed Haymar’s name. Your father might have told you he was going to change this, but he never did.”

“He may not have had time,” said Halbrek quickly. “He told me before he left on his last adventure that I would be his heir once he returned home.”

“Though he never returned home, did he?” Alex said thoughtfully.

Alex’s thoughts turned to Hathnord, the owner of the bag and the father of both Haymar and Halbrek. Haymar had said little about his father, though he had shown concern regarding his father’s health and age. Halbrek didn’t seem concerned about his father at all, only about the magic bag and his own claim as Hathnord’s heir. Alex thought it was an important point, and one that made him favor Haymar’s claim even more.

“No, he did not, and it appears that he never bothered to change the named heir of the bag with the bag maker,” Halbrek went on, not noticing the tone in Alex’s voice. “Still, my claim is just, and I’m willing to pay for my rights.”

“Pay?” Alex questioned.

“Of course,” said Halbrek. “What’s in the bag is nothing compared to the honor of being named the heir. I’m sure Haymar made you a generous offer to return the bag to him, but whatever he’s offering you, I’ll give you more.”

“The subject of reward for the bag’s return is part of the returning ceremony,” said Alex flatly. “Haymar and I did not discuss it at all.”

“No, of course not,” said Halbrek, a twisted smile on his face. “And I’m sure that we won’t discuss it either. Though I might suggest something along the lines of one-half of all the bag contains.”

“As I said, such things should not be discussed now,” said Alex.

The more Halbrek talked, the more Alex disliked him. And after this conversation, he was sure that Haymar was the true heir.

“Yes, of course,” said Halbrek with a wink.

“I suppose you know the passwords to your father’s bag?” Alex asked, getting to his feet. He tried not to let his feelings of anger show.

“I’m sure I will when the time comes,” answered Halbrek, winking at Alex again. “As long as Haymar goes first, I’m sure there won’t be any trouble with passwords.”

“I’m sure there won’t,” said Alex coldly.

“Well then, if we understand each other, I’ll be on my way,” said Halbrek happily.

“I understand you perfectly,” said Alex, fighting to control the rage building up inside of him.

Halbrek stood and held out his hand again for Alex to shake, but Alex turned away, walking toward the fountain.

“I will send word about the ceremony,” said Alex over his shoulder, not wanting to look at Halbrek. He was afraid his feelings would make him do something terrible to the lying dwarf.

“Yes, of course,” said Halbrek, and he quickly departed.

Alex stared into the fountain for several minutes trying to control his emotions. Halbrek had no claim at all; he only wanted to steal Haymar’s honor and whatever treasure he could. Worse than that, he thought he could bribe Alex into helping him, and that was a dishonor Alex would never allow. For a moment Alex considered changing Halbrek into something terrible as punishment for his attempted bribe, but then decided that exposing Halbrek for what he was would be a more suitable punishment.

“So, you’ve spoken to both of them now. What do you think?” Thrang asked when Alex returned to the house for the midday meal.

“I know who the true heir is,” said Alex without explaining. “How soon can the ceremony be arranged? I’d like to announce my decision and return the bag at the same time.”

“I’ll have to talk to Haymar and Halbrek to see how soon they can be ready,” said Thorson. “Though I doubt the two of them will agree to the decision of who the true heir is and the ceremony of the bag’s return at the same time.”

“Tell them that is the only way the bag will be returned,” said Alex with a smile. “They should both be there for the decision as well as to witness the bag’s return to the true heir.”

“It will be as you wish,” said Thorson with an understanding smile.

As it worked out, it took two days to prepare for the ceremony. Haymar and Halbrek argued about how many people should attend the ceremony and who those people should be. Then they argued about where the ceremony should take place and even what time of day it should begin. In the end, Thorson made most of the arrangements and decided most of the questions about who should be there. The only two things Alex insisted on were that some of the guests in attendance not be related to either Haymar or Halbrek, and that all of his companions be included as guests. He also suggested that Thrang’s nephew, Fivra, should be there.

“It might enlighten him a little,” said Alex. “After all, a lost bag means a lost adventurer, something I’m sure Fivra has not considered in his thinking.”

“Ah, yes,” said Thrang with a nod. “A cunning plan to show him the hard facts about adventures without saying anything. Very good, Alex, very good.”

As they waited for the ceremony to begin, all of Alex’s companions seemed to be getting nervous. They were interested to know what decision he had made, but Alex wouldn’t tell them. He thought it best not to say anything until the day of the ceremony, mostly because he wanted to see how Haymar and Halbrek would act between now and then.

“Halbrek seems confident,” Thorson observed as Alex and his friends made their way into the feasting hall on the day of the ceremony. “There are some rumors in the city that he will be named the true heir.”

“Rumors that Halbrek started, no doubt,” said Thrang, looking unhappy.

“Loose talk seldom holds truth,” Arconn said, taking a seat next to Alex.

“You havediscovered who the true heir is, haven’t you?” Thrain questioned in a worried tone.

“Yes, I have,” said Alex with a slight smile.

Once all the guests had arrived, Thorson stood up to address the crowd. Since Thorson had made most of the arrangements, he had been chosen to supervise both the decision about who the true heir was and the ceremony of returning the lost bag.

After several minutes of greetings and a quick explanation of the events for those dwarfs who didn’t already know what was going on, Thorson introduced Thrang and his company, and then he called both Haymar and Halbrek forward.

“Master Taylor, if you will,” said Thorson, bowing to Alex.

“I’ve been asked to judge who the true heir of Hathnord is,” Alex began, standing between Haymar and Halbrek. “It was not a simple task, but I know who the true heir is, and who I will be returning the lost bag of Hathnord to.”

Alex paused for a moment to look at both Haymar and Halbrek. Haymar looked a little nervous but stood firmly in his place. Halbrek looked pleased with himself and was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

“The true heir of Hathnord is Haymar Glynn,” said Alex in a loud, clear voice. “His claim on the bag is recognized, and I offer to return his father’s lost bag to him.”

“No!” cried Halbrek, his smile gone and his face growing red with anger. “We had an agreement. You were supposed to name me the rightful heir.”

“ Youhad an agreement,” Alex corrected. “I agreed to nothing. You admitted to me that you did not know the passwords to your father’s bag. Worse, you tried to bribe me into naming you as Hathnord’s heir.”

“I never said I didn’t know the passwords,” said Halbrek angrily. “And I would never think of offering a bribe for something that is rightfully mine.”

“I was asked to decide who this bag belongs to, and I have,” said Alex firmly. “If you know the passwords as you claim you do, tell me now.”

“I . . . well . . . we agreed that . . .” Halbrek stuttered.

“You are a fool, Halbrek Glynn,” said Alex coldly. “You have tried to cheat your brother out of his rights and honors, and worse, you have tried to bribe a wizard. Admit what you have done, or spend the rest of your life trying to hide it.”

“There’s nothing to admit,” Halbrek shouted. “You’ve made a mistake, but I suppose there is nothing I can do about that. Serves me right for putting my faith in such a young wizard, but what’s done is done.”

“Halbrek, please, tell the truth,” said Haymar, a look of concern on his face.

“You should talk about truth,” Halbrek spat back. “It’s obvious to me that you’re the one who’s done the bribing around here. You’ve cheated me out of my inheritance, just as you’ve tried to cheat me out of everything else.”

“You cheat yourself,” said Alex calmly. “You will take back what you’ve said about bribes, or I might take offense.”

“Take what offense you like,” Halbrek sneered. “You’ve taken my honor this day, so offending you is of little concern to me.”

“Forgive him, Master Taylor,” Haymar pleaded. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”

“Because of the day and because Haymar asks it, I will take no action against Halbrek for his insults,” said Alex, fixing Halbrek with a glare. “However, if you ever even suggest that I would accept a bribe again, I will track you down and claim my revenge on you. And I promise you, Halbrek Glynn, that my revenge will be far worse than the loss of honor you’ve suffered this day.”

Halbrek paled. He seemed to be frozen in place. Once Alex had finished speaking, Halbrek tried to say something, but no words came out of his mouth. His face twisted with rage and fear.

“Go now,” Alex commanded. “You have no place among these honorable people.”

Halbrek turned and rushed out of the room. Alex and Haymar watched him go, as did everyone else in the hall. The guests looked stunned and surprised, and everything was quiet until Thorson spoke once more.

“Well, let the ceremony of returning the lost bag begin,” said Thorson nervously.

With Thorson’s words, the tension was broken and the dwarfs in the hall began to whisper. Thorson moved to where Alex and Haymar were still standing, and, speaking over the whispers, he started the ceremony.

Haymar managed a weak smile and offered Alex one-half of all that the bag contained. Alex thought Haymar was being overly generous and in the end accepted only one-third of the treasure in Hathnord’s bag. He would have asked for less, but he knew only too well that asking for too little would be an insult to Haymar.

With the bag returned to the rightful heir, the feast began and the noise in the room increased. Alex returned to his seat next to his friends. Thrang was upset about Halbrek’s outburst and his insults to Alex, and he insisted that Halbrek be punished in some way.

“I think he will be punished enough,” said Alex. “Everyone here knows what he has done, and the news will spread through Kazad-Syn quickly.”

“Still, he has insulted you,” said Thrang. “Something more than public shame is called for.”

“He will make his own punishment,” said Alex. “Everyone in the city will know what he’s done, though I think he will continue to deny it. Yet, the more he denies the truth, the easier it will be for others to see what he truly is.”

Thrang didn’t respond but it was clear that he thought some other punishment should be given to Halbrek. The feast, however, was very good, and soon the conversation turned from punishment to more pleasant topics.

It took several days for Alex’s payment to be arranged; Hathnord had been on many adventures and had collected a huge amount of treasure. Alex didn’t mind waiting because Kazad-Syn was a wonderful city to be in, and he spent his days meeting people and wandering the streets. Thorson took great pleasure in introducing Alex and his companions to all of his friends, and every night there was another feast to attend. It seemed that after the return of the lost adventurer’s bag most of the city knew who Alex was, and all of them greeted him wherever he went.

After a few days, Thrang began talking about leaving Kazad-Syn to continue their quest, but Alex reminded him that they still needed a place to sort and divide the treasure they had collected on the Isle of Bones. Thrang asked Thorson if he had a place large enough to put the treasure.

“We won’t be in the city long enough to sort and divide it all,” Thrang told Thorson. “Still, it would be good to make a start.”

“You can use the lower chambers,” said Thorson. “They have been empty for some time. And, if you like, you can leave the treasure here, and I’ll have some of our cousins do the sorting for you.”

“That would save time,” said Thrang. “If the rest of the company agrees, we’ll leave the treasure here to be sorted and divided.”

That night at dinner Thrang asked the rest of the company what they thought about his plan, and they were all in favor of leaving the treasure with Thorson. Thrang was pleased by their willingness to trust his family with so much treasure, and he accepted Thorson’s offer at once. Thorson thanked them all for their trust, rising from his seat and bowing several times to the company.

“Well, with that settled, I have some other news for you,” said Thorson, his smile changing to a serious look as he returned to his chair. “I’ve learned a few things about the Lost Mountains, though I’m not too happy about what I’ve found.”

“Trouble?” Thrang questioned quickly.

“Possibly,” said Thorson. “You should know that there are a few dwarf villages in the mountains, mostly on the western edges. There might even be a few cities, but I can’t confirm that. The dwarfs who live in the Lost Mountains seem to be prosperous, though they try to hide that fact as much as possible.”

“Don’t want thousands of dwarfs rushing in on them, most likely,” said Thrang.

“True, that would explain their secrecy,” Thorson allowed. “Still, there are rumors of trouble. Nothing solid, of course—just rumors.”

“What kind of trouble?” Arconn asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Rumors about an ancient evil reborn,” said Thorson as he nervously looked around at his guests. “An evil that is killing people, and the dwarfs in the villages seem unable to stop it.”

“An ancient evil?” Alex prompted, seeing Thorson’s hesitation.

“The stories say there are packs of wolflike creatures in the area,” said Thorson, glancing quickly at Thrang. “Vicious creatures that show no fear.”

“Wolflike creatures,” Thrang repeated, stroking his beard. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“The rumors—and mind you, these are just rumors—sound like . . . Well, they sound like the hellerash,” said Thorson, his eyes dropping to his plate.

Alex quickly glanced around the table at his friends, but it was obvious that none of them had the slightest idea what a hellerash was either. Whatever they were, both Thorson and Thrang were afraid of them.

“It can’t be,” said Thrang, a stunned expression on his face. “There hasn’t been a hellerash seen in almost a thousand years.”

“Well, they are only rumors,” said Thorson hopefully. “I’ve had a hard time getting any information about the Lost Mountains, and it’s possible this rumor was started by the dwarfs of the area to keep others away.”

“Yes, that must be what it is,” said Thrang, looking only slightly happier.

“What in the world is a hellerash?” Nellus asked, voicing the question they all wanted answered.

“The hellerash were vicious creatures, like giant wolves,” said Thrang slowly. “They killed just for the sake of killing, and they almost always traveled in packs.”

“The dwarfs used to hunt them down and kill them,” Thorson added. “They were dangerous and clever creatures, so never fewer than thirty dwarfs would go in a hunting party.”

“But the last hellerash was killed almost a thousand years ago,” said Thrang, more to himself than the others.

“Then perhaps this is just a rumor,” said Barnabus.

“It must be,” said Thrang, shaking off the fearful look that had been on his face. “These rumors must be false, but we will stay alert along the road, just in case.”

“A wise plan, considering what happened the last time we heard rumors of trouble,” Arconn said.