Текст книги "Albrek's Tomb"

Автор книги: Mark Forman

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Текущая страница: 15 (всего у книги 26 страниц)

After some time, Alex became aware of the sounds around him. He could hear Kat whimpering behind him, and he could hear the rest of the company moving carefully down the hill toward them. He didn’t want to explain what he’d done or why; he just wanted to be left alone.

“Alex,” Arconn’s concerned voice said softly. “Alex, are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” answered Alex, not turning to look at his friend. “Take care of Kat and make camp. There is no danger now. I’ll be along in a little while.”

Arconn did not reply, but Alex could hear him helping Kat to her feet and moving away. He was grateful to Arconn for leaving him alone and not insisting on answers or reasons. But sorrow filled his mind and he had no place for other thoughts.

Alex didn’t know how long he sat there with Shahree’s dead body. The spell he had used had taken a great deal of power out of him, and when he finally tried to get to his feet, his legs wobbled beneath him. Leaning on his staff, Alex looked down at Shahree. He wiped his face on his sleeve and slowly forced himself to cast another spell.

The silver-gray horse faded into the ground like mist, and a large silver-gray stone rose out of the earth where she had been. Three words written in golden letters appeared on the monument. Resting on his staff for another moment, Alex managed a weak smile, then turned away.

Alex found the others easily, though he was not sure he wanted to answer questions even now. His sorrow had lessened, but the death of his horse was still clear in his mind, and the fact that she had willingly sacrificed herself to save him made her death harder to bear.

Thrang and the others said nothing as Alex sat down beside the fire. He could feel them looking at him nervously. He was sure Kat had told them what had happened and what she had seen, but that would not explain everything. Alex had done something out of pure anger, and now he wondered if he had been right to do it.

“Something to eat?” said Barnabus, holding out a bowl of stew for Alex.

Alex accepted the bowl, but he did not eat. For several minutes he just looked at the stew, and then he spoke. “I destroyed them. All of them. Forever.”

“The wall of flame?” Arconn asked.

“Yes,” said Alex. “It has moved across all of Thraxon and destroyed every hellerash that ever has been.”

“All of Thraxon?” Thrang questioned nervously.

“Yes,” said Alex, setting his bowl down and putting his head in his hands. “Nowhere, in all of this land, does even a bone of a hellerash remain.”

“A powerful spell,” Kat said softly.

“Perhaps too powerful,” said Alex.

“How so?” Thrang asked. “Surely you don’t feel sorry for destroying those evil creatures.”

“No, I don’t feel sorry for that,” said Alex, looking up. “But now I fear the necromancer will try to hide. He may no longer wish to face me. If that is the case, it may take me years to track him down.”

“Will you . . .” Thrang began but did not finish.

“I will finish this quest regardless of what the necromancer chooses to do,” said Alex, answering Thrang’s unasked question. “If he remains, I will face him. If he flees, I will pursue him. But after this adventure is over.”

The others remained silent and Alex picked up his bowl. He didn’t feel hungry, but he forced himself to eat anyway. He knew that he would need his strength, and he knew that he had to write to Whalen immediately.

Chapter Seventeen

The Cursed City

No one slept that night. When dawn finally came, they quietly collected their gear and prepared to resume their journey.

“Where are your horses?” Alex questioned, noticing for the first time that none of his companions’ horses were anywhere near the campsite.

“They broke away when we were trying to get up the hill,” Thrang answered. “Arconn’s carried him to the hilltop, but the rest ran.”

“And even mine ran when the hellerash closed in on us,” Arconn added.

“How close did they get to you?” Alex asked.

“Too close,” said Nellus with a soft laugh.

“We were standing back-to-back on the hilltop,” said Thrang. “The hellerash were closing in slowly, looking for a weak spot, I guess.”

“I’m sure they were about to charge us when the wall of flame appeared,” said Barnabus. “If your spell had been a few seconds later, I doubt we would have survived.”

“I shouldn’t have left the group,” said Alex bitterly.

“No harm was done,” said Thrang. “And you saved Kat from those foul creatures.”

Alex could tell that Thrang and the others wanted to hear about how he had rescued Kat and destroyed the hellerash. He suspected Kat had told them what had happened while he had remained with his fallen friend, but he knew they still had questions. He was grateful that none of them asked about it, and the conversation trailed off quickly.

They moved down the hill toward the spot where Shahree had fallen, and a fresh wave of sorrow filled Alex. He noticed Kat glance at him as if she wanted to say something, but she quickly turned away.

“A fine monument,” said Thrang when they reached the spot Alex had hoped to avoid. “And never a truer statement has been carved.”

“‘A True Friend,’” Arconn read from the stone. “Yes, I would say that is fitting.”

Kat made a strangled, sobbing sound and hid her face. Alex thought for a moment that he’d seen tears in her eyes, but he couldn’t be sure. Turning away from the monument, he wished the hollow feeling inside him would go away. The pale morning light shined on the open land in front of them, but in several places Alex could see where the stones and grasses had been scorched black.

“It appears that there were quite a few of them,” Arconn said, moving up beside Alex. “More than I would have guessed.”

“And now there are none,” said Alex, starting off across the open ground without looking back.

Arconn’s comment had not angered him, but Alex wasn’t ready to think about what had happened. He wanted to forget about it for a time, and move ahead with the business at hand. But he knew that he would not forget, and perhaps that made it harder for him to turn away from the monument and leave his fallen friend behind.

His companions hurried after him, not saying anything more about the monument he’d created or the spell he’d cast. They fell into line behind Thrang and Arconn. Alex noticed that Kat kept her head turned away from him. At first he didn’t know why, but then he realized that she blamed herself for Shahree’s death. She felt that Shahree’s death was her fault, and she feared that he would blame her for the loss of his friend.

Alex’s own sorrow melted away like ice, and he suddenly found himself concerned about Kat’s worries. Shahree’s death had not been Kat’s fault, and Alex could not blame her even if he’d wanted to. She had told him to leave her behind. She had warned him that her weight would be too much for Shahree to carry.

For one long, terrible moment, the images of Shahree’s death rose once more before his eyes. If Alex had been a little quicker or if he hadn’t frozen when the hellerash had charged him, then Shahree would not have had to sacrifice herself to save him.

But Alex knew that he was not to blame either. The only person to blame was the necromancer who had called the hellerash back from the dead. It was the necromancer who had killed his friend, and it was the necromancer who would pay for that death.

Alex wanted to say something to Kat, something to ease her troubled thoughts, but her sorrow seemed almost as deep as his own, and nothing he could think to say sounded right in his mind.

“I don’t blame you,” Alex finally said softly.

“I know,” answered Kat, looking at him for the first time since the night before. “But I blame myself.”

“Don’t,” said Alex forcefully. “There is only one person responsible for what has happened, and he will answer for it, to me.”

“A dangerous attitude,” said Kat in a lowered voice.

“No, not really,” said Alex, forcing a weak smile. “I do not wish to take his place or steal his power. I will simply call him to account for what he’s done, as I must.”

“And if he is the stronger?” Kat questioned. “Necromancers are said to have a great deal of magical power.”

“Then he will go on,” said Alex with a sigh. “Though I think my dragon friend might put an end to him, if I were forced to summon him.”

“You are set in your course, then,” Kat said flatly. “You will summon the dragon to destroy you before you let yourself be used by the necromancer.”

“Better to die once in flame than live forever in the half-life of the necromancer,” said Alex. The words were not his own, and he was a little shaken by what he heard himself say.

Kat gave him a puzzled look for several seconds before she turned away.

As the day wore on, they began to look for any sign of a dwarf city or possibly even a party of dwarfs on the road. The road, however, remained empty, and for all they could tell there were no cities anywhere nearby.

“Can you sense anything, Kat?” Thrang asked as the afternoon was wearing away. “Anything at all?”

“Sadness,” Kat answered slowly. “There is great sorrow near, but I cannot see why.”

“Perhaps because of the hellerash,” Arconn suggested, gazing across the land in front of them. “I’m sure any dwarfs in this area would have suffered from those creatures.”

“Yes, that would make sense,” said Thrang, looking at Kat, his expression clearly hoping for more information.

“To the east of the road,” said Kat, a pained look on her face. “East and south of us, at the base of the mountain—there is a city.”

“Are you certain?” Nellus questioned, looking from Kat to the southeast and back. “I see no sign that would indicate a city.”

“And you wouldn’t,” said Thrang. “The dwarfs of the Lost Mountains are careful to hide themselves. We could walk right past a city and never see it if the dwarfs living there didn’t want us to.”

“I doubt that,” said Alex.

“Well, perhaps not right past,” Thrang admitted.

“In Vargland, many of the smaller cities are hard to find, even if you know what to look for,” said Thrain.

“The same is true here,” Thrang added. “But we have several things in our favor. We have a seer who can lead us, a wizard who can sense things others cannot, and I know the ways that dwarfs hide their cities here in Thraxon.”

“Then we should be able to find this city quickly,” said Barnabus. “And I hope they have horses for sale, because—”

Barnabus stopped quickly. For a moment they were all silent, and then Barnabus cleared his throat.

“Forgive me, Alex. I did not think.”

“You have done no harm,” said Alex, trying hard to smile. “And I really don’t want to walk all the way across Thraxon.”

As darkness gathered around them, the road began to bend toward the mountains, but when it became clear that they would not reach the city that night, Thrang reluctantly ordered them to make camp. The memory of the hellerash attack was still sharp in all of their minds, and only Alex was certain that there was nothing to fear.

As Barnabus prepared their meal, Alex found a comfortable spot and sat down. He knew he should write to Whalen—he needed his friend’s advice—but he didn’t really feel like writing down everything that had happened. Just then, Barnabus called them all to eat, and Alex was grateful that he could postpone writing a difficult letter, at least for a little while longer.

“We should reach the mountains tomorrow,” Arconn said as they ate.

“And what then?” Nellus asked.

“What do you mean?” said Thrang, looking around at them all. “We go on with the adventure, of course.”

“Yes, of course,” said Nellus quickly, glancing at Alex.

“You are thinking perhaps I will leave the company to chase the necromancer,” said Alex, looking at his food. “I have already said that if the necromancer should flee, I will complete this adventure.”

“And if he does not flee?” Arconn questioned.

“Then I will face him sooner rather than later,” said Alex.

“I think,” Thrang began, not looking at Alex, “well, I think we are all a little worried about what might happen . . .”

“If the evil is stronger,” Alex finished for him.

“It is a possibility,” Thrang said softly.

“Yes, it is,” agreed Alex. “I have told Kat and Arconn, and now I will tell you all, I will not be a tool of the necromancer. If he has the power to overcome me, I will be less than I am now. If it comes to that, I will use the last of my will and power to summon the dragon to destroy me. I will not become a slave to evil.”

“Let us hope it does not come to that,” said Thrang, trying for a hopeful tone.

Alex knew his friends were more concerned about him and his ability to face evil than they were concerned about the rest of the adventure, and he was grateful for their care. Of course, they all knew about the time he’d faced the dragon Slathbog, but necromancers were not dragons, and Alex knew better than any of his friends that their power was something to fear.

As the others rolled themselves into their blankets, Alex remained by the fire with Arconn in companionable silence. Arconn seemed to be deep in his own thoughts, so Alex took out his writing things.

For a long time the page remained blank because he could not find the words to explain things to Whalen. He reviewed the events again and again in his mind, finally forcing himself to put it all on paper.

In the end, the letter was long, but Alex had somehow managed to express all of his doubts and fears, as well as his sorrow. It seemed that pouring his sadness into the letter had removed some of the weight from his mind and heart. He was glad that he had forced himself to write everything he had been feeling.

He summoned a geeb to take his message to Whalen and put away his writing things. To his surprise, the entire night had almost slipped away.

“You should get some rest,” Arconn said as the geeb vanished with a small pop.

“I have no need of sleep,” said Alex. “The others will need it more than I. Let them enjoy what rest they can.”

Arconn nodded, returning his attention to the darkness around their camp.

When the eastern sky showed signs of the coming morning, Arconn woke the others.

“You should have woken us in turn for the watch,” said Thrang as he walked toward the campfire. “Though I suppose you know what you’re doing.”

“Why would you suppose that?” Alex asked with a half smile. He was surprised to realize that he felt much better than he had the day before.

Thrang answered with a grunting laugh as he brushed frost off a log and sat down for breakfast.

They marched all that morning, and as midday approached, Thrang suddenly shouted in excitement and rushed toward a pile of fallen stones. The rest of them hurried to follow, uncertain about the reason for Thrang’s shout.

“A boundary marker,” said Thrang, kneeling beside the fallen stones. “It has been pushed over, and some of the inscription has been chiseled away.”

“And the part that remains? What does it say?” Nellus asked as he looked at the surrounding countryside.

“The city of Neplee lies ahead,” said Thrang, tilting his head to one side as he read the fallen marker. “The instructions for reaching the city and requesting entry have been removed, but not too long ago, I would guess.”

“Who would destroy the marker?” Thrain asked, a worried look on his face.

“Hard to say,” said Thrang as he got back to his feet. “Enemies of the dwarfs, perhaps.”

“Or the dwarfs themselves,” said Kat.

“Why would dwarfs destroy their own marker?” Thrang questioned, a hint of worry in his voice.

“Perhaps they do not wish to be visited,” Alex said. “It is possible this is a warning to outsiders.”

“I have heard of such things,” said Arconn. “Dwarf cities in distress or some other kind of trouble will sometimes destroy their boundary markers.”

“I would think any dwarf city in trouble would send for help,” Thrang said. “There are many dwarfs in Thraxon, and it would be a simple matter for another city to send assistance.”

“Then this may be a call for help,” said Alex. “Though I think we can all guess the reason for Neplee’s troubles.”

“You don’t think the necromancer is in the city, do you?” Thrang asked nervously.

“No, he would not remain in a city of the living,” said Alex. “Though he may be forcing the people of the city to do his bidding.”

“Perhaps we should avoid this city and move on,” Barnabus suggested.

“They are in need and are unable to send for help,” Kat said in a pained voice.

They all looked at Kat, who was standing a short distance behind them. She seemed to be looking at something that no one else could see, and her face had gone pale.

“Do not dwell on it,” said Alex, realizing that Kat was feeling the pain and troubles of the entire dwarf city. “Turn your mind from the darkness ahead of us, or it may overcome you.”

“It is difficult to close it out,” said Kat, turning to face Alex.

For a moment Alex didn’t realize what he was seeing, but when he did, he was quick to act.

“Depart from her,” Alex commanded, moving his hand in front of Kat’s eyes. “Leave her, and do not return.”

“What is this?” Thrang questioned, looking from Alex to Kat and back again.

Kat was still for a moment, staring at Alex without speaking. Suddenly she dropped to the ground as if someone had struck her from behind. The others rushed forward to see what was wrong.

“She will recover,” said Alex, watching as Nellus and Barnabus helped Kat to her feet. “Darkness clouded her mind for a moment, and our enemy seized his chance to get a good look at us all.”

“The necromancer used her?” Thrang questioned, his voice shaking slightly.

“Yes, but he will not be able to do so again,” said Alex. “I have blocked the darkness from her mind so he cannot return.”

“And the rest of us?” Arconn asked.

“Kat is the only one he could use from a distance,” said Alex. “He would have to make eye contact with the rest of us to gain power over us.”

“I . . . What happened?” Kat questioned, her voice weak and confused.

“A moment of darkness,” said Alex. “It will not return.”

“I don’t remember,” said Kat.

“I have blocked it from your mind. When you are ready, and when the danger has passed, I will remove the blinders,” Alex explained.

“We should move on,” Arconn said after a short silence.

“Yes, yes, we should,” agreed Thrang, and he started marching down the road once more.

Alex felt certain they would find the city of Neplee before dark, but he didn’t know what kind of welcome they would find when they arrived. He didn’t have to wait long before the answer to that question appeared. A few hours later, the air rang with a sudden whistle and the soft thud of an arrow striking the ground. Thrang stopped in his tracks.

“Not as friendly as I’d hoped for,” Thrang said in a soft voice.

“Who are you, and why do you come here?” a voice called.

“Thrang Silversmith and company,” answered Thrang as he looked around for the source of the voice. “We are adventurers, and have come here by chance.”

“Go back the way you came, Master Silversmith,” the voice called out. “There is nothing here for you but sorrow and woe. This place is cursed. You must leave before the curse falls upon your party as well.”

“I will end the curse,” Alex called out as he stepped forward to stand at Thrang’s side. “I will end the suffering of Neplee.”

“Others have tried before and failed,” the voice said, though it was not quite as commanding as it had been.

“I must try, even if you will not willingly assist me in the attempt,” said Alex.

There was a long pause, as if the person who had called out to them was considering Alex’s words.

“What are you doing?” Thrang questioned Alex in a whisper.

“What I must,” answered Alex. “We can’t go back and we need help to go on. I must face this evil sooner or later. What other path is open to us?”

“Advance and be recognized,” the voice commanded, interrupting Thrang’s next question.

Alex and his friends moved forward.

When they approached a small grove of trees, the voice called out, “Hold.”

Alex and the others stopped and waited. For several minutes nothing happened, and then an old-looking dwarf stepped out of the trees and moved toward them.

“So, young man,” said the old dwarf, looking at Alex. “You say you will end the evil and remove the curse from this city.”

“I will if I can,” answered Alex.

“A wise answer.” The old dwarf laughed grimly, and then turned to Thrang. “We welcome you, Master Silversmith, and your company. We will do what we can for you, and aid you however possible. Lord Turlock will wish to meet with you when we enter the city, and question you further about your adventure.”

“We will be pleased to meet Lord Turlock and answer any questions we can,” said Thrang with a bow.

The old dwarf did not return Thrang’s bow, but simply looked at them all for a moment, and then motioned for them to follow as he started back toward the trees.

Neplee, as it turned out, was extremely well hidden, and Alex saw Thrang stare in surprise and wonder at the great stone doors carved into the mountainside.

“They were made with ancient magic,” the old dwarf said. “In a time before darkness came to Neplee.”

“Such art has long been lost,” said Thrang. “If it has been found again, word should have been sent to King Thorgood.”

“Yes, it should have,” the old dwarf agreed but said nothing more.

Alex and his companions entered a vast hall, its ceiling supported by dozens of stone pillars that looked like giant gray trees. The hall was empty except for a single chair placed near a large fireplace at the far end of the hall. A troubled-looking dwarf sat in the chair, staring into the low-burning fire. As the company approached, he looked up and quickly stood to greet them.

“Master Silversmith, I am Lord Turlock. I know of you, though we have never met,” said the dwarf, bowing to Thrang. “I ask that you forgive our less than generous welcome, but as I’m sure you’ve seen, these are not happy times in Neplee.”

“We have seen some of your troubles,” said Thrang, returning the bow. “But tell us, Lord Turlock, what has happened here? Why have you not sent word to Kazad-Syn, or even Benorg? I’m sure King Thorgood would have sent all the aid he could.”

“Yes, I’m sure he would have,” said Turlock. “But his help would have done us no good, and more of our people would be under the curse that holds us here. But I am forgetting my manners, please, Master Silversmith, introduce your company to me.”

Thrang quickly introduced the company to Turlock. Turlock bowed to each of them in turn and then called for chairs to be brought for them all. Once his guests were seated, Turlock returned to his own chair, his eyes returning to the fire as if he were alone and deep in thought.

“I am sorry you have been caught up in this,” said Turlock after a long silence. “I am sorry that we did not see this trouble coming long ago and put an end to it when we had the chance.”

“You speak of the necromancer,” said Alex.

“Yes,” said Turlock, his eyes fixing on Alex’s. “We should have guessed, but at the time there was no way to know. He did so much good for the city, we never thought he could become so evil.”

“You knew him? Before?” Alex questioned.

“I knew him when he was Nethrom,” Turlock answered in a weak voice, his eyes returning to the fire. “He was gifted in learning, and he had some magical abilities. It was he who learned the ancient magic that hides our city gate. The libraries of Neplee are large, and some of the books in it are very old.”

“And this Nethrom learned his magic from those books?” Thrang asked in a puzzled tone. “Magical books are uncommon in dwarf libraries, and few dwarfs have ever been able to read what is written in them.”

“He learned some things in the library here,” answered Turlock, sounding tired. “Including the existence of a hidden cave in the high mountains beyond the city. The cave was supposed to be guarded by ghosts, or magic, or maybe both. Nethrom became obsessed with the story of the cave, and he spent years looking for it. We became used to seeing him go into the mountains for weeks at a time. He always returned in a dark and unhappy mood.”

“But he eventually found the cave,” Alex coaxed, trying to understand what Nethrom had gone through in his years of searching.

“Yes, he must have,” said Turlock. “It was summer when he went into the mountains, as he always did. When he came back, he was full of happiness. We knew he had found the cave, but we never guessed what was inside of it, and Nethrom never said.”

“At first, Nethrom put his powers to good use,” said Kat suddenly, and Turlock’s head jerked up to look at her. “He learned much about healing and the old dwarf magic, and he used this knowledge to help his people and protect the city of Neplee.”

“Yes,” Turlock whispered.

“Then, without warning, he changed,” Kat went on. “He no longer helped his people, but demanded payment for his services. If the sick could not pay his price, he would do nothing to help them. It was as if Nethrom was no longer the same dwarf he had once been.”

“All that you say is true,” said Turlock, a questioning look on his face as he glanced from Kat to Alex.

“My friend is a seer,” said Alex. “She has felt Nethrom’s presence, or rather, the presence of what Nethrom has become.”

“A wizard, a seer, and a party of adventurers? Perhaps I should feel hope, but I do not,” said Turlock, shaking his head. “I would advise you to leave this place as soon as possible. We will provide you with horses, but I doubt they will last long against the hellerash.”

“There are no more hellerash,” said Thrang. “Alex has freed you of that curse already.”

“You’ve driven them off?” Turlock questioned in surprise.

“I’ve destroyed them,” answered Alex, turning his own gaze to the fire.

“Perhaps there is hope after all, but I would still advise you to leave,” Turlock said, his eyes fixed on Alex.

“The weather is turning, and we may have to winter here,” said Thrang in a worried tone. “We need to search the mountains for traces of Albrek and his people.”

“Albrek?” Turlock asked as if remembering something.

“Our quest is not to destroy the hellerash, or to fight the necromancer who called them back from the dead,” Thrang explained.

“No, of course not,” said Turlock, smiling in a tired sort of way. “I fear you will find little record of Albrek or his company in these mountains. Legend says that he did stop here during his wanderings, but Neplee was already being built. Not wanting to cause conflict, Albrek moved on.”

“Then our quest lies farther south,” said Thrang, glancing at Alex. “If the weather allows, we will move on as soon as possible.”

“I will order that horses be provided for you,” said Turlock.

“How long?” Alex questioned.

“How long?” Turlock repeated, his eyes moving to Alex. “How long what?”

“How long since Nethrom changed?”

“With the coming of the new moon, it will be three years and three moons,” answered Turlock.

Standing suddenly, Turlock raised his hand. Several dwarfs who had been waiting nearby hurried forward, bowing to Turlock and waiting for his command.

“Find rooms for our guests,” Turlock ordered. “Make them comfortable and provide them with refreshment. When they are settled, search the city for whatever horses you can find.”

“Yes, lord,” the dwarfs answered, bowing.

“Perhaps tomorrow we can speak again,” Turlock said, returning to his chair. “And if the weather holds, you can be on your way.”

“You have our thanks,” said Thrang, bowing to Turlock.

Alex and his friends bowed as well and then followed the dwarfs out of the hall. The dwarfs led them quickly and quietly through the city to a series of rooms that had already been prepared. Unlike every other dwarf city Alex had been in, Neplee was dark and quiet. They saw no other dwarfs as they went along, and many of the passageways had no lights in them at all. It was depressing, and Alex began to wonder how many of the city’s people had already been destroyed by Nethrom.

“What is wrong with this city?” Thrain questioned as soon as their guides left them to rest in a large room where there were several chairs and a fireplace. “In my grandfather’s kingdom, no dwarf city is so dark or so quiet, and guests are always welcomed with feasts and excitement.”

“This is not your grandfather’s kingdom,” said Thrang, dropping into a chair.

“This city is like a tomb,” Nellus said, taking a chair close to Thrang’s.

“They have lived for more than three years in fear,” said Alex, his eyes fixed on the fire. “They have forgotten what happiness is. Now they simply live day to day, while death sits on their doorstep.”

“You still wish to stay and face the necromancer?” Thrang questioned.

“I will go with the company,” said Alex without looking at Thrang.

“Then you think me wrong to lead us away from here if the weather holds,” Thrang pressed.

“No, I do not think you are wrong,” answered Alex. “Our quest is to find the tomb of Albrek and the Ring of Searching. Staying here is dangerous. We are honor bound to finish our adventure, so I will do whatever you think best.”

Thrang was about to reply when Arconn broke in.

“Do you think the necromancer will come looking for you?”

“I don’t know,” said Alex. “I have no idea how Nethrom, or whatever he is now, will react to my being here.”

“You don’t really think he would attack you openly, do you?” Barnabus asked.

“I have no idea. I’ve never faced a necromancer before, and I don’t know how powerful Nethrom has become. I think, if he feels that he is strong enough, he will challenge me,” said Alex. “For now, I’m going to bed.”

With that, Alex turned and left the large room, heading for one of the several smaller rooms connected to it. Alex chose a room at random and closed the door behind him. He didn’t know what to think or do, and he didn’t know what answers to give to his friends. The necromancer was already aware of him, that much was certain. What the necromancer would do now that they had entered Neplee, Alex didn’t dare guess.

In the middle of these dark thoughts, Alex heard a sudden popping sound and a loud ding. A geeb appeared on his bed, and for a moment he was too stunned to do anything but stare. When he realized that the geeb could only have come from Whalen, he hurried forward to retrieve the message. Tossing the geeb a small diamond, Alex opened the envelope and began to read.