[Kelvin 03] - Chimaera's Copper (with Robert E. Margroff) (28 page)

"That would be appropriate, General Reilly," said Kildom. The boy reached up and took off his crown; he held it down at his side as though respectfully. His twin brother duplicated his actions.

"In what way would it be appropriate? I'm a soldier and I do what's required of me." Strange little tykes. Did they really think as men did?

"General Reilly, you are not a bad man," Kildee said.

"Thank you. I try not to be, though with imperfect success." If this was a game, it was better than their pee game, so he was willing to play along.

"But your side is bad."

I've suspected that. But you can't know about the prophecy.

"There is a prophecy," Kildee said. "We know of it from Helbah."

He should have known! Witches had their infernal sources. "You know about a prophecy? The one concerning a roundear?"

"Yes. Concerning Kelvin of Kelvinia."

"Then you know," he said, sighing, "that there is little to be done to alter it."

"Perhaps in reality but not in truth."

This was puzzling. He hardly expected obscure philosophy from these kids.

"'Uniting four,'" said Kildom, "may not mean uniting through warfare the kingdom of Kelvinia with those of Klingland, Kance, and Hermandy."

"No? Well, what then does it mean?"

The boy frowned. "Prophecies can be devious, Helbah says, and subject to interpretation."

"You don't think it would mean uniting Kelvinia with the remaining three kingdoms? Throod is where every warring kingdom goes for mercenaries and weapons, while Ophal and Rotternik haven't even been penetrated since before Mouvar's visit! As far as latecomers like me are concerned those kingdoms might not even exist!"

"Nevertheless," the boy said pedantically, "Kelvinia may not have to conquer us."

"Don't tell me you want to surrender!" St. Helens found himself hard put to conceal his mirth. These two were really just what they seemed to be: children.

Kildom looked at Kildee and shrugged. Kildee returned the shrug. They both looked back at him. They waited.

"Well, is that what you want?" St. Helens demanded rhetorically. The punch line of their joke was about due.

"It is, General Reilly," Kildom said.

St. Helens started to laugh, but his mouth froze partway into it. Could it be that they were serious?

"We have discussed the matter out of Helbah's hearing and we are prepared to raise the surrender flags," Kildee said.

St. Helens felt floored. In his wildest dreams he had never anticipated this! They were playacting. They had to be. But suppose they weren't?

Better to play it serious, at least until one of them burst out laughing. "You really want to surrender? Why?" "To save us," said Kildee. "To end the fighting."

"And to save our Helbah," Kildom added.

Whoa! This was more than just interesting. "Those would be your terms? Your only terms?"

The two boys looked at each other again. "Yes, General Reilly," they said together.

St. Helens let out a breath. This was incredible. It seemed he had won the war single-handed! This was even better than he could have imagined!

If it was true.

But if it was true, then for whom had he won it? For what? For the usurper in Kelvinia?

"Will you take our surrenders, General Reilly?" Kildom asked.

Would he? Could he? He didn't want the winner to be those two back in Kelvinia's capital. And would the prophecy be said to hold if Kelvin himself were absent? Kelvin, off in some other frame, doing the gods knew what, and unaware of what was happening here?

"I'll have to think about it, Your Majesties. I'll have to think things over."

Now they were gaping. It seemed that they had never imagined that he would demur!

He swallowed, wanting nothing quite so much as to sink down on the pile of straw. "Please close the door tightly as you leave. I don't want to escape, and I don't want anyone rescuing me."

The two exchanged another glance. Maybe they did understand. Certainly they knew that he was on the wrong side.

They left, leaving him with his chaotic thoughts.

CHAPTER 21

Return Journey

Kelvin hung suspended above the ledge, watching for the king's guardsmen. The updraft from the cliff was shockingly strong, much more than there had been in the other frame. He trusted his levitation belt, but this was a balancing act that made him a bit nervous.

He had left just two living men at this site, but more might have come while he was rescuing his father and brother. His gauntlets were tingling a mild warning, and that could mean that he should act while acting was still possible. The others in his party had already begun ascending the tree, certainly a more difficult task than in the world of serpents and flopears. It was time that he and the gauntlets act.

The chamber was to the left of the transporter chamber. No sign of it either from here or the ledge. He would have to just step through the rock face at the right spot, and find himself in either the transporter or up against guardsmen with swords. There was really no choice except to trust the gauntlets.

He landed on the ledge, facing the cliff face. Was he following the guidance of the gauntlets properly?

He drew his sword. All right, I'm a hero!

As though annoyed, the gauntlets yanked him forward, into rock that vanished.

He was in a chamber lit by the glow. It was otherwise unoccupied, and sparsely furnished for the comfort of vigil-keeping guardsmen. A couple of blankets, discarded crusts and rinds from lunch, and one broken wine bottle. Some vigilance! He put his head out the shimmering blue curtain in time to see his father pulling himself up the ladder at the cliffs edge. Below him was Kian and below Kian were the others.

"Guardsmen back there! Six of them!" his father called. The updraft really pulled at him as he struggled the rest of the way up. "Redleaf got 'em with his crossbow! Good man, that! He picked them off so fast and at such a distance that they never knew what happened!"

Kelvin sighed. More dead. That was one reason he knew he was a fraud as a hero: he hated killing. Well, it couldn't be helped. At least his kin and Loaf's Hopes were intact.

Kian came up, followed by Hester. His gauntlets gave them a hand as each arrived at the ledge. Below, Marvin Loaf was having trouble with branches and updraft. Jillip climbed past their leader, grinning broadly and devilishly as only a young rascal could. There was something insulting about the way he hung by one hand and pretended, only pretended, to give Marvin a leg up. Was it a joke, or insolence, or was the kid merely a slacker?

"Sort of slow, ain't he?" Redleaf remarked.

"Comes from too much bleer," Bilger cracked. He had to be the thinnest, with the possible exception of Jillip.

"Bleer, you must mean Cross-eyed Jenny at the tavern!"

"Hey, I thought it was the girls who got fat!"

The Hopers chuckled and laughed at their own great wit, and generally acted like fools while Marvin wheezed along, never slowing and never wasting breath. Before he'd quite reached the top and Kelvin's reaching hand he looked up, very red in the face. "How many you get?" he inquired.

"No guardsmen," Kelvin said, giving him the hand. "The two live ones and the dead are both missing. The men you stopped must have been replacements."

"Very likely."

Kelvin heaved on Marvin's arm and he came the rest of the way. As big around in girth as his look-alike, and with all the muscle, he was not built for trees and ladders. He breathed deeply for a moment, then looked down at his ascending men.

"What's the matter?" called Redleaf. "You a little winded, old man?"

"Redleaf, if you weren't the best crossbowman in existence I'd jump down there and kick your butt!"

Jillip tittered, then corked it. The big man's scowl suggested that he showed good sense.

Still grinning until the top rung, Redleaf, Bilger, and the others battled the updraft until all were together on the wide ledge.

"All right, there's no going near that transporter," Marvin said. "But that anteroom where the guardsmen go is another matter. Have you been there, Sonny?"

"It's empty," Kelvin said. "As I told you, no guardsmen. I made certain, just as we agreed."

"Well, let's have a look." John felt about until he located the entrance. He disappeared into the rock face, and Kelvin followed. One by one the others joined them. Jillip picked up the empty wine bottle and stood examining that while everyone else felt the walls.

Every wall felt solid, with the exception of one spot at the far end where there was a flat area with a transparent section at eye level. Looking through this "window" as his father would have called it, Kelvin saw the transporter.

"I don't see any button or lever in here or in there!" John complained. "Give your gauntlets an order, Kelvin. Let them search!"

Kelvin was quick to comply. The gauntlets did search, just as he mentally told them to, but they did not find anything on the flat area or its window. He wanted to go, but the gauntlets were reluctant, and kept his hands and fingers moving and pressing in various patterns. Well, Kelvin thought sadly as he let the gauntlets play, I suppose I can get used to living here. But I'm going to miss my wife and the chimaera is going to think ill of me. I wanted to get the seeds for it. I'd promised, and I always keep my word.

Stupid mortal, relax and let the gauntlets do your work!

Kelvin jumped. Mervania--is that you?

What other head would it be, stupid? You must have known I'd keep track of you!

But you don't have the dragonberries!

No, but I do have a mind! The mind is not limited in intelligent species.

But if you've found me, and--

I have stayed with you. If I had let go I would have lost you for good. I must admit I am growing tired of it. You are most boring. You don't like bloodletting at all. You wouldn't even have had the ferocity to attack those guardsmen if the gauntlets and I hadn't urged you on.

Kelvin glanced around at the others. It seemed impossible to him that they did not know what was going on in his head.

What do you want me to do, Mervania? He hated to admit it, but he felt better having her along. His mind did feel inferior at times.

Why thank you, Kelvin. You are quite correct: your mind requires buttressing. Very well, I will tell you what to do. Bring the entire crew here to my frame. I can help them.

You could eat them! He shuddered, just thinking of it. Then he saw Kian looking at him as if he were crazy. He had been showing his emotions!

Stupid mortal! Mervania thought with something almost like affection. Of course I could! But I won't. I want those seeds you're going to get. Then I won't need to cling to your frail mind in order to travel across the frames.

But why help these others?

Because I'm a good creature, that's why! You assume I'm evil merely because my dietary habits differ slightly from yours. That is a narrow view. Besides, I don't like tyrants. I've eaten a lot of them, and believe me, every time their minds gave my stomach trouble.

You've eaten tyrants?

Of course! You don't think I was always confined, do you? All humans are devourable, but some are tastier than others.

She likes to play with our food, her brother head interrupted. Actually it was only a couple of tyrants. One proclaimed itself a god, and the other built pyramids of human skulls. Delicious thought!

Mertin, don't mess with my concentration! It's tedious enough keeping such a tiny mind on line! Grumpus, what is that you're chomping? Spit it out! Do you want to make us sick? Gag, gag, gag. Urp, urp.

Kelvin felt his own innards twisting and fluttering with the monster's retching. This was a disadvantage of telepathy he hadn't thought of!

Then the gauntlets pressed his fingers against either side of the window. There was a pop, and the flat area slid away, taking the window with it. There was now an open doorway between them and the transporter.

"What did I tell you!" John Knight said. "Holy--YOW!" He clutched first his temples and then the front and back of his head.

Everyone else in the chamber was reacting similarly. Someone screamed. Two of the men dropped to the floor and writhed.

Kelvin knew why. There was a buzzing sound so loud and painful that it seemed to fill every crevice in his head. This was the head-splitting effect they had been warned about!

Well, I'm certainly not going to put up with this! Get yourself out of it, stupid mortal! I'm leaving!

No, no, Mervania, wait!

Abruptly he felt her absence, but not an end to the pain. She had made good on her threat. The gauntlets, unperturbed, were feeling carefully above the doorway.

"You want to use that transporter? Go ahead!" Marvin charged clumsily toward the front of the chamber. His men quickly followed.

Kelvin was growing faint. But the gauntlets suddenly pressed hard on a round area above his head. It was a flat, dark spot where the top of the door had been.

CLICK!

Silence. Sheepish faces turned. There was an end to panic.

"You've done it!" his father exclaimed. "Now we can go!"

"Not without us!" Marvin said. He had stopped just short of the shimmering curtain. "You're going to help us, remember?"

"Of course we'll go together," John said, while Kelvin just stood there for a moment, supremely gratified by his success. "You'll get your help, Marvin, just as my son promised. My son always comes through."

Marvin nodded, coming back to them. "Got to admit he's doing that! First two of you transport, then my men, and you and I last. Agreed?"

Spoken like a leader, Kelvin thought. A cautious one.

"It will be a bit startling to see," Kelvin told Hester. "We'll step in, there will be a purple flash, and then we'll be gone."

"What's it like to experience?" Hester asked.

"Uh--"

"Does it hurt?" Jillip interjected.

"No. No, it doesn't hurt," Kelvin assured them. "You'll find out what it's like soon enough. Just--follow me!"

As boldly as though it were just an everyday occurrence, he stepped into the adjoining chamber. His gauntlets didn't tingle, so he walked over to the transporter. There he found the chimaera's sting that he had apparently dropped and left. Oddly, he hadn't thought about it. Could that have been Mervania's doing? She had evidently been in his mind all along, until the awful sound drove her out. She might have made him forget about something like that.