Maquesta Kar-Thon

Chapter 16

Clanking, wheezing, and belching gouts of black smoke, the Perechon pulled into Lacynos's bay shortly after dawn the next day, beating Lord Attat's deadline. Sailors on the wharf looked up in amazement at the wounded ship that was sailing smoothly but loudly.

Maquesta directed Lendle to cut his oar engine, and the ship coasted into the fetid waters in time for the crew to see a minotaur crewman throw the entrails of some large animal over the side of a schooner. Maq turned up her nose in disgust and was thankful that within a few hours Melas and the Perechon would be out of Lacynos-forever as far as she was concerned. She doubted the minotaur lord would put up any argument to keep the Perechon when he spotted the ship's condition and lack of a mizzenmast. Fritzen asked about making repairs in the port, but Maq only scowled.

"As soon as we have my father and Ilyatha has his daughter, we're leaving. We can find another port a few days away. Maybe it won't have as good facilities, but I'm sure the hospitality will be better," Maquesta told him.

Bas-Ohn Koraf stood near the bow. Maquesta could tell the minotaur had sunk into a deep state of depression. Before sunset his freedom would be taken from him, though she was hopeful Attat would allow her to purchase him with some of the morkoth's gems. Then there would be the matter of her father getting used to a minotaur crewman. That might be difficult after everything Attat had done to him, but she had come to rely too much on Kof to simply dismiss the minotaur first mate.

Once the Perechon was safely anchored, Maq sent Vartan and Fritzen to shore in the longboat-with a message for Lord Attat. He was to come to the wharf, bringing Melas and Sando along with him. The message further detailed that Maq would meet him on the deck of the Perechon, at which time the morkoth would be turned over to his care, ending her obligation to the minotaur lord. An exchange of prisoners, she viewed it.

Maq had no idea how the minotaur lord intended to get the morkoth from the harbor to his palace, since she thought the creature would die when taken out of seawater, but that was not something Maq intended to worry about. She'd kept her part of the bargain, and she didn't care what Attat intended to do with the beast.

She waved as Fritzen and Vartan eased the longboat toward the docks, then began pacing, anxiously awaiting the return of her father. She had so much to tell him. Tell him! Of course! She raced belowdecks to where Ilyatha hid from the sun's bright rays.

"Ilyatha," Maquesta gushed, "have you been able to contact your daughter? Is Sando all right?"

The shadowperson's face showed a hint of a smile. "My daughter is alive, though she is still in that hateful stone prison in the garden. The sun's rays are creeping toward her even now. But I have reassured her that she will not have long to wait. We will be together and free."

"And then the Perechon will carry you as close to your home as possible," Maq offered.

Maquesta was happy for Ilyatha, but needed to be reassured herself. "Can you touch my father's mind? Can you tell him that he will be back on the deck of the Perechon soon?"

The shadowperson shook his head slowly. "I can contact Sando from this distance only because she, too, is a telepath. And throughout our journey I was able to contact the ki-rin because he has a strong and magical mind-one far more developed than my own. My ability to reach those who are not so gifted is limited."

"But you knew we were escaping from Lord Attat's," Maq began. "You were able to…"

"His dungeon was at the edge of my range, as far as my mind could reach within his palace. He stationed me thus so I could monitor what transpired below."

Maquesta's shoulders sagged, but Ilyatha made her realize that the Perechon had made it back before Attat's deadline, an accomplishment of which she and Melas should be proud. There would not be much longer to wait.

Maq and the shadowperson continued to chat, about where Ilyatha and Sando would go, where the Perechon would be heading for the next several months, and whether Maquesta would try to buy her own ship. They pondered where the ki-rin could be, as they had expected him to accompany them into the harbor. But Ilyatha said his mind could not touch Belwar's-the ki-rin must be visiting another plane. When Maq realized quite some time had passed, she went up on deck. From the position of the sun, it was well into the afternoon-certainly past the time when she'd expected Vartan and Fritz to be back. Where were they? Had something gone wrong? Was Lord Attat biding his time, making her wait on purpose? Making her fret and worry? The crew knew she was nervous; Maquesta had done nothing to hide her feelings. They, too, milled about on the deck, waiting and watching their captain.

Tailonna paced about as well, though she kept her thoughts to herself. Finally, she looked up at Maq and waved.

"I do this as a gift to you, Maquesta." Tailonna grimaced, twitched her nose, and strode toward the bowsprit. Balancing on the railing, she glanced down at the water. Giving it a disgusted look, she held her breath, dived over the side, and started swimming quickly toward the dock.

Maq rushed to the bow to watch her, noting the sea elf darted around floating barrels, patches of insectladen scum, and the bloated remains of animals. She dived beneath other bits of refuse littering the harbor; nowhere within fifty yards of the shore was the water clean. When Tailonna climbed out on the dock, Maq scowled. The elf's once-beautiful blue skin was a dirty brown, and clumps of filthy moss hung from her hair and clothes. She futilely tried to shake herself off, and stared irately at the sailors on the dock, who were laughing, slapping their legs, and pointing at her.

To Maquesta, it looked as if Tailonna offered them some kind of retort, as one of the sailors jumped up and started running at the elf. Tailonna simply stepped aside, letting him fly off the dock and into the putrid water. As his comrades doubled over in laughter, the sea elf slipped into the longboat and rowed it back to the Perechon.

Tailonna waited in the boat and motioned Maquesta to drop the ladder. "I'm going into Lacynos to get cleaned up and buy some new clothes. Of course, you'll have to pay for them." The sea elf grinned. "While I'm doing that, you can visit Lord Attat."

Wait for me, Maquesta, Ilyatha communicated. I will brave the sun to see my daughter.

No! Maq thought harshly. I'll not let Attat find a reason to sway you to his side, to reveal what I might be thinking or planning on doing. You will stay here. I'll bring Sando to you.

Maquesta clambered down the ladder, with Lendle close on her heels. Before the trio could push off, Koraf leaned over the side and started down the rope ladder, too. "I am coming," he said flatly. "I will not let you go to Lord Attat's alone. I know the palace, and I know my master. I do not relish returning there. But I have no choice."

Fingering the pouch at her side, Maquesta thought to herself that perhaps it would be better to have Kof along. She had plenty of gems with her that could hopefully buy his freedom. As the minotaur guided the boat back toward the dock, Maq thanked the sea elf and pressed one of the gems into her palm.

"That should cover some beautiful new clothes," Maquesta said. "And it should serve to get rid of the harbor stench."

"The bath definitely comes first," the sea elf said, wriggling her nose. "The harbor water is poisonous. Nothing prospers there but slime and insects and small, venomous serpents. The minotaurs should be slain for harming the water so."

Several minutes later Maquesta and Koraf strode along the wharf, with Lendle doing his best to keep up with them. The trio passed by one long dock after the next on their way to the main street that would take them to Lord Attat's imposing manor.

"MaquestaKarThonpleaseslowdown!" the gnome scolded. Lendle was nearly out of breath, taking four steps to each one of Maq's and Koraf's long strides. The gnome puffed and bounced along, his arms flapping out to his sides, as if, like a bird's wings, they might speed his course.

"I'm in a hurry, Lendle," she snapped back. "I'm worried." Her expression indicated her concern, but the gnome acted oblivious.

"Pleasewalkslower," he huffed. Then his eyes grew wide, spotting something Maquesta and her minotaur first mate did not see. "StopMaquestaKar-Thon!"

Perturbed, Maq halted in her tracks, and Lendle, who had not stopped walking, bumped into the back of her legs and nearly knocked her over. "Look!" he shouted, pointing out into the harbor. "Look what I see, Maquesta!" When it appeared Maq was too busy to be distracted, the gnome shook her hand and pointed again.

Finally, Maquesta turned to see what had caught the gnome's attention, and her heart sank. Anchored several ships over from the Perechon, in the shadow of a great caravel, was the Butcher. She couldn't have seen the ship from the deck of the Perechon. Which meant, she hoped, that the Butcher's crew-what was left of it, anyway-couldn't see her ship either. The Butcher looked nearly as bad as the Perechon. She saw a crew working to repair the mainmast, the one Belwar had ruined. Another group looked as if they were fixing the hole on the deck. A longboat was still tied up near the center of the ship. Perhaps no one was ashore.

"We've got to hurry," she told the gnome. "We've got to collect my father, Fritzen, Vartan, and Sando. And we've got to get out of here. I don't want any trouble."

"Oh, I'd say you've already found trouble, Captain Kar-Thon."

Maquesta and Koraf whirled to see a gruesome sight. Striding toward them was a bedraggled-looking Mandracore. He was flanked by a pair of merrow, aquatic ogres. Looking as if they could be twins, the ogres each had a tangled mass of hair that resembled dried seaweed. A blue-green tinge to their skin, they had scales covering their shoulders, necks, and parts of their arms. They each wore a leather breastplate that did little to hide their bulging muscles.

Mandracore, too, wore armor, black leather studded with bits of steel. His face was recently scarred, the most prominent wound being a long, pink welt that ran from just above his right eye down through his cheek. Looking closely, Maq noticed his right eye did not move, and the pupil was glassy. He wore a heavy gold chain about his neck. A large charm in the shape of a closed fist dangled from it. She suspected it was a piece of jewelry taken from the merchant's treasure cave.

As the pirate chieftain approached, his billowing red cape carefully covered his right arm, and he walked with a discernible limp. She was concerned he hid a weapon, so she brushed in front of Lendle and put her hand on the hilt of her short sword. Koraf growled deeply, the sound rumbling in his thick throat.

"You'd fight me here?" Mandracore pronounced, as he waved his left arm in an arc. Maq followed his gesture and noted shop owners looking out their windows and passersby pausing to watch. "Why, look, there's a city guard! A rare sight in Lacynos, to be sure. Maybe he'd look the other way, eh, Maquesta? Maybe he wouldn't see you run me through. Or maybe he'd see you draw your blade against this humble and respected visitor and throw you in jail-for a long time. Perhaps you'd end up in Lord Attat's dungeon. I hear he buys prisoners and puts them to work in the arena. I wonder how long you'd last there? Of course, you could ask your first mate. I hear he's a star among the lord's pit fighters."

"I left you for dead," Maquesta hissed.

"Ah, and you were very nearly correct, my dear," Mandracore replied silkily. "Bullsharks." He threw back his cape, revealing a stump where his right arm used to be. "If it hadn't been for my trusted ogre friends, the sharks would have eaten all of me. As it was, the beasts had to settle for a few of my sailors-and my sword arm. I was barely able to reach the Butcher, no thanks to you. During the entire voyage back here I burned with a rage I had never felt before. What you did to me was far more severe than what your father did years ago." The pirate snarled, the ale on his breath strong and pungent.

"We've been repairing the Butcher for days, and with each sunrise I prayed I would see you again. Today, those prayers were answered when I saw your ship thunder into the harbor. If the Perechon were in any better shape than my own ship, I'd take it and leave you what's left of mine."

Mandracore took another step toward Maquesta, and she made a move to draw her blade. A small hand on her wrist stopped her. Lendle's eyes narrowed, and he shook his head, nodding toward the Lacynos guard.

Mandracore's not worth it, the gnome mouthed.

"You owe me Captain Kar-Thon," Mandracore sneered. "You've cost me my sword arm, some of my best sailors, and a considerable amount of coin. If I had stopped your efforts to retrieve whatever beast you were catching for Lord Attat, I would have gathered quite a tidy sum. So, my dear Maquesta, you will make good your debt. Do you understand? Maybe I will collect while you are in port, while what few authorities there are look the other way. Or maybe I will collect while you are on the open sea. But I guarantee you this, Captain Kar-Thon, as sure as the sun rises on the Blood Sea I will collect everything you owe me."

The ogres brushed by Maquesta, Koraf, and Lendle, the sweaty stench of their bodies filling the air and nearly making Maq gag. Turning to watch Mandracore's small procession, a shiver raced up Maquesta's spine.

"I should have made sure he was dead," she whispered. "Never leave your enemies with a breath in their lungs." Mandracore the Reaver had important friends in this port city. She knew she couldn't raise a hand against him here, though she suspected he could do what he liked to her and the Perechon with impunity.

"We have to leave Lacynos soon," she whispered to Lendle and Kof. "Mandracore's enemies have a way of disappearing, and it looks as if I just made the top of his list. He's probably at least a day away from having his mainmast repaired. I mean to be long gone before he can raise a single sail."

The gnome nodded and scurried after her, once more trying to keep up with her long, swift strides. Koraf took one last look at the harbor and at Mandracore's crippled pirate ship. Then he hurried to catch up.

As the trio neared Lord Attat's manor, Maquesta noticed the streets were quiet. No one was about in the few blocks surrounding the palace. Doors were closed; windows were shuttered. It was almost as if the neighbors were expecting misfortune. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the nervous feeling in her stomach, and strode to the main gate. A pair of burly minotaurs barred her way.

"I'm here to see Lord Attat," she barked. "He's expecting me."

The minotaurs glowered at her, and she returned their stare. "Let me inside now!" she fumed, her hand finding its way to the pommel of her sword. Still, they did not move. Furious, she barked a few words at them in their own language, words she had learned from Koraf.

Finally, the guards nodded to her, understanding her intent. They stepped aside, allowing her, Koraf, and the gnome to pass. Lendle nudged her hand as they entered the courtyard, pointing out the minotaurs watching them. Maquesta had never seen so many minotaurs milling about in one place. There were more today than after she and the others had broken out of Attat's dungeon. Each was armed, and they seemed to regard her with obvious interest. That Attat felt the need of this many guards to deal with her gave her a large dose of satisfaction.

She strode purposefully toward the main building where the doors opened for her, and she continued on her course-through the marble-floored hallways where innumerable treasures of art were hung, past the sitting room with its valuable stringed instruments, and into the minotaur lord's immense chamber.

Attat was sitting on his throne beneath the ki-rin skin on the wall, a cage resting in his lap. He was poking a thin-bladed knife at whatever was inside. The room was too long for Maquesta to make out all the details, though she could tell the hapless creature was gray, perhaps a squirrel or a large rat. The two imposing guards on either side of the minotaur lord stepped closer to their master. As she moved farther in, they gripped their massive spears. Once again, chained to the pillars were Attat's creatures-the great white bear, which growled angrily as she passed by; the griffon and hippogriff, still menacing each other, though the chains about their necks kept them from touching; and a few beasts she hadn't seen before. Among them was a thick reddish-brown snake with golden spots that had wrapped itself about its pillar. Maq guessed if it were uncoiled it would be at least twenty feet long. There was also a man with a hawk's head and with dark yellow claws for feet.

"A kenku," Lendle whispered, "A most unusual creature who dislikes elves and humans."

"And minotaurs now, I'll wager" Maquesta whispered back.

As she, Koraf, and the gnome padded forward, more of the columns came into view. One had chained to it a yellow-skinned ape with large, pink eyes. It must be nearly nine feet tall, she judged as she returned its gaze. The ape jumped back, revealing two more of Lord Attat's captives. Maquesta shuddered. Fritzen and Vartan were chained to the farthest pillar. From the looks of them, they'd been beaten. The half-ogre lifted his head when Maq approached and offered her a weak smile.

"Greetings, Maquesta Kar-Thon," Attat boomed. "We've been expecting you."

"What have you done to Fritz and Vartan?" she sputtered. She closed the distance to the dais, the guards moving forward at the same time to make sure she didn't threaten Attat. Closer, Maq could now see what was in the cage on his lap. It was a miniature elephant that had gashes on its sides from where the minotaur lord had been poking it.

Roughly setting the cage on the floor, Attat stood. Not so regally dressed today, the minotaur nonetheless was wearing an expensive robe that nearly matched the deep purple cloak that bunched about his shoulders.

"What did I do to them? Why, I punished them, of course. They didn't bring you, they didn't bring Bas-Ohn Koraf, and they didn't bring my morkoth." Attat regarded her coolly, showing a measure of contempt. "The deal was for you to bring the morkoth to me. At least you have returned Koraf. There is a match in a few days' time in which I intend to enter him."

"The morkoth is in the harbor, in the cage you gave us," Maquesta fumed. "I have no way of getting him here. I have no wagon, and I have no large vat of water in which to move him."

"That can be arranged," Attat replied, thoughtfully stroking the beard on his chin.

"Nothing will be arranged until I have my father and he has been given the antidote. And I want Fritz and Vartan freed now." Maq's voice was strong, insistent. "I'll need Sando, too. Her father waits for her on the Perechon."

"Ah, your precious Perechon. My spies in the harbor tell me your ship is in disrepair."

"My father, Lord Attat? I've kept my part of your grisly pact."

The minotaur gestured, and one of the guards strode off the dais, clomping to a curtained alcove. The guard drew back the heavy fabric and motioned to Maq.

"You know the way to my dungeon, don't you, Captain Kar-Thon?" Attat's eyes narrowed to thin slits. "Your father is down there. Bring him up, won't you, Maquesta? The antidote awaits." The minotaur lord reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out the vial containing the golden-colored liquid. "While you are down there, instruct the guards to cage Koraf for me. By the time you and your father have returned, your men will have been released." The minotaur lord motioned toward one of his guards, who jingled the keys on his belt.

Maquesta glanced at the alcove, then faced Attat. "I would like to acquire the minotaur Bas-Ohn Koraf," she stated in a businesslike tone. "He's an able sailor, and I could use him in my crew."

"Oh, I consider Bas-Ohn Koraf priceless. He's my greatest fighter, undefeated, and he's not for sale. At any price." Attat glared at Koraf and pointed to the alcove. "Return to your home, slave, and with all due haste. Maquesta's father hasn't long to live."

Maq looked at Koraf, but the minotaur's gaze revealed no emotion. He stoically nodded to her and strode to the alcove, his hooves clicking harshly on the marble floor. Maquesta, swallowing hard, followed him. The pair made their way down the long, twisting stone steps that led to the dank belly of Attat's palace.

"I won't have you caged again." Maq's tone was soft, not wanting any errant guards to overhear her. 'There has to be another way."

"In this city I am Lord Attat's property," Koraf replied. "You don't have a choice. And you won't get your father well any other way."

When they reached the bottom of the steps several moments later, Maquesta saw the familiar hallway lined with cages. A pair of guards strode up to her, nodding, each taking one of Koraf's arms.

"We're glad to have you home," one of them taunted as he directed Koraf toward his old cell.

Maq watched as her first mate was led away. Rage burned inside her, and her mind churned with possibilities. "No!" she screamed before they made it halfway down the dank corridor. Drawing her short sword, she rushed forward. The guards whirled, but not in time. Her blade sank halfway up to the hilt in the side of one. Groaning, the guard crumpled and twitched on the floor. Maquesta pulled her sword free and bent her legs, ready to deal with the other guard.

The second guard released Koraf and drew his own weapon, a curved-blade sword nearly twice the size of Maq's weapon. Growling menacingly, he hauled it back over his shoulder to swing, and Maquesta darted in, slicing at his abdomen and leaping away before his descending sword could touch her. The guard looked at his stomach incredulously and saw a line of red forming where she had cut through his leather armor. Bellowing in rage, he lowered his head and charged forward, intending to gore her. Again Maquesta darted away, narrowly missing his horns and the swing of his sword.

She danced around to where Koraf stood and held the sword in front of her, waving the tip and taunting the guard.

"Don't do this," Koraf warned her. "Attat will kill both of us if the guards die."

"I'm already committed," she panted. "Why don't you help me?"

Leaping backward toward the dungeon's torture chamber, Maquesta crouched to meet the guard's next rush. As he closed in, she drove her blade upward, thrusting hard through his armor and piercing the flesh underneath. She gritted her teeth and tugged the blade free, then she dropped to the ground and rolled. The guard was seriously wounded, but he continued to stalk her. From the corner of her eye she saw the first guard start to rise. "Kof!" she barked. "Don't let him get away!"

She watched Koraf slide forward, bringing his hoof down on the back of the prone minotaur's skull. A crunch signaled that he wouldn't be going anywhere.

Momentarily distracted, Maquesta was not ready for her attacker's next move. He charged in, with his sword pulled back over his shoulder. He swung in wide, as if she were a fly to be swatted, and though she tried to dodge, the blade glanced off her shoulder. Maq backed up against the wall and looked at her arm. It was not a deep cut, but blood flowed freely from it, covering the sleeve of her tunic. She snarled and looked up at the guard. He took a step forward and raised his weapon again. There was nowhere for Maquesta to dodge now, and his reach was much longer than hers. She crouched, waiting for his next move, then she gaped in surprise as he crumpled to his knees and fell forward, his head thudding soundly on the hard stone. The other guard's weapon was lodged firmly in the middle of his back.

"Kof?"

"I couldn't let you die" he said, "though now the blood of more minotaurs is on my hands."

Maquesta knelt and tore free a piece of the guard's cloak. She wrapped it tightly about her upper arm, trying to stanch the bleeding. "Help me find my father," she urged.

"And then what?" Koraf posed. "We've killed the guards. Lord Attat will know and will have us both tortured to death."

"Don't be so cheerful," she said as she cleaned off her sword and sheathed it. She smoothed her tunic, and twisted her sash to cover up a spot of blood. "Attat thought I would meekly obey him and have you caged. He hadn't counted on the fact that his mission already has been too costly. There'll be no more sacrifices made for the minotaur lord."

Maquesta rushed from cell door to cell door until at last she found the small chamber in which her father lay. "The keys! Quickly." Looking through the barred door, she held her hand behind her back and wriggled her fingers. Koraf took one of the dead guard's key rings and placed it in her hand.

Fumbling with several keys before she found the one that worked, Maq softly called out to her father, but got no response. Throwing open the door, she rushed inside and knelt by him.

"Father?"

Melas's skin was the gray of slate, and his face was gaunt and skeletal. His chest barely rose and fell, and with each breath he took, he made a faint wheezing sound. Maq picked up his hand and noticed how bony it was, and how cold and clammy he felt. Tears spilled from her eyes, and she sobbed so hard she barely heard Kof enter the cell behind her.

"Father?" she repeated.

His eyes fluttered open, and he stared at her quizzically.

"It's me… Maquesta," she said softly. "I've come back for you."

His cracked lips turned upward in a grin. "Maq?" he whispered hoarsely.

She nodded and leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to get you out of here."

Rising, she breathed deeply a few times, then reached her arms under his knees and shoulders. Bending slightly, she picked him up and turned to face Kof. Maq adjusted her father's position until his head lay against her wounded shoulder, hiding the blood. "See? Attat won't know anything happened down here," she said smugly, as she padded toward the door, her steps slower under Melas's weight. "Follow me up the stairs-after you've freed any other prisoners he might have down here, and then stay behind the curtain. I'm going to get us all out of here."

The minotaur looked at her with a puzzled expression on his bull-like brow. "At least let me carry him up the steps," he offered.

Maquesta shook her head. "There's not much left of him, Kof. He's not that heavy. Besides, I'll be winded by the time I make it back to Attat's audience chamber. If you carry him, I'll not have reason to look so tired. I don't want Attat to suspect anything."

The minotaur nodded and retrieved the key ring. Maquesta heard the cell doors opening as she started her long climb.

Pushing the curtain aside, she saw that Fritz and Vartan were still chained to the column. Lendle stood near them, chattering. She glowered at Attat and stepped into the chamber. The minotaur lord held out the vial.

"Your antidote," he said, running his thick fingers along the smooth glass. He tilted the vial so the torchlight caught the liquid and made it sparkle.

Maquesta took another step forward, and watched in horror as he raised the vial above his head and brought it crashing to the floor, the golden liquid trickling into the cracks between the marble tiles.

"Fool!" Attat blustered. "I had no intention of allowing your father to live. Or you! You were only tools to retrieve my morkoth. Guards!" The minotaur lord clapped his hands, and the two guards at his side vaulted down the dais steps and rushed toward her.

"No!" she screamed. Setting her father on the floor, she somersaulted over him, narrowly avoided the spears thrust at her. Leaping to her feet and spinning, she saw the guards whirl and come at her again. Gripped with rage, and realizing she had only once chance, she dashed at them, hearing the encouraging shouts of Fritz and Vartan in the background. As she darted in, she grabbed one of the guard's spears and yanked with all her energy. The weapon came free, though she fell backward onto the floor in the process.

Without getting up, she spun the spear around, as she had seen Ilyatha do with his staff, impaling the very guard she'd borrowed the weapon from. He pitched forward on the spear, his weight pushing him down farther on the shaft, and she dropped the weapon and rolled to the side to avoid his falling body and the other oncoming guard.

Lendle rushed in, his small sword drawn. He waved it at the remaining guard and darted in to slash at his legs. The minotaur stepped back toward the dais.

"Guards!" Attat cried again.

Maquesta knew he was calling for those who stood beyond the chamber, and she knew she would have to act quickly. Rushing up the dais steps, she slipped by the guard and bowled into Attat, sending him reeling backward and knocking over his massive wooden chair in the process. It splintered and loudly cracked. The clattering noise continued, though it took her a moment to realize it was no longer the broken chair making the racket.

Bas-Ohn Koraf had arrived, wielding one of the fallen guard's curved swords. He roared into the room and headed straight toward the minotaur charging at Maquesta. The guard halted for the briefest of moments, enough to give Koraf the time he needed.

Koraf changed his grip on the sword and angled the weapon over his shoulder. In the next instant, he hurled it through the air like a javelin, the flashing blade dancing in the light of the torches. The weapon flew true and caught the surprised minotaur in the center of his thick throat. The guard was dead before he hit the floor, and Koraf rushed forward, picking up the dropped spear and tossing it to Maquesta.

She caught it just as Attat began to struggle to his feet and the chamber door burst open and a half-dozen minotaur guards poured in. Thinking quickly, she jabbed the spear against Attat's side.

"Tell them to keep back!" she spat. 'Tell them!"

The minotaur lord glowered at her, and his guards pressed forward, hesitating slightly. One growled loudly and took a step toward the dais.

"I'll kill you! I swear I will!" Maquesta shouted. "You signed my father's death warrant, and you said you would kill me, too. What do I have to lose Lord Attat? Now, tell them to drop the weapons or I'll run you through!"

The minotaur lord nodded slowly, his eyes smoldering with hate. "Your weapons," he began. "Drop them and back away. Do it!"

The guards obeyed, and Koraf and Lendle dashed forward, picking up an assortment of spears, scimitars, axes, and knives, depositing them near Fritz and Vartan. Koraf strode over to the two dead guards and turned them over. Finding a key on one of their belts, he headed toward the captive crewmen.

"You must have more of the antidote somewhere," Maquesta fumed. "Where is it?"

Attat laughed, his deep tones reverberating off the chamber walls as he struggled into a sitting position. "There is no more antidote, Maquesta," he hissed. "And even if there were more, your father is too far gone for it to do any good. He failed quickly and would have needed the antidote days ago to survive."

Maquesta knew his words were true, and she choked back a sob. "You and I are leaving this place," she stated through clenched teeth. "We're going to the Perechon. You're my prisoner now."

The minotaur lord laughed again. "You think to kidnap me? I am powerful in this city. To kidnap me would invite your own destruction."

She prodded him until he awkwardly rose to his hoofed feet, then she edged him down the dais steps and nodded to Fritz and Vartan, who were finally free of their chains. The half-ogre looked over the collection of weapons and selected one of the curved swords and thrust it in his belt. Vartan chose an axe and waved it at the guards, who held out their hands to their sides in response.

Next, Fritzen dashed up the dais steps and yanked down a cord that tied back one of the heavy drapes. The half-ogre grabbed Attat's arms, pulled them behind the minotaur's broad back, and wrapped the cord several times about his hairy wrists.

Glancing up, and satisfied the minotaurs were keeping a safe distance, Fritzen padded toward Melas, knelt, and picked him up. The half-ogre cringed at the sight of the emaciated man, and his heart went out to Maquesta, who he knew was suffering horribly. Fritz nodded to her.

"Kof, see if any of those keys will release Sando from the garden!" Maq said. "She's in a small cave, near a statue of a centaur."

Koraf retreated from the chamber, and Maquesta and the minotaur lord walked between the pillars toward the far doors. Fritzen and Vartan followed close behind. Lendle hurried to catch up; he carried the cage with the tiny elephant in his left hand. By the time they reached the last pillars, Koraf had returned, the small shadowperson cradled in his arms.

"She's blind," Koraf said simply. "Carrying her will be easier."

Maquesta nodded toward the door and jabbed the heavy spear at Attat's side. At that instant, one of the minotaur guards rushed forward. Vartan heard his hooves pounding over the marble and whirled. Though the guard was weaponless, he had his head down and was charging like a maddened bull.

Vartan drew back his axe and rushed forward, slicing the guard's thick arm and causing him to spin. The minotaur skidded backward across the polished floor-into the reach of the chained griffon. The animal reared up on its haunches, spread its eaglelike wings wide, and grasped the shoulders of the guard with its razor-sharp talons. The griffon drove its beak into the guard's neck, and the minotaur screamed horribly. The scene was enough to keep the other guards from trying to free their lord.

Maquesta jabbed Attat again, this time letting the spear head sink into his side and draw a little blood.

"Open the doors!" Attat barked. As they passed under the frame, he added. "You will not get out of my palace alive, Captain Kar-Thon. I have many guards in the courtyard. They will not let you get away with this."

Prodding him again, Maquesta led her small entourage through the manor's museumlike corridors and out into the walled yard beyond. Koraf quickly bundled up Sando, trying to keep the bright light from hurting her any more than it already had.

"LookMaquestaKarThon!" Lendle happily gushed.

A pleasing sight greeted their eyes, and Maquesta's face broke into a wide grin. Scattered about the sculptured trees and bushes were magical nets-and trapped inside them were Attat's guards. In the center of the courtyard, merrily splashing in a fountain, was the sea elf, her now-clean clothes hanging from a stone minotaur that spewed water from its mouth.

"I was wondering when you'd be coming out," Tailonna said as she ducked into the water, letting only her face show. "I hope the lord doesn't mind my using his fountain. The inn I stopped at didn't cater to sea elves. And I really needed a bath." She winked at Maquesta, then her tone turned serious. "My nets will be good for about another twenty or thirty minutes, so haste back to the Perechon would be a good idea."

Maquesta nodded and poked Attat to keep him moving. "Won't you be joining us?" Maq called over her shoulder to the sea elf."

"I will as soon as all of you get out of here so I can get dressed."

Behind Maquesta's procession trailed a dozen tatter-clothed humans, prisoners from Attat's dungeon. They shuffled along, idly chatting among themselves. Koraf told Maq he didn't know what crimes they were guilty of, but all of that could be sorted out later. What the prisoners had in common was a fervent desire to leave Lacynos, and all of them were willing to work on the Perechon in exchange for passage. A couple of them seemed to be able warriors, as the minotaur had seen them fight in the ring and survive.

Minotaur and human passersby, shopkeepers, street corner vendors, and sailors stared at the odd parade. Maquesta's group passed by two minotaur guards who made a move toward the Perechon's captain-until she jabbed Attat and he instructed the guards to leave them alone. The minotaur lord was being too agreeable, Maq thought as she prodded him again, encouraging him to walk faster.

Halfway to the harbor, Maquesta told Fritz and Lendle to take the lead. The streets were getting busier, and she wanted someone in front of her so the minotaur lord could not bolt. Vartan stepped to her right, and Koraf, who was carrying Sando, stepped to her left. Attat was boxed in.

Still cradling her father, the half-ogre led the procession down the main street and to the dock where the Perechon's longboat was tied. Maquesta instructed the former prisoners to wait on the shore. It would take more than one trip in the longboat to get everyone on board the Perechon. Lendle, cradling his elephant, waited with the men, as Fritzen led the rest of the group out onto the dock. They were approaching their longboat, which was tied near another moored longboat filled with four minotaurs, when Lord Attat threw back his head. "Help me!" he bellowed to the minotaurs. "They mean to kidnap me!"

Maquesta cursed as the quartet of minotaur sailors drew their cutlasses and clambered up onto the dock. Their hooves pounded over the planks as they advanced. Vartan rushed past Fritzen, and drew his small sword. The half-ogre stepped back and started retreating with Melas.

"Take him to shore!" Maq called to Fritz.

Attat's muscles bulged, and he strained against the cord that held his hands. Maquesta jabbed the spear firmly into his side.

"Tell them to stop, Lord Attat," she spat, "or I'll slay you here and throw your body into Horned Bay."

Attat growled, and with a burst of strength severed the cords. His leg shot out behind him, his sharp hoof driving into Maquesta's calf. Maq staggered and nearly dropped her massive spear. But she gritted her teeth, balanced the weapon, and thrust it at him again.

The minotaur lord pivoted, the jagged spear tip piercing only his purple robe. Grinning, he lunged forward, trying to bat the spear out of her hands, succeeding instead by throwing her off balance. Maquesta fell to her knees, still holding on to the spear. Her eyes grew wide as she watched Attat bound past her, straining to reach Fritzen, who was carrying her father to the shore.

"Fritz! Look out!" she called.

The half-ogre spun about, then nimbly stepped to the side, avoiding the charging Attat.

It was then Maquesta realized the minotaur lord had not meant to attack Fritzen, but to get past him. His hooves drummed over the planks, then with one leap he was on the shore. Using the spear for support, Maq pulled herself to her feet and started after him. But a clash of swords behind her stopped her progress. She turned to see Vartan struggling against the minotaur sailors. Koraf placed Sando gently on the street and drew his curved blade.

Because the dock was not very wide, only two of the sailors could reach Vartan. The other two stood behind their fellows, growling encouragement. Wielding the borrowed axe, Vartan swung it through the air and sent its sharp edge into the chest of one assailant. The wounded minotaur roared and fell back. Vartan pressed forward and followed him down the dock, allowing two of the minotaurs to move up and the other one to step behind him. He was surrounded.

Maquesta rushed forward, close behind Koraf. Vartan screamed as one of the minotaurs drove his blade deep into the human's thigh. Another minotaur brought his cutlass high above his head, meaning to bring it down on the sailor. But Koraf was faster. Pushing the wounded Vartan out of the way, Maquesta's first mate raised his own sword and parried the cutlass.

Maq thrust forward with her massive spear, sending the tip deep into the belly of another sailor. The minotaur crumpled, and Maquesta pulled hard to free her weapon. At the same time Koraf swung his blade, striking his assailant's hand and sending the cutlass to join the garbage in the harbor.

"Surrender!" Koraf barked to them in the minotaur tongue.

The sailors quickly complied, dragging their wounded comrades with them into their longboat.

"WegothimMaquestaKarThon!" Lendle called. His small feet slapped over the deck. "Wegothim!"

Maq turned to see Lord Attat's former prisoners surrounding the minotaur. They were treating him none too kindly and jostling him back onto the dock. Behind them strode Tailonna. She motioned to Maquesta and gestured at the longboat.

"My nets will be wearing off!" she called.

Maq nodded. She padded toward where Sando stood, alone and confused. Picking up the frightened child, she felt Sando's mind touch hers.

It's going to be all right, Maquesta thought. We're taking you to your father. He's on the Perechon.

He told me you'd protect me, Sando concentrated in reply. He's waiting for us.

Maquesta looked past the sailors, to Fritzen on the shore. He gently picked up Melas, and started down the dock toward Maq.

Lendle jumped into the longboat, then reached over and grabbed the elephant cage and set it beside him. Maq carefully passed the shadowperson to the gnome. Because the sun was starting to set, Sando was getting stronger. She sat on the gnome's right side and waited for the others to join them. Maquesta, Attat, Vartan, and Fritz, holding Melas, filled the seats for the longboat's first trip to the Perechon.

Once on deck, the crew surrounded the minotaur lord, and Ilyatha rushed forward to grab his daughter and hold her close. Fritz gently laid Melas on the deck, and Maquesta sat beside him. His dark eyes fluttered open, and he coughed and winced in pain.

"Remember the lesson of my life, Maquesta," Melas whispered. "Trust no one." His mouth opened again, and she leaned closer so she could hear. "Take good care of the Perechon, Captain Kar-Thon."

Melas took his last breath, and Maq sobbed openly.

Fritz placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "We'll bury him at sea," he said softly.

She nodded and let him help her to her feet. A sailor brushed by her with a tarp. Behind her, the longboat returned from its second trip to the dock. As Tailonna, Koraf, and a group of former prisoners started up the rope ladder, the Perechon was engulfed in a flash of bright light.

With a scream of anger, Belwar appeared in the sky above the ship's mainmast. He dived toward the deck, and the sailors surrounding Attat fled in panic, leaving their prisoner an easy target. The ki-rin's horn, aimed at the quivering minotaur lord, crackled with lightning.

"You slew my brother!" Belwar shouted. "Now I shall do the same to you!"

The ki-rin's horn sank into Attat's shoulder, and the minotaur's body was instantly covered in a pale gold, crackling light. Belwar shook the minotaur free, and let his quaking form fall to the deck, then the ki-rin placed his front hooves on Attat's chest and peered into his dark eyes. The minotaur lord was whimpering, begging for his life. Belwar ignored his feeble protests.

"You are part of the evil that is spreading across the Blood Sea. Ending your pitiable life will serve justice and revenge."

Belwar shook his mane and glanced about at the crewmembers. "You!" he called to Koraf and Fritzen. "Pull up the morkoth's cage."

Maquesta watched as Kof, aided by the half-ogre, complied, winching up the steel cage and breaking the weld on the top. As Koraf slowly opened the top of the cage, Belwar opened his mouth and grabbed the minotaur lord's tunic. Dragging the protesting lord across the deck, the ki-rin tossed Attat into the cage.

"Let Lord Attat have his precious trophy," the ki-rin stated. He nodded to Koraf, and the minotaur lowered the cage's lid.

The ki-rin touched his horn to the mechanism holding the cage to the Perechon, and the metal clasp severed. The cage dropped to the floor of the harbor, and the water instantly churned red about the ship, signaling the end of the Lacynos minotaur lord.

Satisfied, Belwar rose slowly above the deck and floated toward Maquesta. "I am sorry for the death of your father," the ki-rin offered. "There was nothing even I could have done to save him. But know that his spirit is in a kinder place, and that he sails on a beautiful, endless sea." The ki-rin's horn shimmered, and the creature soared higher. "I will watch the morkoth and make sure it kills no innocent souls in Lacynos. And from time to time I will watch you, Maquesta Kar-Thon."

Another flash lit the growing night sky, then the ki-rin was gone.

Maquesta looked about the deck. Ilyatha still hugged Sando, his webbed arms wrapped about the diminutive shadowperson. Maq intended to drop the pair off on the other side of Mithas. From there they could get home easily enough.

Tailonna was escorting the last of Attat's former prisoners over the railing. Maquesta wondered how many of them would stay on. She needed more sailors, and she had gems with which to pay the crew their wages. Some of the gems would also pay for new masts, and would buy the gnome plenty of equipment and parts.

Vartan was directing a crew to raise the sails on the mainmast. Another group of sailors was lighting lanterns and hanging them about the aft deck and near the bow.

From somewhere belowdecks she heard a groaning and sputtering racket. Lendle had his oar machine working. She felt the ship surge and looked over the side to see the oars already in motion. A gout of smoke erupted from the cargo hold, and the Perechon was under way.

Fritzen, stepping up behind Maquesta, hugged her fiercely. "You're going to be all right," he told her.

She nodded and glanced at the tarp covering her father's body. "I know. But it will take a while."

"Any orders, Captain?" Koraf called. The minotaur had made his way to the aft deck and was behind the wheel.

"Take us out of the harbor, Kof," she said, her voice brightening slightly. "I want to go as far away from Lacynos as the wind and waves will take us."