The Gods Awaken

CHAPTER FIFTY SIX

It was Leiria's turn at the wheel.

All was peaceful on the airship as they sailed with summer winds to far Syrapis-and home.

Beneath her were the ships of the Kyranian fleet, every man happy at his survival.

Far off in the distance, she could see the destruction of Hadin. The volcano was still exploding, venting its wrath on all who had opposed it.

Hadin was gone, turned to molten earth and boiling seas just as Safar had seen in his boyhood dream.

But there was a difference, as Safar had explained to her after the airship had picked him up. The volcano had rent the very earth, to be sure. Except that now its effect was purely local. Both evil people and good people had died in its blast. But now there was no poison cloud to envelop the entire world.

Innocent or guilty, only the people of Hadin had been destroyed. After Safar's struggle with the Hells and the Lady Lottyr, the volcano's effect had been limited.

The rest of the world was safe. And might even return, Safar had said, to its previous bounty.

Leiria looked over the big wheel to see Safar tending Khysmet, giving the stallion sweet corn to eat. And there was Palimak standing next to his father, offering the black mare the same.

Palimak was now fully a demon-from his curled, dagger-armed toes to his green horned brow. And Leiria loved him just as much as the half-human, half-demon child she'd once carried on her back.

She wasn't sure how all the people she loved the most had come to be with her again. Eeda had directed the airship over the volcano, then she and Jooli had cast many powerful spells.

And then Safar and Palimak, together with Khysmet and the mare, had suddenly been with them. Both men had been exhausted and near death, but Jooli and Eeda had used all their skills to resurrect them.

Now Safar and Palimak-still wobbly in their legs-were feeding their charges and whispering words of comfort to them.

Leiria should have been bursting with happiness. Instead, she found herself glowering at the scene.

Maddeningly, since his return Safar had kept her at an emotional distance. He was kind, his words gentle, but whenever they were alone together, he became uneasy and made some weak excuse to part company.

And now there he was, feeding that damned horse again! Talking so tenderly to Khysmet that it drove her crazy. Suddenly, she realized she was jealous. Which was ridiculous. How could she feel jealous of a horse?

She gritted her teeth, not sure who she was angrier at, Safar or herself.

A booming voice came from behind her. "Avast, lass! Can't you see you're steering the wrong course!"

Confused, she turned and saw Biner standing there with a wide grin on his face.

"I don't understand," she said, pointing at the compass. "I'm steering just where you said I ought to."

Biner brushed her aside with a mighty hand and took the wheel. "Maybe you were and maybe you weren't," Biner said. "But the plain fact is, it sure as hells isn't the right course for you."

He pointed at Safar. "There's your setting, lass," Biner said. "Can't you see that he's waitina€™ for you, but he just doesn't know it yet? Because after all that's happened he's not sure you'll have him."

Leiria need no further prodding. Immediately, she broke away and raced across the deck to Safar.

She grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around.

"Come here, you!" she said.

Then she kissed the surprised look off his face.

And they embraced for a long, long time.

Biner watched, smiling. Then Arlain came up to stand beside him.

Looking at the scene, she said, "I'm glad to thee that Thafar finally know'th that thomebody lov'th him!"

Arlain sighed, breathing a little fire and smoke. And she added, sadly, "I only wi'th he knew it wath me."

Biner patted her, then spun the wheel, turning the airship about. "Never mind that, lass," he said. "I've set a course for the next landfall. And in one day's time we'll find kids and rubes aplenty and you'll forget all that."

Arlain brightened for a moment, then frowned, worried.

She cast down her dragon eyes, saying "But Thafar thaid the god'th might not be happy. What if they curth our performanthe and ruin everything?"

Biner slapped Arlain on her pretty back and bellowed, "Be damned to the Gods, Arlain! Be damned to them all.

"And be damned to everything but the circus!"

Arlain burst into laughter. And she laughed so long and so hard that she set the airship on fire.