Brian Daley Coramonde 01 The Doomfarers of Coramonde (v4.2)

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released Van Duyn and the older man fell away, nursing his arm just as
Springbuck had eased his wrist when the scholar had humbled him the day
before.
Damn, said Gil, sorry about that. All right, we need her; how do we find
her? How do we get her back?
The Prince responded, There is a tie between Andre and Gabrielle, of magic
and of blood. We know where she is even now.
So? Spill it. She can t be too far away. We can go get her for you.
Andre s plump, unshaven face was a study in agony as he replied, She s been
taken to the place of Yardiff Bey s liege Lord, Amon.
Gil could only look puzzled.
My sister has been taken to the Inferno, Gil MacDonald, to Hell, and from
there we must free her if you are to return to your place and time.
I want a cheap lawyer, Pomorski said.
The moment of confrontation was gone as quickly as it had come. They were now
bound up by events to attempt the rescue of the enchantress. They didn t even
bother to vote; they were without alternatives.
Chapter Twelve
Lo! Death has reared himself a throne
In a strange city lying alone
Far down within the dim West.
Edgar Allan Poe, The City in the Sea
Hell, sighed Springbuck, what chance do we have to rescue her from the
fires of the Pit? They stood now in a circle around Andre.
The wizard s voice shook but there was conviction in it. There are . . .
defenses. Just as spirits of the Inferno may be injured or warded against
here, they have vulnerabilities in their own sphere. We have Calundronius. We
have Gil MacDonald and his men and their weapons. And there isLobo .
Only, how do you get to Hell? the sergeant interrupted. Short of dying,
that is. I have no intention of getting scragged so we can visit among the
shades. And while we re chewing it over, how do you know we can play Orpheus
for your sister?
For the last question, Andre said, I maintain, as I have said, a
connection with my sister. She is not yet dead or I would know; nor will she
be soon, I think. Dead, she is simply another wraith, but alive she is a well
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of ethereal force. I do not believe that Yardiff Bey or his Lord will claim
her life, but they may well enslave her, unless we can get her away from them
as soon as possible. This is the first time that Bey has struck at Gabrielle
directly; he must be confident that she will be unable to give him fair battle
while she s in his hands.
What we will do is draw upon her enormous stores of power. I will harness
her energy, make her call us to her. In tearing her from me, snatching her
away bodily to Hell, Bey has created an imbalance between the Terrestrial and
Infernal planes. He will not be able to seal her away from me. He probably
does not think that we would dare try to beard him in his master s den. She is
yet whole; I can feel that she still possesses her full vitality. There is
nothing holding her there aside from the physical restraints and sequestering
spells engendered by Yardiff Bey. They haven t her soul yet.
He turned to Gil, whose jaw had been open for some time. Do you have any
more of those burning sunlets, the like of which good Pomorski threw down
Chaffinch s throat?
White phosphorus grenades? Yeah, we have more.
Andre clapped his hands. Good! When that one detonated, I perceived that the
terrific heat and the particular energies it exuded were of a special sort.
They resemble solar light and would probably be excruciatingly painful to our
opposition.
Van Duyn stepped forward. Then we ll go now. According to the altazimuth
readings the stars will not be more favorable to this thing for days. I
propose that we should leave on the moment.
Andre nodded. We shall indeed go, Edward, but you will have to stay here.
You will be our anchor, our guide and mainstay against a quick return from the
Infernal realm.
The scholar incensed, stabbing his forefinger at the magician s paunch. No,
by God, Andre, I won t be shoved aside again. Dammit, I want to go to her. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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