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down from the cliffs above. Some were smooth, as if the
mountain had turned liquid and dripped onto the ground, while
others were pitted and twisted like old tree trunks. Gerrard
even saw a few pillars that supported stairways winding
upward, vanishing into doorways high above the ground.
The Jhovalls shouldered through the thick crowd. The
Mercadian guards herded them along successfully, and the
thronging buyers and sellers parted easily before them.
At last, the beasts drew up next to an area where there
were no booths. Long lines of people waited, chattering among
themselves. The soldiers made their captives dismount, tied
the beasts to nearby posts, and led the prisoners through the
throng.
They reached a series of cages resting on the ground. Each
could comfortably accommodate forty people. Surrounding each
cage were four slender metal columns that extended upward
toward the looming cliffs. Just now, an attendant slammed shut
the door of a crowded cage, throwing a locking bar across it.
Those within continued their chatter unperturbed. The
attendant stepped back. The cage emitted a gentle whir as it
rose swiftly up the shaft.
Gerrard watched openmouthed as the folk soared out of
sight into the jutting slope of the mountain. He turned to
Takara, hoping for an explanation. The red-haired woman
made inquiries of the captain.
"He says they are 'lifts.' They will take us to the main
city."
Two more cages became available, and the soldiers herded
their captives within. Twenty chained crew and twenty soldiers
occupied each. The doors clanged closed. There was a violent
jerk. Gerrard felt his stomach plunge. He saw the ground
suddenly drop away beneath him.
Hanna was nearby. She examined the device as best she
could in the cramped space. "Wires," she said. "There may be
wires in the supports that control the cage. Though how
they're powered ..." She shook her head. "It takes a lot of
force to lift this many people. Pretty clever, though. This is
obviously how they control access to the city. Unless you have
an airship, it makes the top of the mountain practically
impossible to invade."
Gerrard spotted the second cage ascending at roughly the
same speed. He looked around at his companions. Some of the
sailors were pale and nervous.
Hanna watched them too. "Well," she said to Gerrard and
Takara, "it can't take very long at this speed."
It was taking long enough to suit everyone, thought
Gerrard. Tahngarth appeared to be frozen in fear, as if this
close confinement brought back memories of his imprisonment in
the Stronghold. Gerrard looked for Squee, but the little
goblin was nowhere in sight.
Even as they ascended, Gerrard found himself staring at
the panorama unfolding before him. Farmland spread out on the
east side of the mountain, intersected by stone walls that
marked complex patterns on the land. To the west, clouds of
dust rolled across the land. Far away, Gerrard could see the
black stain of the Rushwood and a long black line that marked
the dry course of the riverbed. To the south, the land was
broken by a series of jagged canyons, punctuated by red and
gold spires of rock. Those must be the Deep Lands Tavoot
referred to, he decided. To the north, the dusty plain
stretched to a far horizon obscured by yellow haze that merged
land and sky.
Above them the sky glowed in brilliant orange and red.
Thick clouds raced across it. Gerrard passed his hand over his
eyes. How long was it since he had slept? It seemed a
lifetime. Images rose unbidden before him: his battle with
Volrath in the Dream Halls of the Stronghold, his flight to
the Gardens. But overwhelming all the other memories was the
recollection of Mirri the cat warrior in her final battle with
Crovax, whose mad eyes turned red as he tore out her throat.
Those unwanted dreams were banished, though, when he
glimpsed nearby an unexpected face-impish beneath black
tousled hair. Gerrard smiled slowly at the lad.
"What are we going to do now?" Takara asked.
Gerrard leaned close to her. "I'm thinking about making an
escape."
She smiled conspiratorially. "An escape? Why have you
waited so long?"
"The chance only just presented itself," Gerrard replied.
"We have a friend in the crowd. A young man who tailed us on
his own Jhovall, through storm and garbage and market, all."
Takara looked about the cage and smiled a sharp-toothed
smile. "Atalla."
Chapter 4
 The long, dark ride in the lift ended in a narrow stone
chamber, brightly lit from some undetectable source. Ahead was
a set of arched double doors. These the guard swung open.
Gerrard passed through and found himself in a wide
corridor filled with similar doors, from which flowed a steady
stream of humanity. A moment later, Gerrard caught sight of
the second contingent of Weatherlight crew. The soldiers
reassembled the prison caravan. Chains chattered on stone as [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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