Dragons of the Autumn Twilight - Margaret Weis [179]
The companions rested for an hour, eating quith-pa and drinking fresh water from a deep well they discovered. Raistlin regained consciousness but could eat nothing. He sipped water, then lay limply back. Caramon broke the news to him about Fizban hesitantly, fearing his brother might take the old mage’s disappearance badly. But Raistlin simply shrugged, closed his eyes, and sank into a deep sleep.
After Tanis felt his strength return, he rose and walked toward Gilthanas, noting that the elf was intently studying a map. Passing Laurana, who sat alone, he smiled at her. She refused to acknowledge it. Tanis sighed. Already he regretted speaking harshly to her back in the Sla-Mori. He had to admit that she had handled herself remarkably well under terrifying circumstances. She had done what she was told to quickly and without question. Tanis supposed he would have to apologize, but first he needed to talk to Gilthanas.
“What’s the plan?” he asked, sitting down on a crate.
“Yes, where are we?” Sturm asked. Soon almost everyone was crowded around the map except Raistlin who appeared to sleep, though Tanis thought he saw a slit of gold shining through the mage’s supposedly closed eyelids.
Gilthanas spread his map flat.
“Here is the fortress of Pax Tharkas and the surrounding mine area,” he said, then he pointed. “We are in the cellars here on the lowest level. Down this hallway, about fifty feet from here, are the rooms where the women are imprisoned. This is a guard room, across from the women, and this”—he tapped the map gently—“is the lair of one of the red dragons, the one Lord Verminaard called Ember. The dragon is so big, of course, that the lair extends up above ground level, communicating with Lord Verminaard’s chambers on the first floor, up through the gallery on the second floor, and out into the open sky.
Gilthanas smiled bitterly. “On the first floor, behind Verminaard’s chambers, is the prison where the children are kept. The Dragon Highlord is wise. He keeps the hostages separated, knowing that the women would never consider leaving without their children, and the men would not leave without their families. The children are guarded by a second red dragon in this room. The men—about three hundred of them—work in mines out in the mountain caves. There are several hundred gully dwarves working the mines as well.”
“You seem to know a lot about Pax Tharkas,” Eben said.
Gilthanas glanced up quickly. “What do you insinuate?”
“I’m not insinuating anything,” Eben answered. “It’s just that you know a lot about this place for never having been here! And wasn’t it interesting that we kept running into creatures who damn near killed us back in the Sla-Mori.”
“Eben,” Tanis spoke very quietly, “we’ve had enough of your suspicions. I don’t believe any of us is a traitor. As Raistlin said, the traitor could have betrayed any of us long before this. What’s the point of coming this far?”
“To bring me and the Disks to Lord Verminaard,” Goldmoon said softly. “He knows I am here, Tanis. He and I are linked by our faith.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Sturm snorted.
“No, it isn’t,” Goldmoon said. “Remember, there are two constellations missing. One was the Queen of Darkness. From what little I have been able to understand in the Disks of Mishakal, the Queen was also one of the ancient gods. The gods of good are matched by the gods of evil, with the gods of neutrality striving to keep the balance. Verminaard worships the Queen of Darkness as I worship Mishakal: that is what Mishakal meant when she said we were to restore the balance. The promise of good that I bring is the one thing he fears and he is exerting all his will to find me. The longer I stay here …” Her voice died.
“All the more reason to quit bickering,” Tanis stated, switching