Elric in the Dream Realms - Michael Moorcock [148]
FIRE ELDER: “Here we are, King Elrik. You have done us a great service which we shall not forget.”
Elrik hands a Fire Elder the black blade.
ELRIK: “Take it. Make sure it is never again seen in Melniboné.”
FIRE ELDER: “As long as one of your blood never holds it, it will do no further harm in this realm.”
ELRIK: “None of mine will ever touch such a filthy thing, I swear! But this, too, I swear—that I shall keep no bargains with humans. Henceforth I shall rule by blood and fire, making Arioch and the Dukes of Hell my allies! All others shall all bow the knee in vassalage to Melniboné!”
Dyvim Karm speaks urgently:
DYVIM KARM: “My lord! The towers still burn. Is there nothing these allies can do against those flames?”
The Flame Elder turns to look at Dyvim Karm.
FLAME ELDER: “Fear not, mortal. We shall gather the flames to our own bodies and take them with us when we leave.” (He turns to Elrik:) “Farewell, young King Elrik. We sorrow for your lost sister. But I fear your own destiny is not a happy one …”
Elrik’s face screws up with pain and anger as he watches the Flame Elders fade and leave.
ELRIK: “Happiness? That’s no longer a quality we of Melniboné shall seek. I’ll keep the compact made with Arioch. He shall have his share of blood and souls! Henceforth we shall be strong and merciless and our pleasures will be of the cruelest kind!”
Dyvim Karm goes to the balcony and looks down. He turns with astonishment to address King Elrik—
DYVIM KARM: “My lord king! The fires are out. The barbarians retreat. Imrryr is saved!”
We see a close up as Dyvim Karm’s face goes from astonished delight to horrified surprise—
DYVIM KARM: “Elrik? My lord?”
Elrik has collapsed on the flagstones of the throne room, beside his sister.
A black crow perches on the throne itself, looking down at them.
Then it spreads its wings and flies out of the window.
Dyvim Karm looks up as Melnibonéan soldiers rush into the throne room.
DYVIM KARM: “Quickly…our king has fainted from exhaustion … !”
MELNIBONÉAN SOLDIER: “And our queen?”
DYVIM KARM: “She’s dead. And her soul, I fear, is forever in limbo. This is the end of the Melniboné she hoped to create. From this day on, our history darkens …”
Dyvim Karm returns to the window and looks out across the blackened streets towards the harbour where the battle-barges lie at anchor.
DYVIM KARM: “… from this day on, we begin the making of an empire.”
EPILOGUE
The dream has ended, but the dreamers have yet to wake …
We are back at the dream couches. Tanglebones is distraught. He tries to lift Elric’s head. He takes a cup from Cymoril’s hand.
TANGLEBONES: “This is what I feared, Lady Cymoril.”
CYMORIL: “What is it, Sir Tanglebones?”
Tanglebones can’t get the still-sleeping Elric to take the potion.
TANGLEBONES: “If he was killed in the dream, the chances are he is dead—or at least in limbo. Yet this is strange.”
TANGLEBONES (looks up, frowning): “He still breathes. It’s as if he refuses to wake. As if something happened in his dream adventure which was so terrible, he has no will to come back to life!”
Cymoril turns as a shout comes from the nearby dream chamber, where Yyrkoon went at about the same time as Elric.
UNSEEN VOICE: “Dead! No question of it!”
CYMORIL: “Yyrkoon—dead? But—”
Cymoril leaves Elric’s chamber—and enters Yyrkoon’s.
Her eyes widen in astonishment. Yyrkoon has a goblet in one hand and is leaning heavily on his elbow, clearly groggy, but definitely not dead.
YYRKOON: “He—she—Arioch can’t be …”
But it is Arisand who lies sprawled on the flagstones.
And Yyrkoon rises weakly, in horror.
YYRKOON: “He promised me triumph—”
Yyrkoon sits on the bench, his hand to his chest, exactly on the spot where Elrik plunged the Black Sword into Black Armour’s body.
YYRKOON: “—and brought me death…”
Yyrkoon puts his hand to his head.
YYRKOON: “Ah. Memory fades. The dream—I no longer recall it…”
CYMORIL: “Whatever scheme