Elric of Melnibone - Michael Moorcock [46]
Slowly Elric lowered his own helm until he was in darkness. The sound of fighting continued however, as the veterans who had sailed with them from Melniboné, set to work in their place and the other troops fell back. The leading Imrryrians had not blocked their eyeholes.
Elric prayed that the scheme would work.
Yyrkoon, peeking cautiously through a chink in a heavy curtain, said querulously: ‘Valharik? They fight on. Why is that? Is not the mirror focussed?’
‘It should be, my lord.’
‘Then, see for yourself, the Imrryrians continue to forge through our defenders—and our men are beginning to come under the influence of the mirror. What is wrong, Valharik? What is wrong?’
Valharik drew air between his teeth and there was a certain admiration in his expression as he looked upon the fighting Imrryrians.
‘They are blind,’ he said. ‘They fight by sound and touch and smell. They are blind, my lord emperor—and they lead Elric and his men whose helms are so designed they can see nothing.’
‘Blind?’ Yyrkoon spoke almost pathetically, refusing to understand. ‘Blind?’
‘Aye. Blind warriors—men wounded in earlier wars, but good fighters nonetheless. That is how Elric defeats our mirror, my lord.’
‘Agh! No! No!’ Yyrkoon beat heavily on his captain’s back and the man shrank away. ‘Elric is not cunning. He is not cunning. Some powerful demon gives him these ideas.’
‘Perhaps, my lord. But are there demons more powerful than those who have aided you?’
‘No,’ said Yyrkoon. ‘There are none. Oh, that I could summon some of them now. But I have expended my powers in opening the Shade Gate. I should have anticipated... I could not anticipate... Oh Elric! I shall yet destroy you, when the runeblades are mine!’ Then Yyrkoon frowned. ‘But how could he have been prepared? What demon .... ? Unless he summoned Arioch himself? But he has not the power to summon Arioch. I could not summon him...’
And then, as if in reply, Yyrkoon heard Elric’s battle song sounding from the nearby streets. And that song answered the question.
‘Arioch! Arioch! Blood and souls for my lord Arioch!’
‘Then I must have the runeblades. I must pass through the Shade Gate. There I still have allies—supernatural allies who shall deal easily with Elric, if need be. But I need time...’ Yyrkoon mumbled to himself as he paced about the room. Valharik continued to watch the fighting.
‘They come closer,’ said the captain.
Cymoril smiled. ‘Closer, Yyrkoon? Who is the fool now? Elric? Or you?’
‘Be still! I think. I think...’ Yyrkoon fingered his lips.
Then a light came into his eye and he looked cunningly at Cymoril for a second before turning his attention to Captain Valharik.
‘Valharik, you must destroy the Mirror of Memory.’
‘Destroy it? But it is our only weapon, my lord?’
‘Exactly—but is it not useless now?’
‘Aye.’
‘Destroy it and it will serve us again.’ Yyrkoon flicked a long finger in the direction of the door. ‘Go. Destroy the mirror.’
‘But, Prince Yyrkoon—emperor, I mean—will that not have the effect of robbing us of our only weapon?’
‘Do as I say, Valharik! Or perish!’
‘But how shall I destroy it, my lord?’
‘Your sword. You must climb the column behind the face of the mirror. Then, without looking into the mirror itself, you must swing your sword against it and smash it. It will break easily. You know the precautions I have had to take to make sure that it was not harmed.’
‘Is that all I must do?’
‘Aye. Then you are free from my service—you may escape or do whatever else you wish to do.’
‘Do we not sail against Melniboné?’
‘Of course not. I have devised another method of taking the Dragon Isle.’
Valharik shrugged. His expression showed that he had never really believed Yyrkoon’s assurances. But what else had he to do but follow