Elric Swords and Roses - Michael Moorcock [169]
Then they turned to see what Duke Orogino had seen. What had caused him to flee back into the compound.
“Kalakak,” said Elric.
And he smiled.
CHAPTER SIX
The Black Flower’s Blossoming
The two women stared in horror as the creature Elric called Kalakak pushed its massive bulk against the gap in the compound, breaking down the ancient brick, its cold green eyes glaring, its long snout opening to reveal teeth the length of swords and the thickness of a man’s arm. In the moonlight its scales glistened with water. Its massive tail thrashed this way and that, scattering the corpses of the savages who tried to attack it. When it saw Elric, it lumbered towards him and from its vast, red throat something like language sounded. Only Elric could understand everything it said, but Dyvim Mar recognized a form of High Melnibonéan which he and the Phoorn dragons spoke between themselves.
The monstrous reptile looked down at Elric who was again supported on Moonglum’s shoulder. Its eyes were full of profound memory, of old wisdom and a new thirst. “You summoned me, old friend?”
“I thought you had not heard me, Lord Kalakak. I called to you in the name of our ancient pact. I presumed you still slept.” The thing looked like nothing as much as a gigantic crocodile, but its snout and tail were more slender, its legs and webbed feet longer. Like certain dragons, it had a tall, spiked crest on its neck and head. Its colour was neither green, nor black, nor brown. It was not an earthly colour. As it moved, its scales clashed softly, the sound of wind over drying leather.
“True it will be a millennium or two before I am fully rested. Now I am at your service. At least before sleep claims me again. Unlike our mutual kin, the Phoorn, I need rather more sleep than a mere century.” The jaws clacked and smacked almost as if Kalakak joked. “Remember, I cannot kill for you. Otherwise, you must tell me what you need, before I return to the river below the river and close my eyes. There is a dream I need to continue.”
As the manlike plant, distracted, began to devour Duke Orogino, Elric pointed towards the high window. “We need to reach that opening, yonder. Can you help us?”
“Use my crest to climb.” Steadying his scaly bulk with his tail, Kalakak lifted himself on his huge hind quarters, his snout extending to the window from which the Uyt king, Tilus Kreek, had last called to his daughters. The black flower swayed in the background, unable to assess this new potential danger as if for all the world a sentient thing. The albino was dangerously weak, but he could still call out instructions to the others. They began to clamber up the reptile’s massive back. Below them the black plant thrashed and screeched. Above them the dwarfish cannibals crowded to the window and stared in disbelieving consternation. With a yell as bloodthirsty as any warrior’s Princess Nahuaduar led the way through the window, her scimitar taking off a head as smoothly as if she were cutting daisies in a field. Then she disappeared inside, Dyvim Mar and Princess Semleedaor behind her.
Elric and Moonglum were the last to reach the window. With a word of thanks to Lord Kalakak, the albino dropped into the room. The princesses and his cousin had already taken their toll of the savages. Bodies lay everywhere. Red revenge had been taken at last. The remaining savages scrambled into the outer corridors and scattered as fast as they could go. They left their prisoners bound but otherwise unharmed.
Weeping with joy, the princesses ran towards their straightbacked but naked father. As they cut his bonds he stared at them in astonishment. He, like the captured Melnibonéans, had not expected