Elric_ The Sleeping Sorceress - Michael Moorcock [130]
“Your sword is gone,” said Elric quietly.
Yyrkoon whimpered and tried to crawl towards the entrance of the cavern. But the entrance had shrunk to the size of a small coin. Yyrkoon wept.
Stormbringer trembled, as if thirsty for Yyrkoon’s soul. Elric stooped.
Yyrkoon began to speak rapidly. “Do not slay me, Elric—not with that runeblade. I will do anything you wish. I will die in any other way.”
Elric said: “We are victims, cousin, of a conspiracy—a game played by gods, demons and sentient swords. They wish one of us dead. I suspect they wish you dead more than they wish me dead. And that is the reason why I shall not slay you here.” He picked up the scabbard. He forced Stormbringer into it and at once the sword was quiet. Elric took off his old scabbard and looked around for Aubec’s sword, but that, too, was gone. He dropped the old scabbard and hooked the new one to his belt. He rested his left hand upon the pommel of Stormbringer and he looked not without sympathy upon the creature that was his cousin.
“You are a worm, Yyrkoon. But is that your fault?”
Yyrkoon gave him a puzzled glance.
“I wonder, if you had all you desire, would you cease to be a worm, cousin?”
Yyrkoon raised himself to his knees. A little hope began to show in his eyes.
Elric smiled and drew a deep breath. “We shall see,” he said. “You must agree to wake Cymoril from her sorcerous slumber.”
“You have humbled me, Elric,” said Yyrkoon in a small pitiful voice. “I will wake her. Or would . . .”
“Can you not undo your spell?”
“We cannot escape from the Pulsing Cavern. It is past the time . . .”
“What’s this?”
“I did not think you would follow me. And then I thought I would easily finish you. And now it is past the time. One can keep the entrance open for only a little while. It will admit anyone who cares to enter the Pulsing Cavern, but it will let no-one out after the power of the spell dies. I gave much to know that spell.”
“You have given too much for everything,” said Elric. He went to the entrance and peered through. Rackhir waited on the other side. The Red Archer had an anxious expression. Elric said: “Warrior Priest of Phum, it seems that my cousin and I are trapped in here. The entrance will not part for us.” Elric tested the warm, moist stuff of the wall. It would not open more than a tiny fraction. “It seems that you can join us or else go back. If you do join us, you share our fate.”
“It is not much of a fate if I go back,” said Rackhir. “What chances have you?”
“One,” said Elric. “I can invoke my patron.”
“A Lord of Chaos?” Rackhir made a wry face.
“Exactly,” said Elric. “I speak of Arioch.”
“Arioch, eh? Well, he does not care for renegades from Phum.”
“What do you choose to do?”
Rackhir stepped forward. Elric stepped back. Through the opening came Rackhir’s head, followed by his shoulders, followed by the rest of him. The entrance closed again immediately. Rackhir stood up and untangled the string of his bow from the stave, smoothing it. “I agreed to share your fate—to gamble all on escaping from this plane,” said the Red Archer. He looked surprised when he saw Yyrkoon. “Your enemy is still alive?”
“Aye.”
“You are merciful indeed.”
“Perhaps. Or obstinate. I would not slay him merely because some supernatural agency used him as a pawn, to be killed if I should win. The Lords of the Higher Worlds do not as yet control me completely—nor will they if I have any power at all to resist them.”
Rackhir grinned. “I share your view—though I’m not optimistic about its realism. I see you have one of those black swords at your belt. Will that not hack a way through the cavern?”
“No,” said Yyrkoon from his place against the wall. “Nothing can harm the stuff of the Pulsing Cavern.”
“I’ll believe you,” said Elric, “for I do not intend to draw this new sword of mine often. I must learn how to control it first.”
“So Arioch must be summoned.” Rackhir sighed.
“If that is possible,” said Elric.
“He will doubtless destroy me,” said Rackhir, looking to Elric in the hope that the albino would deny this statement.