Elric to Rescue Tanelorn - Michael Moorcock [13]
“Surely,” said I to Katorn, “that is a waste—we could use these ships to replace those lost.”
“Use these cursed craft—never,” he said with a twist of his mouth and strode to the rail of the Eldren flagship, shouting to his men to follow him back to our own vessel.
We clambered aboard our ship. The grapples were removed and the Eldren ship yawed away.
“Fire it,” cried King Rigenos who had taken no part in the actual fighting, though I knew it was said he was a brave man. “Fire the thing.”
Blazing arrows were accurately shot into bales of combustible materials which had been placed in specific parts of the Eldren ship. The slender vessel caught and drifted, blazing away, from us.
The fleets reassembled. We had lost fourteen men-o’-war and a hundred smaller craft—but nothing remained of the Eldren fleet save burning hulks which we left, sinking, behind us as we sailed on, gleeful, to Paphanaal.
CHAPTER THREE
Night came before we reached the harbour city, so we lay at anchor a league or so offshore.
In the shifting dawn of the morrow we upped anchors and rowed in towards Paphanaal, for there was no wind to fill our sails.
Nearer we came to land.
I saw cliffs and black mountains rising.
Nearer and I saw a flash of brighter colour to the east of us. “Paphanaal!” shouted the lookout from his precarious perch on the highest mast.
Nearer and there was Paphanaal, undefended as far as we could make out. We had left her fleet on the bottom of the ocean, far behind.
There were no domes on this city, no minarets. There were steeples and buttresses and battlements, all close together making the city seem like one great palace. The materials of their construction were breathtaking—white marble veined with pink, blue, green and yellow, faced with gold, basalt and quartz and bluestone in abundance. It was a shining city, of marvels.
We saw no-one as we came close and I guessed that the city had been deserted. But I was wrong.
We put in to the great harbour and disembarked. I formed our armies into disciplined ranks and warned them of a possible trap, although I didn’t really believe there could be one.
They stood before King Rigenos, Katorn and I, rank upon rank upon rank of them, armour bright, banners moving sluggishly in the breeze. There were seven hundred divisions, each hundred commanded by a marshal in command of captains and knights. The Paladins and Armies of Humanity stood before me and I was proud. I addressed them:
“Marshals, Captains, Knights and Warriors of Humanity, you have seen me to be a victorious War Leader.”
“Aye!” they roared, jubilant.
“We shall be victorious here and elsewhere in the land of Mernadin. Go now, with caution, and search these houses and buildings for Eldren jackals. Take what booty you desire, but be careful. This city could hide an army, remember.”
The divisions marched past us, each taking a different direction. The city received them in its streets, but it did not welcome them.
We found a city of women. Not one Eldren man had remained. We had slain them all at sea.
We took over the palace which had belonged to the dead Warden of Paphanaal.
They brought a girl to us. Black-haired, elfin-faced, her alien features composed against the fear she felt. She had shifting beauty which was always there, but seemed to change with every breath she took. They had torn her garments and bruised her arms and face.
“Erekosë!” Katorn was drunk. He led the party in to the Central Chamber of the Warden’s palace where I and the king discussed further campaigns. “Erekosë—Rigenos, my lord king—look!”
The king looked at the girl with distaste. “Why should we take interest in an Eldren wanton? Get hence, Katorn and use her as you will—but be sure to slay her before we leave Paphanaal.”
“Why have you brought her, Katorn?” said I.
Katorn laughed. His thick lips opened wide and he laughed in our faces.