Elric to Rescue Tanelorn - Michael Moorcock [40]
“But Tanelorn cannot be destroyed…” said a Grey Lord. “She is Eternal…” said another. “But this manifestation…” murmured the third. “Ah, yes…”
“There are beetles in Kaleef,” said a Grey Lord who had not spoken before, “which emit a peculiar venom.”
“Beetles, lord?” said Rackhir.
“They are the size of mammoths,” said the third Lord, “but can change their size—and change the size of their prey if it is too large for their gullets.”
“As for that matter,” the first speaker said, “there is a chimera which dwells in mountains south of here—it can change its shape and contains hate for Chaos since Chaos bred it and abandoned it with no real shape of its own.”
“Then there are four brothers of Himerscahl who are endowed with sorcerous power,” said the second lord, but the first interrupted him:
“Their magic is no good outside our own dimension,” he said. “I had thought, however, of reviving the Blue Wizard.”
“Too dangerous and, anyway, beyond our powers,” said his companion.
They continued to debate for a while, and Rackhir and Lamsar said nothing, but waited.
Eventually the first speaker said:
“The Boatmen of Xerlerenes, we have decided, will probably be best equipped to aid you in defense of Tanelorn. You must go to the mountains of Xerlerenes and find their lake.”
“A lake,” said Lamsar, “in a range of mountains, I see.”
“No,” the lord said, “their lake lies above the mountains. We will find someone to take you there. Perhaps they will aid you.”
“You can guarantee nothing else?”
“Nothing—it is not our business to interfere. It is up to them to decide whether they will aid you or not.”
“I see,” said Rackhir, “thank you.”
How much time had passed since he had left Tanelorn? How much time before Narjhan’s beggar army reached the city? Or had it already done so?
Suddenly he thought of something, looked for Sorana, but she had left the tent.
“Where lies Xerlerenes?” Lamsar was asking.
“Not in our realm,” one of the Grey Lords replied. “Come, we will find you a guide.”
Sorana spoke the necessary word which took her immediately into the blue half-world with which she was so familiar. There were no other colours in it, but many, many shades of blue. Here she waited until Eequor noticed her presence. In the timelessness, she could not tell how long she had waited.
The beggar horde came to an undisciplined and slow halt at a sign from its leader. A voice rang hollowly from the helm that was always closed.
“Tomorrow, we march against Tanelorn—the time we have anticipated is almost upon us. Make camp now. Tomorrow shall Tanelorn be punished and the stones of her little houses will be dust on the wind.”
The million beggars cackled their glee and wetted their scrawny lips. Not one of them asked why they had marched so far, and this was because of Narjhan’s power.
In Tanelorn, Brut and Zas the One-handed discussed the nature of death in quiet, over-controlled tones. Both were filled with sadness, less for themselves than for Tanelorn, soon to perish. Outside, a pitiful army tried to place a cordon around the town but failed to fill the gaps between men, there were so few of them. Lights in the houses burned as if for the last time, and candles guttered moodily.
Sorana, sweating as she always did after such an episode, returned to the plane occupied by the Grey Lords and discovered that Rackhir, Lamsar and their guide were preparing to leave. Eequor had told her what to do—it was for her to contact Narjhan. The rest the Lords of Chaos would accomplish. She blew her ex-lover a kiss as he rode from the camp into the night. He grinned at her defiantly, but when his face was turned from her he frowned and they went in silence into the Valley of the Currents where they entered the realm where lay the Mountains of Xerlerenes. Almost as soon as they arrived, danger presented itself.
Their guide, a wanderer called Timeras, pointed into the night sky which was spiked by the outlines of crags.
“This