Viperhand - Douglas Niles [83]
Halloran looked back at Erixitl and caught her smiling at him. His wife! It began to dawn on him that his wish was coming true. He remembered the promise he had made to himself-that he would never again allow her to be apart from him, and felt only joy at the prospect of its fulfillment.
Erixitl reached out and took his hand, and in the glow of her face, he saw all the hope he needed. The questions of their future, he resolved, would be answered as they were asked.
"Here," said Lotil, returning to the hearthside at last. In his hand he held a pair of small feathered rings. "Hold out your hands."
Halloran did as he was told, and Lotil slid the rings over his hands. They fit, snugly and comfortably, on his wrists. The feathers were tiny tufts of plumage, and the surface of the rings lay smooth against his skin.
"Use them well. They may not look like much, but I think that you will… appreciate them." Lotil patted Hal's shoulder affectionately.
"Thank you-thank you very much," he replied sincerely. "But use them how? What do they do?"
"In good time, my son, in good time. But now we must celebrate!"
They feasted on one of the ducks that had lived-to no purpose, Hal had thought until now-around the house. LotU even produced a jug of octal he had been saving for some such occasion. As they ate and drank, Halloran and Erix felt a warm sense of well-being. It permeated the air in the room, their conversation, even their bodies themselves.
The armies of Nexal and the legion remained far away. That city, with its sacrifices, its cult of violence, its strident tensions, didn't enter their minds.
Only once, when Erixitl looked at the door, outlined in clear daylight, did she see the shadows lingering.
"It's every bit as fabulous as you claimed," admitted Cor-dell, clapping Kardann on the shoulder. "This, my good assessor, is a very important discovery!"
Several legionnaires sorted and stacked objects of gold or other treasures in neat piles as the assessor busily inspected the contents of the room. "Millions of pieces, equivalent," he murmured in awe. "The only question is how many millions!"
Cordell watched in amazement as tiny golden figurines were added to a steadily growing pile. Each was no more than the size of a man's hand. They depicted a variety of objects, including male and female humans and grotesque figures that seemed to represent some form of bestial deity.
"And look at this!" exclaimed Kardann. He gestured to a row of large golden bowls. Each of them held a mound of gold dust that reached nearly to the rim. There were a dozen or more of these bowls assembled already, and much of the room remained to be explored.
Cordell, the Bishou, and the assessor supervised the half-dozen legionnaires working to sort the treasures in the room. Several oil lamps illuminated the chamber thoroughly. Another pair of legionnaires stood on guard at the door to the treasure room.
A shrill scream suddenly turned them all toward the door. There they saw a flash of spotted hide and the sharp chop of a weapon-a stone-edged maca. One of the guards cried out in pain, and then the orange and black figure sprang through the door into the room.
Kardann shrieked in panic and darted away from the door. Cordell stood firm, drawing his sword and confronting the onrushing Jaguar Knight. The man's,Jace, visible through his gaping-jawed helmet, contorted with hatred.
But then Cordell struck, at the same time as the remaining guard followed the attacker through the door. Transfixed by two thrusts, the Jaguar Knight gasped and fell. Kicking
"reflexively, he rolled onto his back, fixing them with a hate-filled stare for a few long moments before he died. The experience left them all shaken and not a little alarmed.
"Wh-where did he come from?" babbled Kardann.
"Must be some kind of renegade, hiding out in the palace," the Bishou suggested. "IVe warned you, these treacherous savages cannot be trusted!"
Cordell barely heard them. Instead, he knelt down