Lady of Poison_ The Priests - Bruce R. Cordell [83]
Gunggari nodded slowly. Marrec adopted a considering look; Ususi frowned.
"I propose," continued Elowen, "that before we return this token to the queen, we avail ourselves of its power. We use the queen to bolster our strength against the Rotting Man, through her token of control."
Ususi, still frowning, said, "A tool such as this can turn in its owner's hand. It would be too risky,"
"Don't talk to me about risky," snorted Elowen. "This demon had us at her mercy and forced us to agree to retrieve her trinket. That was risky. Merely being in Under-Tharos is a risk most would never countenance. Sure it's a risk to try to force the queen's aid, but if she can be redeemed in any way, she can do some good for a change, even if it is against her nature. This token gives us the edge we need and should provide us a margin of safety that mere agreements, backed up only by word, lack."
"There is risk; there is such a thing as a soul hazard," said Ususi.
Gunggari noted, "Ususi, certainly you've heard tell of evil creatures who occasionally do the work of good?"
Elowen noticed that Marrec colored slightly at Gunggari's words. The Oslander had struck a nerve somehow, but she didn't know why.
Gunggari continued, "If we are to foil the Rotting Man's plan, renew Lurue, and survive to tell the tale, we'll need help. The queen may be all we have."
Ususi frowned but said nothing further.
Elowen grinned, said, "Great. Let's see about getting our chaperone out of his fugue, then, shall we?"
Ususi looked at Marrec, waiting. The cleric shook his head but said, "Free the ice demon if you can, Ususi."
Ususi uttered a quick word under her breath, but she began to mutter and scribe runes on the dark surface of the unmoving ice demon. The cleric stood nearby, his eyes narrowed, apparently having some sort of internal debate as he watched the wizard work. Elowen considered Marrec.
She rarely understood humans, but she had known elves similar to Marrec, dutiful, but at turns playful; often vocal, but sometimes taciturn. The cleric's devotion to his absent goddess verged on a lover's attention for his cherished bride, which struck Elowen as a bit disturbing, though she'd seen it in others. In Marrec, whose goddess no longer daily bolstered him with contact and clarity of purpose, the devotion ran the risk of becoming merely a sad habit of thought. Of course, if they were successful, perhaps that would all change, as the Nentyarch had hinted.
Ususi had mentioned to her while they walked the tunnels of Under-Tharos that Marrec had admitted to some secret talent, though the human was somehow ashamed of it. That latest bit of gossip was most intriguing. She wondered if she'd get the chance to see Marrec show his ability forth.
CHAPTER 21
The passage was blocked ahead.
A pale stone face jutted from the wall. The face was massive; the tunnel passage was just large enough to contain it. The face seemed human but wrenched with devilish glee; at least it seemed to be leering. It was much eroded by water, and stalactites dripped from its cheekbones and brows. The face's mouth was wide open, and its tongue, also crumbling stone, lolled out like a carpet. The mouth was stopped up with an iron door, rusted and stained black. A single pull-ring hung from the door's center. To Marrec's eyes, the door appeared as if it had been closed for centuries.
Marrec asked Gunggari, "Did we get off the track?"
The tattooed warrior shook his head, saying, "No, Eschar came from this way. See? These rust-flakes on the ground show the door has been only recently closed, abruptly."
"Doesn't he magically flit around down here?" Ususi answered from behind, "He may only have limited range."
The cleric supposed he could see a couple of flakes. He trusted Gunggari to be right. Time was wasting, and they had to move. "Then that's where we are going, too." He walked up to the door, laid hold of the ring, and pulled.
"Wait!" yelled Elowen, at the same time as Ususi, though the mage was less polite in her request than the elf.
The door didn't budge despite