Masquerades - Kate Novak [107]
The pool at the far end of the room began to bubble and hiss, and from it rose a great dragon's skull. "Hello, children." The words seemed to come from the dragon's skull. Its tone was mock cheerfulness. "It's good to see you again, even in my reduced circumstances."
It took only moments for all three adventurers to place the voice, but it was Olive who replied first.
"Misty!" the halfling chirped, sheathing her sword and stepping out from the shadows. "Long time!"
"So nice to be remembered," the dragon skull said as the water finished dripping from its sides. "I have not forgotten you either, Mistress Ruskettle. Or you, Champion. Or you, Alias, you red-headed witch."
Alias moved cautiously toward the skull. "Mistinarperadnacles. You're an ally of the Faceless, aren't you?"
"No, witch. I'm merely a pawn," the dragon skull answered. "Just as is everyone in this city, yourselves included."
Victor stepped forward. "I am no man's pawn, dead thing," the young lord declared.
Mist's laughter rang all about them. "You are one of the biggest pawns of all, Dhostar pup. Pawn to your father, pawn to your ambitions, pawn to your… desires.
"As for you, Alias of the Inner Sea, you are a pawn of the Faceless's. He has plans for you. He will make himself your master."
"An evil sorceress, a lich, a fiend from Tarterus, a mad god, and an assassins' guild all tried to master me. All are now dead," Alias retorted.
"True," Mist replied. "If your luck is still as it was, you may defeat the Faceless. I will aid you in exchange for a boon."
"What boon, wyrm?" the swordswoman demanded.
"Swear that you will free me from this bondage of my spirit so that I may rest in peace, and I will tell you three of the Faceless's secrets."
"I so swear," Alias agreed. "First. The device that shields the Faceless and the Night Masters from detection. Tell me all you know of it."
"It sits there on that table," Mist answered, turning so that one eye socket seemed to look at the tree rack hung with the white porcelain masks. "It was crafted by the priests of the temple of Leira, the deceased goddess of illusions, and stolen by the priests of Mask, god of thieves. A doppelganger imitating the Shadowlord of Mask's temple stole it and used it to build the Night Mask guild. The masks must hang there on that rack for a day to recharge their magical powers. Anyone wearing one of the masks for one hour is protected from all magical detection and divination for four days. The Faceless sets them out for the Night Masters to wear just before the meeting they attend every other night so there is no chance of their being discovered. Even the Faceless dons one beneath the coin mask he wears to conceal his features from his own servants, including myself."
"So you don't know who old Faceless is. Too bad," Olive sighed.
"She didn't say that, Olive," Alias replied. "She said the Faceless concealed his features from her. But an old wyrm like you can see with more than her eyes, can't you, Mistinarperadnacles?"
"So true," the dragon said. "Is that the second secret you wish me to reveal?"
Alias hesitated, sensing a trick on the dragon's part. Mist had no love for her. Vengeance might still override her desire for a peaceful death.
"We don't need her to answer that," Victor declared. "All we need to do is destroy these masks-" The young lord yanked a mask from the tree rack.
"Victor, no!" Alias shouted. "It could be a trap!"
"Oh, yes," Mist said. "Did I fail to mention the masks must be removed from the rack in a particular order?"
With a shocked look, Victor set the mask back on the tree rack, but it was too late. The floor began to shake as all around the cavern hidden gears and levers of massive proportions began to turn and move. A panel in the workbench slid open and the tree rack containing the masks dropped down into it. An iron gate dropped down over the alcove where the gem-laden amphoras were kept. Larger grates dropped over the walls with