Realms of Magic - Brian Thomsen King [67]
"I'm not sure I know how to work it, though," Indio exclaimed.
"May I see it?" Indio handed it to him as he finally rose to his feet, water dripping from every inch of him.
It was a rather large key with three holes forged in it, where gems should be… but weren't. Llewellyn recognized the key immediately. Yes, the wheel of fortune was definitely turning in his favor. So much so that it worried him.
"I sent some of my troop back early," Indio explained. "The damned piranha were nibbling them away to nothing. I'm afraid that by the time they got back here, they were a bit overzealous. Remember, we hadn't found the key at that time, and all of my band-myself included- wanted to stuff a few live piranha down your throat for sending us into that godless swamp for nothing."
"How charming! How positively charitable of you!"
"But the moment we found it, I hurried back to camp, fearing what might be done to you in my absence."
"Thank you so excessively much," Llewellyn said sarcastically. "I take it back. It was a most grievous error on my part. You're not ungrateful at all."
"But I am still… Black Indio!" he shouted, drawing his sword and pointing it at the sky. His troop repeated the action, and in unison shouted, "Black Indio!"
"Come out of the water and sit by the fire, my friend," Indio said. "And tell me again of this key."
Llewellyn followed him to the campfire and sat close to it. In a few moments, its heat removed the chill from his bones.
"Bring our friend a drink," Indio commanded. Turning to Llewellyn, he continued: "This key, I believe you said, can unlock a chest of wealth somewhere in the mountains, just west of Zoundar. Am I correct?"
"Yes, that is, positively correct, I must say," Llewellyn responded, "and no, it is not. The key will not work without three stones set in the holes cut for them."
"Jewels?"
"No, not jewels, though that would be most attractive, perhaps even splendiferous. They are perfectly round jade stones, each with a dark stripe that runs around the perimeter."
The halfling whose foot had crushed Llewellyn's face into the mud of the river stepped forward and spoke. "Indio! We have such a stone!"
"Do we? Bring it forward. In fact, bring the sack that contains all our treasures."
The halfling did as commanded and handed Indio the sack. The leader poured out the contents between himself and Llewellyn. Indio fingered through the various gold pieces, trinkets, and small gems until he spotted what he was looking for.
"Is this it?" he asked Llewellyn, holding the green piece between two ringers.
"Does it fit in the key?"
Indio placed the stone into one of the circles on the key.
"By all that is holy, it fits-perfectly," cried the halfling.
"So it does," Indio added, "but it will not work, as our friend has said, without the other two stones. So of what use is it to me?"
Llewellyn smiled wryly. "You are too pessimistic, Indio the Black, my good friend." Undoing the drawstring of the leather sack on his belt and reaching into it, he added. "I believe the adage, once spoken by some person of undeniable wisdom at some distant point in the past, is 'one good turn deserves another.'"
Whereupon he held up an identical jade stone.
Indio's eyes lit up. "The second stone. I must have it."
"You could, I suppose, just steal it from me, Indio. But even though you are Indio the Black, I hope you will not do that, considering the injustice your followers have already perpetrated upon me. May I propose a trade?"
"What do you want for it?" Indio asked suspiciously.
"May I-I'm not a particularly skilled barterer, I must admit-peruse your plentiful plunder?"
Indio extended his hand, indicating his permission.
Llewellyn crouched over the items that Indio had poured between them, slowly and carefully slipping out of his robe the amulet he had already stolen. With a dexterous display of sleight of hand, he made it appear that he was choosing the amulet from the pile.
Better to acquire this… shall we say, legally… than perhaps have it found on me later, he thought.
"This amulet would do nicely,