Sailor on the Seas of Fate - Michael Moorcock [9]
"You will lead us?" Hawkmoon said.
"I cannot. I can only take you to the island and wait for those who survive—if any survive."
Elric frowned. "This fight is not mine, I think."
"It is yours," said the captain soberly. "And it is mine. I would land with you if that were permitted me, but it is not."
"Why so?" asked Corum.
"You will learn that one day. I have not the courage to tell you. I bear you nothing but goodwill, however. Be assured of that."
Erekosë rubbed his jaw. "Well, since it is my destiny to fight, and since I, like Hawkmoon, continue to seek Tanelorn, and since I gather there is some chance of my fulfilling my ambition if I am successful, I for one agree to go against these two, Agak and Gagak."
Hawkmoon nodded. "I go with Erekosë, for similar reasons."
"And I," said Corum.
"Not long since," said Elric, "I counted myself without comrades. Now I have many. For that reason alone I will fight with them."
"It is perhaps the best of reasons," said Erekosë approvingly.
"There is no reward for this work, save my assurance that your success will save the world much misery," said the captain. "And for you, Elric, there is less reward than the rest may hope for."
"Perhaps not," said Elric.
"As you say." The captain gestured toward the jug of wine. "More wine, my friends?"
They each accepted, while the captain continued, his blind face staring upward at the roof of the cabin.
"Upon this island is a ruin—perhaps it was once a city called Tanelorn—and at the center of the ruin stands one whole building. It is this building which Agak and his sister use. It is that which you must attack. You will recognize it, I hope, at once."
"And we must slay this pair?" said Erekosë.
"If you can. They have servants who help them. These must be slain, also. Then the building must be fired. This is important." The captain paused. "Fired. It must be destroyed in no other way."
Elric smiled a dry smile. "There are few other ways of destroying buildings, Sir Captain."
The captain returned his smile and made a slight bow of acknowledgment. "Aye, it's so. Nonetheless, it is worth remembering what I have said."
"Do you know what these two look like, these Agak and Gagak?" Corum asked.
"No. It is possible that they resemble creatures of our own worlds; it is possible that they do not. Few have seen them. It is only recently that they have been able to materialize at all."
"And how may they best be overwhelmed?" asked Hawkmoon.
"By courage and ingenuity," said the captain.
"You are not very explicit, sir," said Elric.
"I am as explicit as I can be. Now, my friends, I suggest you rest and prepare your arms."
As they returned to their cabins, Erekosë sighed.
"We are fated," he said. "We have little free will, for all we deceive ourselves otherwise. If we perish or live through this venture, it will not count for much in the overall scheme of things."
"I think you are of a gloomy turn of mind, friend," said Hawkmoon.
The mist snaked through the branches of the mast, writhing in the rigging, flooding the deck. It swirled across the faces of the other three men as Elric looked at them.
"A realistic turn of mind," said Corum.
The mist massed more thickly upon the deck, mantling each man like a shroud. The timbers of the ship creaked and to Elric's ears took on the sound of a raven's croak. It was colder now. In silence they went to their cabins to test the hooks and buckles of their armor, to polish and to sharpen their weapons and to pretend to sleep.
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