[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

to Jim. But then Carolinus was one of the three top magicians in this world.
Where he was, was a long climb for a D class magician like Jim.
So Jim put aside the idea of the watch. They were clearly early, but there
was nothing to be done about it.Particularly if their approach had already
been sighted. They would have to go forward as they were going now, move up on
the ledge, and start handing out the money. Meanwhile they could simply hope
that the Little Men and the Borderers were either in place, or could be,
before the gold was exhausted; or the use of the last of Jim's magic robbed
him of Ewen's face and revealed his own.
Either happening, he thought, would precipitate a riot among the Hollow Men,
in which he, Brian, Dafydd and probably Snorrl as well could be overwhelmed
and killed; for all the wolf's belief in his ability to pass safely through
any number of Hollow Men.
So they continued. In fact, it was not long before the trees thinned before
them and they came out on the edge of the clearing.
The Hollow Men were there. They were there in remarkable numbers. The
clearing was packed; and Jim had a sinking feeling, seeing them all there in
their numbers. As Ardac had said, there must indeed be more than two thousand
of them; for they almost fully filled the clearing, which he had estimated to
be larger than necessary. It was lucky that he had not made the mistake of
picking the more convenient spot Snorrl had shown him. An ideal clearing, it
had been; but one which would have certainly proved to be too small.
The Hollow Men were clearly expecting Jim and those with him with the
exception of Snorrl. The outer ranks of the undead warriors wore clothing
only, going from partially clad, to fully clad, to armored, invisible bodies
in a final cluster around the ledge. Here, possibly twenty or thirty
ranksdeep, were Hollow Men in full armor. A few of these were on invisible
horses. Most were on foot. But it was on Snorrl now they were all
concentrating.
Page 223
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Snorrl moved forward as well as Jim and the others. The outside Hollow Men
moved back and parted before them; almost as if an invisible wedge was being
driven through the crowd to make a way to the stone ledge at the foot of the
cliffs.
None seemed eager to come within ten or fifteen feet of Snorrl; and Snorrl
clearly appreciated this fact and enjoyed it. He stalked ahead of Jim, Brian
and Dafydd on their horses, darting his gaze right and left to watch the
Hollow Men draw back from his glance, as if he identified each one of them.
In one sense, he probablywas identifying them, thought Jim; since now that
the wolf was among them, his nose would be making a note of the difference in
each one's odor. So he, Jim, Brian and Dafydd moved forward along the wide
corridor; until at last it was the fully armored ranks that parted before
them. In a perfect silence, finally, they mounted the lower end of the ledge
at a point where it came almost to the ground.
The horses balked a little, their hooves slipping on the bare rock; but they
ended by coming on, and did not protest strongly at being taken up on to the
ledge.
The three dismounted. At the far end of the ledge were five figures in full
armor in very good shape, like that he had seen Eshan wearing. Eshan would
almost undoubtedly be one of them. Their visors were up; but of course this
was no help. Within, only emptiness was to be seen. But Jim could not imagine
Eshan failing to identify himself, eventually.
Jim dismounted to check the lashings that supported the gold chests on the
baggage horse. Snorrl paced alongside him, with Brian and Dafydd following.
Jim was only killing time. By the sun, noon was still some minutes off. But
it gave him a chance for a quick glance around at part of the edge of the
clearing. However, there was no sign of either Little Men or Borderers.None.
His eye was caught, however, by an unusual number of hawks and other large
birds, such as ravens, circling in the sky above them.
"Why all the birds overhead?" he asked of Snorrl in an undertone that none of
the Hollow Men would be able to pick up; but which would not escape the wolf's
sensitive ears.
Snorrl had been grinning evilly at the five at the far end of the ledge.
Without turning his head he answered. "The Little Men will have whistled them
in," he answered. "They're friends to all birds, as well as animals. Has not
Liseth told you how they whistle down her falcon when she sends it in search
of them?"
"They mentioned something like that," answered Jim. "But why do the Little
Men want birds here?"
"The birds can see, or sense, the Hollow Men how, I do not know even though
they are without clothes completely," said Snorrl, "just as I can smell them.
They will undoubtedly help the Little Men know if any try to escape by making
themselves invisible. What are we waiting for?"
"I'm using up time," hissed Jim under his breath. "It's still not noon; and
I've no way of knowing if the Little Men or the Borderers are in position."
"Is that all?" murmured Snorrl. "I could have told you that the Little Men
Page 224
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
are there; and if the Little Men are there, the Borderers will not be far
behind. This is a day none of them will want to miss."
Jim felt a great sense of relief.
"All right, then," he said to Brian and Dafydd, and began untying the lead
rope of the baggage horse as he led it forward along the ledge.
As they went forward, Snorrl continued with them. The five armored figures at
the far end of the ledge took a step or two backward; but none of them more
than that. Jim led the horse to approximately the middle of the ledge before
halting it.
"Come forward!" Jim called to the five. "Aren't you here to watch me hand out
the wages? I expected you to be close beside me, watching me all the time."
There was a moment's hesitation and some muttering amongst the armored
figures. Then they came up to within about ten feet, and stopped.
"I am Eshan," said the most forward one of the five. "Maybe you can't
recognize me, but you'll remember me from our earlier meeting. Well, now
you're here, get on with it! But keep that wolf back!"
Jim smiled engagingly.Almost sweetly.
"He won't bother you unless we see a need for it," said Jim.
With that he turned about, opened the nearer chest and took out a handful of
the coins.
"Since I can't see you, except by your armor or clothes," he said, lifting
his voice to make it carry over the crowd, "I won't know one of you from the
other. But the wolf beside me will know. And if any try to take a double
share, the wolf will take care of him."
There was a sort of wave motion in the front few ranks of the armored men, as
if they would back away from him; but so many other Hollow Men were packed
tight behind them any real retreat was impossible. Still, a sort of dimple
appeared in the front rank opposite where Snorrl stood. Clearly, those there
were getting as far from him as was possible.
"All of you," said Jim, speaking to the crowd and still pitching his voice so
that it would be heard even by those farthest away from him, "will get two
ofthese newly minted, full-weightfrancs d'or , freshly minted by the King of
France to pay the expenses of his coming invasion ofEngland !"
He reached into the chest and held up one of the golden coins, turning it
from left to right and back again, so that it caught the sunlight and was
visible to all of them.
"It's calledthe franc à cheval , because it shows the King on horseback," he
said; and there was a murmur from the crowd and a movement toward the ledge [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]