The Far Side Of Forever Part 21

"You really should have invited him to eat with you, you know," InThig said from where it lay on the soft carpeting, between the table 1 sat at and the bed I would soon be using. "With oniy you two still awake, it would have been the decent thing to do."

"No, it wouldn't have," i disagreed, pulling over a plate of something and picking up a fork. "As tired as I am. I don't even knov/ what I'm eating; lucid conversation is completely beyond me. Besides, I had a previous date for dinner. If I can't have that one, I'd rather eat alone."

"But Zail T'Zannis is sound asleep," InThig pointed out, a definite purr forming the words. "Rik is wide awake and all alone, and not ready to sleep yet. He's rather resourceful and has quite a way with words, don't you think?"

"Are you complimenting h^m, or getting ready to sell him?" I asked around a mouthful of beef in creamed wine sauce, turning my head to inspect a very comfortable demon. "And how did you know about my dinner date with Zail?"

"Demons tend to know about a lot of things," it an- swered smugly and evasively, its grin exposing quite a few sharply pointed teeth. "Rik's link-shape is really effective, isn't it? Did you see the way it took that thing's weight in attack without losing an inch of ground?''

"Wail a minute," I said, understanding struggling its way through the clouds of exhaustion I was wrapped in.

"If you saw that much,, you were there even before the attack started. Why did you wait so long before you stepped in?"

"Rik didn't need my help, so why would I have inter- fered?" it asked,'innocent curiosity dripping from every word. "I really admire his link-shape, it's so swift and powerful for someone who isn't a demon- Once this quest

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is over, I just may reform myself to be more like it. Did you notice that Rik isn't afraid of me? He talks to me almost the way you do."

"InThig, are you developing a cnish on Rik?" I asked in real surprise, feeling the least bit wide-eyed. "I didn't think demons were susceptible that way, but apparently I was wrong. If you want to go over to his tent ..."

"Laciel'" it interrupted with the next thing to a snarl, jumping up to stand shoulder deep in outrage and indigna- tion. "1 do not have a crush on Rik! Don't you understand what I was trying to say?"

"InThig, I'm asleep on my feet," I answered with all the confusion I was feeling, putting the fork down after no more than a taste or two of the beef. "If you have some- thing to tell me, why not say it straight out?"

"I don't think this is the time," it decided with a sniff, letting its fur settle back down from the straight-up posi- tion to which it had risen. "You do present a problem, my girl, but I'll find some way out of it."

"Good hunting," 1 mumbled, forcing myself out of the chair so that I might stumble over to the bed. "And when you're ready to stop talking in riddles, do let me know."

I took the robe off and slid into bed, and if InThig said anything after that, ! missed it entirely.

CHAPTER 5.

It was just a little past dawn when we gathered at the gate, our horses saddled and ready, our bodies full of breakfast, our minds clear and alert after a good. long night's sleep.

My rest had been interrupted once, by a nightmare about h.e.l.lfire which had turned into the nightmare I'd had for years and could never remember, but InThig had been there as always to tell me that everything was all right, and I'd gone immediately back to sleep. I felt strong and alive that morning, back in full power; and determined to do something to make sure I stayed that way for as long as possible.

"I still can't believe it," Zail was saying as I led my gray to where everyone stood, his voice half upset and half annoyed. "Four of us knocked out by insect bites, leaving only two of us to face a thing that was supposed to destroy us all. I can't believe I just slept through all that."

"/ believe it," Rik answered, straightening the bridle on his mount. "I can still feel its teeth sinking into my shoulder, and the pure hatred that just about blazed out of it. And there were three of us who were left to face it. If not for InThig, it would have gotten Laciel before I could reach it."

"Which brings to mind a point I was too tired to see yesterday," 1 put in as Zail turned to me in concern, drawing everyone's eyes. "That thing came after me only when it knew it had lost to Rik, not first thing when it

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began its attack. That means I'm no longer the only target around here, so we'd all better stay alert to see whose turn

comes next."

"That's not necessarily true,'" InThig said into the gen- eral mutter of surprise, this time drawing all the attention- "The thing was supposed to kill all of you, so perhaps it wasn't given any specifics about who to attack first, and simply chose the one who seemed more dangerous. That doesn't mean you aren't still the primary target, Laciel."

"Stop helping," ! told it flatly, not much pleased with that particular point of view. "If it turns out I'm right while everyone concerns themselves only with me, this*

expedition could quickly become one with a lot fewer members- If we each watch out for ourselves, we won't be taking any chances."

"Except with your life," Rik put in, speaking over his ';;

shoulder as he adjusted his saddle girth. "I think Zail and If Kadrim can watch out for you and themselves, both at the ;'( same time. We all have to put up with inconveniences for ^ the sake of the quest, don't you think?"

What 1 thought was that he was beginning to sound an ]i awful lot like a demon 1 knew, but when he put it that way ^.

1 couldn't very well argue. Zail and Kadrim seemed to be , 4 absolutely delighted with the decision, Su was approving, and Dranna was amused; InThig said nothing, but I had ?

the feeling it was also on Rik's side. I was trapped and ';?

outnumbered, and I could see that that was one of the t times when arguing would have been a waste of breath. ],

"Yes, ! guess we do all have to put up with inconve- ;;.

niences." I agreed after a moment, aware of the amuse- "

ment good old Rik was trying to keep hidden. "Thank you - for pointing that out to me, 0 fearless leader.":^

Zail turned away to clear his throat, Kadrim felt the,;

need to rub at his face with one big hand, Su shook her head with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes, '^ Dranna looked pained, and InThig simply turned and pad- ^ ded silently away. The object of my comment had finished ^ messing with his saddle, and so was free to lean on it with:;

one arm while turning to look at me from under lowered ;'*'

brows, his free hand a fist on his swordbelt. I gave him a:^.

bright, friendly smile in return, one designed to tell him'!.

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that he now knew exactly how I felt about being overpro- tected, but he missed out on the chahce to comment. The gate chose that moment to come to life, which meant it was time to go.

I made sure everyone remembered that they had to hurry before forming the chain with Su and Kadrim, then braced myself tight against the pull while they all made the transi- tion. This time I didn't need to be helped out of the gate, and Kadrim hadn't had to worry about being attacked before it was his turn to go through. I had left our campsite intact, warding and all, which meant it stayed in existence until I, myself, went completely through the gate. The spell would have to be renewed on the way back, but at least it had served our purposes for as long as we needed it.

The world we emerged in was cooler than the one we'd left, and although we were again in the middle of woods, it was somehow possible to feel that we weren't the only non-vegetable life around there. The sky above the trees was cloudy but not threatening, and not too far away we could see a road that wasn't too badly out of repair.

Despite the lack of sun we all felt better, something Zail was the first to put into words,,

"Now, this is more like it," he enthused as he looked around, getting a good deal of satisfaction out of the presence of the road. "Whatever comes at us will be standing upright with a sword in its fist, and going off into the bushes for a private minute won't be a major adventure.

We might even get to stay at an inn tonight."

"Not in those clothes, you won't," InThig commented, rejoining us in time to hear Zail's last words. "And proba- bly not in any clothes. There are soldiers only a short way down the road, and they seem to be watching for something."

"d.a.m.n," Rik said softly, looking in the direction InThig had come back from. "They have to be waiting for us.

Any other explanation would.be a coincidence too hard to swallow. Can we get around them without their seeing us?"