“You mean sell the stuff?”
“Of course. When do we get rich?”
Razzorbauch threw back his head for another laugh.
“What?” said Ugleeuh. “What did I say?”
“Not a thing. You just get that same look in your eye as your mother when you talk about wealth.”
Ugleeuh turned her back on him again.
“Now what?”
“Had I known she'd be along for all the fun, I might not have left Peach Knob.”
Razzorbauch rolled his eyes and stepped in front of her. “I guess I was just dead wrong,” he said as he gently patted her shoulder. “Now here I had the idea that you not only wanted to get to know her, but that you thought your father was altogether awful for keeping you away from her.”
“Well maybe he knew what he was doing.”
“My word! How could that be?”
“She can't be trusted, Uncle Razzorbauch. You've almost said as much yourself. She'd take this sukere business clean away from us if she had the chance.”
“Well sure,” he said “In the blink of an eye, if she could. But she can't get rid of me, and she stands to make quite a tidy sum by leaving things alone. Don't forget that these ships are hers (except for the two which belong to Captain Jockford). And don't forget that the dragons were hers.”
“Well even if she has helped here and there, it could have been a mistake falling in love with someone like her.”
“Love!” he said, running his hand back and forth over a splinter in the railing. “It never came up. Power doesn't have anything to do with it. She has what I want and I have what she wants. But for now, you want her gone. Just remember that she'll go back to Head in a day or two. She doesn't want to bother with the plantation. That's our job. And she has no interest in trade with Niarg. That's also our job. She'll be around for a share of the profits, and if you let me deal with her, you can avoid her altogether if you want.”
“We're starting to get close. Are those trees?”
“Up on top of the pillars? Yeap. Grass and trees, just like on top of the cliffs.”
“What's the matter with them? They look like they're all leaning inland.”
“They are. They're supposed to. They're called 'leaning oaks,'“ he said, giving the railing a pat. “Well enjoy yourself, Leeuh. I've got to go speak with Captain Jockford.
There are things I need to get started.”
Ugleeuh turned away to watch how the ship was being steered toward the towering limestone pillars which stood knocking asunder the incoming waves. She was beginning to get glimpses of the coast line at the foot of the cliffs as the cries of gulls echoed in the rocks above. Presently the decks came alive with the pounding of bare feet as sailors scurried into the rigging. Soon the shore drew back from the coast line. The ship turned sharply inland, just as she made out a break in the cliffs of the great bluff. As they steered into the break, the crew drew in the sails and cast anchor. The break formed a channel at the bottom of its sheer rock walls which opened into a broad lagoon beyond. Ugleeuh could see that shelves had been dug out of the rock walls, just above the high tide mark. Shouts echoed from the rocks as planks were run out to the shelves from each side of the ship. Suddenly Razzorbauch appeared out of the hold astride the largest dragon, leading the other five largest dragons of the 201 they had captured. Before long they were shuffling along, next to the limestone walls, towing the ship, three single file on each side of the channel on the paths just above the limp beds of kelp exposed by the tide. As the channel opened into the lagoon, the anchor was cast and the dragons unhitched and led back along the channel to tow the next ship.
By the middle of the afternoon, all twenty ships rested in the lagoon. At a command from Razzorbauch, planks were run down from all of the ships and soon, two hundred dragons lumbered and splashed through the shallows onto the shore. “Peoc'h!” roared Razzorbauch from the back of his dragon. “Silence!”
The dragons cowered at once. Remembering their long trek across the Mammvro to the sea, they hurriedly formed a long queue and followed after him as he rode through a grove of leaning oaks for the tall hillside of white rocks beyond the lagoon which tumbled down from between two great white bluffs.
Ugleeuh found herself standing in a pulsing sea of cicada calls. “And he hasn't said one thing to me, the whole time we've spent coming ashore,” she thought as she watched him rise in lurches as his dragon clambered over the first rocks of the hillside.
“He didn't say a word, but he undoubtedly intends for us to bring up the rear,” said Demonica, appearing from nowhere behind her, giving her a start.
Ugleeuh turned about with a frown. “Undoubtedly,” she said.
“You could do much better than merely tagging along after him, dear,” said Demonica as she began walking.
“Oh?”
“I've not seen you use your powers, the whole time we've been herding dragons.”
“There's not been much opportunity.”
“There's not been much he's shown you, is there?”
Ugleeuh kept walking.
Demonica paused to listen to the cicadas. “Well, there just might be hope for you, dear,” she said. “You do have powers. You're endowed well enough that I could teach you some serious magic if you wanted to learn. Razzorbauch might not have the time.”
“I do, but how would you have the time?”
“I'll be going back to my keep as soon as we get these dragons settled. You could come with me.”
“But Uncle Razzorbauch and I have to set up our business contacts in Niarg.”
“Of course dear. But you actually have to have sukere to sell before you'll need to do much of that.”
“Uncle Razzorbauch still might need me for something. I'd at least have to discuss it with him.”
“By all means, dear, if in fact you actually do want to develop your powers.”
“In fact I actually can't wait until you leave,” thought Ugleeuh as both of them fell silent with the effort of the climb to the top.
Soon they found themselves atop the bluffs, walking through hot white dust and sparse grass in the endless buzzing of the cicadas as they passed through groves of leaning oaks strung across a flat plain. Jays called. Ahead stood Razzorbauch with the four largest dragons while the last dragons of the queue disappeared, clambering one by one into the huge opening of an enormous sink hole. “I have an errand,” he said with a nod, as he took off his hat to run his fingers through his sweaty hair and replace his hat. “There are entrances to these caves all over the countryside, but I've cast spells at every one I could find to keep them in with wards. Just stay up here and keep an eye on things until I get back.”
“You'll be back in maybe a half an hour, right?” said Demonica.
“Probably no more than a couple of days,” he said.
“And you want us to stay up here?”
“Absolutely.”
“Just how are we to eat, dear heart?”
“You know traveling spells,” he said as he gave a lunge, throwing his leg over the largest dragon. “You can take turns going to the kitchen in my keep.” He turned his mount away from them at once. “Poent eo mont kuit,” he said to his dragons, and the four of them vanished into the leaning oaks.
***
Razzorbauch headed straight north-west at once, making his way through grove after grove of leaning oak trees on the dry table flat highland, inland from the bluffs. In spite of the clumsy appearance caused by their nakedness, the dragons seemed to be making much better time than unicorns might. By evening, the table lands were giving way to broken country with frequent ravines, fissures and deep sink holes as well as steep sided hollows, created by the collapse of huge caverns.
“Pelec'h ez eus dour?” said his mount, rumbling beneath him in Headlandish which meant: “Where is there some water?”
“Are you thirsty, Thunderhead?”
“I drank back at the lagoon, but it wasn't enough.”
“
How about the rest of you?” said Razzorbauch. “How about you, Torn?”
Torn had to catch his breath. “I'm exhausted,” he said. “And I'm about to die of thirst.”
Razzorbauch halted Thunderhead. “We have to cross a stream somewhere ahead,”he said, taking off his hat. “But meanwhile, we have to get as far as we can before the light fails. We don't want to fall down some sink hole or gaping crevasse. Let's go.”
Scrubby pines had replaced the leaning oaks some time ago, and their going had become very difficult indeed. They no sooner had climbed out of one steep sided dell than they were forced to negotiate a deep gorge, careful all the while not to tumble into some unseen sink hole in the shadows like a huge open well. Chip-fell-out-o'-white-oaks called here and there all over an otherwise silent countryside. The moon shined at their backs, half full and white. In spite of its light, it was impossible to see well enough to be safe without Razzorbauch lighting their way with a brilliant light from the end of his staff. At last they heard the thundering of a rushing stream at the bottom of the next gorge. After a difficult climb down to it, and a long drink and a brief rest, they made their way up the far side of the gorge. They continued their way for the rest of the night until just before light, they came out on a prominence overlooking the southernmost shore of the Gulf of Orrin. There, Razzorbauch cast protective wards to prevent the dragons from getting into mischief, and the five of them collapsed onto the dirt for a deep short sleep.
The sun was well into the sky when Razzorbauch awoke with a gasp to find his dragons squatted on their keels asleep. Thunderhead gave an eye watering yawn as he thrust out his arm and leg on one side in a rending stretch. “So master,” he said politely with snap of each elbow, as the others began stirring, “what do you have for us today?”
“See that ship down yonder in the water?” said Razzorbauch as he smoothed thedents out of his hat. “We're going to pay it a visit. Those sailors up in the hills, 'way beyond will probably never reach us before we're long gone.”
“I'm all ready, master,” said Thunderhead as he turned to sort through flight feathers he no longer had, only to give his head an irritated shake. “If you don't mind though, do take care getting on. I've gotten rather burnt, lying here in the sun. No feathers, don't you know.”
Soon they were walking along the water's edge, scattering the sandpipers after snails, as they came upon the newly built pier, running out to the ship. A hay wain had just been run aboard, and a pair of sailors were pitching forks of oregano into the hold. One of them stopped and gave a big wave. “Hoy!” he hollered. “Razzmorten! What kind of beast are you riding? Come to see the Elven hyssop?”
Razzorbauch gave a wave and a big nod from the back of Thunderhead as he came.
“Just what kind of chickens are those, Razzmorten?” cried the other sailor, as the four dragons started up the plank.
“Mean ones,” said Razzorbauch with a grin. Suddenly Thunderhead and Torn belched out bright plumes of flame, setting alight the load of oregano on the wain.
“Hey!” shouted one of the sailors. Razzerbauch aimed the Great Staff, blowing apart the sailor's head with a concussion that threw the other sailor into the water off the far side of the ship, as the dragons rushed to the hold, setting alight everything below. As three sailors boiled out of the hold to run across the deck with their clothes in flames, he blew them to pieces in deafening reports that crackled and echoed from the hills around. Guards posted near the ship began shooting arrows only to be set off like bombs.
Flames leaped from the decks and up the rigging as Razzorbauch and the dragons left the ship. Thunderhead paused, settling onto his keel to allow Razzorbauch to climb on. “That staff of yours is frightening,” he said as he got to his feet. “With all the fury it has, why did you need us along?”
Razzorbauch settled himself and spent a moment cutting off a nice piece of twist. “Well my good dragon,” he said after a short but thoughtful chew, “I just needed to see how you'd do.”
***
Demonica sat on a particularly bent leaning oak, peering into the swirling colors of the scrying ball which she held between her knees.
“Are you looking for Uncle Razzorbauch?” said Ugleeuh.
“Well it is boring up here, dear, unless there's something earth shaking I've overlooked,” said Demonica. “There. Oh mercy! Now what would be the point of that?”
“What?” said Ugleeuh, rushing up to thrust her face at the ball.
“He's set alight a whole shipload of Elven hyssop.”
“Ha!” said Ugleeuh, dancing with glee through the white dust. “That'll fix the idiots in Niarg. That'll make them like the Elves.”
“I'm glad to see your boundless delight, dear,” said Demonica as she raised her eyebrows from the scrying ball, “but just how much money are you going to make with your customers dead of the plague?”
Chapter 15
“At last!” said Razzorbauch as he and Ugleeuh appeared on the balcony of his keep. “It's good to be home. I can hardly wait for a hot bath and a good meal. How about you, Leeuh?”
“Yea,” she said without looking at him, “I can hardly wait.” She hurried to the door.
“Well then, I'll...” he said at her heels.
She paused, turning to face him as she lifted the latch. “I'm exhausted,” she said. And she stepped inside at once and closed the door after her.
“Well yes...” he said, blinking his wide eyes as he stood outside.
Ugleeuh tramped the length of the hall and climbed the stairs to her apartment to slam the door behind her and sit on her bed with a bounce. She stood right back up, giving a grating squeal as she ripped open the front of her dress with a furious yank. “It was so much simpler at Peach Knob!” she cried, changing to growling murmurs at once. “At least there, no one really expected me to be civil all the time.” She ripped her dress the rest of the way down the front. “Here though, I can't breathe for fear of upsetting the last person in the world who really cares about me.” She lunged at the bell pull, wrenching it down with all her might. Not good enough. She did it again and again. At last the cord broke, collapsing into a pile at the head of her bed.
“Mistress?” said the wide-eyed maid, carefully opening the door.
“Damn!” mumbled Ugleeuh as she turned away, struggling to close up the front of her dress.
“Is something wrong?”
“Not one bit!”
“I do beg your pardon. Is there something you need?”
“Hot water. Fix my bath. And be quick! I don't want to be left waiting.”
She had just stepped out of her torn dress when the maid and two boys scurried in with a kettle of scalding water apiece. “Idiots!” she muttered as she raced to hide behind a wardrobe. She had just found something to put around her when they dashed back in with more water.
“Get out!” she cried. She glowered at the door as it went shut, and tested the water with her toe. It wasn't such a bad bath after all. There was a nice new chunk of soap, and she even found fresh towels within reach. She was no longer mumbling by the time she stepped out and dried off, but she still didn't care what she wore. She took the first dress she came to in her wardrobe. “If I'm lucky, Uncle Razzorbauch has already eaten. I'll just get something from the kitchen.”
At the kitchen, two fat cooks steered her out at once. “Your uncle is waiting to have supper with you, out on the balcony,” they said.
“Well good!” said Razzorbauch, standing up at the sight of her to pull back her chair. “I was hoping that you were joining me. You were so worn out when we got home. It's so much nicer to eat with someone than having to eat alone. Don't you agree?”
“Absolutely,” she said with a flicker of smile as she sat. “My bath brought me back to life, so I thought if I hurried, we could sup as usual.”
Razzorbauch rang his bell and soon they were eating roast duck and cabbage. They ate in silence, listening to the first owl, far away in the timber. After some time,
Razzorbauch eyed her curiously and said: “So. Now that you've had some time to get to know your mother, do you have a better opinion of her?”
Ugleeuh drained her cup and set it in it's saucer with a click. “You want the truth?” she said.
“My word. You and I don't keep secrets from each other.”
“Yea, but I'm supposed to like her, right?”
“We had hoped, didn't we?”
“Well I don't. I don't like her one bit. I'd never trust her. And she acts like she thinks she's the most powerful sorceress who ever lived.”
Razzorbauch put down his knife. “She is the most powerful sorceress who ever lived, my dear,” he said as he leant forward.
“But you led me to believe that her power isn't nearly what yours is.”
“I'm not a sorceress...”
“Very well. She's powerful. But I still don't like her.”
“Well, even Demonica knew that you might never be able to accept her since she left you as a baby and never tried to see you.”
“Yea? Well even if none of that ever happened, I still wouldn't like her. I think she's awful. And she doesn't like me any better. But I do think she tried to tolerate me just to please you. And she even offered to teach me to use my powers.”
“Did she? And what did you tell her?”
“I told her I'd like to learn, but that I had to find out if you needed me to do anything for you, first.”
“Splendid! Then we should be sending you.”
“But Uncle Razzorbauch, shouldn't we be setting up trade with Niarg? And couldn't I learn about my powers from you?”
“You could,” he said as he put away his knife and scooted back his chair. “But it would be best for both of us if you learnt as much as you can from Demonica. We've got time. There won't be any sukere to harvest for over a year. By then, the plague will have run it's course and people will be wanting sweets with no Elves around to raise bees.
Heart of the Staff - Complete Series Page 16
