by T.A. Barron
She spun around and flew off to the west, leaving a luminous trail like a shooting star.
As Umdahla watched, fascinated, Shim pulled the magical crystal from his pocket. He closed his eyes, concentrating. Suddenly, the crystal flashed with orange light, so bright that Umdahla had to blink.
When she reopened her eyes, Shim had vanished.
28.
BONES AND STONES
Instantly, Shim found himself in a dreadful, but familiar, place. Giving the magical crystal a squeeze, he whispered, “Thanks.” Then he slid it back into his pocket and surveyed his surroundings.
Dark fumes swept around him, smelling like rancid waste and rotting flesh. All around, he heard bubbling mud pits, hissing vents, and in the distance, the menacing shrieks and moans of marsh ghouls.
And there, directly in front of him, rose the haphazard pile of stones that he now remembered well. Domnu’s lair.
The towering structure actually looked slightly sturdier than before. More stones, cut with straight edges and sharp corners, had been stacked carefully around the base. But overall, the structure remained precarious enough to scare away any unwanted visitors. It still deserved Shim’s term ramshackelous.
As before, the lair’s barred windows glowed with eerie, unnatural light. They cast wavering amber rays over the masses and masses of bones piled everywhere. Among those bones, Shim knew, were the remains of many creatures who once lived freely, flying or crawling or walking . . . until they met Domnu.
He shuddered, examining the lair. Motherly is in there now, a prisoner in that awfullously ominous place!
Though he knew what he needed to do—the question was how. Maybe he could make use of Domnu’s penchant for wagers? He started to form the hazy outline of a plan. Yet just like any wager with the sorceress, the odds of success were extremely small.
He drew a breath of the rancid air. Then, his expression grim, he climbed over a pile of bones, an uprooted tree, and a heap of rubble before finally reaching the entrance to the tunnel that would lead him inside. As before, the dark hole gaped ominously.
Bravely, he stepped into the passageway. The amber light grew stronger as he went deeper. Finally, he reached the heavy door that, this time, sat wide open. As if he’d been expected.
Shim entered the cavernous room supported by immense, rotting beams. Scanning the room, he saw much of what he’d seen before. The hairy rug by the wall with living chess pieces, including the unicorn whose white mane glistened. The rock wall covered with bizarre markings, runes, and numbers, plus a new drawing of a labyrinth. The bowls piled high with jewels, shells, bones, more bones, crystal spheres, cards, and bundles of hair. And, of course, the iron bowl that held nothing but wet, oozing eyeballs.
“Well, well,” growled a familiar voice. “A visitor. How very . . . unexpected.”
Shim whirled around to see the sorceress emerge from the shadows. Her eyes, black and unblinking, gazed at him malevolently. All the while, she toyed with her necklace—this one made from the skulls of mice and snakes.
As soon as she stepped into the light, the unicorn chess piece made a sound like a strangled neigh. Domnu, without taking her eyes off Shim, pointed at the unicorn, and the creature instantly fell silent. But her deep brown eyes continued to shift frantically.
Domnu approached slowly and steadily, much like a predator who was preparing to pounce on her prey. Passing a hand over her wrinkled scalp and the wart that protruded from her forehead, she examined the little giant closely. Her gaze rested briefly on the bulging pocket of his leggings.
“Now tell me,” she growled. “What brings you here?”
Scowling, Shim replied, “You mean, actuallishly, what brings me back here.”
Domnu, clearly surprised, furrowed her brow. “So you remember your last visit?”
“I remember,” he declared, straightening his small back. “And I’ve come back for Motherly.”
Domnu’s furrows deepened. “I must say, my pet, you are more resilient than I expected. So I’m glad that I left my door open.”
Carelessly, she flicked a finger at the oaken door. It slammed shut with a boom that echoed around the chamber.
Though the slam made him start, and his heart pounded inside his chest, Shim did his best to appear calm. He glanced around the room for any evidence of his mother—even a stray lock of her scraggly hair. But he saw no sign of her.
Domnu chortled knowingly. “Your mother is downstairs, working on today’s task. Cleaning out my dungeons—something that’s several centuries overdue.”
Seeing Shim perk up, she added nonchalantly, “She’s a decent worker . . . for a witless servant.”
He grimaced. “I’m not here, you crumbumbly old crone, to waste time talking. I’m here to offer you a wager.”
Domnu perked up. “What sort of wager, my pet?”
“For something of greatly value.”
She scratched her wart. “Not you, that’s for sure. You’re too smallified to be any use . . . and too rebellious, as well. It’s in your blood. Your mother caused me plenty of trouble, believe me, before I finally persuaded her to stop.”
She grinned maliciously, showing a mouthful of misshapen teeth. “A certain amount of pain, applied in just the right places, can tame even the most rebellious servant.”
Shim bristled, but tried hard to stay focused. “Are you going to wager or not?”
She shrugged, causing whatever objects were hidden in the pockets of her robe to clatter. “I don’t see what you could have that would be worth the trouble to wager.”
“Really?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Leaper. “What about this?”
Despite herself, Domnu quivered with excitement as she stared at the orange crystal. “Well, well, my pet. You are full of surprises.”
Watching her, Shim felt a sudden wave of doubts. Had he betrayed the crystal by bringing it into the lair of this evil sorceress? Did that make him no longer true of heart? How could he possibly prevail?
Domnu, meanwhile, contained her eagerness and put on a calm demeanor. “Of course, you realize that I could just take that crystal from you right now. That is, if I really wanted it.”
“Sure,” Shim replied. “But what would be anyish fun about that? Wouldn’t you much rather win it, fairly and squarely, in a wager?”
“Yes,” she replied, cracking her withered knuckles with glee. “The anticipation is the best part, even though I always know from the start that I’m going to win.”
Quickly, she corrected herself. “Though a wager is a wager, so there is always a chance I could lose. And of course, my pet, I would never cheat.”
“Never,” he agreed. He nodded emphatically—even though he remembered quite clearly how she had cheated his mother.
“Well, then,” growled the hag, “what shall be the stakes?”
Over by the wall, the spellbound unicorn’s eyes shifted fearfully. She released the barest whisper of a neigh.
“The stakes,” declared Shim, “are verily simple. If I win—”
“No! Stop!” boomed a powerful voice from across the room.
“Motherly!”
Seeing his beloved mother emerge from the dungeons, climbing up through a trapdoor, Shim started to run over to embrace her. But Domnu stepped right in front of him and raised a hand.
“One more step,” she snarled, “and I will turn both of you into worms and cast you into the Haunted Marsh.” Under her breath, she added, “As I should have done when you first arrived.”
Shim halted . . . but that took all his willpower. His heart felt ready to burst. Yet he knew he’d have just one chance to free his mother—and that would be hard enough to accomplish in their current forms, let alone as a pair of worms. So he complied . . . even as he shot his mother a soulful gaze. A gaze she returned.
Pivoting to face Vo
nya, the sorceress barked, “Bad timing, you imbecile. We were just about to set the terms of a wager!”
Before Vonya could reply, Domnu stretched out both her arms and sent out a blast of air-crackling energy. Instantly, the giant was lifted out of the trapdoor and thrown brutally against the stones of one wall. The entire lair shook with the impact, knocking down the remains of a rotted beam that crashed to the floor behind Shim.
Simultaneously, heavy shackles appeared on the wall and wrapped themselves around Vonya’s arms and legs. The shackles’ chains, whose links were as thick as the giant’s own wrists, sprouted right out of the stones.
Shim gasped, horrified to see her treated like that. His own mother—chained to the wall! He boiled with outrage. Yet he knew that, for now, he could do nothing . . . and that made him boil even more.
“No!” shouted Vonya as she twisted violently, trying to break her bonds. But they held fast.
Domnu, watching her struggle, grunted in satisfaction. Then she muttered, “Just one more detail, my pet.”
The sorceress flicked her finger. Instantly, a sturdy gag tied itself around Vonya’s jaw, making it impossible for her to speak. All she could do now was moan wretchedly, a sound that pierced Shim’s heart like a dagger.
Indifferent to the heartrending moans, Domnu turned back to him. “There, my pet. Where were we?”
Though his eyes darted anxiously toward his mother, he steeled himself and returned to the task at hand. Mustering all his focus, he answered Domnu’s question.
“The stakes. If I win,” he said with a wave at his mother, still struggling unsuccessfully with the shackles, “then she and I both go free! Not as worms or anyish otherly beings, but as ourselves.”
Domnu gave a nod of agreement.
“And no tricksyness, none at all.”
Again, she nodded. “And if I win?”
Shim inhaled slowly. “If you win . . . you can take this magical crystal.” Hefting the Leaper, he turned it so its facets sparkled with the promise of dazzling power.
“Very tempting,” growled the sorceress. “I don’t know that particular crystal . . . though I can tell it might have a small amount of power. So then, after I win and take it for my own, what will happen to you?”
From the wall, Vonya’s moans rose into a howl of protest. Why had she given up her freedom, only to see her son destroyed by this horrible hag? She tugged harder than ever on her shackles—but to no avail.
Shim swallowed. “Then you can do whatever you like with me.”
Domnu cackled. “As you wish, my pet.”
Sliding the crystal back into his pocket, the little giant declared, “Let’s do this.” Glumly, he added, “And I suppose we should use bones, the same as you used to wager Motherly. If I’m going to lose . . . I’d like to lose the same way she did.”
The sorceress flashed her twisted teeth. “How sweetly sentimental of you.”
She snapped her fingers. As before, a ceramic vase appeared, floating between them. From its mouth protruded five thin bones.
In a naive tone of voice, Shim asked, “How does this go? Can you remind me?”
“You weren’t paying attention last time, I guess. No surprise, since you were writhing in pain.” Pleased by the thought, she snickered cheerfully.
“All right, then.” She pointed at the bones. “Whoever chooses the tallest one wins. Here are your choices.”
As she indicated each bone, an invisible bell rang out, echoing in the cavernous space around them. Just as Shim had noticed before, the notes varied—and at the lowest note, the sorceress grinned almost imperceptibly.
In the background, Vonya’s howls grew louder. She pulled on her bonds with all her might, straining with effort. But the shackles, anchored in the stones behind her, held firm.
Yet . . . something shifted. Vonya felt the slightest little movement in her bonds—but it wasn’t from any weakening of her chains. So what could it be?
In a flash, she realized. The stones. She threw herself into pulling harder, using every fiber in her body.
Shim, meanwhile, saw his moment of opportunity. Swiftly, he reached for the bone that had been accompanied by the lowest note. He pulled it out of the vase—and gasped.
The bone was short! Barely half as tall as the vase, it clinked against the rim as he pulled it free.
“How disappointing,” clucked Domnu as she pulled out a much larger bone. “Too bad, my pet.”
Her expression abruptly turned vengeful. “You didn’t really expect me to fall for your pathetic ruse, did you? If so, you’re just as stupid as you are small.”
Leaning closer, she said, “But you’ll soon be even smaller, as a worm.”
Unnoticed by anyone, the unicorn chess piece moved her tail the slightest little bit. Determined to break free of Domnu’s spell, she quivered all over, trying to unfreeze herself.
Utterly dejected, Shim hung his head. How could he have been so foolish? Of course she’d remember her own trick, and expect him to try to use it against her! And now that his plan had failed, both he and Motherly were truly vanquished.
Unless . . .
His mind raced. There was still one chance left—and only one—to outwit the sorceress. But that chance was terribly slim. It could easily go wrong . . . and would need all his concentration to go right.
“You’re rightly,” he said in a meek tone of voice. “It was stupid of me, horribobulously stupid, to think that a lowly person like me could ever trick somelyone as geniusish as you.”
Domnu clucked with satisfaction. “Maybe you could still prove useful to me.” Stroking her scalp thoughtfully, she continued, “Which is why I’ve changed my mind. Instead of wormifying you . . . I’m going to give you a job.”
“A job?”
“Oh yes, a lovely one.” Lowering her voice to a snarl, she said, “You will serve as your mother’s commander.”
He froze.
Warming to her idea, Domnu continued, “If you refuse, then she will die.” With a menacing show of teeth, she added, “Of course, she will die anyway. Because you will work her to death.”
Shim seethed with anger. Yet he held his tongue. For he knew that for his new plan to work, he had to play along and seem hopeless, so as not to rouse her suspicions.
All the while, Vonya pulled mightily on her bonds. One stone behind her back shifted slightly, grinding against the stones above and below. Yet that wasn’t nearly enough progress—she needed to do more to save her son. Or die trying!
Meanwhile, Shim continued to look totally dejected. Which was exactly how he would really feel if this last, desperate ploy didn’t succeed.
With a shaking hand, he reached into his pocket and started to pull out the crystal. Beads of sweat moistened his brow. Did he have the right plan? And did he have the right words to pull it off?
Domnu watched him, licking her lips with anticipation.
His hand wrapped around the crystal. Steadily, now. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of movement. The unicorn, valiantly trying to break the spell, swished her tail!
He clenched his jaw. If the unicorn could show such courage—well then, by the beard of Dagda, so could he.
Domnu, getting impatient, stretched out her hand. “Give me that thing. No more delay!”
Shim closed his eyes. Now, Leaper. Take Motherly and me far away from here! Not just so we can survive—but so there will still be somely giants left in this world.
“Treachery!” shouted Domnu, sensing the magic rising in the crystal. She pointed her hands at Shim, ready to blast him to nothingness, when—
Crash!
Vonya pulled several stones from the wall, destabilizing the wall itself. Dozens of immense stones came smashing down, bursting beams and exploding on the floor. The entire lair started to collapse.
Ev
en as the whole place caved in, Shim added one more request to the glowing crystal in his hand: And somely unicorns, too.
There was a sudden flash of orange light.
Domnu shrieked wildly as stones crashed down on top of her, smashing bones, bowls, and all her treasures—including eyeballs. The lair collapsed with such force that powerful tremors shook the entire Haunted Marsh. A dust cloud rose so high that it was seen many leagues away by the poet Cairpré in the Town of the Bards.
Of course, even such a terrible disaster couldn’t kill Domnu. She possessed too much power to be destroyed so easily. And for her, the task of rebuilding her lair wouldn’t be too difficult. It would, actually, give her the opportunity to make some much-needed improvements—such as expanding her dungeons to leave plenty of room for giants.
No, as she crawled out of the enormous pile of rubble that had so recently been her home, only one fact annoyed her. Greatly annoyed her. She knew, through her insight as a sorceress, that three of her most valuable prisoners had somehow escaped.
Domnu rose to her feet, then cursed and stomped so vehemently that even the marsh ghouls shuddered with fear. All the plants that grew on the edges of the marsh suddenly withered and died. The shadowy gloom of the swamp darkened more than ever. And the moon itself felt Domnu’s terrible wrath, causing it to hide behind clouds for the next seven days.
29.
ALL THE LIGHT
As the orange light faded, Shim found himself standing on the shore of Umdahla’s lake—exactly at the spot where he’d left for Domnu’s lair. As before, the dark of night surrounded him, while Fincayra’s stars sparkled overhead. He realized that, since he hadn’t specified any location, the Leaper had returned him there. Squeezing the crystal gratefully, he slid it back into his pocket.
At that very instant, he heard, right behind him, the sound of shoreline rocks being crushed by something very heavy. He spun around to see an enormous figure kneeling down, opening her arms to embrace him.
