Страница 34 из 52
Gregory visualized Groghat's nervous system for them, and they all struck together, a massive stimulation of the solar plexus. Groghat folded as though the wind had been knocked out of him—which it had.
"He sleeps," Gregory reported.
"Recall thy bees, Puck," Magnus requested.
Puck was silent a moment, then smiled as a buzzing cloud lifted from Groghat and headed back into the woods.
Magnus sat back with a sigh of relief. " 'Tis done."
"Aye." Geoffrey gazed down at the giant. "Good folk may travel the High Way again."
"Not yet," Cordelia corrected. "Those loutish robbers do still hide in the forest."
Geoffrey lifted his head, a slow grin stretching his lips. "Why, then, we'll hale them out!" And he turned away, reaching for his dagger.
"Thou shalt not!" Puck's hand closed around his wrist. "When thou art grown, thou mayest do as thou dost please, and hazard thyself as thou wilt—yet for now, thou wilt leave such measures to those grown-ups whose office it is!"
Geoffrey turned back, frowning. "But he lies imprisoned!"
"Then let us free him!" Cordelia clapped her hands. "Oh, please, Puck!"
"Certes," the elf agreed. "There should be no danger in that. Yet wilt thou leave thy father's horse for the crows?"
"Fess!" Cordelia pressed a hand to her lips. "I had forgot!"
"The bird that could harm Fess must needs be an iron crow," Magnus assured her, gri
He banked away toward the forest, and the others sailed after him.
The great black horse lay on its side, eyes clouded.
Cordelia knelt by him. "Pray Heaven he's not truly hurted!"
"I doubt it quite." Magnus dropped down beside the robot and felt under the saddlehorn for the enlarged vertebra that was the hidden circuit-breaker. "Papa hath told me that Fess's 'brain' is enclosed in padding that can withstand shocks fifty times greater than the pull of the earth… There!"
The amber eyes cleared. Slowly, the great head lifted. "Whaaat… wherrrre…"
"Self-diagnostic," Gregory said quickly.
The robot held still.
"What hast thou said, sprat?" Geoffrey frowned, worried.
"I know not—only that 'tis something Papa doth say, when he's afeard Fess may be hurted. What is its meaning, Magnus?"
"Iddt cuezzz uh brrrogram that eggzamines mmy circuits forr dam-mage," the great black horse put in, "then mmy phyzzical strugdyure. In this instanzze, mmy circuitry is u
"Oh!" Cordelia's eyes widened. "How may we mend it?"
"It is u
They leaped up and stepped back as Fess lurched, scrambling to his feet. "Yet will not the weakening prove harmful, an thou art embattled?" Geoffrey protested.
"The probability of such stress-failure is .97," Fess ac-knowledged. "When we return home, I shall see to its replace-ment. Yet for now, I am safe enough." He lifted his head suddenly, looking off toward the north. "Your friend has re-turned, Cordelia."
They all turned, to see the unicorn step out of the wood. Cordelia ran to embrace her with a glad cry. The unicorn nuz-zled the girl's face, then cocked her head in question. "Gladly!" Cordelia cried, and leaped up sidesaddle. The uni-corn trotted toward the boys, but halted ten yards away.
Puck smiled, pleased. "Now, children—shall we fetch that count thou dost seek?"
"And his children," Cordelia added.
The count was in his dungeon, eating bread and water. His wife was in the cell next door, encouraging her children in
their efforts to dig their way out with a spoon. She knew they didn't have a chance, but it kept them busy. Needless to say, she was overjoyed when the young Gallowglasses let her out. So was the count.
"I shall call up my men!" he cried.
"First thou must needs go back to thine own castle," Magnus reminded him. "Be wary and go by the northern path."
"Wherefore?"
"For that we left the giant sleeping by the southern pasture, and he may be wakening now."
"And we have met a poor old witch in the south who was accursed by a foul sorcerer; we left them sleeping, too," Gregory added.
"And there is a peasant wench who doth work her wiles to persuade all the young men to join with the Shire-Reeve," Cordelia put in.
"All this, in a few days' time!" The count shook his head. His lady tactfully didn't mention that she had told him he should pay a little more attention to the monsters in the under-brush.
"All lie to the south," Magnus explained. "Sin that thou art afoot, we do think thou wouldst be wisest to go toward the north."
The count didn't argue. He and his family faded into the forest, moving fast.
Magnus turned to confer with his brothers, sister, and elves. "The count and his family are freed, and the giant is vanquished; I doubt me not he will prove small trouble, an we can muzzle his master."
Puck frowned. "Thou speakest of true danger now. These Cold-Iron warlocks have thy father's ma
"Ye couldn't counter a dance step," Kelly scoffed. "Ye don't seek to undo these Cold-Iron spells—ye bedevil the sorcerers!"
Puck gave him an irked glance. "I've some small experience in that, too. I'd have no fear for my own sake—but 'tis too great a risk for the children."
Geoffrey lifted his head, incensed, but Gregory said, "They may hold our Mama and Papa."
The children stared at one another, then at Puck. "'Tis true," Magnus said slowly. "Where else would Papa's enemies
hold those they've captured, but in their own castle?"
"They do not use castles," Puck reminded. "They may issue their orders from a manor house, or a church—or even a peasant hut, for all that."
"For all that, and all that," Kelly grumbled.
Puck frowned at him. "Of what nation didst thou say thou wert?"
"Any but yers," Kelly retorted.
"I prithee, hold," Magnus cried. "If Mama and Papa are prisoners within the keep of these star-warlocks, we must hale them out."
The room was quiet for a moment; Puck and Kelly exchanged looks of misgiving.
"We will help thee to find them," Puck said at last, "if thou wilt promise me solemnly to stay in the forest nearby, and never go into the fighting."
The children exchanged glowers, and Geoffrey looked fit to burst. Finally, though, Magnus said reluctantly, "We do promise, Puck."
"Most solemnly?"
"Oh, aye, most solemnly," Geoffrey said in disgust.
"Well enough, then." Puck nodded, satisfied, and turned away to the dungeon stair. The children followed.
"Though how," wondered Magnus, "could any prison hold our mother and father?"
"In drugged slumber," Geoffrey answered. "Come, brother—let us search!"