Trees, blackened and gnarled, dotted the landscape, and the waters ran with a clarity so profound that Pug knew not even algae lived in the pools. No insect buzz filled the air, and no bird call could be heard. The only sound was the wind.
‘It is worse here,’ said Hanam, as if reading Pug’s thoughts. ‘Here is where the creatures first came into our world.’
‘But soon it will all be like this?’
‘Soon.’
‘Now I see why they are anxious to find new worlds.’ Pug said, ‘How is it they could reach this world, yet not ours?’
With what Pug had come to understand as a laugh, a barking sound came, followed by Hanam’s voice: ‘In their rush into this world to feed, the demons destroyed the priests of Ahsart, the only ones on this world able to control the portal. I believe that what you’ve said about the Pantathians on your world means the demons have no allies on your world willing to bring them over.’
As they approached the city of Ahsart, Pug said, ‘Nothing we’ve seen of Jakan says he’s anxious to open the way for his brothers.’
‘Then let me give you this warning, Pug of Midkemia. Knowledge comes with the capture and devouring of souls. This would-be Demon King may know of the Hall and the ability of some of your people to make controllable rifts. If so, when he’s captured enough of your land to feel firmly in control, he may start invading other worlds.’
Pug said, ‘I deduced as much.’
‘Then you know that even if we win here, you must return and defeat Jakan.’
Pug said, ‘If I don’t, Tomas will.’
They entered the burned-out city and started looking for the great temple, the entrance through which the demons had originally entered. Inside they found Saaur bones, dead priests torn limb from limb by the invading demons years before.
‘It’s not here!’ said Pug.
‘What?’
‘The portal. The rift into this world from the demon realm. It’s not here.’
Pug let them become visible. ‘Where is it?’
Hanam said, ‘There can be only one answer.’
‘What?’
‘They have moved the portal by magic means, somehow, to be near the rift into your world. That means they’re preparing the way to your world for Maarg! He must be close to coming through!’
‘Where is that?’
‘On the other side of the world.’
‘I cannot fly us around the world and keep us invisible!’ said Pug. ‘I can’t transport us to a place I’ve never seen.’
The demon with the Loremaster’s mind said, ‘Then we must fly, quickly, and fight whoever gets in our way.’ He leaped to the air with what sounded like a war cry, and Pug followed.
NINETEEN - Catastrophe
Roo grimaced.
His shoulder hurt to the touch, but Luis assured him it was without infection. When the bandage was changed, Luis said, ‘That should do it for now. We’ll dean it again tomorrow night when we reach Wilhelmsburg.’
Roo said, ‘A bed!’ He grinned at Karli, Helen, and the children. For the first few days on the road the children had treated the journey like an adventure, but since this morning Abigail had been asking when they were going home. Karli had tried to explain that it would be a long time, but a ‘long time’ more than five minutes was lost on the three-year-old.
Camp was relatively calm, though the mercenaries Roo had hired looked more and more nervous as the days wore on. Roo and Luis had spent enough time around soldiers to know these were men used to sitting quietly, scaring off bandits, and rarely having to pull sword or bowstring.
Krondor had fallen. That had become apparent from the incredible tower of black smoke that appeared in the west, two days after they left, and from the increase in traffic on the road east. More and more Roo spied the hired guards engaged in quiet conversation, and he suspected they were ready to bolt at the first sign of serious trouble.
Roo had talked to Luis in private about his doubts as to the reliability of the mercenaries, and Luis agreed. Luis saw to it he spent enough time around them both to bolster their resolve and to make it dear he was ready to deal harshly with anyone who didn’t earn his pay. Roo knew that he had a better chance of keeping his little caravan intact once they reached Wilhelmsburg. They would rest, leave after a night in one of the inns Roo owned, then make for Ravensburg. Roo had promised the men a partial payment of their wages, and a little gold in their pockets would keep them in line.