Blade licked his lips. «So Nris-Pol is your master. Not that I ever doubted it, of course. But Mir-Kasa may be interested in knowing this.»

«She'll never know it from you,» said one of the warriors grimly. «You'll not live that long.»

«I wonder,» said Blade. «Remember the war against the Eagles!» And he lunged forward.

If he had wanted to get away, he could have done so easily. But he knew that in the long run his only safety lay behind the door into the chambers of the Low People. His problem was to stay alive until the uproar brought somebody who could and would let him in. After that-but he would worry about that later.

Nris-Pol chose his warriors well, that was at once obvious. Both were first-class fighters, and Blade could not afford to take his eyes off either one. A continuous clang of swords echoed down the corridor. Blade also began to worry about attracting unwelcome visitors.

But when the response came, it came from behind the door. Blade heard it slide open with the familiar hiss. Footsteps sounded behind him, running hard, and he swung around and leaped to one side. Again he flattened himself against the wall, just as a slim figure in warrior's garb dashed out of the doorway, swords flashing.

The newcomer ignored Blade as if he were a part of the wall itself, and charged straight at Nris-Pol's two warriors. In an instant he was closely engaged with both of them. In the next instant it was obvious that he was badly outmatched. The leader's long sword came down with a terrific crash, and the newcomer's long sword sailed into the air and clattered on the floor. A moment later the other warrior closed, grabbed the newcomer's left arm, and twisted hard. The newcomer let out a high-pitched scream of pain and dropped his short sword as well.

But in their eagerness to defeat and disarm the newcomer, the two warriors had forgotten Blade. He reminded them of his existence by coming out from the wall in a lightning-quick lunge, with his long sword extended. Its point drove straight into the open mouth of the leader, smashing teeth, splitting tongue, and going on up into the brain. The warrior's eyes went blank, and he toppled to the floor so suddenly that he pulled the long sword out of Blade's grasp.

But the other warrior did not wait to take advantage of Blade's situation. Before his leader had hit the floor, he had released the newcomer with a yell of sheer terror. As Blade turned to face him, he turned also, and sprinted away down the corridor as hard as he could go.

Blade bent to help the newcomer, who was kneeling on the floor rubbing his bruised arm. «That was a damned foolish thing to do,» Blade said sharply. «You didn't even try to coordinate your attack with me. If you had, neither of those louts would have escaped.»

The newcomer nodded. «I know,» and raised a wide-eyed face to Blade. Blade stared.

«Kun-Rala!»

Unmistakably, the face under the slightly askew warrior's helmet was that of the girl he had seen using the great wand the night of Mir-Kasa's «demonstration.»

She nodded. Then she rose and grabbed his arm, almost dragging him toward the doorway into the area of the Low People. «Come with me, quickly. We have to get below, to Bryg-Noz!»

«How did you come to be here at all?»

«Please, we can't stay here. That one got away, and he'll warn everybody and-«

«It's your own damned fault that he got away,» said Blade irritably. He didn't like being dragged about like a barge at the end of a towline without knowing why. He had put up with a good deal of it from his enemies, but he'd be damned if he'd put up with it from his friends-if they were his friends.

A moment later he wished he hadn't sounded so angry. Kun-Rala's face crumpled, and she burst into tears. Blade grimaced. He wished the girl would make up her mind whether she was a warrior or a woman. He didn't know how she was at being a woman, but so far she hadn't done very well as a warrior. He put his arms around her, and pulled her against his bare chest. The warmth and the pressure of his arms seemed to calm her. Her voice was steadier the next time she spoke.

«Please, Blade-Liza. I know I'm no good as a fighter. But Bryg-Noz didn't have many he could trust, to send up to watch for you. And I can lead you down to him. Let me do that, please. You must realize that. There's nothing left for you up here. And you can help us. You must help us.»

Blade could not help wondering why he «must» do anything of the kind. But he decided this was the wrong time to ask any more questions. A moment later his decision was reinforced by the sound of feet and voices approaching down the corridor at a run.

Kun-Rala sprang out of his arms and slapped a section of the wall. She must have touched a hidden switch, for the door hissed shut behind them. The feet and voices stopped outside, and Blade could hear the faint pounding of angry fists on the door. Kun-Rala turned frightened eyes toward him.

«Please, Blade-Liza. Come with me down to Bryg-Noz. They may think you are so dangerous they will want to break through the door. And then they will kill us both.»

Blade nodded. He hardly had any alternative to trusting her, other than going back outside and taking his chances with the warriors Nris-Pol had obviously massed outside. And it sounded as though there were a good dozen of them.

«All right, Kun-Rala, take me to Bryg-Noz.»

Chapter FOURTEEN

They found Bryg-Noz far below, in a small chamber just off the large chamber where Blade had seen the great wands demonstrated. The general of Mir-Kasa's literally «underground» army rose to greet him, hand extended.

«Welcome to our ranks, Blade-Liza. Or am I being premature in welcoming you?» He made a quick gesture, and several men who had been lounging against the wall of the chamber stood up and drew their swords.

Blade laughed. «You obviously don't trust me much more than I trust you. I let Kun-Rala lead me down here because I would like to stay alive a little while longer. And up above that would hardly be possible. There were a dozen or so of Nris-Pol's henchmen pounding on the door behind us as we started down the stairs.» A nod from Kun-Rala confirmed that statement.

Bryg-Noz stared at Blade for a moment, then shook his head wearily. Another gesture caused the men to put up their swords. The leader sighed. «Blade, perhaps you had better tell us what has happened today. Tell all of it, as it has appeared to you, and only what you have seen with your own eyes and heard with your own ears.»

Blade did so. As the tale ran on, Bryg-Noz's face grew longer and longer, and he began pounding one fist into the palm of the other hand. Blade saw tears glisten in Kun-Rala's eyes and flow quietly down her cheeks. One of the men by the wall was cursing quietly to himself. Finally Blade came to the end of his tale.

Bryg-Noz sighed again. «Quite a tale, Blade. Now»-and his voice was harsh-«tell me how you understand Queen MirKasa's plans for-for the future of Melnon.»

«You must have heard them often enough,» said Blade.

«I have,» said Bryg-Noz. «I certainly have. But I want to know how they sound to you. You may hear or see them differently from me.»

«Suppose I do?» said Blade. He was even more tired of mystery-mongering and implied threats than he had been up above. «What will you do? If it involves violence, think twice before you do it.» Again the men along the wall drew their swords, but this time Kun-Rala also drew hers. «Please, Bryg-Noz,» she said. «Consider what he has been through today. You are behaving like Nris-Pol himself, with all your threats and growling like a hungry animal.»

Bryg-Noz glared at the girl, but her words seemed to sink in. He sat down again and held his graying head in his hands for a moment. Then he raised infinitely weary dark eyes to Blade and said slowly, «Blade, I apologize. I–I am more tired than any man should be, who has to bear the load I do. If I could just get some sleep … But I must ask you again-tell me how Mir-Kasa's plans look to you.»