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.Growling, a suspicious slant to his angrybrow, he advanced on the castlefolk.Everyone spread out and away from him."What tricks now, spirit?" the manroared."Hey, no tricks." Linda said.The man halted, sword still raised warily."What are all of you? Demons sentto torment me?"Page 50ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Hardly," Linda said calmly."Now just take it easy.Who are you?"The man lowered his sword a little, looking around wildly."Where is thisplace? Where am I?""Castle Perilous," Linda told him."In the chapel.""Indeed," the man said, dropping his sword arm.He spun around, taking in thevastness of the place.He nodded."A fine edifice it is.But where is it?""Well, where are you from?""Corcindor," the man said."I am Rance of Corcindor.""Rance, nice to meet you.You've somehow walked into Castle Perilous.It's anice place, and no one'sgoing to torment you.""So you say," Rance circled, still taking the measure of the place, assessingits dangers.At the same time he was awed.He had never seen such a finecathedral.Presently he stopped and sheathed his sword."I believe you.""You didn't come in through a portal," Linda said."Portal?""That's the usual way to enter Castle Perilous, through a magic doorway.""Ah.Magic.I've had a bellyful of that!""Yeah, it gets old.How did you get here? Do you know?""I can only surmise.I was flung here by the black spell of an evil wizard.Ifthe spell worked, this is a world that is not the world, but another which isentirely different and separate.""I'd say that was an accurate statement.Are you hungry?""Eh? Why.yes." Rance thought about it."I'm famished.""Let's go to the dining room.I'm Linda Barelay.Nice to meet you."Rance took her hand, looked down at it, then up at her."You are a beautifulwoman.""Thank you.""Though attired strangely.Are you sure you're not a demon?""Quite sure.Will you dine with us, Rance?""Uh.yes.I would be honored.""You're a Guest, capital G.A Guest of the Castle.This way."Rance watched Linda walk off.Her companions, among whom were several otherattractive women, followed hard on her heels.One or two of them regarded himwarily, but their manner was not wholly uninviting.He took one last look around."Benarus, I may thank you yet," he murmured.Keeping a distance, he followed.?CHAPTER NINETEEN"MY HEAD STILL HURTS," Gene said."Don't feel like running a gauntlet today.""Well, you're probably not going to have any choice in the matter," Snowclawsaid as he watched the barbarians line up by twos, their swords and axesready."I prefer not to."Snowclaw chuckled."They prefer otherwise.Looks like a bunch of them aregoing to chase you through the lineup from one side, so yoe can't go back.You'll have to fight your way through.""My goddamn head hurts."Snowclaw stepped back and surveyed the makeshift stockade that imprisonedthem."I could rip out these posts with a little work.Maybe we could make abreak for it.""They'd catch us.Besides, I'm going to teach them a lesson for whacking me onthe head.""Oh, you are?""Yup."Snowclaw chortled again."Fine by me.This is gonna be good."Page 51ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Should be."The sky was overcast, a gray dome above the steppes.A chilly wind blew infrom the west, where a low-hanging sun was a ball of yellow fuzz surrounded byswirls of gray.Short grass rippled in the wind, and the occasional tall weedbent to necessity."You sound really confident," Snowclaw observed."I am.This world is very amenable to my sword magic.""It is?""Yup.In fact, it's super-amenable.""Yeah? But you don't have a sword."Gene said, "Good point.However, do you think they're going to send me throughthat gauntlet without one? Or are they going to be sporting about it?""I dunno," said Snowclaw."I think they'll give me a pretty lousy sword to make it sport.You know, tosee how long I can last.Is their leader around-the guy with the hornedhelmet?"Snowy scanned the campsite."Yeah, he's there.""Good." Gene yawned."Looks like they're about ready for you.Think they'll make me run it, too?""I think they'll just stick spears at you through the stockade.""Then I should loosen these posts a little so I can get out quick and rip into'em.""Yeah," Gene said, "surprise them.Hey, Snowy [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]