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278 lines
17 KiB
HTML
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<head>
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<title>The Shadowmaster - Chapter 21</title>
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<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="imperaWeb.css"/>
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<div class="section" id="xhtmldocuments">
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<h1>21</h1>
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<p>
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Megrin had reached out with her mind for Jack Flint and his friends and found only a void that made her heart sink with despair. For hours she stumbled
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through passages and tunnels, and as she descended, the hot smell of sulphur mixed with the dank reek of decay, in a foul mixture that would make a lesser
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human choke.
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</p>
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<p>
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<em>It</em>
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was closer now, wreathed in shadows. Not Bodron. No. It was something from the shadowed underworld, something that had come through the dark way. It was
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powerful and completely devoid of any human quality.
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</p>
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<p>
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The walked carefully on, almost feeling her way towards the source when there was a sudden shudder under her feet and in the fabric of the thick air. The
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jolt sent seismic tremors through the ground and she realised that <em>something</em> had happened.
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</p>
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<p>
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She stopped in the gloom and slowed her breath. And then she felt it.
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack Flint and his friends were here. They were far away, Jack and Kerry and Corriwen Redthorn, and still inside Bodron's black reach. While her heart
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lurched at the thought of them in danger, a part of her surged in the knowledge that they were still alive.
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</p>
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<p>
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It meant that the heartstone's bearer was still pursuing his quest, as she had foreseen. His friends would be behind him every step of the way, no matter
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where it led.
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</p>
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<p>
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It was that bravery and determination in the hearts of these three young people, that she had long known would be the only salvation for Uaine.
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</p>
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<p>
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Megrin walked on towards whatever awaited her in the deep tunnels under Bodron's keep.
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</p>
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<p>
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She wanted to face Bodron before Jack Flint did, because he needed the heartstone to complete his master's plans.
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</p>
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<p>
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And that could mean only one thing. The final opening of the Dark Way between Uaine and the shadowlands below.
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</p>
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<p>
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It could mean the end of <em>everything.</em>
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</p>
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<p class="break">
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***
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</p>
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<p>
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"The worse it gets, the closer we'll be," Jack repeated, as they walked along the narrow tunnel.
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</p>
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<p>
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It had been bad already, and none of them knew how bad it could get. But his friends were with him and that lent him courage.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Which way then?" Kerry asked, when they reached a place where several passageways intersected. Jack didn't reply for a moment, then he turned slowly from
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left to right, in almost a full circle. He stopped and pointed to the left.
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</p>
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<p>
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"That way," he said.
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</p>
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<p>
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"How do you know?" Rionna's voice was a whisper in the gloom.
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</p>
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<p>
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"I don't know how. I think the heartstone knows where danger lies."
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</p>
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<p>
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"I'm scared already," Kerry admitted. His short-sword was out, but he had a fair idea it wouldn't be much good against nightmares.
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</p>
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<p>
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He'd much rather be on the banks of Rionna's stream, catching trout with his bare hands and soaking up the sun. In fact, he told himself, he'd rather be
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anywhere at all.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Might as well get it over with," he added, even though his heart was pounding. "Just as long as I don't meet the monster with claws from under my bed,
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I'll be fine."
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</p>
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<p>
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He walked behind the others, guarding their backs, with Rionna ahead and Corriwen close on Jack's heels. There wasn't room to walk side by side
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</p>
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<p>
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The tunnel sloped down in a slow spiral, and as they descended, the air grew thicker. Corriwen held the little oil-lamp at shoulder-height and the tiny
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flame allowed Jack to see a couple of feet ahead, but no more.
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</p>
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<p>
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The heartstone pulsed steadily, stronger than before. Jack bit back his apprehension and led them on, while the walls grew narrower still until his
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shoulders scraped against them on either side.
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</p>
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<p>
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"We can't go much further," Corriwen said. "It's getting too narrow."
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</p>
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<p>
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"I can feel the ground shake," Kerry said. "That can't be good."
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack had felt the tremors underfoot. He prayed that they would get through this before the roof came down and buried them all. He forced his feet to keep
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walking until a blast of hot air came barrelling at them from ahead and snuffed the lamp out.
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</p>
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<p>
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Darkness engulfed them and Jack felt a powerful sense of claustrophobia. The scorched air buffeted them and passed on. For a second there was silence,
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followed by an odd rasping sound, like hoarse whispers in the distance.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Light," Jack hissed. "We need light."
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</p>
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<p>
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A spark told him Kerry's flint lighter was doing its best and then flame whooshed into life. He re-lit the lamp. Jack turned to lead on.
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</p>
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<p>
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Fine gauzy threads scraped past his face, snagging stickily on his skin. All around, filaments stretched in zig-zag patterns, a cat's cradle of strings
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that criss-crossed from wall to wall and ceiling to floor. Jack touched one and it stuck to his hand like glue. He tugged hard and it yielded, stretching
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the other threads in soft vibrations of sound.
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</p>
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<p>
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Above them something scraped on stone. Corriwen raised the lamp and looked up.
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</p>
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<p>
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Four pairs of red eyes reflected the tiny flame. Pin-points in the shadows.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Oh, Jack," Kerry whispered. "I know what that is."
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</p>
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<p>
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"What?"
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</p>
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<p>
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Before Kerry could reply, the eyes moved, and <em>fast</em>. Something the size of a big rat bounded along one silken thread, making it twang as it moved.
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Jack glimpsed a number of pinioning legs and before he could yell a warning, a huge spider leapt from the web and landed square on Corriwen's head.
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</p>
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<p>
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Her scream of pure horror cut Jack like a knife. He had never heard Corriwen scream before.
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</p>
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<p>
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For an instant Jack was rooted to the spot. He saw the spider's its legs flex as it raised a grotesque head. He saw two yellow curves below the four eyes
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as it braced itself to strike.
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</p>
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<p>
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Corriwen whirled and her free hand swung up to bat the thing away.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Get it off me! Get if <em>off</em>!"
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</p>
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<p>
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Her desperate cry broke Jack's paralysis. The great sword shot out before even knew he had moved and sliced the bloated spider in half with one clean sweep
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just before the fangs plunged into Corriwen's eyes.
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</p>
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<p>
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Corriwen shuddered and stumbled back, tangled in a strand which broke from its anchor on the wall and whipped round her leg, sending her sprawling. The
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whole web thrummed like a bass string, making all the thick threads vibrate in unison.
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</p>
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<p>
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Overhead, what looked like thin twigs waved in the air from hollows in the stonework. Jack saw them and snatched at Corriwen's hand, dragging her upright.
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The web was still snagged round her ankle and as she moved, it set up a strange harmonic in the strings.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Are you okay?" Jack asked.
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</p>
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<p>
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"I've had better days," she gasped. "But I'll live."
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</p>
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<p>
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"Don't worry," Kerry snorted. "They're only bugs."
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</p>
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<p>
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Above his head two of the thin twigs curved down to tap rhythmically on web. Then something even bigger than the first hauled out from its hole in the
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stone, fangs dripping. Another monstrous spider launched itself, swinging on its own silk, eyes as red as flame.
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</p>
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<p>
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It lurched across the web. Jack recoiled when saw a fat body as big as a cat, trailing sticky lines. On the opposite side, two more emerged, and came
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scrabbling towards them.
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</p>
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<p>
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Corriwen slashed at the web. It took two swings to cut the sticky line. Kerry jabbed his sword at the scuttling spider, but it dodged to the side as if it
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read his mind. It landed just above his head then pounced, faster than the eye could follow. Jointed legs snagged on either side of his shoulders. Kerry
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yelped and threw his shoulders against the wall, hoping to crush the thing, but just as quickly it crawled into his head, holding tight with hairy legs.
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</p>
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<p>
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Corriwen's knife flashed in front of Kerry's eyes and split the thing's pulsing abdomen. A spray of fine silk hosed out. She swung again and the knife cut
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straight through the narrow waist, and the spider dropped like a melon to splatter on the floor.
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</p>
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<p>
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Corriwen glanced at Kerry. His face white, but he managed a half-smile and gave her a thumbs up.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Spiderwoman saves the day!"
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</p>
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<p>
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"Only bugs!" she retorted, stepping close to give him a fast peck on his nose. "All bravado."
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</p>
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<p>
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"Back," Jack yelled. His sword cut an arc in the air, slicing through the web. It parted with a snap and two spiders catapulted off. Kerry speared one on
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the point of his blade. The other disappeared into the shadows.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Back where?" Corriwen asked. She looked around wildly, searching for a way to escape, but there were no exits.
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</p>
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<p>
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"We have to get out." Rionna cried. She was unarmed and defenceless. There were hordes of spiders all over the web, and more emerging from holes, a mass of
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scuttling legs and glittering eyes.
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</p>
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<p>
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Then a truly monstrous spider came scrambling down the wall, eyes glaring, fangs up and ready to strike. It was knee-high and covered in spiked hairs.
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack braced himself to meet it head on. The heartstone kicked against his breast.
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</p>
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<p>
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He slashed the blade down. The creature dodged it, quick as a flash. It launched itself into the air. Jack managed to hit it with the flat of the sword and
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it thudded against the wall, bounced and came straight at Kerry who ducked in pure reflex. As it flew over him, it trailed a skein of wet web which dropped
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around his shoulders. Then the spider swung in a circle, wrapping Kerry's head in a mass of sticky threads.
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack dashed forward, trying to stab, while the thing spun round and around until Kerry's head was shrouded and his muffled cry could hardly be heard. Jack
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paused, waiting for a chance to kill it without harming Kerry, while that the pure note made his ears ring. Corriwen was half-turned, eyes wide, both
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knives trying to slash at Kerry's attacker.
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</p>
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<p>
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Then another sound, even more powerful and clear, soared to overwhelm the heartstone. The walls shuddered and Jack felt the floor shiver under his feet.
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</p>
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<p>
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Rionna was standing stock still, hands clamped against her temples, her eyes screwed tightly shut. Her mouth was open wide and the sound that came from it
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vibrated the walls.
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</p>
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<p>
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When the sound rose to a crescendo, the big spider twitched and then it froze, still hunched on Kerry's back, fangs an inch from his neck. In a split
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second of clarity Jack lunged past Kerry's head, stabbing right between those fangs, straight and true, up to the hilt.
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</p>
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<p>
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As Jack pushed Kerry to the side, he felt an acid bite as the spider-blood sprayed across the skin of his arm. With a desperate effort, he spun around,
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dragging the spider away. It flew off the sword and hit the wall with a pulpy crack and fell dead.
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</p>
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<p>
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Beside him, Jack saw Corriwen's blades flicker as she jabbed and slashed, right and left, quick and expert, as limber as a ballerina, making each thrust
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count. Kerry got back to his feet and clawed at the web around his face until he was free and took a huge breath of air. When he stopped panting he swung
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again and lashed out in fury scattering the scuttling creatures right and left.
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</p>
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<p>
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Rionna's song soared to an incredible peak, and in front of her, Jack saw the walls were shimmering in and out of focus, like ripples on water.
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</p>
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<p>
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Suddenly she dashed forward and grabbed Corriwen's wrist.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Come on," she cried. "There's no time."
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</p>
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<p>
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She dragged Corriwen with her, straight for the wavering wall. It seemed to swallow them in the blink of an eye.
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack swung his blade, clearing a path through the wave of monstrous spiders, feeling his feet splash in puddles of their blood. He hacked at the webs until
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he reached the spot where Corriwen and Rionna had vanished, turned and hauled at Kerry and they both slumped against the wall.
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</p>
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<p>
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Everything went black as they fell into it.
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</p>
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<p>
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For a second he had a dizzying sense of weightlessness.
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</p>
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<p>
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The next thing he knew, there were flames all around him.
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</p>
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</div>
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