The little smith came scrambling up the ladder and then stood there puffing. "We hit a snag out there, Cap'n," he wheezed.

"Catch your breath before you report, Rabbit," Sorgan said.

"Aye, Cap'n," the little smith said. Then he stood breathing deeply for a few moments. "Things went real good for a while, Cap'n," he started again. "Just about the only breed of bugs we saw were those little ones, but when we started back, Torl caught a few glimpses of great big ones. I ain't exaggerating one little bit, Cap'n. They stood almost ten feet tall, and they probably weighed close to a ton."

"You're not serious!" Sorgan exclaimed.

"I'm afraid I am, Cap'n. This wall our people made here just won't work. If those big ones are as strong as the others, they'll smash down your fort here with their bare hands and then throw the bits and pieces out into the Wasteland just to get rid of them."

"You'd better round up the men, Black-Beard," Sorgan said to Padan. "This wall here's going to have to be at least twice as high and three times as thick if it's going to hold off the giant bug-people." Then he took Aracia's arm again. "There's not much you or your people are going to be able to do to help us. Right now I'd say that blocking off most of the corridors your people included when they built the temple would be the best thing to do. You don't really want more than one hallway leading there."

Chapter Three

The men out on the berm continued to shout and to roll large rocks down the empty far side to make it appear that there were still enemies charging their position. Queen Aracia stayed very close to Sorgan, but she seemed to be growing more and more calm. "The bug-people are truly hideous, aren't they, Captain Hook-Beak?" she asked.

"Oh, yes. The first time I ever saw one of them was right after Eleria's flood had come rushing down the ravine to almost swamp the village of Lattash. That flood drowned bug-people by the hundreds, and their bodies were washed on down to the village. That was when my men and I found out that those little bug-people had snake fangs and they were deadly. I almost gave your sister's gold back to her and sailed on back home at that point."

"You were actually afraid? I didn't think you knew the meaning of the word 'afraid.'"

"I wasn't quite ready for snake-bugs—or maybe bug-snakes—at that time. It took a while for me to get used to the notion. I have Longbow to thank for that. There's a man who isn't afraid of anything."

"I know," Aracia said. "I spoke with him a few times when I was observing the war in Veltan's Domain. Is he really as good as everybody says he is?"

"Better, probably," Sorgan replied. "If your sister had been lucky enough to have ten men like Longbow, she wouldn't have needed me." Sorgan shaded his eyes and peered down at the ridge lying to the west of the fort. "My men aren't rolling rocks or throwing spears anymore, and that sort of says that they've managed to kill all of the bug-people who'd been pursuing them."

"It's safe for me to return to the main temple, then?" Aracia asked.

"Let's hold off until morning, lady," Sorgan said. "Let's not take any unnecessary chances." Then he looked questioningly at his employer. "Would it offend you if I had something to eat?" he asked her.

"Not in the slightest, Captain," she replied. "I think I'll nibble on the sunset while you have supper."

"I'm never going to get used to that," Sorgan said. "How can anybody live on nothing but light?"

"It's one of our advantages," Aracia replied. "We don't need food, and we don't need sleep—not during our ordinary cycle, anyway. It's almost sleep-time now, though. I can feel it creeping up on me. I wish it would wait, though. I've got a lot of things that need to be taken care of, and I don't think I've got enough time."

"If it's all right with you, Lady Aracia, we'll wait until the sun's up tomorrow morning before we go back to your main temple. Let's be sure that there aren't any bug-people hiding in the corridors there."

"Whatever you think best, Captain Hook-Beak."

Padan felt a bit puzzled. It seemed to him that once Queen Aracia had been separated from her priesthood, she was almost normal. She also seemed to be developing a certain attachment to Sorgan Hook-Beak. The Maag's roughshod approach seemed to be bringing Aracia right to the brink of normalcy.

The dawn came, and Sorgan, along with Ox, Ham-Hand, Padan, and Rabbit, accompanied Aracia to her throne room. They paused briefly at the door while Aracia listened. When she heard what was being said on the other side, her eyes narrowed and her face went bleak. "Absolute scoundrels," she said. "Why was I ever foolish enough to believe anything they told me?"

"We all make mistakes, lady," Sorgan said rather placatingly.

"Well, I've made more than enough," Aracia said. Then she looked Sorgan right in the face. "I'm paying you to defend me, mighty Sorgan," she said. "You may earn some of that pay right here and now. I don't want any of those priests to come within ten feet of me."

"I think we can handle that, yes," Sorgan said. "I take it that you're planning to hurt their feelings just a bit."

"Watch," she replied. "Watch and learn." Then she literally slammed the throne room door open.

"Clear the way!" Sorgan bellowed. "Stand aside or die!" And he drew his sword.

It seemed to Padan that Sorgan might have taken it just a bit farther than necessary, but he drew his own sword to back Sorgan up. Then the party marched across the throne room in Aracia's wake.

"Great was our concern for you, most holy Aracia," Bersla of the big belly declared.

"But not quite great enough to move you to come looking for me, I noticed," Aracia replied.

"But—"

"Close your mouth!" Aracia snapped. Then she looked at Sorgan. "If he says anything else, kill him!" she ordered.

"It will be my pleasure, most holy," Sorgan replied with a florid bow that seemed to Padan to be totally out of character.

Aracia's face grew hard and cold. "Much have I considered the merits—or the lack of merit—of those here in this room today," she declared. "I have seen greed, cowardice, indolence, o'erwhelming self-esteem, and a total lack of anything at all that even remotely resembles honor. That, however, is about to change. Hear my command, my worshipers, and obey me—lest ye die."

"She definitely has a way with words, doesn't she?" Padan whispered to Sorgan.