Read Online Doom of the Dragon by Margaret Weis - Free Book Online Page B

me!”
    â€œNow what does all that mean?” Skylan asked himself.
    He didn’t like to think about the answer.
    Within moments, a green and gold dragon appeared in the sky, flying down from the top of the mountain. The dragon hovered for an instant above the ship, then vanished, infusing the ship with his spirit. The eyes of the dragon on the prow began to glow with life. The dragonship glided out of the smooth waters of the cove and sailed out into the open sea.
    Joabis was restless. He sat down on a sea chest, but after a few moments, he jumped up and began pacing the deck. Then he sat back down and looked at Skylan.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Skylan demanded. “Why does Vindrash ‘owe you’?”
    â€œI’m too thirsty to talk,” said Joabis, fanning himself with his hand. “Fetch me some ale. There’s a barrel in the hold.”
    Skylan scowled. “I am not one of your souls you can order about. Answer my questions and I’ll think about it.”
    Joabis drew a greasy leather pouch from his tunic, opened it, and shook out some dice. “We will roll for it. You win and I’ll answer your questions.”
    â€œHow about this?” said Skylan grimly. “You answer my questions and I won’t kick a hole in the hull and sink your damn boat.”
    Joabis cast him a baleful glance, gathered up his dice and dropped them back into the pouch. “What do you want to know?”
    â€œEven though I am not dead, I am in the realm of the dead, right?” Skylan asked.
    â€œYes,” said Joabis, eyeing him warily.
    â€œYour crew were all souls who come to dwell with you on your isle.”
    â€œThat is true,” said Joabis.
    â€œSo what frightens dead men so badly that they run off and leave a barrel full of ale behind?” Skylan demanded. “More to the point, what’s frightening you?”
    Joabis stood up and headed for the hatch. “I’ll fetch my own ale.”
    â€œI’m coming with you,” said Skylan.
    â€œSuit yourself,” said Joabis, shrugging.
    Skylan headed for the hatch, noticing a strong smell of ale wafting up from the hold. Joabis descended the ladder that led down in to the hatch and Skylan followed, backing down the ladder.
    The hold was dark, especially after the glare of the sunlight, and Skylan couldn’t see. He could smell, however, and the stench of ale was overwhelming. He could also hear a sloshing sound, as if the hold were filled with water.
    â€œDoes this damn boat of yours leak?” Skylan asked.
    Joabis’s answer was a shriek of dismay.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Skylan demanded, peering into the darkness, his hand on the hilt of his sword. “What is it?”
    When his eyes adjusted, he could see for himself. Every single barrel had been chopped up like kindling. The hold was awash in ale, with broken barrel staves and other debris floating on top, sloshing back and forth with the movement of the ship.
    Skylan relaxed. “This must have been a merry party—”
    â€œParty? Are you mad?” Joabis wailed. “I didn’t do this! I wouldn’t destroy my own ale! I’ve been attacked by pirates! They’ve stolen everything!”
    He was standing at the bottom of the ladder, wringing his hands with ale lapping around his ankles, clearly agitated. Skylan waded into the mess, examining empty wineskins and picking up sodden sacks.
    â€œThis wasn’t pirates. They didn’t steal, they destroyed. Whoever did this came in search of something.”
    Joabis’s knees sagged and he nearly fell, saving himself by catching hold of the ladder for support.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” he asked in a quavering voice. “How can you know that?”
    â€œPirates would have stolen your supplies and run off with them. Whoever was here took an axe to the ale barrels, slit open the wineskins with a knife, and slashed the