murmured.
"You know him?"
"Yes. Of course." She took a step back the way she'd come, but Coker caught hold of her arm.
"He's attracted some attention," he said.
It was true. Two of the survivors of the bloodshed were following-one a dozen paces behind Buddenbaum, the seeond twice that-and by the state of their robes and blades it was plain they'd claimed more than their share of lives. In his haste, Buddenbaum was unaware of them, though they were closing on him fast. Alarmed, Maeve pulled away from Coker and stepped back over the threshold. The unstable ground, excited by her agitation, splashed up against her shins.
Coker called out to her again, but she ignored him and started down between the rocks, shouting to Buddenbaum as she went. He saw her now, and a smile crossed his face.
"Child!" Coker was behind her, yelling. "Quickly! Quicidy!"
She glanced over her shoulder at the flame of the crack. It was wavering wildly, as though it might extinguish itself at any moment. Coker was standing as close to the crack as he could get without crossing over, beckoning to her. But she couldn't go; not without hearing from Buddenbaum some words of explanation. Her father had suffered and perished because of a dream this man Buddenbaum had sown in his heart. She wanted to know why. Wanted to know what the shining city of Everville had meant to Buddenbaum, that he had gone to such trouble to inspire its creation.
There was only half a dozen yards between them now.
"Maeve-" he began. "Behind you!" she yelled, and he glanced back to see the assassins racing up between the rocks. With but a moment before the first of them was upon him, he took the offensive and struck out with his cane, bringing it down on the man's blade and dashing it from his hand. The blow splintered his cane, but he didn't cast it away. As his attacker bent to snatch up the fallen sword, Buddenbaum drove the broken cane into his face. He reeled backwards, shrieking, and before the other assailant could push past his companion and catch his now weaponless quarry, Buddenbaum was off again towards the crack.
"Stand aside, child!" he yelled to Maeve, who was frozen now, unable to advance or retreat. "Aside!" he said as he came upon her. Coker let out an angered yell, and she looked up to see him stepping back through the crack, whether to aid her or to block Buddenbaum she didn't know.
For a moment, picturing the look of hunger on Buddenbaum's face as he'd shoved her aside, she feared for Coker's safety. Buddenbaum knew what the door opened onto, that was plain, and equally plainly he'd not be denied whatever wonders lay there. He struck Coker four or five times, the blows powerful enough to crack Coker's nose and open his brow. Coker roared in fury, and seized hold of Buddenbaum by the throat, pitching him back the way he'd come.
Maeve had started to get to her feet, but as she did so a tremor ran through the ground, and she raised her head in time to see the crack convulse from one end to the other. Shaken by the violence in its midst, the flame was flickering out. "Coker!" she yelled, fearful he'd be trapped in the closing door.
He looked her way, his face all sorrow, and then retreated a step or two until he was safe from the threshold. The sliver of Quiddity visible through the crack was narrower by the moment, but her thoughts weren't of the voyages she'd never take there. they were of Coker, whom she'd known only half a night, but who'd been in that little time her savior and her tutor and her friend. He shied through the closing door like a beaten dog, so forlorn she couldn't bear to look at him.
Eyes stinging, she averted her gaze and Buddenbaum rose into her sight, his face spattered with Coker's blood.
"Never!" he was yelling, "Never! Never!" and raising his fists he stumbled back towards the narrowing crack as if to beat it open again.
In his passion he had forgotten the second assassin. He had clambered over his sprawled companion, and now, as
"You know him?"
"Yes. Of course." She took a step back the way she'd come, but Coker caught hold of her arm.
"He's attracted some attention," he said.
It was true. Two of the survivors of the bloodshed were following-one a dozen paces behind Buddenbaum, the seeond twice that-and by the state of their robes and blades it was plain they'd claimed more than their share of lives. In his haste, Buddenbaum was unaware of them, though they were closing on him fast. Alarmed, Maeve pulled away from Coker and stepped back over the threshold. The unstable ground, excited by her agitation, splashed up against her shins.
Coker called out to her again, but she ignored him and started down between the rocks, shouting to Buddenbaum as she went. He saw her now, and a smile crossed his face.
"Child!" Coker was behind her, yelling. "Quickly! Quicidy!"
She glanced over her shoulder at the flame of the crack. It was wavering wildly, as though it might extinguish itself at any moment. Coker was standing as close to the crack as he could get without crossing over, beckoning to her. But she couldn't go; not without hearing from Buddenbaum some words of explanation. Her father had suffered and perished because of a dream this man Buddenbaum had sown in his heart. She wanted to know why. Wanted to know what the shining city of Everville had meant to Buddenbaum, that he had gone to such trouble to inspire its creation.
There was only half a dozen yards between them now.
"Maeve-" he began. "Behind you!" she yelled, and he glanced back to see the assassins racing up between the rocks. With but a moment before the first of them was upon him, he took the offensive and struck out with his cane, bringing it down on the man's blade and dashing it from his hand. The blow splintered his cane, but he didn't cast it away. As his attacker bent to snatch up the fallen sword, Buddenbaum drove the broken cane into his face. He reeled backwards, shrieking, and before the other assailant could push past his companion and catch his now weaponless quarry, Buddenbaum was off again towards the crack.
"Stand aside, child!" he yelled to Maeve, who was frozen now, unable to advance or retreat. "Aside!" he said as he came upon her. Coker let out an angered yell, and she looked up to see him stepping back through the crack, whether to aid her or to block Buddenbaum she didn't know.
For a moment, picturing the look of hunger on Buddenbaum's face as he'd shoved her aside, she feared for Coker's safety. Buddenbaum knew what the door opened onto, that was plain, and equally plainly he'd not be denied whatever wonders lay there. He struck Coker four or five times, the blows powerful enough to crack Coker's nose and open his brow. Coker roared in fury, and seized hold of Buddenbaum by the throat, pitching him back the way he'd come.
Maeve had started to get to her feet, but as she did so a tremor ran through the ground, and she raised her head in time to see the crack convulse from one end to the other. Shaken by the violence in its midst, the flame was flickering out. "Coker!" she yelled, fearful he'd be trapped in the closing door.
He looked her way, his face all sorrow, and then retreated a step or two until he was safe from the threshold. The sliver of Quiddity visible through the crack was narrower by the moment, but her thoughts weren't of the voyages she'd never take there. they were of Coker, whom she'd known only half a night, but who'd been in that little time her savior and her tutor and her friend. He shied through the closing door like a beaten dog, so forlorn she couldn't bear to look at him.
Eyes stinging, she averted her gaze and Buddenbaum rose into her sight, his face spattered with Coker's blood.
"Never!" he was yelling, "Never! Never!" and raising his fists he stumbled back towards the narrowing crack as if to beat it open again.
In his passion he had forgotten the second assassin. He had clambered over his sprawled companion, and now, as
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