Read Online Geis of the Gargoyle by Piers Anthony - Free Book Online
Authors: Piers Anthony
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trot when they're walking," he said, amazed. "But what do they do when they're trotting?"
"They still trot," she said.
"Then what about cantering?"
"They remain hot to trot," she said firmly.
"They have no other gaits? Surely when they gallop-"
"No! They trot at any speed. They've got permanent trots." Then she looked surprised, but did not amend her statement.
"The trots," he agreed. "It seems so limited." But it did work for him. He found he was able to go at any speed, using the same opposite-side arm-leg coordination. She had solved his problem. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said.
They moved with greater ease along the glowing path. Soon they came to a blank wall. The path had dead-ended in a squared-off cave. "What now?" Gary asked.
"We must have to do something." Iris examined the wall. There were several glowing spots on it. She touched the lowest one.
There was a grinding clank behind them. Startled, Gary turned. Suddenly the floor gave way. Gary and Iris, both alarmed by the sensation of falling, grabbed on to each other for support. Now her softness was jammed against his front, but he didn't object, because their balance together did seem to be better than it was apart.
The floor was still falling. But so were the walls. The two of them seemed to be in a plunging cage. There was even a wall behind them now, where one hadn't been before. It had a window, and through the window they could see a dimly lighted wall zooming upward.
Then the chamber slowed, and they felt heavy. It clanked to a halt, and the windowed wall split in half and the halves parted and separated and slid into the walls on either side, leaving them standing in another dead-end cave.
They pushed away from each other and stepped back along the passage. But there was no glowing path. "This does not seem like the surface," Iris remarked.
There was a rumbling roar, as of some enormously gigantic huge big animal sounding defiance. The walls shook.
"We went down," Gary said. "It must be deep." He really did not feel like remaining here long, especially while not in his natural stone body.
"Do you think I touched the wrong spot?" Gary was privately gratified that the Sorceress was as doubtful in this situation as he was. "Maybe if the bottom glow made it go down, the top one would make it go up."
They returned to the dead end. Iris touched the top glow. This time Gary saw what happened. The two halves of the wall came out from the sides and clanked together. Then the newly formed cage lifted, carrying them up with it. They were being elevated.
The cage quickly got up speed, and they saw the dim lights plunging downward beyond the little window. Sometimes there seemed to be holes in the wall, and he realized that these could be other passages. There were many levels to this cave. Then the cage slowed, and stopped moving, and the walls parted.
This time there was an open landscape beyond, with trees. They had reached the surface.
They stepped out. The walls clanked behind them. Gary turned-and there was the blank wall of a cliff. It was part of a mountain. There was no sign of any chamber or elevator. Truly, the ways of the nether realm were marvelous.
"We must be somewhere south of the Gap Chasm," Iris said, looking around. "And east of Castle Roogna. But I have no idea where the golem residence is. I fear I wasn't paying much attention to routine things during my dotage."
"Your dotage?"
"I was old and feeble and querulous of mind at age ninety-three. Now I have shed seventy years, and my wits are close about me. I can appreciate how much I was missing. So maybe it is time to summon your demoness friend, and see whether she will help us."
Gary nodded. "D. Mentia," he called. "Are you
"They still trot," she said.
"Then what about cantering?"
"They remain hot to trot," she said firmly.
"They have no other gaits? Surely when they gallop-"
"No! They trot at any speed. They've got permanent trots." Then she looked surprised, but did not amend her statement.
"The trots," he agreed. "It seems so limited." But it did work for him. He found he was able to go at any speed, using the same opposite-side arm-leg coordination. She had solved his problem. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said.
They moved with greater ease along the glowing path. Soon they came to a blank wall. The path had dead-ended in a squared-off cave. "What now?" Gary asked.
"We must have to do something." Iris examined the wall. There were several glowing spots on it. She touched the lowest one.
There was a grinding clank behind them. Startled, Gary turned. Suddenly the floor gave way. Gary and Iris, both alarmed by the sensation of falling, grabbed on to each other for support. Now her softness was jammed against his front, but he didn't object, because their balance together did seem to be better than it was apart.
The floor was still falling. But so were the walls. The two of them seemed to be in a plunging cage. There was even a wall behind them now, where one hadn't been before. It had a window, and through the window they could see a dimly lighted wall zooming upward.
Then the chamber slowed, and they felt heavy. It clanked to a halt, and the windowed wall split in half and the halves parted and separated and slid into the walls on either side, leaving them standing in another dead-end cave.
They pushed away from each other and stepped back along the passage. But there was no glowing path. "This does not seem like the surface," Iris remarked.
There was a rumbling roar, as of some enormously gigantic huge big animal sounding defiance. The walls shook.
"We went down," Gary said. "It must be deep." He really did not feel like remaining here long, especially while not in his natural stone body.
"Do you think I touched the wrong spot?" Gary was privately gratified that the Sorceress was as doubtful in this situation as he was. "Maybe if the bottom glow made it go down, the top one would make it go up."
They returned to the dead end. Iris touched the top glow. This time Gary saw what happened. The two halves of the wall came out from the sides and clanked together. Then the newly formed cage lifted, carrying them up with it. They were being elevated.
The cage quickly got up speed, and they saw the dim lights plunging downward beyond the little window. Sometimes there seemed to be holes in the wall, and he realized that these could be other passages. There were many levels to this cave. Then the cage slowed, and stopped moving, and the walls parted.
This time there was an open landscape beyond, with trees. They had reached the surface.
They stepped out. The walls clanked behind them. Gary turned-and there was the blank wall of a cliff. It was part of a mountain. There was no sign of any chamber or elevator. Truly, the ways of the nether realm were marvelous.
"We must be somewhere south of the Gap Chasm," Iris said, looking around. "And east of Castle Roogna. But I have no idea where the golem residence is. I fear I wasn't paying much attention to routine things during my dotage."
"Your dotage?"
"I was old and feeble and querulous of mind at age ninety-three. Now I have shed seventy years, and my wits are close about me. I can appreciate how much I was missing. So maybe it is time to summon your demoness friend, and see whether she will help us."
Gary nodded. "D. Mentia," he called. "Are you
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