Read Online Tales from the vulgar unicorn- Thieves World 02 by Robert Asprin - Free Book Online
Authors: Robert Asprin
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction - General, Fiction - Science Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies
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the mage will not have considered women trying to get into his place, so his powers are directed against men only. At least, I hope they are. That way he doesn't have to use as much energy on his magic.'
'Do you want me to lead?' she said, hoping he wouldn't say yes.
'If you had as much experience as I, I wouldn't hesitate a moment. But you're still an apprentice. V we get out of here alive, you will be on your way to being a master.'
They went up the steps cut out of the stone. At the top was another archway. Smhee stopped before it and held his torch high to look within it. But he kept his head outside it.
'Ha!'
11
He motioned her to come to his side. She saw that the interior of the deep doorway was grooved. Above the grooves was the bottom of a slab of stone.
'If the mechanism is triggered, that slab will crash down and block off anyone chasing the mage,' he said. 'And it'd crush anyone in the portal. Maybe ...'
He looked at the wall surrounding the archway but could find nothing.
'The release mechanism must be in the other room. A time-delay device.'
He got as near to the entrance as he could without going into it, and he stuck his torch through the opening.
'I can't see it. It must be just around the corner. But I do see what looks like webs.'
Masha breathed deeply.
'If they're real spiders, they'll be intimidated by the torches,' he said.
'Unless the mage has conditioned them not to be or uses magic to overcome their natural fear. The magic spiders won't pay any attention to the flame.'
She thought that it was all very uncertain, but she did not comment. He bent down and peered at the stone floor just beyond the doorway. He turned.
'Here. Your young eyes are better than my old ones. Can you see a thread or anything like it raised above the floor just beyond the door?'
She said, 'No, I can't.'
'Nevertheless.'
He threw his torch through the doorway. At his order, she got, down with her cheek against the stone and looked against the flame. She rose, saying, 'I can see a very thin line about an inch above the floor. It could be a cord.'
'Just as I thought. An old Sharranpip trick.'
He stepped back after asking her to get out of the way. And he leaped through the doorway and came down past the cord. She followed. As they picked up their torches, he said pointing, 'There are the mechanisms. One is the time-delay. The other releases the door so it'll fall behind the first who enters and trap him. Anyone following will be crushed by the slab.'
After telling her to keep an eye on the rest of the room, he examined the array of wheels, gears, and counterweights and the rope that ran from one device through a hole in the ceiling.
'The rope is probably attached to an alarm system above,' he said. 'Very well. I know how to actuate both of these. If you should by any foul chance come back alone, all you have to do is to jump through and then throw a torch or something on that cord. The door will come down and block off your pursuers. But get outside as fast as you can because...'
Masha said, 'I know why.'
'Good woman. Now, the spiders.'
The things came before the webs were clearly visible in the lights. She had expected to see the lights reflected redly in their eyes, but they weren't. Their many eyes were huge and purplish and cold. They scuttled forwards, waving the foremost pair of legs, then backed away as Smhee waved his torch at them. Masha walked half-turned away from him so that she could use the brand to scare away any attack from the rear or side.
Suddenly, something leaped from the edge of the darkness and soared towards her. She thrust the brand at it. But the creature seemed to go through the torch. It landed on her arm and seized the harfd that held the torch. She had clenched her teeth to keep from screaming if something like this happened. But she didn't even think of voicing her terror and disgust. She closed her hand on the body of the thing to crush it, and the fingers felt nothing. The
'Do you want me to lead?' she said, hoping he wouldn't say yes.
'If you had as much experience as I, I wouldn't hesitate a moment. But you're still an apprentice. V we get out of here alive, you will be on your way to being a master.'
They went up the steps cut out of the stone. At the top was another archway. Smhee stopped before it and held his torch high to look within it. But he kept his head outside it.
'Ha!'
11
He motioned her to come to his side. She saw that the interior of the deep doorway was grooved. Above the grooves was the bottom of a slab of stone.
'If the mechanism is triggered, that slab will crash down and block off anyone chasing the mage,' he said. 'And it'd crush anyone in the portal. Maybe ...'
He looked at the wall surrounding the archway but could find nothing.
'The release mechanism must be in the other room. A time-delay device.'
He got as near to the entrance as he could without going into it, and he stuck his torch through the opening.
'I can't see it. It must be just around the corner. But I do see what looks like webs.'
Masha breathed deeply.
'If they're real spiders, they'll be intimidated by the torches,' he said.
'Unless the mage has conditioned them not to be or uses magic to overcome their natural fear. The magic spiders won't pay any attention to the flame.'
She thought that it was all very uncertain, but she did not comment. He bent down and peered at the stone floor just beyond the doorway. He turned.
'Here. Your young eyes are better than my old ones. Can you see a thread or anything like it raised above the floor just beyond the door?'
She said, 'No, I can't.'
'Nevertheless.'
He threw his torch through the doorway. At his order, she got, down with her cheek against the stone and looked against the flame. She rose, saying, 'I can see a very thin line about an inch above the floor. It could be a cord.'
'Just as I thought. An old Sharranpip trick.'
He stepped back after asking her to get out of the way. And he leaped through the doorway and came down past the cord. She followed. As they picked up their torches, he said pointing, 'There are the mechanisms. One is the time-delay. The other releases the door so it'll fall behind the first who enters and trap him. Anyone following will be crushed by the slab.'
After telling her to keep an eye on the rest of the room, he examined the array of wheels, gears, and counterweights and the rope that ran from one device through a hole in the ceiling.
'The rope is probably attached to an alarm system above,' he said. 'Very well. I know how to actuate both of these. If you should by any foul chance come back alone, all you have to do is to jump through and then throw a torch or something on that cord. The door will come down and block off your pursuers. But get outside as fast as you can because...'
Masha said, 'I know why.'
'Good woman. Now, the spiders.'
The things came before the webs were clearly visible in the lights. She had expected to see the lights reflected redly in their eyes, but they weren't. Their many eyes were huge and purplish and cold. They scuttled forwards, waving the foremost pair of legs, then backed away as Smhee waved his torch at them. Masha walked half-turned away from him so that she could use the brand to scare away any attack from the rear or side.
Suddenly, something leaped from the edge of the darkness and soared towards her. She thrust the brand at it. But the creature seemed to go through the torch. It landed on her arm and seized the harfd that held the torch. She had clenched her teeth to keep from screaming if something like this happened. But she didn't even think of voicing her terror and disgust. She closed her hand on the body of the thing to crush it, and the fingers felt nothing. The
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