Dark Lord of Derkholm Read Free Page A

his teeth were actually chattering slightly by the time it was his turn to squeeze through the narrow entrance. Inside, he moaned miserably, because it was as hot in there as the desert outside. He stood puffing and panting in deep darkness while, just as before, dazzles and blobs gathered in front of their eyes.
    We wait for them to gather, Regin thought wisely. But this time, instead of gathering, the twirling dazzles retreated, swirling away to the sides and glowing more and more strongly. It took all the watchers a full minute to realize that the darkness left behind was now the shape of a huge nearly human figure.
    â€œOh, I see!” muttered Querida.
    You do? said a great, hollow voice. It was deep as a coal mine. Then ask.
    â€œThank you,” said Querida, and just as before, she asked, “What do we do to abolish the Pilgrim Parties and get rid of Mr. Chesney for good?”
    There was a long, long silence. The darkness remained absolutely still while the silence lasted and then abruptly quivered and broke up, with shoots of light rushing through it from either side. When it spoke again, the deep voice shook a little.
    You must appoint as Wizard Guide to the last tour the second person you see on leaving here.
    Then, as in the white temple, the space was small and empty and they were crowded together, standing among rubbish. It was slightly less hot.
    â€œI swear that thing was laughing!” Barnabas said as they turned to go and found, as before, that the doorway was now wide enough to take all of them.
    Something glittered in the sand by Regin’s boot. This time he did not pick it up. He put his toe under it and nudged it until he could see that it was a scrap of paper with one gold edge. Sure enough, it had written on it: Be careful what you ask for; you may get it. He decided not to mention it to the others.
    â€œWell, the desert’s still empty,” said King Luther. “Oh!”
    A man was just coming out of the temple of the White Oracle. He was a tall, fattish, mild-faced man, dressed in the kind of clothes farmers wore. He was edging sideways out of the narrow entrance with one arm up to shade his eyes, but they could all see his face quite clearly.
    Barnabas said, “Oh, no!” and King Luther said, “I’ll be damned!” Umru shook his head. “Be careful what you ask for,” he sighed. Querida drew in a little hiss of breath.
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” asked Regin. “Who is he? Who are they, I mean?” he added as someone else squeezed out of the white doorway behind the wide man. This person was a boy of about fourteen who looked rather like the man, except that he was skinny where the man was wide. As Regin asked, the man rounded on the boy.
    â€œThere,” he said. “You’re answered. Satisfied?”
    â€œNo, I am not!” said the boy. “I’ve never heard of this person. Who is he?”
    â€œGoodness knows,” replied the man. “But he’s no one at the University, so it’s quite clear you’re not going to the University to learn your wizardry, anyway. I was right.”
    The boy’s chin bunched angrily. “There’s no need to look so pleased. You always try to stop me doing what I want!”
    And the two of them stood in the sand and shouted at one another.
    â€œWho are they?” Regin asked again.
    â€œI don’t know the boy,” Querida said, “but I know the man all right. His name is Derk. And he did once qualify at the University as a wizard. There is no doubt Mr. Chesney would accept him as Dark Lord.”
    â€œThe boy’s his son,” Barnabas said. “His name’s Blade. Querida, I don’t want to do this. Derk is a nice man and a friend of mine. He’s actually very gifted—”
    â€œThere are two opinions about that,” Querida snapped. “Has the boy any talent?”
    â€œBags of it,” Barnabas said miserably.