Deltora Quest: The Shifting Sands Part 3

The crowd, cheated of the semifinal contests and angry because their favorite, Glock, could not fight again, was in an ugly mood. A roar of boos and shouted curses rose up as Doom missed his prey by a breath. They were tired of this circling and dodging. They wanted action. They wanted blood.

Breathing hard, Jasmine whirled to face her enemy again. His mouth twisted into a mocking smile. aWhere is your boasting now, little bird?a he jeered softly. aWhy, you cannot master your fear enough even to put up a good show for the crowd. Run home and hide your head in your mammaas lap!a A flame of white-hot anger ran through Jasmineas body, burning away the fear. She looked up at Doom, and with satisfaction saw the smile fade as he sensed the change in her. She saw his mouth tense, and a wary look creep into his eyes.

aYou are tired, old man,a she hissed. aTired to your bones.a And as she said it, she knew that it was true. His long struggle with Barda had sapped his strength and dulled his reflexes. Why else had he missed her when he struck?

aCatch me if you can!a she grinned, and half-turned as if to run.

Taken by surprise, Doom took a stumbling step forward. She whirled around and kicked, whirled and kicked once more. She leaped away from him as he s.n.a.t.c.hed at her, leaving him clutching the empty air. She jumped and attacked again and again.

With savage pleasure she heard his grunts of pain and anger, heard the crowd begin to cheer. Their excitement was mounting and so was hers. The game went on and on. Doom could not touch her.

The arena was a blur. She felt nothing but her own desire to punish and hurt. It was as though her blood was bubbling, as though her anger had turned into energy, surging around her body, making her feet and hands tingle. Laughing, she danced backwards as Doom came at her again, tall and glowering. The crowd howled. The roar was deafening. So loud a why was it so loud a?

She stepped back a" and her heel hit solid wood.

She glanced behind her in shock and saw a wall, and above it, a ma.s.s of red, shouting faces. Only then did she realize how she had been tricked, how foolish her anger had made her. Little by little, Doom had pushed her to the edge of the arena. She had her back to the low wall that surrounded it. And he was closing in on her.

She sprang up, up and back, landing surefooted on the top of the wall as so many times she had landed on tree branches in the Forests of Silence. Behind her the crowd was screaming. But Doom was close, very close, leaning forward, and his hands were reaching for her ankles. Hands like giant spiders. Arms like thick, hungry vines a Pure instinct drove her to jump, to spring up and out towards him. For a split second his bent shoulders were her tree branch. Then she had thrust backward with her feet, launching herself into the air once more, sending him toppling forward. She heard him cry out, heard him fall crashing against the wall as she turned in the air and landed lightly on the sand far behind him.

She landed poised to run. Her only thought had been to escape. But her leap for freedom had done far more than that.

Doom lay crumpled by the wall, unmoving. The crowd was on its feet, shrieking her name. Slowly, in wonderment, Jasmine realized that the fight was over. She had won.

aSo a" it is all over for another year! And what a thrilling contest our final was at the last!a laughed Mother Brightly, as she hurried Lief, Barda, and Jasmine back to the inn after the presentation ceremony. aA little slow to start, perhaps. But then the fun began!a She patted Jasmineas shoulder affectionately. aYou are a popular Champion, my dear. There is nothing the crowd likes better than agility beating strength.a Jasmine was silent. The gold medallion hung heavy around her neck. A bag of gold coins was heavy in her arms. And her heart was heavier than both.

She felt sick at the thought of what she had become for a short time in that arena. A beast who took pleasure in hurting and punishing another. A fool who forgot everything in the heady delight of battle. She had been as vicious as the loathsome Glock. As drunk with violence as that reeking, bellowing crowd. If her conceit had been her undoing, as it so nearly had, it would have served her right.

Lief and Barda glanced at one another over her head. They knew her well enough to guess a little of what she was feeling. But Mother Brightly could not imagine that Jasmine was anything but proud.

aTo tell you the truth,a she chattered on, lowering her voice, aI was very pleased to see that person Doom brought down. A proud and glowering man a" with an unpleasant past, I am sure. I am certain that it was he who arranged for the cider to be drugged. He skulked away, you know, as soon as he woke, not even waiting for his 100 gold coins. Surely this shows that he has a guilty conscience.a aHave Glock and Neridah woken?a asked Lief.

Mother Brightly shook her head sadly. aThey still sleep like babes,a she sighed. aThey will not be able to leave here till tomorrow. But Joanna and Orwen have left already. Joanna was limping badly and Orwenas head had a nasty lump, but they would not be persuaded to remain.a She sighed again. aIt seems that having gotten their hands on the gold they had no further use for Rithmere.a Lief had no desire to stay any longer than he had to either, and plainly Barda agreed.

aSadly, we must hurry away, too, Mother Brightly,a the big man said tactfully, as they moved into the inn. aBut we need to buy some supplies before we leave. Can you recommend a"?a aWhy, I have everything you need!a Mother Brightly interrupted. aI sell all manner of travellersa supplies.a And so it proved. As soon as they had fetched Kree and Filli from their room, the companions went with Mother Brightly to a storeroom stacked to the roof with packs, sleeping blankets, water bottles, ropes, fire chips, dried food, and dozens of other useful items.

As Lief, Barda, and Jasmine had suspected, everything was very expensive. But they had plenty of gold to spend and, like other winners before them, they were happy to pay more so as not to have to wander the town. Within half an hour they had everything they needed. Then, at Mother Brightlyas insistence, they ate for the last time in the empty dining hall.

Lief did not enjoy the meal. He was plagued by the uncomfortable feeling that all was not as it should be. His skin kept p.r.i.c.kling, as though they were being spied upon. Yet who could be watching them? Neridah and Glock were still asleep. Joanna, Orwen, and Doom had left.

He shrugged the feeling off, telling himself that he was being foolish.

Mother Brightly was in high spirits all the time they were eating, but afterwards, when she had brought their weapons to them and they were preparing to leave, it became clear that something was on her mind.

In the end, she bit her lip and bent towards them. aIt is hard for me to say this,a she said in a low voice. aI do not like to spread bad tidings about the Games, or Rithmere. But a" you must be told. It has been known for Champions, and even ordinary finalists, to meet with a ill fortune, on their way out of the town.a aYou mean they are attacked and robbed?a asked Barda bluntly.

Mother Brightly nodded uncomfortably. aThe gold coins are a great temptation,a she murmured. aWould you be offended if I suggested that you leave the inn by a secret way? There is a back door a" reached by a pa.s.sage that runs from the cellar. The cider barrels are brought in that way, but few people know of it, and the back street is narrow, and always deserted. You could slip out unseen, easy as winking.a aThank you, Mother Brightly,a said Lief, clasping her hand warmly. aYou are a good friend.a The pa.s.sage from the cellar was long, low, and dark and smelled sickeningly of cider. Their boots clattered on the stones as they shuffled along in single file, Barda bent almost double. They had divided their remaining gold between them, to make it easier to carry, but still it weighed heavily on their belts. Already sore from their battles of the day, they were soon very stiff and uncomfortable.

aWe should, perhaps, have stayed the night at the inn and set out in the morning,a groaned Lief. aBut I could not face the thought of one more hour in Rithmere.a aNor I,a muttered Jasmine, breaking her long silence. Kree, hunched on her arm, squawked agreement.

aAt least we have what we came for,a said Barda, who was in the lead. aWe now have enough gold to fund the rest of our journey a" and more besides.a He paused, then added awkwardly: aYou did well, Jasmine.a aIndeed,a Lief agreed eagerly.

aI did not do well,a Jasmine said in a low voice. aI am ashamed. The man Doom jeered about my mother. He made me angry. He meant to do it. He wanted me to forget myself a" so I would perform for the crowd.a aHe tricked himself, then,a said Barda. aFor in the end he lost and you won. Think of that, and forget the rest.a He paused, and pointed. aI see light ahead. I think we are at last reaching the end of this accursed tunnel.a They hurried forward, eager to see the sun and to stand upright.

As Mother Brightly had told them, the pa.s.sage ended in a low door. Light showed dimly through the crack beneath it. But as Barda drew the bolt, and the door swung open, a flood of sunlight poured into the pa.s.sage.

With streaming eyes, almost blinded by the welcome glare, they crawled through the doorway one by one. And so it was that, one by one, they were cracked over the head and captured. Easy as winking.

When Lief came to his senses he was covered by some rough, foul-smelling cloth a" old sacks, perhaps. His head was pounding. He was gagged, and his wrists and ankles were weighed down by heavy chains.

He became aware that he was being painfully jolted and b.u.mped. He could hear voices, a jingling sound, and the plod of hooves. He realized that he was on the back of a cart. Whoever had attacked him was carrying him away from Rithmere. But why?

The Belt!

With a thrill of terror he dragged his chained hands to his waist and groaned with relief as his fingers met the familiar shape of the linked medallions under his clothes. His money bag was gone. His sword, too. But the Belt of Deltora was safe. His captors had not found it. Yet.

His groan was answered by the dull clank of chains and a sigh beside him and a m.u.f.fled cry from a little farther away. So Barda and Jasmine were in the cart with him. He was absurdly comforted, though of course it would have been better if one of them at least was free. Then there might be some hope of rescue. As it was a There was a guffawing laugh from the front of the cart. aThe ticks are waking, Carn 8,a a harsh voice said. aWill I give them another knock?a aBetter not,a said a second voice. aThey have to be in good condition on delivery.a aI donat see that this lotas worth the trouble,a the first man growled. aThe big one might be all right, but the other two are rubbish! Especially the scrawny little female. Champion my eye! She wonat last five minutes in the Shadow Arena.a Lief lay rigid, straining his ears to hear more against the sound of rain, fighting down a feeling of dread.

aItas not our business to say whatas worth the trouble, Carn 2,a answered the other voice. aItas the old girl who answers to the Master, not us. The pod was told that from the beginning. The Brightly woman supplies the goods. All we have to do is deliver them undamaged.a Lief felt the blood rush to his head. Beside him, Barda made a strangled sound.

aThe ticks heard us,a sn.i.g.g.e.red the man the other had called Carn 2.

aWhat does it matter? Theyare not going to be telling anyone, are they?a sneered his companion. aOr dayou think that black birdas going to spread the word? Itas still there, you know. Right behind us.a They laughed, and the cart jolted on.

The journey continued hour after hour. Lief slept and woke and slept again. It grew colder and darker, and then it started to rain again. The sacks that covered him became sodden. He began to shiver.

aWead better stop and get the ticks covered up,a Carn 8 growled at last. aGive them some grub and a drink, as well, or theyall be dying on us. Then weall be in the muck.a The cart jolted off the road, and finally came to a stop. The next Lief knew he was being hauled out of the cart and dumped roughly onto the ground. Agonizing pain shot through his head and he moaned aloud. Only the cold rain beating on his face kept him conscious.

aBe careful, you fool!a roared Carn 8. aHow many times do you have to be told? Any broken bones Brightly didnat put in her report and weare in the Arena ourselves! Do you want to end your days in gladiatorsa leather, fighting a Vraal? Get him under the canopy, and be quick about it!a The other grumbled. His face and shoulders loomed out of the darkness as he bent and grabbed Lief under the arms. And it was then that Liefas worst suspicions were confirmed. Their captors were Grey Guards.

The Guards had made a rough shelter for their prisoners by stretching oiled cloth between the lowest branches of a tree. Barda, Jasmine, and Lief huddled together under this canopy, shuddering with cold.

Kree, who had followed them all the way from Rithmere, perched on Jasmineas shoulder. But he could not help them. There was no chance of escape. Their leg irons were fixed to an iron peg driven into the ground.

The gags were taken off and they were given water and some chunks of bread. Then the Guards moved away. Dimly, through the darkness and the rain, Lief saw them crawl together under the cart where it seemed they were planning to sleep.

aI cannot eat weighed down by these chains,a Jasmine shouted.

aHold your tongue or Iall cut it out and throw you into the Shifting Sands, orders or no!a bawled Carn 2. aWe pa.s.sed by the Sands just an hour ago.a aLief, is the Belt safe?a whispered Barda.

aYes,a Lief whispered back. aDid you hear a"?a aYes. We are not far from the Shifting Sands. But this news is of little use to us as we are. Mother Brightly fooled us well.a aI thought she was the fool,a Jasmine hissed bitterly, breaking off a tiny piece of bread for Filli. aBut the secret way out of the inn was a trap.a aThe whole of the Games is a trap! With gold coins as bait.a Lief clenched his fists. aWhat better way to lure the best and strongest fighters, and make them show how good they are? And dear old Mother Brightly is there all the time, to make sure that as many finalists as possible walk tamely into captivity when it is all over.a Barda shook his head in disgust. aWe heard on the highway that few Games Champions are ever heard of again. Now we know why. They do not run away to spend their money in peace. They are taken to the Shadowlands to die battling wild beasts and each other for the amus.e.m.e.nt of the crowds.a aAnd their gold coins, and even the Champion medallion, are taken to be used again!a Jasmine hissed. aIt is monstrous.a The rain eased, and they heard snores coming from beneath the cart. The Guards were asleep. With new urgency they began struggling to free themselves, though in their hearts they all knew that it was no use.

They had long given up their efforts and were dozing fitfully when Kree gave a startled squawk and there was the tiny sound of cracking twigs behind them.

aBe still!a breathed a voice. aDo not speak or move until I tell you. I already have your packs and weapons in a safe place. Now I am going to unlock your chains. When you are free, follow me as quietly as you can!a A short time afterwards, astounded by their unexpected release, the three companions sat back on their heels in the shelter of a cave and stared in amazement at their rescuer: Doom.

Impatiently, he waved away their thanks.

aListen carefully,a he said. aWe have little time. I am the leader of a group sworn to resist the Shadow Lord. We have been suspicious of the Games for some time a" certain that they were not all they seemed. My purpose there was to see what was happening, from the inside. Your presence upset my plans. I tried to scare you off a"a aIt was you who locked us in our room!a Lief broke in. aYou who attacked us.a aYes a" and got cut for my pains.a Doom grimaced, touching the cloth at his neck. aI was trying to stop you from competing a" to protect you.a aWhy?a Barda asked bluntly.

aWhen first I saw you in Tomas shop something about you interested me. I was hurrying on business of my own and could not stay. But ever since, wherever I have been, I have heard whispers about three travellers a" a man, a boy, and a wild girl, accompanied by a black bird. Wherever these travellers go, it is said, part of the Shadow Lordas evil is undone.a Lief gripped Bardaas arm. If word about them was spreading, how long would it be before the Shadow Lord became aware of them?

But Jasmine, who still could not make up her mind to trust Doom, had something else on her mind. aYou allowed us to be captured,a she accused. aYou crept away after the finals, but you did not leave. You hid in the inn, watched, and did not lift a hand to help us.a Doom shrugged. aI had no choice. I had to find out how the trick was worked. I had intended that animal Glock to be proclaimed Champion, and suffer whatever fate was in store for him. But he took the drugged drink intended for you, girl, and instead of losing to him, as I had planned, I had to find a way of pretending to lose to you.a Jasmine drew herself up. aYou played your part well,a she said coldly. aIn fact, I would have sworn that you did lose. Or am I mistaken in thinking you hit your head on the wall, and slid down it almost unconscious?a Doomas grim face relaxed into a half smile. aYou will never know, will you?a he said dryly.

aIf it had been Glock who had been captured, would you have rescued him?a asked Lief curiously.

The smile disappeared. aYou ask too many questions,a growled Doom. aWhat is certain is that I must save him now, for he and the woman Neridah will be following in your footsteps tomorrow, and I cannot release one without the other. It is unfortunate.a He stared broodingly out into the rain for a moment, then turned to them again. aA group is waiting not far away. Among them is Dain, the boy who helped me at the Games. He will lead you into the mountains where we have a stronghold. You will be safe there.a Barda, Lief, and Jasmine glanced at one another.

aWe are grateful to you,a said Barda at last. aAnd I hope you will not take this amiss. But I fear we cannot accept your offer. We must continue our travels. There is a" something of importance we must do.a Doom frowned. aWhatever it is, you must abandon it for now,a he said. aI could not risk trying to kill the Guards. It was dangerous enough stealing your weapons and supplies from the cart while they slept below.a aThey have our gold, I think,a sighed Lief.

aYes, I saw them take it,a Doom said. aBut their master will care nothing for that. It is you he wants. When they wake and find you gone they will track you wherever you go. They will not rest until you are found.a aAll the better, then, that we do not lead them to your stronghold,a said Barda calmly. He put on his sword and pack and began crawling from the cave. Doom put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

aWe are many, and at our base we have ways of dealing with Guards,a he said. aYou had better join us. What could be more important than our cause? What is this mysterious mission that cannot wait?a Barda, unsmiling, pulled the restraining hand from his shoulder and continued crawling from the cave. Jasmine and Lief followed. Outside, the rain still fell and the sky was black and starless.

Doom appeared beside them, silent as a shadow. aGo your way, then,a he said, his voice very cold. aBut say nothing to anyone of what I have told you this night, or you will wish you had gone to the Shadowlands.a Without another word, he disappeared into the dripping bushes, and was gone.

aHow dare he threaten us!a hissed Jasmine.

aHe is angry.a Lief felt very low-spirited. His head ached, he was cold, and he was sorry to have parted with Doom on bad terms. aI think he is a man who rarely trusts. Yet he trusted us. Now he fears that he was foolish to do so, for we would not trust him in return.a Barda nodded slowly. aI wish it could have been otherwise,a he said. aHe would have been a valuable ally. But we could not risk it. Doom would not be content to let us keep our secret. And there are spies everywhere a" even his band may not be safe. Later, if we succeed in our quest a"a Kree squawked impatiently.

aWe will not live to succeed in anything if we do not move on,a Jasmine said. aIt is nearly dawn.a aBut which way do we go?a Lief looked around him in frustration. aWe have no idea where we are, and we do not even have the stars to guide us.a aYou are forgetting Kree,a Jasmine smiled. aHe followed us. He knows exactly where we are.a They began to walk, Kree fluttering ahead of them. Soon they found a tiny stream which had been swelled by the rain. They plunged into it and splashed along its bed for as long as they could, hoping that the water would disguise their scent.

All of them felt bruised and ill and longed to rest. But the thought of the Grey Guards following them like evil tracking dogs drove them on.

Dawn came, and with it the sun, struggling feebly through the clouds. Soon afterwards they reached a narrow road heavily marked by puddled cart tracks. On the other side of the road was a wooden fence and beyond that a stretch of stony land ending at a row of low grey hills. Kree flew to a fence post and flapped his wings impatiently, hopping to the left.

aIf we walk along the fence, we will at least leave no tracks,a murmured Jasmine. aHurry!a Gathering themselves for the effort, they leaped across the road, climbed the fence, and began moving along it, Jasmine balancing on the top, and Barda and Lief edging uncomfortably along with their feet on the middle rail.

After a short time they reached a crossroads. The fence continued around the corner and on into the distance where it was lost in the grey hills. And right beside the corner post stood a huge, weathered stone. It was as tall as Lief. Words had been carved on it, but so long ago that many of the letters had disappeared.

aThe Shifting Sands. Danger!a Barda squinted at the stone. aThat much I can make out, but what the smaller writing says I cannot say. Too many of the letters have been worn away by wind and weather.a aI think the first word is aDeath,aa said Lief in a low voice. He leaned out from the fence and touched the stone, tracing the letters with the tips of his fingers. Hesitantly, using touch as well as sight, he began to read.

aDeath swarms within its rocky wall, Where all are one, one will rules all aa aGo on, Lief!a Jasmine urged, as he paused.

Lief shook his head, frowning. aThe next two lines are more worn than the others. They seem to say something like: aBe now the dead, the living strive a With mindless will to survive.a But that does not really make sense.a aIt makes enough sense to tell us that the Sands are not going to be pleasant,a said Barda dryly. aBut we knew that, I think.a Jasmineas mind was busy with practical matters. aSince the verse talks of a arocky walla I would guess that the Sands are just beyond the hills. But we will have to cross the plain to reach them. The stones may hide our tracks, but there will be no way to disguise our scent.a aIt cannot be helped,a said Lief. He climbed over the fence and jumped gratefully to the ground on the other side, flexing his cramped fingers. aBesides, we have been very careful. The Guards have surely lost our trail by now.a aI would not count on that,a muttered Barda. But he also climbed to the ground and after a moment Jasmine jumped down to join them. They set off, almost running over the bare ground, glancing often behind them. Despite his hopeful words, Lief looked back as often as his companions did. The idea of Grey Guards silently following, the idea of a deadly blister flying unseen towards him to explode on his back, made his skin crawl.

It became warmer as the sun climbed steadily behind its veil of cloud, and steam began to rise from the wet ground. The grey hills ahead were also quickly shrouded in mist. So it was only when the companions actually reached them that they realized that these were not ordinary hills at all, but thousands of huge boulders heaped together to make a high, natural wall a" the arocky walla of the verse.

They began to climb and soon lost all sight of the ground below. Everything around them was white. The air grew thick and all sound was dulled. Cautiously, one step at a time, they clambered to the top of the rock pile, then, even more cautiously, began to edge down the other side.

As they neared the ground, a sound met their ears a" a low droning, so faint that at first Lief thought he was imagining it. And the next moment, without warning, he was below the cloud.

Slowly he turned away from the rocks to look at what was beyond. The breath caught in his throat. Sweat broke out on his forehead.

They had arrived at the Shifting Sands.

Sand. Nothing at all but deep, dry sand. As far as the eye could see, high red dunes rolled away under a low, brooding ceiling of murky yellow cloud. There was no sign of any living thing, but the low droning sound filled the place, as though the very air was alive.

Lief slithered down the last few rocks and his feet sank into the grainy softness beneath. A feeling of dread had settled over him a" a feeling as strong and real as any taste or smell.

I have been here before.

This was the place he had seen in the vision of the future the opal had given him on the Plain of the Rats. The terror that had haunted his dreams was about to become reality. When? In an hour? A day? A week?

Through his fear, he heard Jasmine speaking. aIt is impossible,a she was saying, as she jumped down beside him. aIf the gem is hidden here, we will never find it!a aThe Belt will grow warm when the gem is near,a Barda reminded her. He, too, was plainly sobered by the size of the task ahead, but refused to admit it. aWe will mark the sand into sections and search it, square by square.a aThat could take months!a Jasmine exclaimed. aMonths a" or even years!a aNo.a Lief had spoken quietly, but they both turned to him. He struggled to keep his voice steady. aThis gem is like the others. It has a terrible Guardian,a he said, staring out at the still and secret dunes. aAnd the Guardian is already aware of us. I feel it.a Or is it the Belt that feels it? he thought, as he moved out into the sand, like someone in a dream. Is it the Belt that feels the danger?

But he dared not put his hands on the Belt of Deltora. He knew that if he touched the opal a" if he saw the future again a" he would turn and run.

He closed his eyes to shut out the sight of the barren land, the glowering sky. But beneath his lids he still saw red sand. And the hungry, jealous will that was drawing him to itself, as it drew everything, everything in this place to itself, was stronger than ever.

He began climbing the first dune. His feet sank deeply into the rippled sand, making every step an effort. He struggled on.

aLief!a he heard Jasmine cry. Her voice penetrated his dream, and he opened his eyes. But he did not stop.

aWe have only to move on,a he called, without looking back. aThe Guardian is very near. We will not have to search for it. It will find us.a In a very short time they were surrounded by high dunes and had lost sight of the rocks. But their trail showed clearly behind them, so they were not afraid of becoming lost.

They had discovered that the dunes were not as empty of life as they had supposed. Red flies crawled from the sand as they pa.s.sed and flew up to settle on their hands, faces, arms, and necks, biting and stinging. Scarlet lizards with long blue tongues wriggled out of unseen holes and preyed in turn upon the flies.

aBut what eats the lizards?a asked Jasmine, and drew her dagger.

Shortly after that they pa.s.sed a strange object lying on the sand. It was round, leathery, flat, and wrinkled a" like an empty bag, or a gigantic, flattened grape that had been split along one side.

aIs it some sort of seed pod?a wondered Barda, looking at it.

aLike no seed pod I have ever seen,a Jasmine muttered. Filli chattered nervously into her ear and Kree, riding on her shoulder, made a worried, clucking sound.

Liefas scalp was p.r.i.c.kling. He was haunted by the feeling that they were being watched. Yet nothing moved but the flies and the lizards. There was no sound but the low, faint droning, which he had decided must be wind moaning around the dunes, though he could feel no breeze and the sand was still.

They had reached the bottom of one dune, and had just begun to climb another, when Jasmine, who was now in the lead, stiffened and held up her hand.

Barda and Lief stopped. At first they could hear nothing. And then, floating on the still air, there was a voice, growing louder by the moment.

aCarn 2! Never mind the flies. Keep moving!a Lief looked frantically behind him. Their trail showed clearly in the sand. Their footprints were like arrows, pointing to their position. There was nowhere to hide. No escape.

The droning sound seemed to become a little louder, as though, Lief thought, the wind was excited by their fear. And just at that moment he remembered a trick he used to play back in Del. A trick that had fooled Grey Guards before, and, perhaps, could fool them again.

Gesturing to Barda and Jasmine to follow his lead, he began to step backwards, carefully fitting his feet into his own footprints. When he had reached the bottom of the dune, he leaped to one side to lie motionless in its faint shadow.

His companions copied his every movement. When they were all huddled together, Lief covered them with his cloak, which blended quickly with the sand.

They waited, still as stones.

The Guards appeared, struggling in their heavy boots. They ran down the side of their dune, and began following the tracks up the next.

Then they stopped, puzzled. For, halfway up the dune, the tracks appeared to stop dead.

aThey have been taken!a growled Carn 2. aAs I told you they would be, Carn 8. I told you it was needless to follow them into the Shifting Sands. We are putting ourselves in danger for a"a aBe silent!a snapped his companion. aDo you not understand, you fool? We have disgraced the Carn pod. We let a Champion and two finalists escape. Our lives are worth nothing a" less than nothing a" unless we get them back. They may not have been taken. They could have buried themselves in the sand. Dig! Dig!a He began to burrow into the sand with both hands. Grumbling, Carn 2 crouched to join him.

Then, suddenly, the dune seemed to erupt beneath them and, with shocking speed, a huge, hideous creature sprang from the collapsing sand and seized them, lifting them off their feet.