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.Mist closed in around the companions as they entered another nest of ruined buildings.This section of town musthave been the poorer part of the city of Xak Tsaroth, even in its glory days-the buildings were in the last stages of decay and collapse.The gully dwarves began whooping and hollering as they randown the street.Sturm looked at Tanis in alarm at the noise."Can't you get them to be quieter?" Tanis asked Bupu."So the draconians-er-bosses won't find us.""Pooh!" She shrugged."No bosses.They not come here.Afraid of the great Highbulp."Tanis had his doubts about that, but, glancing around, he couldn't see any signs of the draconians.From what he had observed, the lizardlike men seemed to lead a well-ordered, militaristic life.Bycontrast, the streets in this part of town were cluttered with trash and filth.The disreputablebuildings erupted with gully dwarves.Males, females, and dirty, ragged children stared at themcuriously as they walked down the street.Bupu and the other spellbound gully dwarves swarmedaround Raistlin, practically carrying him.The draconians were undeniably smart, Tanis thought.They allowed their slaves to live their privatelives in peace-so long as they didn't stir up trouble.A good idea, considering that gully dwarves out numbered draconians about ten to one.Though they were basically cowards, gully dwarves had a reputation as very nasty fighters whenbacked into a corner.Bupu brought the group to a halt in front of one of the darkest, dingiest, filthiest alleys Tanis had ever seen.A foul mist flowed out it.The buildings leaned over, holding each other up like drunksstumbling out of a tavern.As he watched, small dark creatures skittered out of the alley and gullydwarf children began chasing after them."Dinner," shrieked one, smacking his lips."Those are rats!" Goldmoon cried in horror."Do we have to go in there?" Sturm growled, staring at the tottering buildings."The smell alone is enough to knock a troll dead," Caramon added."And I'd rather die under the dragon's claw than have a gully dwarf hovel fall on top of me."Bupu gestured down the alley."The Highbulp!" she said, pointing to the most dilapidated building on the block."Stay here and keep watch if you want," Tanis told Sturm."I'll go talk with the Highbulp.""No." The knight scowled, gesturing the half-elf into the alley."We're in this together."The alley ran several hundred feet to the east, then it twisted north and came suddenly to a deadend.Ahead of them was a decaying brick wall and no way out.Their return was blocked by gullydwarves who had run in after them."Ambush!" Sturm hissed and drew his sword.Caramon began to rumble deep in his throat.Thegully dwarves, seeing the Hash of cold steel, panicked.Falling all over themselves and each other,they whirled and fled back down the alley.Bupu glared at Sturm and Caramon in disgust.She turned to Raistlin."You make them stop!" she demanded, pointing to the warriors."Or I not take to Highbulp.""Put your sword away, knight," Raistlin hissed, "unless you think you've found a foe worthy of your attention."Sturm glowered at Raistlin, and for a moment Tanis thought he might attack the mage, but then theknight thrust his sword away."I wish I knew what your game was, magician," Sturm said coldly."You were so eager to come to this city, even before we knew about the Disks.Why? What are youafter?"Raistlin did not reply.He stared at the knight malevolently with his strange golden eyes, then turned to Bupu."They will not trouble you further, little one," he whispered.Bupu looked around to make certain they were properly cowed, then she walked forward andknocked twice on the wall with her grubby fist."Secret door," she said importantly.Two knocks answered Bupu's knock."That signal," she said."Three knocks.Now they let in.""But she only knocked twice-" Tas began, giggling.Bupu glared at him."Shhh!" Tanis nudged the kender.Nothing happened.Bupu, frowning, knocked twice more.Two knocks answered.She waited.Caramon, his eyes on the alley opening, began moving restlessly from one foot to the other.Bupuknocked twice again.Two knocks answered.Finally Bupu yelled at the wall."I knock secret code knock.You let in!""Secret knock five knocks," answered a muffled voice."I knock five knocks!" Bupu stated angrily."You let in!""You knock six knocks.""I count eight knocks," argued another voice.Bupu suddenly pushed on the wall with both hands.It opened easily.She peered inside."I knockfour knocks.You let in!" she said, raising a clenched fist."All right," the voice grumbled.Bupu shut the door, knocked twice.Tanis, hoping to avoid any more incidents and delays, glared atthe kender who was writhing with suppressed laughter.The door swung open-again."You come in," the guard said sourly."But that not four knocks," he whispered to Bupu loudly.She ignored him as she swept disdainfully past him, dragging her bagalong the floor."We see Highbulp," she announced."You take this lot to Highbulp?" One of the guards gasped, staring at the giant Caramon and the tall Riverwind with wide eyes.His companion began backing up."See Highbulp," Bupu said proudly.The gully dwarf guard, never taking his eyes off the formidable-looking group, backed into astinking, filthy hallway, then broke into a run.He began shouting at the top of his lungs."An army!An army has broken in!" They could hear his shouts echo down the hallway."Bah!" Bupu sniffed."Glup-phunger spawn! Come.See Highbulp."She started down the hallway, clutching her bag to her chest.The companions could still hear theshouts of the gully dwarf echoing down the corridor."An army! An army of giants! Save the Highbulp!"The great Highbulp, Phudge I, was a gully dwarf among gully dwarves.He was almost intelligent,rumored to be fabulously wealthy, and a notorious coward.The Bulps had long been the elite clanof Xak Tsaroth-or "Th" as they called it--ever since Nulph Bulp fell down a shaft one night in a drunken stupor and discovered the city.Upon sobering up the next morning, he claimed it for hisclan [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]