Wrounipai was overhead, and the surface, Jon-Tom
estimated, was a good sixty feet out of reach. He
couldn't be certain. He wasn't used to judging the
depth of water from below.
He turned back to the wall. "I think it's some kind
of secretion."
"You mean, somebody went and spit it up.''"
"In so many words, yes." He waved his hand at the
ceiling of the dome. "This is all organic, not manu-
factured."
A recent memory made him stare down at the
otter again.
"You said this was somebody's home.'*
"Oi, that 1 did." Mudge led him across the cham-
ber and had him look out the other side of their
prison.
The dome rested on a gentle slope which fell off
sharply just beyond the structure's outer edge- A
profusion of similar buildings occupied the lake bot-
tom another fifty feet further down. Their architec-
ture was unfamiliar. All were simple in design and
THE MOUKHT Or THE MAGJCMW
177
devoid of visible ornamentation. Shapes moved slowly
through and among them.
Jon-Tom recognized a few of the shapes, and the
small hairs on the back of his neck stiffened as some
of -the most unpleasant moments of his life came
back to him in a rush.
"1 told you, you wouldn't like it," Mudge murmured.
Jon-Tom moved as close to the wall of the dome as
he could without making contact with the sticky
material and stared into the depths. Despite the dim
light there was no mistaking the identity of their
captors.
Plated Folk.
XI
They didn't belong here, in these warm, tranquil
waters so far from their stinking home in the distant
Greendowns. The Plated Folk were the builders of
the implacable insect civilization which he and
Clothahump had helped to defeat at the battle of the
Jo-Troom Gate not so very long ago. This wasn't the
Greendowns, and Clothahump had said nothing about
the possibility of encountering any of them on the
way to Quasequa.
Therefore Clothahump himself knew nothing of
their presence here. That was a disquieting thought.
It meant that in all likelihood, neither did anyone
else in the warmlands.
"This is crazy. What are they doing so far from
their homeland? A colony of them wouldn't be toler-
ated by the locals."
"I agree, mate. Any self-respectin' warmlanders
would run the 'ard-shelled bastards all the way back
to that cesspool they call *ome. If they knew they
were settlin' in to stay in their own backyards, that is.
But think about it: this 'ere's pretty empty country,
and these oversized cockroaches are all underwater-
dwellers. Ain't nobody goin' to raise the alarm over a
bunch o' invaders they can't see."
178
TBK MOMENT OF THE MAGICIAN
179
"It's hard to believe that they haven't been seen by
a few hunting parties out from Quasequa or some
other town."
"Maybe they have been seen, mate." Mudge's words
wexe short and clipped. "Maybe them that sees *em
ends up down 'ere like us, and maybe they never gets
'ome to tell anyone else about wot they've seen."
Silently, they turned back to the wall and stared
out into the poisoned waters. Jon-Tom saw waterboat-
men paddling along on their backs, their eyes cast
forever downward. Dragonfly nymphs were nursed
along- by water tigers, and water beetles of every
imaginable shape and size swooped gracefully above
the buildings of the colony.
If it was a colony. They had no proof of that yet.
"You think they have any contact with the capital
of the empire at Cugluch, or could this be an isolated,
independent community?"
Mudge scratched at his whiskers. "1 couldn't say
for sure, mate, but while you were lyin' there 'alf-
dead, a couple of 'em came in to check on us and did
somethin' that doesn't make me feel any too confi-
dent about our future."
"What's that?"
"They took your duar."
That was bad, Jon-Tom mused, very bad. "Maybe,"
he suggested lamely, "they were just curious about
it."
"Right," agreed Mudge sardonically, "They're just
a bunch o' bug-eyed music lovers and they likes to
collect instruments. Maybe they'll also want you to
play a solo for 'em later, but I wouldn't count on it.
T^sey spent too much time examinin' it and starin' at
you and whisperin'."
"What are our chances of breaking out of here?"
Jon-lbm stared up at the faint, twitching point of
light that was the distant sun.
Alan Dean Foster
180
"This bloody wall's as solid as iron, mate. There's
only the one way in and out, and 1 don't think we'll
be makin' a swim for it anytime soon." He drew
Jon-Tom over to the pool of water that was visible just
inside one section of wall. "See, I don't think we'd get
very far."
Drifting just below and outside the entrance to the
dome was a terrifying marine form. The giant water
bug was at least eight feet in length. It hovered in
place like an armored submersible, displaying open
mandibles big enough to snap off an arm or leg
with a single bite.
Jon-Tom nodded to himself. "So we don't take any
casual baths." He looked past the guard. Something
much smaller was moving toward them through the
water. He found himself backing away. "What's that?"
Mudge didn't budge. "Air delivery."
The three-foot-long beetle had hind legs twice the
length of its body, each covered with dense, flexible
hairs. Upon reaching the entrance to the dome it
pivoted in the water until its hind end was facing the
opening. Between its back legs was a thin sicken
envelope full of air. It backed toward the entrance
and kicked once.
The silk envelope split. There was a giant btup,
water sloshed over Jon-Tom's feet and then receded,
and a sudden wash of fresh air hit him like a spring
breeze. The beetle swam away.
"They do that regular," Mudge informed him,
"which is why the air in 'ere ain't gone sour on us
yet."
"That's thoughtful of them."
Mudge turned and began nervously pacing the
hard-packed floor. "Wish I could say the same for
the rest o' their manners. I ain't so sure I'd prefer
not to suffocate." After completing half a dozen
THE MOMENT or THE MAGICIAN 181
circumnavigations of the dome, he stopped in front
of the entryway again.
"Now I know I'm faster than that big bastard, if I
could just get past 'im." He let the thought trail off.
"Trouble is, I'd probably do it in pieces."
Jon-Tom moved back to the reed mat and sat
down. "I never saw them hit us."
"Neither did 1,
mate, until it was too late." He
pointed toward the giant water bug floating placidly
outside their prison. "That hunk of armored vomit
came up underneath us., and dumped us in. His
smaller relations were waidn' to drag us down 'ere."
He looked over at his cOan&anion.
"When theyspdumped l|s |n this 'alf bubble, your
face was all sw^ll up like ayifiird's bladder. I thought
y^a.were a golfer for sure-CTBey did a little dance on
ytyur;j)ack an<^ pumped atx'i-tt 'alf a gallon o' water
otit o^ou, th^n gave up an^Uleft- After a couple of
' groanirf, ^en fell asleep. I wiped
face and figured I might as well
woke up. That was yesterday."
I- "I figured I must've been out
happened to our raft and supplies?"
Hsr the lake .bottom," Mudge told
u|e^idn't see fit to salvage. They've
feapoitt iff'a little dry storage area over
the ^ter from ruinin' 'cm. Exhibit A
:utiongyd wliger."
ftiinutes^
|he droo
lurait and
l-^ii
forawtflJ
'^Scattg
him sadly.
got ^11 oui
there, to k
for the pr
Jen-Tom
separated f
smaller, air-
ons and personal be
terminate number o
nt toJIwyalf Nfext to then- prison and
>, it by omy a; foot of water/was a much
ff^ d®n»e. Il^was cramh^ckwith weap-
gings scavenged from an inde-
similarly unlucky travelers to
this part of the Wrounipai. The most recent acquisi-
tions were clearly visible atop a wooden hamper: his
ramwood staff and sword; Mudge's longbow and arrows
and short sword; some of their food stock; and atop
Alan Dean Foster
182
everything else, dry and apparently undamaged, his
precious duar. If not for the intervening water and
walls he might have reached out and grabbed it.
"Mudge, if we could just get ahotd of my duac..."
"Then you'd charm 'em all with your sweet songs.
mate. Unfortunately, there's only one way out o' 'ere,
and 1 ain't about to try it unless that mobile butcher
shop out there swims off to take a crap or somethin',
Uh-oh." He started backing toward the far wall.
Jon-Tom looked around nervously. "What'is it,
what's wrong?"
"Company."
Jon-Tom hurried to join him.
One by one, a trio of Plated Folk entered the
chamber. Spend the majority of their lives beneath
the water they might, but they still had to go up to
the surface from time to time to breathe. Their
bodies concealed lungs, not gills. So they built air
chambers to live in, like the imprisoning dome.
Two of them looked like twins- They wore some
kind of thin, unrusted metal armor. Jon-lbm thought
it might have been tarnished copper, but he wasn't
certain. Each was about four feet in height.
The third was a tall, reedy character who looked
something like a hydrotropic walking stick but really
resembled no insect Jon-Tom had ever seen before
on this world or his own. It wore no armor and,
unlike its two stocky companions, carried no weapons.
Instead, in one set of pincers it held several thin
sheets of metal thick with engraving.
This sickly seven-footer bent to confer with its
aides. Together they appeared to discuss the con-
tents of the metal sheets. Then it straightened to its
full height and pointed an accusatory finger in Jon-
Tom's direction.
"There is no question. He is the one."
"Is the one!" his two shadows declared loudly.
THB MOMENT or TVS MAOSCIAM 183
"Is the one what?" Jon-Tom asked innocently.
**The music wizard who called forth the fire horse
and slew the Empress Skrritch at theJo-Troom Gate.
You are he,"
Jon-Tom burst out laughing. "I'm who? Look, friend,
I never heard of the Jo-Troom Gate or the Empress
Skrritch or any of what you're talking about. My
companion here and I are wanderers in this land.
We're just a little while out from Quasequa, having
ourselves a bit of vacation. I swear I don't know what
the devil you're talking about!"
"But you do know about lying. That much is
evident," murmured the tall speaker, "because you
do it so forcefully. You are the wizard. There is no
point in denying it."
"But I do deny it. Forcefully, as you put it."
The pair of shorter insects moved toward him,
drawing their short, curved swords. Barbs protruded
from the sicklelike cutting edges.
They lumbered past him and one put a sword
against Mudge's throat. The otter made no effort to
dodge. There was nowhere to hide.
The fixed chitin could not convey much in the
way of expression, but the speaker's meaning was
dear to Jon-Tom nonetheless. "Do you deny it still?"
Jon-Tom swallowed. "Maybe I did participate in
the battle for the Gate, but so did half the inhabit-
ants of the warmlands."
The sword pressed tight against Mudge's Adam's
apple, trimming some of the hair from his neck.
*And 1 have some faint recollection of perhaps possi-
bly maybe participating in some small way in the
casting of some minor spell," Jon-Tom added hastily.
The hooked scimitar withdrew and the otter
breathed again.
"That is better," said the speaker.
Alan Dean Foster
184
but the speaker ignored him, spoke instead to his
two aides.
"This is a great day for this outpost of Empire. A
memorable day." The aides resheathed their swords.
Their chitin was a rich maroon color, black under-
neath and marked by thick black vertical stripes
across the vestigial wing cases. The speaker was
yellow and black, with white spots on his cases.
"There will be decorations for all, and the war coun-
cil will be pleased. The Empress herself will com-
mend us."
"The Empress?" Jon-Tom blurted it out. There-
seemed no harm, since they were certain of his
identity. "I thought Skrritch was slain during the
battle, as you just said."
"So she was. 1 refer to the Empress Isstrag, now
reigning. She will preside over your deaths. A small
measure of revenge will be gained for the destruc-
tion you wrought at the Gate. I shall turn you over to
the Dissembling Masters myself. Our land-dwelling
cousins will be most delighted."
"Your cousins? Then you didn't participate in the
battle?"
"Distance precluded our lending aid to our cous-
ins in the Greendowns, and in any case the battle was
waged upon the land. We could have been of litde
help. We regretted our exclusion. Now you have pro-
vided us with a means to make up for it."
; "If you didn't join in the fight, then you've got
nothing against us, and we've got nothing against
you," Jon-Tom argued desperately. "Why not let us
go on our way? We've no quarrel with the inhabit-
ants of Cugluch."
"Ah, but they have a lingering quarrel with you,
wizard. Your dismemberment will bring much honor
on our isolated community. All will gain in prestige.
THE MOMENT OF TEE BSAGICUN
185
You must be kept alive and well for your delivery to
the Masters"
"Look, guv'nor," said Mudge, "I know I don't 'ave
a 'ole lot o' leverage 'ere, but if you're bound and
determined to deliver us to this new Empress and 'er
private torturers, 'ow about turnin' us in dead?"
The speaker shook his head. "That would mitigate
the delight of the royal court."
"Aw, gee, that'd be a shame, wouldn't it?" said
Mudge saracastically.
The speaker missed it. "It speaks well of you that
z you should take such an attitude. That is commend-
^ able in a servant."
-s,
"Servant! Who's a bloomin' servant!" Mudge's
outrage, like Jon-Tom's earlier disclaimer, was ignored.
"Perhaps the Empress will even allow this unwor-
thy one to be present at the entertainment you will
provide."
"Yeah, I'll wave good-bye to you," Mudge muttered
- sullenly.
"If not, there will still be ample glory in delivering
you up into her presence."
"I'm curious about one thing," Jon-Tom said. "How
did you know who we were?" He indicated the stor-
age chamber outside the main dome. "You've obvi-
ously murdered dozens of travelers."
"Trespassers in our waters." Bulbous compound
eyes focused on Jon-Tom. "As to the matter of identi-
fying you, you underestimate yourself, man." The
speaker's voice was hoarse, a rasping sound, due at
least in part to the long, thin tube of a mouth from
which his words emerged.
"Did you think we are so disorganized as to not
lake care to pass among ourselves descriptions of our
greatest enemies? Do you think we would let them
pass unnoticed among us? Great generals and great
wizards among the warmlanders are well known to
Alan Dean Potter
186
us. You should be proud to be among the notable,
pleased that you should be so quickly recognized in
a land so far from the place where you did battle "
Somehow Jon-Tom didn't feel flattered.'"If you
know that I'm a great wizard, then you must. also
know that I ask these questions only to gratify my
curiosity before we leave this place."