"Where are you going?" I called. The she-wolf paused and glanced back, tired resignation in her stare she couldn't manage the climb. "Wait here and we'll collect you later," I told her. Magda snarled, pawed the ground, and ruffled her fur and I got the sense that she was going away todie. "No," I said softly. "If you just lie down and rest, I'm sure "
Magda interrupted with a short shake of her head. Staring into her sad eyes, I began to comprehend that this was what she wanted. She'd known when she started that the journey would prove too much for her. She'd chosen to make it all the same and die usefully, rather than struggle along after the pack for another season or two, dying slowly and miserably. She was prepared for death and welcomed it.
Crouching, I ran my hands over the tired she-wolf's head and gently rubbed the thin hairs on her ears. "Thank you," I said simply. Magda licked me, rubbed her nose against my left cheek, then hobbled away into darkness, to find a private spot where she could lie down and quietly leave this world behind.
I remained where I was awhile, thinking about death and how the wolf had accepted it so calmly, remembering how I'd run when it had been my time to face it. Then, shrugging off such dark thoughts, I entered the tunnel and climbed.
The wolves had a harder time on the final stretch than I did. Even though they were great climbers, the rock was steep, unsuited to sharp claws, and they kept slipping to the bottom. Finally, tired of hanging about, I slid down and let the wolves go ahead of me, using my head and shoulders to brace them when they lost their footing.
Several minutes later, we found ourselves on level ground, in a small, dark cave. The air here was musty, made worse by the strong stench of the hairy wolves. "You three wait here," I told them in a whisper, afraid their smell would carry to any nearby vampires. Shuffling forward, I came to a wall of thin, fragile rock. Dim light shone through several tiny holes and cracks. I pressed my eyes to the holes, but they were too small to see through. Inserting the nail of my right little finger into one of the larger cracks, I worked gently at the stone, which crumbled, widening the hole. Leaning forward, I was able to see through to the other side and was astonished to find myself at the rear of the Hall of Princes!
Once I'd recovered from the shock there was only supposed to be one way up to the Hall of Princes! I began considering my next course of action. This had worked out far more neatly than I'd ever dared to dream, and it was now up to me to make the most of my incredible good fortune. My first instinct was to burst through the wall and scream for the Princes, but the guards of the Hall or one of the traitors might cut me down if I did, killing my message with me.
Retreating from the wall, I returned to the wolves and led them back down the steep tunnel, where there was more space and air. Once comfortable, I lay down, closed my eyes, and began thinking about how to make contact with the Princes while at the same time avoiding the spears and swords of the vicious traitors and well-meaning guards!
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Iwanted to speak to the Princes directly but I couldn't just march up to the doors of the Hall and ask the guards to let me in! I could wait for one of the Princes to emerge and hail him, but they didn't leave the throne room very often. What if Kurda made his move before I could act? I thought about sneaking down to the doors and slipping in the next time they were open, but it was unlikely that I could avoid the attention of the guards. Besides, if Kurda was inside and saw me, he might kill me before I had a chance to speak.
That was my greatest fear that I'd be killed before I warned the Princes of the peril they faced. With this in mind, I decided I had to contact somebody before approaching the Princes, so that if I died, my message wouldn't die with me.
But who to trust? Mr. Crepsley or Harkat were the ideal choices, but there was no way I could make it to their cells undetected. Arra Sails and Vanez Blane also dwelt too deep within the mountain to be easily reached.
That left Seba Nile, the ancient quartermaster of Vampire Mountain. His cell was close to the storerooms. It would be risky, but I thought I could get to him without being seen. But could I trust him? He and Kurda were close friends. He'd helped the traitor make maps of infrequently used tunnels, maps that the vampaneze might be using at this very minute to advance on the Hall of Princes. Was it possible that he was one of Kurda's allies?
Almost as soon as I raised the question, I knew it was ridiculous. Seba was an old-fashioned vampire, who believed in loyalty and the ways of the vampires above all else. And he'd been Mr. Crepsley's mentor. If I couldn't trust Seba, I couldn't trust anybody.
I rose to go in search of Seba, and the wolves rose with me. Crouching, I told them to stay. Streak shook his head, growling, but I was firm with him. "Stay!" I commanded. "Wait for me. If I don't come back, return to the pack. This isn't your fight. There's nothing you can do."
I wasn't sure if Streak understood all that, but he squatted on his haunches and remained with the other wolves, panting heavily as he watched me leave, his dark eyes fixed on me until I vanished around a bend.
Retracing the path by which we'd come, I climbed back down the mountain. It didn't take long to reach the storerooms. They were quiet when I arrived, but I entered cautiously, taking no chances, through the hole that Kurda had revealed to me during my escape.
Finding nobody within, I started for the door leading to the tunnels, then stopped and glanced down at myself. I'd grown so used to being naked, I'd forgotten how strange I'd look to nonanimal eyes. If I turned up in Seba's quarters like this, dirty and wild, he might think I was a ghost!
There were no spare clothes in this room, so I ripped apart an old sack and tied a strip of it around my waist. It wasn't much of an improvement, but it would have to do. I tied another few strips around my feet, so that I could pad more stealthily, then opened a sack of flour and rubbed a few handfuls of the white powder over my body, hopefully to mask the worst of my wolfish smell. When I was ready, I opened the door and crept into the tunnel.
Though it would normally have taken no more than two or three minutes to get to Seba's rooms, I spent nearly four times as long, checking each stretch of tunnel several times before venturing down it, making sure I had somewhere to hide if vampires emerged unexpectedly.
When I finally reached the old quartermaster's door, I was shaking with anxiety and stood in silence a few seconds, collecting myself. When I'd recovered, I knocked lightly. "Come in," Seba called. I entered. The quartermaster was standing by a chest with his back to me. "Over here, Thomas," he muttered, examining the inside of the chest. "I told you not to bother knocking. The investiture is a mere two hours away. We do not have time for "
Turning, he saw me, and his jaw literally dropped.
"Hello, Seba." I smiled nervously.
Seba blinked, shook his head, blinked again."Darren?" he gasped.
"The one and only." I grinned.
Seba lowered the lid of the chest and sat upon it heavily. "Are you a vision?" he wheezed.
"Do I look like one?"
"Yes," he said.
I laughed and advanced. "I'm no vision, Seba. It's me. I'm real." I stopped in front of him. "Feel me if you don't believe me."
Seba reached out a trembling finger and touched my left arm. When he realized I was solid, he beamed and rose. Then his face fell, and he sat again. "You were sentenced to death," he said dolefully.
"I figured as much," I said, nodding.
"You fled."
"It was a mistake. I'm sorry."
"We thought you drowned. Your trail led to the stream and ended abruptly. How did you get out?"
"I swam," I said lightly.
"Swam where?" he asked.
"Down the stream."
"You mean... all the way... through the mountain? That is impossible!"
"Improbable," I corrected him. "Not impossible. I wouldn't be here if it was."
"And Gavner?" he asked hopefully. "Is he alive too?"
I shook my head sadly. "Gavner's dead. He was murdered."
"I thought so," Seba sighed. "But when I sawyou, I " He stopped and frowned."Murdered?" he rumbled.
"You'd better stay sitting," I said, then proceeded to tell him the bare bones of my encounter with the vampaneze, Kurda's treachery, and what happened after.
Seba was shaking with rage when I finished. "Never did I think a vampire would turn against his brothers," he growled. "And one so highly respected! It sickens and shames me. To think I have drunk blood to that sham of a vampire's good health and prayed to the gods to grant him luck! Charna's guts!"
"You believe me?" I asked, relieved.
"I might not recognize treachery when it is skillfully concealed," he said, "but I know the truth when it is revealed. I believe you. The Princes will too." Rising, he strode for the door. "We must hurry to warn them. The sooner we " He paused. "No. The Princes will see no one until the time of investiture. They reside within their Hall and will not open the doors until twilight, when Kurda presents himself. That is the way it has always been. I would be turned away if I went there now."
"But you'll be able to get to them in time?" I asked anxiously.
He nodded. "There is a lengthy ceremony before the investiture. I will have plenty of time to interrupt and level these grievous charges against our supposed ally, Kurda Smahlt." The vampire was seething with rage. "Come to think of it," he said, eyes narrowing, "he is alone in his chambers now. I could go and slit the villain's throat before"
"No," I said quickly. "The Princes will want to question him. We don't know who else is working with them, or why he did it."
"You are right," he sighed, shoulders slumping.
"Besides, killing him would be a mercy. He deserves to suffer for what he did to Gavner."
"That's not the only reason why I don't want you to kill him," I said hesitantly. Seba stared at me and waited for me to continue. "I want to blow the whistle on him. I was with Gavner when he died. He was down in the tunnels because of me. I want to look into Kurda's eyes when I expose him."
"To show him how much you hate him?" Seba asked.
"No," I said. "To show him how much pain he's caused." There were tears in my eyes. "I hate him, Seba, but I still think of him as a friend. He saved my life. I'd be dead now if he hadn't intervened. I want him to know how much he's hurt me. Maybe it doesn't make sense, but I want him to see that I don't get any pleasure out of exposing him as a traitor."
Seba nodded slowly. "It makes sense," he said, stroking his chin and considering the proposal. "But it is dangerous. I do not think the guards will kill you, but one of Kurda's allies might."
"I'll take that chance," I said. "What do I have to lose? I'll be killed afterward anyway, because I failed the Trials. I'd rather die on my feet, stopping Kurda, than in the Hall of Death."
Seba smiled warmly. "You are a true, courageous vampire, Darren Shan," he said.
"No," I replied softly. "I'm just trying to do the right thing, to make up for running away earlier."
"Larten will be proud of you," Seba remarked.
I couldn't think of anything to say to that, so I just blushed and shrugged. Then we sat down together and discussed various plans for the night ahead.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Ididn't really want to involve the wolves any further in case they were killed but they remained seated, panting patiently, when I tried chasing them off. "Go!" I said, slapping their flanks. "Home!" But they weren't dogs, and they didn't obey. I saw they planned to stick by me the younger wolves even looked like they were relishing the thought of a fight so I gave up trying to drive them to safety and instead settled back to wait for nightfall, judging the time by my internal body clock.
As the day was drawing to a close, the wolves and I crawled back up the steep tunnel and made our way to the wall at the rear of the Hall of Princes. I set to work on the soft layer of rock and carefully carved out a gap big enough for us to squeeze through. I was surprised nobody had ever found this weak point before, but it was very high up, and from the other side the wall must have looked solid.
I paused briefly to consider the extraordinary run of luck I was enjoying. Surviving the gushing madness of the mountain stream, Rudi and Streak finding me when I was at my weakest, Magda leading us through the tunnels to the Hall of Princes. Even failing the Trials had been in one respect fortunate I'd never have found out about the vampaneze if I hadn't lost against the Blooded Boars.
Was it really just the luck of the vampires, or was it something more likedestiny? I'd never believed in fate, but I was beginning to have my doubts!
Sounds of the approaching procession distracted me from my heavy thoughts. The hour of Kurda's investiture had come. It was time to act. Wriggling through the hole, I dropped to the floor, turned, and caught the wolves as they slithered down. When we were all ready, we flattened close to the wall of the Hall and edged forward.
As we slipped around the curve of the dome, I saw the Generals who'd lined up to welcome Kurda Smahlt. They'd formed a guard of honor, stretching from the tunnel to the doors of the Hall. Almost all were armed, as were the rest of the vampires the ceremony of investiture was the one time vampires could carry weapons into the chamber. Any one of the armed vampires could be a traitor, with orders to kill me on sight. I tried not to dwell on that horrible thought, for fear it might stop me.
The three Princes stood by the open doors of the dome, dressed regally, waiting to blood Kurda and make him one of their own. I spotted Mr. Crepsley and Seba close to the Princes. Mr. Crepsley was staring in the direction of the tunnel along with everybody else but Seba had an eye out for me. When he caught sight of me, he nodded slightly. That meant he'd had words with a few of his staff and had positioned them nearby, with orders to stop any vampire who raised a weapon during the ceremony. Seba hadn't told his assistants about me we'd agreed it was best to keep my presence a secret and I hoped they wouldn't hesitate when I made my move, thus giving one of Kurda's men the chance to kill me.
The head of the procession entered the cave. Six vampires preceded Kurda, walking slowly in pairs, carrying the clothes that Kurda would put on once he'd been invested. Next came two deep-voiced vampires, loudly chanting poems and stories, praising the Princes and Kurda. There were more of the chanting vampires behind, and their hymnlike tones carried up the tunnel and echoed around the cave.
Behind the first eight vampires came the vampire of the moment, Kurda Smahlt, carried on a small platform by four Generals, wearing a loose white robe, blond head bowed, eyes closed. I waited until he was halfway between the tunnel and the Princes, then stepped out from the wall, strode forward the wolves close on my heels and shouted as loud as I could,"STOP!"
All heads turned, and the chanting ceased immediately. Hardly any of the vampires recognized me at first all they saw was a dirty, half-naked boy, covered in flour but as I got closer, they gasped and exclaimed. "Darren!" Mr. Crepsley roared with delight as he started toward me, arms outstretched. I ignored my mentor and stayed focused on the rest of the vampires, alert to signs of retaliation.
The traitors didn't delay. Two vampires in green uniforms raised their spears when they saw me, while another pulled out a pair of knives and moved forward to intercept me. Seba's men reacted splendidly, ignoring the confusion, and darted forward to apprehend the spear-wielding vampires. They dragged them to the ground before they could launch their weapons, disarmed them, and held them down.
But nobody could get to the vampire with the knives he was too far ahead of Seba's assistants. He broke through the ranks of guards, pushed Mr. Crepsley out of the way, and raced toward me. He threw one of the knives, but I ducked out of its way with ease. Before he could throw the other or get close enough to stick it into me, the two young wolves launched themselves at him and knocked him to the floor. They bit and clawed at him, howling with excitement and fury. He shrieked and tried fighting them off, but they were too powerful.
One of the wolves sank its teeth into the vampire's throat and made a brutal end of him. I didn't mind I was only concerned about not harming innocent vampires, and by the speed with which this one had reacted, and the determination he'd shown to kill me, he was without a doubt one of Kurda's accomplices.
The other vampires in the cave had frozen with shock. Even Mr. Crepsley stopped where he was, eyes wide, panting uncertainly. "Darren?" he asked shakily. "What is going on? How did "
"Not now!" I snapped, looking for traitors. There didn't appear to be any more, but I wasn't taking things for granted, not until I'd said my piece. "I'll tell you about it later," I promised Mr. Crepsley, then calmly walked past him to face Kurda and the Princes. Streak padded along by my side, watching out for me, growling warningly.
Kurda had opened his eyes and raised his head at the start of the commotion, but had made no attempt to flee the platform or the cave. He stared at me with hard-to-read eyes as I advanced, more wistful than panicky, then rubbed the three small scars on his left cheek (made by the vampaneze when he was discussing peace terms with them some years before) and sighed.
"What's going on?" Mika Ver Leth roared, his expression as black as the clothes he wore. "Why are those vampires fighting? Break them apart immediately!"
"Sire!" Seba said quickly, before the order could be obeyed. "Those who raised weapons against Darren are not our allies. Those who hold them down do so at my command. I would strongly advise against releasing them until you have heard Darren speak."
Mika stared hard at the calm old quartermaster. "You're part of this chaos, Seba?" he asked.
"I am, sire," Seba said, "and proud to be."
"That boy fled from the judgment of the Princes," Arrow growled, the veins in his bald head throbbing. "He is not welcome here."
"He will be, sire, when you learn why he has come," Seba insisted.
"This is most objectionable," Paris Skyle said. "Never before has anyone interrupted the investiture of a Prince. I do not know why you are siding with the boy, but I think the two of you should be removed from the Hall until later, when we can "
"No!" I shouted, pushing through the ranks of guards to stand directly before the Princes. Locking gazes with them, I growled so that all could hear. "You say nobody has ever interrupted the investiture of a Prince, and this might be true. But I say no one has ever sought to invest atraitor before, so it's time that "
The cave erupted with furious roars. The vampires were incensed that I'd called Kurda a traitor (even those who hadn't voted for his investiture), and before I could make any moves to protect myself, a horde surged around me and started kicking, punching, and tearing at me. The three wolves tried dashing to my rescue but were easily pushed away by the crowd of vampires.
"Stop this!" the Princes roared. "Stop! Stop! Stop!"
Finally, the commands of the Princes seeped through, and those who'd surrounded me released me and shuffled backward, eyes aflame with anger, muttering darkly. They hadn't hurt me the press had been too tight for any of them to get in a decent blow.
"This is a grim night," Mika Ver Leth grumbled. "It's bad enough that a boy violates our laws and customs, but when fully blooded vampires who should know better behave like a pack of barbarians in the presence of their Princes... " He shook his head, disgusted.
"But he called Kurda a traitor!" someone yelled out, and tempers flared again, as vampires hurled curses at me.
"Enough!" Mika bellowed. When silence had fallen, he fixed his gaze on me. He looked only slightly less enraged than those who'd attacked me. "Were it up to me," he snarled, "I'd have you bound and gagged before you could say another word. Then I'd see you hauled off to the Hall of Death, where you'd suffer the fate you deserve."
He paused and glared around at the vampires, who were nodding and murmuring approvingly. Then his eyes alighted on Seba and he frowned. "But one we all know, trust, and admire has spoken up on your behalf. I have no respect for half-vampires who flee instead of standing to face their punishment, but Seba Nile says we should pay attention to what you have to say, and I for one am loath to disregard him."
"I agree with that," Paris Skyle grunted.
Arrow looked troubled. "I also respect Seba," he said, "but such a breach of decorum is deplorable. I think... " Looking hard at Seba, he changed his mind and nodded gruffly. "Very well. I'll side with Paris and Mika. But only for Seba's sake."
Turning to me, looking as kindly as he could given the circumstances, Paris said, "Say your piece, Darren but make it quick."
"OK," I agreed, glancing up at Kurda, who was staring at me wordlessly. "Let's see if this is quick enough for you Kurda Smahlt killed Gavner Purl." The vampires gasped, and looks of hatred were replaced with frowns of uncertainty. "At this very moment, dozens of vampaneze lurk in the tunnels beneath us, waiting to attack," I continued. Stunned silence greeted my words. "They were invited here byhim!" I pointed at Kurda, and this time no voices were raised in anger. "He's a traitor," I whispered, and as all eyes locked on Kurda, mine dropped, and a couple of confused tears rolled down my cheeks and fell to the dusty cavern floor.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Alengthy silence followed my accusations. Nobody knew what to say or think. If Kurda had vehemently denied the claims made against him, perhaps the Generals would have rallied to his side. But he just stood there, downcast, suffering their questioning stares without reply.
Finally, Paris Skyle cleared his throat. "These are grave charges to bring against any vampire," he said. "To level them at a Prince-to-be while he stands on the point of investiture... " He shook his head. "You understand what the consequences will be if you are lying?"
"Why would I lie?" I retorted. Turning, I faced the ranks of vampires. "Everyone knows I failed my Trials of Initiation and fled before I could be killed. By returning, I've condemned myself to execution. Do you think I'd do that for no good reason?" Nobody answered. "Kurda betrayed you! He's in league with the vampaneze. I think he plans on letting them into the Hall of Princes once he's been invested, to seize control of the Stone of Blood."
There were cries of astonishment at that.
"How do you know this?" Arrow yelled over the noise. The bald prince hated the vampaneze more than most, because one of them had killed his wife many years ago.
"I'm only guessing about the Stone of Blood," I replied, "but I've seen the vampaneze. Gavner saw them too. That's why Kurda murdered him. He'd have sparedmy life, but I threw myself into the stream in the Hall of Final Voyage. I was sure I'd die, but I survived. Once I'd recovered, I came back here to warn you."
"How many vampaneze are down there?" Arrow asked, eyes blazing.
"At least thirty possibly more."
The three Princes glanced at each other uneasily.
"This makes no sense," Mika muttered.
"I agree," Arrow said. "But a lie this outlandish would be simple to disprove. If he wished to fool us, he would have chosen a less fantastic story."
"Besides," Paris sighed, "look in the boy's eyes there is nothing but truth in them."
A roar disrupted the conversation. One of Kurda's accomplices had broken free and grabbed a knife from a General. Before he could get away, the guards closed ranks and encircled him. He prepared to fight to the death.
"No, Cyrus!" Kurda bellowed, his first words since I'd disrupted the procession. The vampire's hand dropped, and he looked to Kurda for guidance. "It's over," Kurda said softly. "Don't spill blood unnecessarily. That was never our aim."
The vampire named Cyrus nodded obediently. Then, before the circle of guards could close in on him, he put the tip of the knife to his heart and made a swift, fatal stab. As the dead traitor fell to the floor, all eyes turned once again to Kurda, and this time the faces of the vampires were grim.
"What have you to say in rebuttal of Darren's claims?" Mika asked, his voice thick with emotion.
"At this moment nothing," Kurda responded coolly.
"You don't deny the charge?" Arrow shouted.
"I do not," Kurda said.
A horrified moan swept through the cave at Kurda's admission of guilt.
"Let's kill himnow!" Arrow growled, to a huge cheer of approval.
"With respect, sires," Seba interceded, "would it not make more sense to focus on the vampaneze before we execute our own? Kurda can wait we should deal with the intruders first."
"Seba is right," Paris said. "The vampaneze must be put to the sword. There will be time for traitors later."
Turning to a handful of guards, he told them to take Kurda and the other traitor away and hold them captive. "And under no circumstances let them take their own lives," he warned. "That would be the easy way out. Keep them alive until we have time to interrogate them."
Beckoning me forward, he addressed the massed vampires. "We will retire to the Hall of Princes with Darren. I ask the rest of you to remain here while we discuss the ramifications of this horrific turn of events. When we have decided on an immediate course of action, we shall inform you. There will be open talks later, when the present danger has been dealt with."
"And see that no one leaves the cave," Mika barked. "We don't know how deep this conspiracy runs. I don't want word of this reaching the ears of those who stand opposed to the welfare of our clan."
With that, the four of us entered the Hall of Princes, followed by several of the more senior Generals, as well as Seba, Arra Sails, and Mr. Crepsley.
Some of the tension seeped out of the air when the doors closed behind us. Paris hurried off to check on the Stone of Blood, while Mika and Arrow trudged disconsolately to their thrones. Seba thrust some clothes into my hands and told me to slip them on. I did so quickly, then let the quartermaster lead me forward to speak with the Princes. I still hadn't had a chance to have a word with Mr. Crepsley, though I smiled at him to show that I was thinking about him.
I started by telling the Princes about my flight through the tunnels with Kurda, Gavner coming after us, changing direction, running into the vampaneze, Gavner making his stand, and Kurda's betrayal. When I got to the part about the stream, Paris clapped his hands loudly and grinned.
"I never would have believed it," the one-eared Prince chuckled admiringly. "Young vampires overeager to prove themselves used to go down it in barrels hundreds of years ago, but none ever tried "
"Please, Paris," Mika complained. "Let's leave the reminiscences till later."
"Of course." Paris coughed meekly. "Do continue."
I told them about washing up on a bank far away from Vampire Mountain, being found by the wolves and nursed back to health.
"That is not so extraordinary," Mr. Crepsley interrupted. "Wolves have often taken care of abandoned children."
I described how I'd seen Mr. Crepsley and Arra searching for me, but had kept my head down because of Kurda and the sword-wielding vampires.
"These two traitors," Mika said darkly. "Did you spot them in the cave?"
"Yes," I said. "They were two of the three who tried to kill me. The vampire stopped by the wolves was one. The other was captured and taken away with Kurda."
"I wonder how many more were part of this," Mika mused.
"In my estimation none," Paris said.
"You think there were only four of them?" Mika asked.
Paris nodded. "Vampires are not easily turned against their own. The three with Kurda were young, and if I remember correctly, all were blooded by him the only three he ever blooded. Also, it is logical to assume that anyone conspiring with him would have been in the cave to witness his investiture. They would surely have acted along with the others to silence Darren before he could speak.
"I do not suggest we dismiss the possibility that there are one or two more we should be wary of," Paris concluded, "but it would be unhelpful to believe the rot is widespread. This is a time to pull together as one, not set in motion a series of unsettling witch hunts."