The Jewels of Aptor

er. He grabbed his sword and was on his feet instantly. Iimmi was al

e sounds came from the direction of the ruined barracks. Geo started forward, cautiously, curiosity drawing him to

nd which was the clear space before the broken building.

more fully than either of the four humans were clothed. Thick-footed, great-handed, it loped four steps into the clearing, uttered its piercing shriek, and fell on a hunk of flesh that last night

ith bronze-colored claws, convulse again and again, reflexive

uldn't tell, but one of the membranous sails raised darkly

Urson said.

nded behind them,

ed like breathing, and the shaggy head was knotted with dirt a

ord, but Iimmi saw him a

oved slowly forward. The hulking

snaps with his fingers and said in a coaxing, baby voice. "Come, come, come."

added Iimmi. "It's so

?" aske

legends. Apparently, after the Great Fire, so the story goes, there were more o

mmi. "Nice little, sweet li

ike hell," the Negro observed, scratching behind its ear. "Watch out there, big boy

ne," said Urson, "a

So long, beautiful," he said. Th

"Well, at least we know we have seven days

ou mean?"

ber the dream, b

nking that?"

the fir

ought I was having a nightmare. I c

ason for believ

ngs?" Again he smiled. "A poet'

and they turned to see the hulking

son, "there's yo

up a tag-a-long for the re

the rocks and stopp

t got?" I

tell,"

al skin, it brought out a gray hu

d. "Breakfas

demand

Geo asked. He took the meat from th

and bounded up the bank

s sides and hissing onto the hot stones they had used to rim the flame. Urson sat apart, sniffed, and then moved closer, and finally s

g and a moment later splashed copper in concentric curves on th

ully well. Have you ever been on Apto

a moment. Then

e all si

ked, "What mad

, Whitey, and Snake, and that it was just an accident that he caught Whitey first instead of Snake. You thought he wanted to get rid of Whitey and me because of something we'd seen,

said Urson. "You said that's w

d to Snake who

e answers aren't going to do us any good, and no matter what we find ou

ant jewel back to Iimmi. The dark man put it aroun

d faces. They even dove in search of their aquatic helpers, but grubbed the pebbly bottom of the river with blind fingers instead, comi

nce more, only a mile on. "Maybe we should have save

e away from the ban

said. "Let's g

o its edges. The whole edifice had sunk a bit to one side in the boggy soil. It was a far more stolid and primitive structure than the barracks. They scraped and hacked in f

ple," Geo s

eath the great arch. A line of blackness up one side of the basalt door showed that it was ajar. Now they mounted the steps, mo

so that three shafts of sun struck through the

Urson asked. His voice came back

. "At least not the one

" said Geo, "and we can find

t of sun. They stepped back. After a moment of silence, Geo

me from a medium-sized bird that was perched harmlessly on an arch that ran between two columns. It ducked its head at them, cawed harshly, and

me's sledge. A gaping rent was nearly blocked with vines except for a dim,

m and shoulder had broken off and lay in pieces on the altar steps. The hand, its fingers as thick as Urson's thigh, lay just behind the altar rail. The head was completel

t stones along the side of the altar. "Here, Snake," he called. "Bring a light ove

there?" U

houlder while the dark fingers turned the pages. "Old rituals," Iimmi sa

know I studied with Eadnu at

hought some of your ideas sounded

Olcse Olwnh t

board this ship as a summer job. If I'd known wher

angs were

t all like those of the

t!" Iimmi had been turning pages a

it?" Ii

. "The ones Argo reci

he heart of

clet of

e the eye o

e, smoke

e drop in

he earth wi

height

he height

ve imprison

e dribbles

the gates

yew tree

rituals of Argo. I wonder if there were any more poems in the

first invasion from Aptor took place just

on the altar steps. "You two scholars have the rest of time

Iimmi. "Besides, we

osition to set your minds to proc

section on the burial of the dead. Ye

ight dead wi

f-light of t

that mean?"

all the accoutrements of the living. Tha

at the inscription. "Tombs," he reported. He turned the handles, a double set of rings, which he twisted in opposite directions. "In

asked Geo excitedly. "Professor Eadnu

t," laughed Iimmi. "Here, Urson, y

nd twisted. One snapped off in his hand. The oth

at does it,

denly the door gave an inch, and

them into the

led, sexless body. Around the floor were a few sealed

rain," he said. "Give me a hand." Geo helpe

th boys stumbled. The jar hit the ground, split, and

ckly shingled leaves, just visible in the uneven light. One leapt from the wall now and ran wailing across the littered temple

closed on the shriveled skin. The body rolled beneath the ripping hands and mouths, for one arm swept into the air above their lowered heads and humped b

d them; they became still, breathed deeply. They walked quietly. Hunger returned slowly after that, and occasionally o