The Sword in the Cave
scope. They saw opportunity. He did not blame them. Life at sea could do that to a man, blind him to anything but
the need. Nevertheless, his scowl deepened.
"Let this Golden One come here," said Drea. "He will learn the true extend of his power."
"We don't know what he is," said Tygg, standing up, "Or who you are, or what his power is over you. We don't
know anything, and your ritual made none of it clear."
"We do not know," said the woman. "We know only that we are here, and the Beast demands we serve him."
"Demands how?"
"His anger rises. He would feed upon us all."
"And lose all of his slaves?"
"Tygg," hissed Drea. "It is a mystery."
"I do not wish to fight a mystery."
"We wish we could tell you more," said the woman, "but we cannot. We are here. We do not know how. We serve
the Beast. Now he changes, and he will have one of us, or all, unless he is slain."
Tygg sighed. "So this one has volunteered?" he said, pointing to the one that had. "And then what?"
"She goes to the cave," they all said, in perfect harmony.
"His cave?" said Tygg.
"We do not know," said the woman. "But in that cave is a sword. The sword is precious to the Beast. It has some
connection to him. Some hold."
"What are you saying?" said Drea.
The woman pressed her fingers to her temple. "It's hard," she said, squinting her eyes, "It's... it's something. It is
part of him, it is..." And as she struggled harder at coherence, the other women began to grunt, and hunch over.
Some of them sank to a knee and moaned. Tygg looked at Drea, and she at him.
Finally, sweating from the effort, the woman gave a great cry and then stood up again. All the other women stood as
well, and the sweat evaporated on their skin and they returned to peaceable expressions.
" I'm sorry," the woman said, "but I just cannot. She will go to the cave. The sword in the cave has power. There is
more but... "
"It is all right," said Drea, and she offered up her hands to the woman. The woman took her hands and for a long
time she held them, and Drea's eyes fluttered and closed. The other woman's eyes closed as well, and a queer kind
of breath passed between them, a luminescence like a white shadow. Tygg grimaced and put his hand on the hilt of