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When he tried to take a breath； Simon felt something pushing down on him； so that his lungs had to strain for air。 He wondered briefly if a roof had fallen on him。 Fire？ The red light danced and billowed。 Was the Hayholt on fire？
He could see a vast shape now； dressed in flapping white。 The figure seemed to have grown tall as the trees； looming far into the sky。 It took long moments before he realized he was lying on the icy ground； that Skodi was standing over him； screaming at someone。 How long。 。 。 ？
The little boy Vren flailed on the ground a few cubits away； his hands holding his throat； eyes bulging in his dark face。 Untouched and unapproached； he was kicking his feet wildly； heels drumming on the frozen mud。 Somewhere nearby； Qantaqa was mournfully howling。
〃You are bad！〃 Skodi screamed； her face gone pinkish…purple with rage。 〃Bad Vren！ Spilled blood！ They will swarm！ Bad！〃 She gasped in a great breath and bellowed。 〃Punishment！〃 The little boy writhed like a smashed snake。
Beyond Skodi； a shadowy face watched from the center of the rippling fire； its unstable mouth moving in laughter。 A moment later the bottomless black eyes settled on Simon； their sudden touch like an icy tongue pressed against his face。 He tried to scream； but some great weight was pushing on his back。
Little fly； a voice whispered in his head； heavy and dark as mud。 It was a voice that had haunted many dreams； a voice of red eyes and burning darkness。 We meet you in the strangest places。。。 and you have that sword； as well。 We must tell the master about you。 He will he very interested。 There was a pause； the thing in the fire seemed to grow larger； the eyes cold black pits in the heart of an inferno。 Why； look at you； manchild； it purred； you are bleeding。。。
Simon drew his shaking hand out from beneath his body； wondering why it seemed strange that it should respond to his will。 When he disentangled it from Thorn's hilt； he saw that the trembling fingers were indeed covered with slick red blood。
〃Punished！〃 Skodi was shrieking； her childlike voice cracking。 〃Everyone will be punished！ We were to give presents to the Lord and Lady！〃
The wolf howled again； closer。
Vren had gone limp； facedown in the mud at Skodi's feet。 As Simon stared distractedly； the ground seemed to bulge； obscuring his view of the boy's pale； crumpled form。 A moment later another bulge appeared close by； quivering； the half…thawed earth parted with a crunching； sucking sound。 A thin dark arm and long…nailed hand lifted from the agitated soil； reaching toward the dim stars with fingers spread like the petals of a black flower。 Another hand snaked up beside it； followed by a pale…eyed head scarcely bigger than an apple。 A needle…toothed grin split the wizened face； twitching the scraggly black whiskers。
Simon squirmed； unable to cry out。 A dozen bulges blistered the earth of the courtyard； then a dozen more。 In a moment the diggers were seething up from below like maggots from a burst carcass。
〃Bukken！〃 Skodi shrilled in alarm。 〃Bukken！ Vren； you little fool； I told you not to spill blood in the charm…circle！〃 She waved her fat arms at the diggers； who swarmed over the shrieking children like a plague of cluttering rats。 〃I punished him！〃 she screamed； pointing at the unmoving child。 〃Go away！〃 She turned to the bonfire。 〃Make them go away； Sir！ Make them go away！〃
The fire fluttered in the chill wind； but the face only watched。
〃Help！ Simon！〃 Binabik's voice was hoarse with fear。 〃Help us！ We are still tied！〃
Simon rolled over painfully； trying to pull his knees beneath him。 His back was clenched in an immovable knot； as though he had been kicked by a horse。 The air before his eyes seemed full of shining snowflakes。
〃Binabik！〃 he groaned。 A wave of squealing black shapes split off from the main cluster； flowing away from the children and toward the abbey wall where Sludig and the troll lay。
〃Stop！ I will make you！〃 Skodi had clamped her hands over her ears； as though to shield herself from the children's pitiful screams。 A small foot； pallid as a mushroom； emerged briefly from the knot of diggers； then was swallowed up again。 〃Stop！〃
The ground suddenly erupted all about her； gouts of gelatinous mud spattering her nightdress。 A flurry of spidery arms wrapped around her broad calves； then a swarm of diggers were climbing her legs as though they were tree trunks。 Her nightdress bulged as they swarmed up beneath it in ever…increasing numbers； until at last the thin fabric split like an overstuffed bag； revealing a squirming mass of eyes and scrawny legs and taloned hands that almost pletely obscured her doughy flesh。 Skodi's mouth pulled wide to scream and a serpentine arm pushed into it； disap… pearing to the shoulder。 The girl's pale eyes bulged。
Simon had finally dragged himself into a half…crouch when a gray shape flashed past him； bowling into the slithering； squeaking mass that had been Skodi and tumbling it to the ground。 The diggers' mewing cries rose in pitch； quickly being trills of fear as Qantaqa snapped necks and crushed skulls； throwing small bodies in the air with gleeful abandon。 A moment later she was through and racing toward the throng of creatures that had descended on Binabik and Sludig。
The fire had flared up to a great height。 The unformed thing within it laughed。 Simon's could feel its terrible amusement sapping him； sucking the life from him。
This is amusing； little fly； is it not？ Why don't you e closer and we will watch together。
Simon tried to ignore the pull of the voice； the insistent power of its words。 He clambered agonizingly to his feet and staggered away from the fire and the thing that lurked within it。 He used Thorn as a crutch； propping himself； though the hilt slid treacherously beneath his blood… damped hand。 The slash Vren had made across his back was a cold ache； a numbness that was still somehow painful。
The thing Skodi had summoned continued to taunt him； its voice echoing inside his head； playing with him like a cruel child with a captured insect。
Little fly； where are you going？ e here。 The master will want to meet you。。。
It was a terrible struggle to keep walking in the other direction； life seemed to be running out of him like sand。 The diggers' squeals and Qantaqa's wet； joyful growl had bee no more than a faint roaring in his ears。
For a long moment he did not even notice the talons grasping at his legs； when at last he looked down into the spider…egg eyes of the Bukken； it was as though he stared through a window into some other world； a horrible place that was fortuitously separated from his own。 It was not until the scrabbling claws began to shred the legs of his breeches and score the flesh beneath that the dreamlike state fell away。 With a shout of horror； he smashed the wrinkled face with a balled fist。 More were climbing his legs。 He kicked them away with moans of disgust； but they seemed as numberless as termites。
Thorn shivered again in his hands。 Without thinking； Simon lifted it and sent the black blade whistling into a clump of prancing creatures。 He felt it hum； as though it sang silently。 Gr