Elise Runs and Dorothy Falls

Chapter 22

She hadn't been fed; her dry lips hadn't been watered. The coldness and the emptiness ate her stomach, then hackled her bleeding will. As her reality schismatized around her, dark ideas began to play upon her mind. Maybe she did remember killing him. Maybe she had slain him and liked it. Panting, she ripped at her bonds. Although not in the world perceptible, those bonds began to break down. Red eyes were woke.

The cell door opened and Admiral Duval stepped inside. Slam. The light from outside had shined upon her for just a moment. Now it was gone.

"So what have you decided, Ms. Blainkwick?"

"That I'm going to kill you first."

He laughed. "Surely you mean second." The smile never leaving his face, he approached her. "Admit you killed him and I'll allow the guards to feed you. I'll see to it that you have water and wine."

Dorothy stayed still.The admiral's shadow cast over. Although not looking up, she could tell he stood in front of her.

"It's a terrible shame that red skin rubbed off on you. Barbarians are all the same—distant, prideful... It's no wonder they're extinct. Well, no matter. Although you'll spend the rest of your days as a laboratory pet, I do have you for at least a little while longer... For an animal, you are beautiful."

Just before his hands touched her breasts, there came a bang from the door.

"What is it?"

No answer.

"Damn it." The admiral turned and reached for the door. Before he could open it, however, it swung open on its own. George Goblin stood on the other side.

"What do you want? I'm not finished yet. If you want another chance to talk to her, you'll have to—"

The goblin drew his sword, and with one smooth motion cracked Duval on the side of the knee with its broad side. The admiral doubled over and cried in pain. George cracked him on the head with the pommel, and out he went.

Swiftly the goblin stepped forward and cut the ropes holding Dorothy down. Even as Dorothy stood up wobbly, weak, and bleeding, she felt her strength returning to her. Revenge made effective fuel. Passing George Goblin, she moved straight toward the admiral's crumpled body and raised an angry foot.

She brought it down, softly on the floor. George Goblin watched her."Well, we should probably get going," he said, "unless you're not finished here."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because you can't be left here, and because no one else will."

Even with Dorothy's bune wand and moonstone restored no one questioned the great George Goblin why he moved the prisoner. Staying out of his way, they watched him exit into the stairwell.

"Stairwell C," muttered the goblin."What?"He didn't answer. The further they went, the clearer it became to Dorothy that they were on an airship. Apparently she and Elise had made it aboard the Empress Ogre after all. But where was Elise? The grated stairs and extensions seemed endless.

"Hey, where are you going with that prisoner?"One level down from them stood a woman with dark hair and a white uniform. Fully featured with good looks, she did have a somewhat baffled countenance, however. She wheeled some luggage behind her.

George Goblin looked over at her. "Does it matter?"

"Um, it kind of does, actually."

Oh my God. Alexis couldn't believe she had just sassed the legend himself—the first goblin to reach Unum and probably the greatest explorer of all time! Still, as an officer with her orders she had to do things by the book when it came to the important stuff. 'Important stuff'. She liked herself even less than she had before.