Emily Rodda - Cavern Of Fear

‘We might do better on foot,’ said Barda, as his horse stumbled for the third time in an hour.

‘No!’ Jinks squealed. He squirmed in the saddle, his face a picture of fear. ‘This is Granous country! Have you not heard the stories?’

‘Of course,’ Barda said grimly. ‘But so has everyone else. That is why there are no trails through this wilderness. On foot we can at least follow Fury more safely.’

Jinks opened his mouth to argue, but his words were never spoken. For abruptly a grey shape streaked from the bushes in front of them, sharp, yellow teeth snapped, and the horses reared, shrieking with pain and fright, tumbling their startled riders to the ground.

As Lief slowly came to his senses, he became aware that he was sitting on the ground, tied to a tree at the edge of a clearing. Something was panting close to his face. Its hot breath was foul.

Lief opened his eyes and saw grinning jaws, grey, matted fur, a wet, snuffling black nose. With sinking heart he realised that this must be a Granous. And there were more of them—several more, by the sound of the other mutterings and gigglings in the background.

The creature which had filled his vision moved back and squatted on the ground. Now Lief could see its companions—four of them. All had the same evil grins on their faces. Every now and then, one of them would snap its yellow teeth unpleasantly.

Lief struggled to free himself, but at once realised that it was impossible. His ankles were tied to pegs that had been driven into the ground. His wrists were lashed to heavy logs of wood that lay on either side of him. His sword was still at his belt, but he could not reach it.

Turning his head, he saw that Barda and Jinks were tied exactly as he was. Barda was still shouting furiously. Jinks’ jaw was gaping, his eyes mad with fear, the remains of Fury’s chain dangling from his wrist.

Fury’s chain must have broken when Jinks fell, thought Lief. She will catch up to Jasmine and Glock without us. Perhaps she already has. Again he vainly struggled against his bonds. They were only vines, but were as strong as the heaviest rope.

‘Free us, Granous, or it will be the worse for you!’ roared Barda.

Their captors laughed uproariously. ‘It will be the worse for you!’ mimicked one. ‘Oh, I am so afraid!’

‘This is Lief, king of Deltora!’ Barda growled, jerking his head at Lief. ‘You dare not harm him!’

‘We care nothing for kings,’ sneered the first Granous, who seemed to be the leader. ‘The dragons have gone. These are our hills now.’

It grinned at Lief, and bowed mockingly. ‘But if you are a king, you can be the one to play the Twenty Questions game with us. We have never matched wits with a king before.’

Its shaggy companions grinned, snuffled and snapped their jaws. A chill ran down Lief’s spine.

The first Granous moved closer, rubbing its hands together. Tufts of grey fur covered the backs of the hands. The fingers were thin as wires, tipped by nails that were long, yellow and rimmed with grime

Lief stared in fascinated horror. His own fingers tingled at the thought of those hands grasping his, the sharp teeth moving closer…

‘Rules are simple, king,’ said the Granous, grinning horribly. ‘We ask question, you answer. If answer is wrong, you pay the price. One finger from you, and one from each of your friends. Yes?’

Jinks began to wail piteously.

Fighting for calm, Lief concentrated on the birds chattering in the trees that surrounded the clearing. No doubt they were Os-Mine vine weaver birds, of which he had learned as a child. Their famous net-like nests strung many of the treetops.

He breathed deeply, feeling Barda’s eyes upon him. He knew that Barda was hoping against hope that the gems of the Belt of Deltora would help them now. The topaz that sharpened the mind. The amethyst that calmed. The diamond that gave strength…

He swallowed. ‘What if I will not play?’ he asked.

The Granous shrugged. ‘If you do not answer in the time it takes to count twenty, you lose. And you each give a finger. Then we ask another question. And so on. You see?’

Lief saw only too well.

‘And if I answer correctly?’ he asked.

‘Then no finger is taken,’ said the Granous, ‘And we ask another question. At the end of twenty questions, you are all free to leave us.’ Its face split into another hideous grin. ‘If you can,’ it added. ‘For when the fingers are finished, we begin on the toes.’

Jinks’ wails grew louder.

11 - A Friend in Need

The head Granous placed a small wooden board on Lief’s lap. The board was very old, and beautifully crafted. Many squares of wood, each one bearing a painted letter, had been arranged upon it in rows.

‘Where did you get this?’ Lief exclaimed.

‘We have had many visitors before you, king!’ the Granous giggled. ‘Now! Your first question is—what are the only useful things about you? The answer is hidden on the board. It may run up, down, sideways, or all three. Go!’

At once, the other Granous began to clap and chant. ‘Twenty. Nineteen. Eighteen…’

Lief stared at the board. The letters seemed to swim before his eyes. He blinked, trying to clear his head, searching desperately for a starting point.

Words seemed to jump out at him. GET. TI?. BENT. BASE. PAN. But they led nowhere.

Up, down, sideways, or all three…

‘… Fourteen. Thirteen. Twelve…’ The counting was growing louder.

Lief glanced desperately at Barda. Barda, squinting at the board, trying to make the letters out at a distance, shook his head. Beyond him, Jinks, his face fixed in concentration and shiny with sweat, was staring straight ahead. But then Lief saw that one of the acrobat’s hands, narrowed to a claw, was moving—twisting rapidly.

Jinks was trying one of his old tricks. And this time it was not for the entertainment of others, or for a bet, but to save his life. He was trying to slip out of his bonds while the Granous were not watching him. Lief looked quickly back at the board, his heart thumping.

The Granous leader pretended to smother a yawn, tapping its gaping mouth with its hand. The wicked teeth were razor sharp. Sharp enough to shear through flesh and snap through bone.

The only good things about you…

An idea flashed into Lief’s mind. Feverishly he searched the board.

‘Six. Five. Four…’

And suddenly, there was the answer, coiled within the mass of letters, crooked as a snake.

Ten fingers and ten toes!’ Lief shouted.

The chanting stopped, dissolving into a chorus of disappointed groans.

Lief risked another glance at Jinks. The little man had managed to free his hand, and was cautiously feeling for the dagger at his belt.

‘No doubt you think you are very clever, king,’ said the first Granous sulkily. ‘We will see. Here is your second question. Listen carefully.’

It folded its hands over its belly, and recited:

A king dined with his sister,

His friend and his friend’s wife.

All of them were greedy beasts

Who loved food more than life.

At last three pies alone remained.

There wasn’t any knife.

How did they all have equal shares,