A large vapor lamp flared into life at the back of the cave and a figure moved forward. Sariana recognized the shape and carriage of the man before she saw his face in the glow of the lamp.
"Etion! What are you doing here?"
Rakken smiled his charming smile. "As it happens, I was just about to sit down to dinner. Will you join me?"
Sariana stared at him. "I'm sure you realize, Etion, that I've had a number of shocks recently. This is one of the biggest. As it happens, I'm starving. I will gladly join you for dinner under two conditions. The first is that you take me to Gryph. The second is that you promise to give me some explanation about what's going on here."
Etion nodded gravely. "Chassyn will be joining us for dinner, so that takes care of condition number one. As for condition number two, I think that can be dealt with also. Targyn? Will you join us?"
Targyn strode into the lamplight, scowling. "I don't think you should let Chassyn out of that chamber. He's dangerous."
"You assured me he was harmless enough as long as he was kept in the twist." "That's true, but I still don't like having him out in the open."
"You'll be there to protect me if he somehow escapes the twist." Etion spoke soothingly, as if to a fractious child. "There is no doubt that you are the stronger Shield, is there?"
"None." Targyn lifted his head proudly and strode past Sariana and Rakken. "I'll get Chassyn." Rakken sighed as the other man strode off. "Thickheaded bastard," he murmured under his breath. Sariana drew a silent breath of relief. At least Gryph was alive and apparently unharmed if he conid
take a meal. She would take this one step at a time, feeling her way through the quagmire of events the same way she had felt her way through the House of Reflections.
The first task was to handle Etion Rakken. She couldn't begin to imagine what he was doing here, but if he had taken Gryph prisoner, it was clear he was on the wrong side in this mess.
"It would appear your journey upriver has been a little rough," Etion remarked as he graciously extended his arm and led Sariana down a corridor of gray metal. Once inside the corridor there were no vapor lamps. The illumination seemed to come from within the metal walls. Sariana gazed around in wonder as she spoke to Rakken.
"I lost the sled and had to swim to shore. I tell you, Etion, things like this never happened to me when I lived in Rendezvous."
Etion smiled faintly. "I'm well aware of how unexpected life can be in the west." He paused in front of an opening carved in the corridor. "My humble chambers await." He bowed her into the room with a mocking flourish.
Sariana stepped inside and glanced around the odd room. It was a strange shape to her eyes, as if it were all just slightly out of proportion. The ceiling was a little too low for psychological comfort. It was lined with more of the metal she had noticed in the corridor. The glow of the illumination imbedded in the metal seemed vaguely wrong to her eyes. Instead of the soft, warm glow of vapor, it was a harsh light that jangled the senses.
"You get used to it," Etion said wryly. "The light? Where does it come from?"
"I don't know." He shrugged. "I tried to take the ceiling apart a coupleof months ago to find out, but I couldn't cut through that gray metal. The prisma cutter might do it, however. I'll give it a try one of these days. Sit down."
Sariana stepped slowly toward a round table that seemed a little too close to the floor. A bench of the same metal ringed the table. It was contoured in a slightly sloping fashion. When she sat down she felt uncomfortable.
"Etion, what is this place?"
"I wish I knew," Rakken said quietly as he went to the wall and pushed against it. A panel slid open revealing an assortment of familiar looking wines and ales. "A glass of wine, Sariana?"
"I could use it." She tried to speak calmly, as if everything that were happening was perfectly routine. Rakken handed her the wine. "Where's Gryph?"
There was a movement in the open doorway behind her.
"Right behind you," Gryph announced in a rough voice as he walked slowly and awkwardly into the room. Targyn followed. "I don't suppose there's any point asking you why you disobeyed my orders, is there, Sariana?"
"Of course not." Sariana jumped to her feet and went flying toward him. She stopped when she realized there was something wrong with the way he was standing. His hands were behind his back and he seemed to be having trouble staying on his feet.
"By the Lightstonn, what's wrong? What have they done to you?" she snapped, circling him to assess the damage.
Rakken chuckled. "Nothing yet. He's in a twist. Another witty little western invention designed by Shields to use on the bandits they take prisoner."
Sariana stared at the strange mechanism strapped to Gryph's waist at the back. Leather straps that appeared to be under extreme tension came from openings in a metal case. The straps were attached to Gryph's wrists and ankles.
"There's some give in the straps as long as he moves very slowly and cautiously," Rakken explained easily. "But if he makes any sudden moves - such as grabbing for my throat - the straps tighten and lock. He'll wind up flat on his back, possibly breaking an arm in the process. Here's your wine, my dear. Chassyn? What can I get for you?"
"Ale," Gryph said. His eyes were on Sariana's worried face. "What happened to you? You look like you swam the river."
"I did. I'll tell you all about it later."
An image of Lucky popped into her head but Gryph said nothing aloud. Sariana blinked, realizing he was projecting the question silently. Which meant he probably wanted a silent answer. She casually patted her cloak pocket. Lucky stayed silent.
"Targyn, take Lady Sariana's cloak, will you?" Rakken asked as he opened a bottle of ale. "And then tell Miscroft we're ready for dinner."
"Tell him yourself. You can take care of the woman's cloak, too. I don't take orders from you." Targyn strode across the room and snatched a bottle of ale from the cabinet in the wall. "I don't take orders from anyone," he added as he opened the bottle. "You have a bad habit of forgetting that, banker."
"My apologies, Lord Targyn. I'll tell Miscroft myself. Excuse me for a moment." Sariana saw the anger in Rakken's eyes as he went past her, but he was careful to keep it under
control. It was obvious Etion did not want to push Targyn too much.
Targyn tipped the bottle of ale and downed several large swallows. Then he lowered the bottle and wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve. He ignored Sariana but his eyes were feverishly alert as they scanned Gryph.
