Forest Kingdom Trilogy 3 - Down Among the Dead Men

“You’re not the man I knew. The Edmond Wilde I remember wasn’t a rapist and a murderer.”
    “You never did know me that well,” said Wilde.
    “I’m relieved to hear it,” said the Dancer. “I’d hate to think she spent her time mixing with bad company.”
    “What’s the matter, Dancer?” asked Wilde. “Afraid it might be contagious?”
    “Don’t push your luck,” said the Dancer, very softly. “And stay away from Jessica.”
    Wilde laughed. “If I want her, I’ll take her. And there’s nothing you or anybody else can do to stop me. I’m better with a bow than you’ll ever be with a sword. I’m the best there is.”
    Flint dropped a hand onto the Dancer’s arm as he reached for his sword. “No, Giles! We need him!”
    The Dancer looked at her, his face cold and impassive. “All right, Jessica. He’s safe. For now.”
    Deliberately he turned his back on Wilde and walked away to be by himself. Wilde watched him go, grinning.
    “You’re a fool to taunt the Dancer like that,” said Flint dispassionately.
    “I can deal with him.”
    “No, you can’t,” said Flint. “He’d kill you.”
    “Would that matter to you?” said Wilde slowly. “It’s been a long time since my death mattered to anyone.”
    “Friends are rare enough in this world. I wouldn’t want to lose any of them.”
    “Even an outlaw like me?”
    “Even you, Edmond. I still remember the way you fought outside the castle walls, standing back to back with me against all the demons in the long night. They even wrote a song about you.”
    “Bet they don’t sing it anymore.” Wilde smiled gently at Flint, and some of the harsh lines faded from his face. “I loved you once, Jess. And you said you loved me.
    “That was a long time ago,” said Flint. “We were different people then.”
    “Were we?” said Wilde, but Flint had already walked away to join the Dancer.
    Scarecrow Jack and the witch called Constance had passed the time chatting pleasantly. She helped him find a secure place for his torch and the lantern Hammer had given him, and he thanked her shyly. Constance brought him up to date on what-she’d discovered about the Beast, and he was able to confirm some of her guesses through his own Forest magic. Constance found his magic intensely fascinating and not a little disturbing. Jack’s communion with the Forest owed nothing to the High Magic she’d spent her life studying; his power came from the Wild Magic, the old, mercurial force that linked man with reality itself. She was also rather worried to discover that Jack seemed just as scared of the Beast as she was. If a legend like Scarecrow Jack didn’t know what to do for the best, what hope did she have? Constance put the thought firmly to one side. She’d worry about facing the Beast when she had to, and not before. And so she and Jack talked quietly together, and never once looked across at the trapdoor.
    MacNeil slid back the two bolts and hauled the trapdoor open. Once again a vile stench issued from the dark opening, filling the cellar. MacNeil let the trapdoor fall backward onto the floor, and stepped back a pace. Jack batted a hand feebly before his face, as though searching for fresher air. Hammer looked warily into the opening, his hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his hip.
    “It smells like something died down there,” he said finally.
    “Wouldn’t surprise me in the least,” said MacNeil. He retrieved his lantern from where he’d left it, got down on one knee beside the opening, and gingerly lowered the lantern into the darkness. The pale light showed the first steps leading down into the darkness, all of them caked with dried blood. MacNeil moved the lantern about, showing Hammer glimpses of the bloodstained walls. Hammer looked at MacNeil.
    “This is a setup,” he said flatly. “Whatever’s down there has to know we’re coming. It’s waiting for us.”
    “Seems likely,” said MacNeil. “But I’m still going down. Unless you’ve got a better idea.”
    Hammer started to say something and then stopped, staring silently at the dark opening. MacNeil got unhurriedly to his feet again.
    “I’m going with you,” said Jack suddenly.
    MacNeil and Hammer looked quickly around to find Jack standing behind them. They exchanged a glance as they realized neither of them had heard him approach. Jack said nothing more. He just stood there, smiling gently, waiting for them to make their decision. MacNeil looked at him