The Second Book of Lankhmar

evidence from dowsing would be uncertain and ambiguous compared with the clues got from actual digging, which he thought should be kept up in any case, to hold open an exit from the underworld for the Gray One at the same point he'd entered it. And you may very well be right about Loki trying to lead us astray. He was a tricksy god, as you know better than I, loving destruction above all else. For that matter, old Odin wasn't reliable either, taking Fafhrd's hand after the loving worship we'd provided him."
           Pshawri interposed, "Lady Cif, just before the Lady Afreyt joined us, you said you'd thought of a way to foil Loki's plots and clear the way for Captain Mouser's return."
           Cif nodded. "Since the cube cinder is of no use to us as a talisman, I think that one of us should take it and hurl it into the flame pit, the molten lava lake of volcano Darkfire, hopefully returning god Loki to his proper element and perchance assuaging his ire against the Captain."
           "And lose forever one of Rime Isle's ikons, the Gold Cube of Square Dealing?" Groniger protested.
           "That gold's forever tainted with the stranger god's essence," Mother Grum informed him, "something I cannot exorcise. Cif's rede is good."
           "A golden ikon can be refashioned and resanctified," old Ourph pointed out. "Not so a man."
           "I cannot muster argument against such action, though it seems to me sheerest superstition," said Groniger wearily. "This morn's events have taken me out of my own element of reason."
           "And if it must be done," Cif went on, "you, Pshawri, are the one to attempt it. You raped the cube cinder from the Maelstrom's maw. You should be the one returns it to the fire."
           "If the damned thing will let itself be hurled into the flame pit," Skullick burst out, his irreverence at last regenerated. "You'll hurl it and it'll take flight the gods know where."
           "I'll find a way to constrain it, never fear," the young lieutenant assured him, an uncustomary iron in his voice. He turned to Cif.
           "From my heart's depths I thank you, Lady, for that task. When I wrested that accursed object from the whirlpool, I do now believe I doomed Captain Mouser to his present plight. It is my dearest desire to wipe out that fault."
           "Now wait a moment, all of you," Afreyt cut in. "I am myself inclined to agree with you about the Queller and Darkfire. It strikes me as the wise thing to do. But this is a step may mean the life or death of Captain Mouser. I do not think that we should take it without the agreement of Captain Fafhrd, his lifelong comrade and forever. I wear his ring, it's true, yet in this matter would not speak for him. So I come back to it: where's Fafhrd?"
           "Who are these coming toward us from Salthaven?" Rill interrupted in an arresting voice. "If I don't mistake their identities, they may bring news bearing on that question."
           The fog blanket to the east was finally breaking up and shredding under the silent bombardment of the sun's bright beams, although the latter were losing a little of their golden strength as the orb mounted and the sky became heavy. Through the white rags and tatters two slight and white-clad figures trudged: who waved their hands and broke into a run upon seeing that they were observed. As they drew closer it was to be seen that the redhead's eyes were large in her small face but the silver-blonde's larger still.
           "Aunt Afreyt!" Gale called as soon as they got near. "We've had a great adventure and we've got the most amazing news to tell!"
           "Never mind that now," Afreyt answered somewhat shortly. "Tell us, where's Fafhrd?"
           "How did you know?" Gale's eyes grew larger still. "Well, I was going to build up to it, but since you ask right off: Uncle Fafhrd has swum up into the sky to board a cloud ship of Arilia or flag a flier from Stardock. I think he's looking for help in finding Uncle Mouser."
           "Stop talking nonsense," Cif burst out.
           "Fafhrd can't swim through air," Afreyt pointed out.
           "Sea tunnels of Simorgya! Cloud ships of Arilia!" Groniger protested. "That's too much nonsense for a cold summer morning."
           "But it's what happened," the girl insisted. "Why, Aunt Afreyt, you yourself saw Fafhrd and Mara flying high through air when the invisible princess Hirriwi of