The Iron Warrior
Page 39

I swallowed the dryness in my throat. Okay, that was terrifying. Stepping back from the edge now.
Kenzie, too, had moved a few swift paces away from the water. “The Deep Wyld is on the other side, isn’t it?” she asked, as the ripples from the monstrous turtle began to die away. “How are we getting across? Is there a dock close by? Somewhere we can catch a boat?”
“No.” The Thin Man turned to stare at us, frowning. “There is only one ferry that travels the River of Dreams,” he said, somewhat mysteriously, I thought, “but it is not for crossing the river. I doubt we will see it here, and even if we do, it will not stop for us, I’m afraid.”
“Okay.” Kenzie gave the water’s edge a leery glance. “I hope you don’t expect us to swim.”
“Patience, my dear.” The Thin Man held up an impossibly slender finger. “The River of Dreams is very long, and we are not the only ones who wish to cross it tonight. Worry not. Hopefully, it will be here soon... Ah, there it is. Perfect timing.”
I turned, hearing Kenzie gasp in surprise.
Spanning the length of the River of Dreams, where nothing had been before, was a bridge. A very old bridge, made of wood, stone and rope, creaking softly in the wind like it would snap at any moment.
I stared back at the Thin Man. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“No, Ethan Chase. That is the bridge to cross the River of Dreams,” the Thin Man said, seemingly baffled by my reaction. “You should consider yourself lucky. Sometimes the bridge does not appear for several hours. Sometimes it does not appear at all. Like I said before, the River of Dreams is very long. You can’t expect the bridge to just appear with a snap of your fingers.”
“That’s not what worries me.”
“Then what is the problem here, Ethan Chase?”
“The problem is I don’t want to wind up in the middle of the River of Dreams if that rotten thing decides to snap. Or vanish into thin air.”
The Thin Man shook his head. “You are being ridiculous, my boy. The bridge has existed for a very, very long time. It has never failed. Also, may I remind you that there is no other way to cross the River of Dreams, unless you are planning to swim. Which I do not recommend. There are far more dangerous things in the water than what you have seen tonight.” With a sniff, he straightened, tugging on his coat sleeves. “I am going now,” he announced with great dignity. “Feel free to join me when you are done being paranoid.”
He turned, briefly disappearing from sight, and walked down the bank to where the bridge loomed ominously. I sighed, shared a look with Kenzie and Razor, and hurried after him.
Two ancient moss-covered stones marked the entrance to the rickety walk of wooden boards stretching precariously over the water. The handrails were a couple of old ropes on either side, and I could see the river through the gaps between the planks. The Thin Man strode onto the bridge without hesitation, but Kenzie paused, crouching to peer at one of the stones, Razor lighting up the surface with his neon grin.
“There’s...something here,” she muttered, brushing at the mossy coating. “Words, or a message, or something. I can’t read it. It’s too worn away.”
Up ahead, the Thin Man had turned back and was giving us an impatient stare, tapping long fingers against his arm. “Come on,” I said, pulling Kenzie to her feet. “We can’t worry about it now. Hopefully it’s not important.”
Carefully, we started across the bridge, Kenzie in front with Razor clinging to her neck, while I followed close behind. The planks creaked horribly under my feet, the ropes felt rotten as hell and I held my breath every time a breath of wind made the whole bridge sway. Below us, the River of Dreams glittered and churned sluggishly through the many holes in the wood. Once, I made the mistake of looking down, just as a huge pale eye rose out of the water, staring up at me. Before I could say anything, it blinked a filmy blue lid and sank back into the depths. I bit down a hysterical gulp and concentrated on moving forward, keeping my steps as light as I possibly could.
In front of me, Kenzie gave a shudder. “Did you see that?”
“No,” I muttered stubbornly. “I didn’t, and I’m not thinking about it. Don’t look down. Just keep walking.”
“I would,” Kenzie whispered in return. “But there’s a gnome blocking my path.”
“What?” I peered over her shoulder. Yep, there certainly was. A short bearded faery with a nose like a shriveled apple, staring up at us with his arms crossed to his chest. A few paces beyond, the Thin Man glanced back with a frown, but the gnome didn’t seem to notice him.
“Hello, humans,” he said, his voice like a squeaky wheel. “Lovely night, isn’t it?”
“Um.” Kenzie glanced at me, confused. I shrugged and put a hand on my sword hilt. “Yes? I guess so?”
“Excellent, excellent.” The gnome rubbed his palms. “Don’t meet many humans on my bridge, wanting to cross into the Deep Wyld. Very brave, you are. I do hope you don’t get yourselves eaten.”
“But you’re a gnome,” Kenzie pointed out, making him cock his head. “Aren’t bridges guarded by trolls?”
“Not all bridges are troll bridges,” the gnome exclaimed, sounding faintly offended. “Just because trolls like to lurk under them does not give them exclusive rights to every bridge in the Nevernever. I am a bridge gnome. This is my bridge.”
“Okay,” I muttered, closing my fingers around my sword. “Sure. So, how ’bout you step aside now and let us pass?” Kenzie kicked me lightly in the shin, and I winced. “Please.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” The gnome bobbed his withered head. “I’m sure you have much to accomplish. So, if you would kindly pay the toll, we can settle our debts, and I will get out of your way.”
“Toll?” Kenzie asked. “What toll?”
“Well...the toll for using my bridge, of course.” The gnome frowned, lacing his arms behind his back. “Those are the rules. All tolls must be paid upon request. Didn’t you see the sign? It’s right at the entrance, clear as day.”
Kenzie turned to give me a brief, unreadable look. I grimaced. “What about him?” I asked, nodding to the Thin Man, who was still watching us several yards down. “I notice he didn’t have to pay any toll.”
“Well, no.” The gnome glanced over his shoulder. “The mayor is exempt from paying the toll. As are all residents of the Deep Wyld, if they decide to use the bridge at all. Most do not. You are outsiders. Therefore, you must pay the toll.”
“Just out of curiosity,” Kenzie asked, “what if we can’t?”
“Then I will take my bridge and leave. And you can swim the rest of the way to shore.”
“Okay, fine.” I sighed. I didn’t like the idea of paying yet another price, but I liked the notion of getting dumped into the River of Dreams even less. “What’s the stupid toll?”
“Oh, something very simple,” the gnome said, looking us both up and down. “I think...your firstborn child. Yes, that should be sufficient.”
I took a breath to say Screw that! or something to that effect, when Kenzie elbowed me in the ribs, making me grunt. Startled, I frowned at her, but her attention was on the faery in front of us.