Free The Cellar Beneath the Cellar (Bell Mountain) by Lee Duigon

world. And to be sure, the bell has rung; we all heard it. But very few have understood its message!”
    Orth raised that mighty voice of his. It was like the tolling of an iron bell.
    “Yes, it was a warning—a dire warning from God Himself, which we dare not ignore, on peril of our lives. But how can anyone be so blind as not to see what we are warned against? The danger we’ve been warned against is breathing down our necks! It is nothing less than the assembled nations of the Heathen, come together for our final and complete destruction.
    “And what are the people of Obann, God’s people, to do? Offer our throats to be cut, our cities to be burned? Bow down to Heathen idols?
    “No, no, no! That bell was calling us to war, calling us to go forth and conquer. To put forth all the strength that God can give us, and once and for all, forever, destroy the Heathen and their idols! To drive them out of our land, and then to march beyond the mountains and ruin their cities, burn their idols!
    “If we do not do this, if we do not obey the commandment of God, then that will be the end of us—the end of our world. For has not God commanded us, ‘Ye shall surely destroy the Heathen’? But we have not destroyed them. We have not even tried.
    “Now we have been warned. Ozias’ bell has warned us. This is our last chance, the last time God will call on us to destroy the Heathen. If we do not, the Heathen will destroy us; and this time there will be no one to rebuild the Temple.”
    And that was that: a short speech, but certainly effective, Lord Reesh thought. Orth had written it himself; he’d be a good choice to be the next First Prester. But meanwhile, imitations of his sermon would be preached in every chamber house in Obann.
    We can’t silence all the crazy prophets, Reesh thought, but we can turn their fervor to our own uses.
     

     
    Jack flinched, and Ellayne gasped and stepped back when she saw the thing the girl was carrying.
    “Great powers, what is that?” Martis said.
    “It’s horrible! Take it away!” Ellayne cried.
    It hissed at her, just like a snake. It had a scaly lizard face, with a mouthful of needle-sharp teeth and shiny red eyes; but the rest of it was covered with feathers, like a bird: dirty-looking, grey-blue feathers. It had clawed hands on its wings and a long, stiff, feathered tail. If it hadn’t been only the size of a large crow, Ellayne would have thought it was a dragon. But maybe it was—a baby dragon.
    “Don’t be afraid,” Helki said. “I’m burned if I know what it is, but it seems mighty fond of Jandra. She found it yesterday while she was playing in the bushes. It just hopped right into her arms and let itself be petted. Jandra, baby, these are Daddy’s friends. Say hello.”
    “Hello.” She’d be a sweet little girl, Ellayne thought, if it weren’t for that monster she was holding.
    The child looked up at Martis and smiled at him. “Nice man,” she said. Martis looked away. He’d met Jandra on the plain before Helki found her, but she wandered away from him while he slept. Intent on his mission for Lord Reesh, he didn’t try to follow her to protect her.
    “She likes you,” Helki said. Martis cringed. He’d given her food and water, nothing more, and left her behind. It was a miracle she wasn’t dead.
    “Who is she, Helki?” Jack said. “Don’t tell me she’s yours!”
    “Only until I can find a proper home for her. I found her on the plain, wandering around alone. I reckon the Heathen must’ve got her folks, and she escaped somehow. Peeper, these two kids are Jack and Ellayne. I’m sure they’ll be nice to you. Why don’t you put your bird down now, and let him find something to eat?”
    Jandra released the creature. It strutted like a chicken, head bobbing as it walked, glaring at Ellayne. Helki picked up Jandra and invited his guests into the cave, where he fed them on fresh fish he’d caught with his bare hands in a nearby pool and some coarse