Again he paused. Kormak found that even he was leaning forward, waiting to hear what the dwarf was going to say. Utti raised his hand, palm outwards and then brought it down in a sweeping gesture. His outstretched finger pointed directly at Kormak. “I say it because they came here—here!—bearing one of the forbidden weapons. They have carried an abomination here—here!—onto our sacred ground, into the most holy place of the People of Stone.”
There was a collective hiss of indrawn breath. Utti stopped again and Kormak was aware that all eyes in the place were looking at him and every gaze expressed hostility, outrage and anger.
The dwarves turned and moved menacingly towards Kormak. He balled his fists, regretting that he had no more effective weapon and prepared to do what he could. Sasha put some distance between them. Boreas moved to assist him. Karnea looked around blinking out from behind her glasses as if not entirely sure about what was going on.
Ferik bellowed for them to halt. “No decision has been come to yet. If these strangers are to be killed, let it be done according to the Laws of our people.”
The dwarves stopped moving towards Kormak but they still eyed him menacingly. Still, Ferik’s words had given him some hope. Why would he even mention the word if there was not some chance of them being allowed to remain alive?
“I would hear what these strangers have to say for themselves,” said Branhilde the Beautiful.
“That is not usual,” said Utti.
“Nonetheless, there is precedent,” said Ferik. Branhilde nodded. “In ancient times, allies and outlanders were allowed to speak before the Moot on matters of importance.”
“Allies,” said Utti. “And that was before the Dying. Those were more trusting times.”
“Is there precedent or not?” Verlek asked. Was there a note of mockery in his tone? Utti glared at him and then looked at Branhilde. If he had been a man, Kormak would have thought he was licking his lips.
“There is precedent,” said Utti. “Let the stranger speak. I would hear from his own lips why he came here bearing such a forbidden weapon.”
“Kormak Swordbearer, you are called to speak, if you so desire.”
Kormak strode up out of the crowd and leapt onto the lowest step. He heard some gasps at his effrontery from the assembled dwarves. He felt the blazing heat of the fire behind his back. He felt sweat beading his skin.
“I came here on a mission for my order,” he said, speaking slowly and clearly so that he might be understood by all. “I came here as a guard for the scholar, Karnea. We came to the City in the Deeps seeking knowledge of the Lost Runes and the metal netherium. We had hoped to find it or trade for it.”
“Why do you seek netherium?” someone in the crowd asked. Kormak could not but suspect that he already knew the answer.
“We seek it in order that we may repair our blades and protect ourselves from the Old Ones,” he said. He saw no point in trying to deceive them and he thought he might as well get the worst of it, from the point of view of the dwarves, out into the open at once.
They were staring at him now. He could not help but notice that all of their eyes were pools of blackness. Ferik’s had not been, nor Branhilde’s nor any of the speakers from the steps. Was it something to do with staring at the flames, he wondered, then realised that was not relevant to what he had to say.
“You admit then that you use your blade to slay Eldrim,” said Utti.
“Aye, I have slain the Old Ones but only when they broke the Laws that they agreed to be bound by, just as my people did.”
“Blasphemy,” someone in the crowd shouted.
“Perhaps for you but not for me,” Kormak stated defiantly.
Guttri held up his hand. “I have never heard of such laws.”
“They were agreed in the time after the City in the Deeps was sealed.”
“So you say.”
“I am a Guardian of the Order of the Dawn and I speak the truth in this matter,” said Kormak. “And it seems to me that you know something about fighting the Old Ones yourselves. I have seen the warding runes on your gates, intended to keep Graghur out. I have been told that he is your enemy, as he is mine. His people attack you. He unleashes monsters in the corridors of the City in the Deeps. He plots to destroy you and make this whole city his. Is that not also the truth?”
Silence crashed down on the gathering. Kormak knew that he had touched a nerve. “Is that not the truth?” he asked, this time so quietly that the dwarves had to strain to hear.
“It is truth,” said Ferik.
“It is truth,” said Branhilde.
“It is truth,” said Guttri.