Ciaran didn't say anything. He looked at Bas. His eyes were wet. Then
he got the harp in his hands again and struck it, and the thundering
chords shook the crystal maze to answering music.
It drowned the faint death-whisper. And then, caught between two
vibrations, the shining rods split and fell, with a shiver of sound
like the ringing of distant bells.
Ciaran turned and went down the passage to the pit. Behind him came the
dark-haired boy with the Stone of Destiny in his hands.
They came along the lower arm of the fork where Ciaran and the hunter
had fought the Kalds. There were four of the grey beasts still on guard.
Ciaran had pulled the wand from his girdle. The Kalds started up, and
Ciaran got ready to fight them. But Bas said, "Wait."
He stepped forward. The Kalds watched him with their blood-pink eyes,
yawning and whimpering with animal nervousness. The boy's dark gaze
burned. The grey brutes cringed and shivered and then dropped flat,
hiding their faces against the stone.
"Telepaths," said Bas to Ciaran, "and obedient to the strongest
mind. The androids know that. The Kalds weren't put there to stop me
physically, but to send the androids warning if I came."