No voice came to her ears this time, despite her efforts. “He is not even here!” Annelise wailed in frustration. “There is no reason to keep me herealone!”
The gates did notmove.
She brushed her hands and backed away, glaring at the doors. She began to think of them as sentient beings, deliberately denying her will. They might well be, if they had been enchanted by a djinn. “If I must submit to force, then I shall do so.” Annelise shook a warning finger at the gates. “Do not insist that you were notwarned.”
* * *
It wasmidday by the time Annelise had gathered everything she deemed useful. The sun was obscured by clouds overhead and she shivered in her cloak as she approached thegates.
First, she would try to force the lock. Annelise snatched up a dagger and turned on the gates, as though she might surprise them with hertactic.
Of course, there was no sign of alock.
Annelise peered into the seam where the two doors met, hoping to get a glimpse of the catch. Either the space was too narrow or the doors fitted too well to give her anyclues.
She decided that halfway up, at about shoulder level, would be the most logical place for whatever kind of latch these odd gates might have. Annelise jammed her blade into the space as far as shecould.
The tip of the dagger snappedoff.
The point did not even remain wedged in the door, but fell to the snowy ground so suddenly that Annelise imagined the gates had spit itout.
No matter. She had a biggerblade.
Her husband’s quillon dagger was her next tool of choice. Annelise refused to be daunted when it met with the same fate as the firstblade.
Obviously, she needed a sturdierweapon.
Annelise hefted the weight of her spouse’s broadsword, making no small effort to brace it on her shoulder. She peered down the blade, took aim and dove at thegate.
To her delight, the blade slid neatly into the minute space between the doors. Annelise leaned forward to drive it even farther and savored a moment of elation before she heard the sharp crack ofmetal.
Then she pitched forward as the tip snapped off this doughty blade, as well. Annelise lost her balance and twisted her ankle slightly. Her spouse’s sword fell in the snow, as if it had been spit forth by the gates. She was momentarily glad that he was not present when she saw the state of theblade.
Judging from all the nicks and scratches, it had been a trusty and sturdy weapon for him. Annelise rubbed her ankle as shethought.
The power of Mephistopheles was added to the endeavor. Being a creature of moderate sense, he refused to participate in Annelise’s direct assault on the gales. She had the idea that she might ride the destrier at full attack and break them down by throwing their combined weight againstthem.
Mephistopheles stopped dead an arm’s length from the gate on every try. Faced with such a lack of cooperation, Annelise was forced to attempt another method ofescape.
She used the destrier to drag furniture through the snow to the wall. Annelise, at times less easily than others, stacked it in an effort to reach thetop.
When she deemed the pile to be high enough, she dropped Mephistopheles’ reins and scaled it. A chest rocked precariously when she put her weight on it, but she scrambled onward, her heart in hermouth.
She gained the summit with relief. “I will let you out from the other side,” she declared as she waved to Mephistopheles and reached for the top of thewall.
It was just beyond her fingertips. Annelise stretched to her toes and strained with all her might, but to noavail.
She could not reach thetop.
But she was close. Soclose.
“One more!” she cried to the destrier. “We need just one more thing.” Annelise hurried down the pile of furnishings and led Mephistopheles toward thepalace.
A quick scan of the palace showed the perfect choice, a table carved of rosy wood. It was rife with ornamentation, tall and probably quitelight.
She tugged the table out into the garden, rolled it onto its back and tied a rope around it Mephistopheles flicked his ears, but obediently hauled it over to thewall.
Annelise’s breathing was labored by the time she reached the top. She pulled the table up the last stage, smiling inanticipation.
