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Contents ( 71)
  2. The Last Wish
  3. THE VOICE OF REASON
  4. I
  5. THE WITCHER
  6. I
  7. II
  8. III
  9. IV
  10. V
  11. VI
  12. VII
  13. VIII
  14. THE VOICE OF REASON
  15. I
  16. II
  17. A GRAIN OF TRUTH
  18. I
  19. II
  20. III
  21. IV
  22. V
  23. THE VOICE OF REASON
  24. I
  25. THE LESSER EVIL
  26. I
  27. II
  28. III
  29. IV
  30. V
  31. VI
  32. THE VOICE OF REASON
  33. I
  34. A QUESTION OF PRICE
  35. I
  36. II
  37. III
  38. THE VOICE OF REASON
  39. I
  40. THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
  41. I
  42. II
  43. III
  44. IV
  45. V
  46. VI
  47. VII
  48. THE VOICE OF REASON
  49. I
  50. THE LAST WISH
  51. I
  52. II
  53. III
  54. IV
  55. V
  56. VI
  57. VII
  58. VIII
  59. IX
  60. X
  61. XI
  62. XII
  63. XIII
  64. XIV
  65. XV
  66. XVI
  67. XVII
  68. THE VOICE OF REASON
  69. I
  70. II

“Why did Geralt go there?” groaned Dandilion. “What the hell for? Why did he insist on saving that witch? Why, dammit? Chireadan, do you understand?”

The elf smiled sadly. “Yes, I do, Dandilion,” he said. “I do.”

X

Geralt leapt away from another blazing orange shaft which shot from the sorceress’s fingers. She was clearly tired, the shafts were weak and slow, and he avoided them with no great difficulty.

“Yennefer!” he shouted. “Calm down! Will you listen?! You won’t be able—”

He didn’t finish. Thin red bolts of lightning spurted from the sorceress’s hands, reaching him in many places and wrapping him up thoroughly. His clothes hissed and started to smolder.

“I won’t be able to?” she said through her teeth, standing over him. “You’ll soon see what I’m capable of. It will suffice for you to lie there for a while and not get in my way.”

“Get this off me!” he roared, struggling in the blazing spider’s web. “I’m burning, dammit!”

“Lie there and don’t move,” she advised, panting heavily. “It only burns when you move… I can’t spare you any more time, witcher. We had a romp, but enough’s enough. I’ve got to take care of the djinn; he’s ready to run away—”

“Run away?” Geralt screamed. “It’s you who should run away! That djinn… Yennefer, listen to me carefully. I’ve got to tell you the truth.”

XI

The djinn gave a tug at the fetters, traced a circle, tightened the lines holding it, and swept the little tower off Beau Berrant’s house.

“What a roar he’s got!” Dandilion frowned, instinctively clasping his throat. “What a terrible roar! It looks as if he’s bloody furious!”

“That’s because he is,” said Krepp. Chireadan glanced at him.

“What?”

“He’s furious,” repeated Krepp. “And I’m not surprised. I’d be furious too if I had to fulfill, to the letter, the first wish accidentally expressed by the witcher—”

“How’s that?” shouted Dandilion. “Geralt? Wish?”

“He’s the one who held the seal which imprisoned the djinn. The djinn’s fulfilling his wishes. That’s why the witch can’t master it. But the witcher mustn’t tell her, even if he’s caught on to it by now. He shouldn’t tell her.”

“Dammit,” muttered Chireadan. “I’m beginning to understand. The warder in the dungeon burst…”

“That was the witcher’s second wish. He’s still got one left. The last one. But, gods help us, he shouldn’t reveal that to Yennefer!”

XII

She stood motionless, leaning over him, paying no attention to the djinn struggling at its bonds above the tavern roof. The building shook, lime and splinters poured from the ceiling, furniture crept along the floor, shuddering spasmodically.

“So that’s how it is,” she hissed. “Congratulations. You deceived me. Not Dandilion, but you. That’s why the djinn’s fighting so hard! But I haven’t lost yet, Geralt. You underestimate me, and you underestimate my power. I’ve still got the djinn and you in my hand. You’ve still got one last wish, haven’t you? So make it. You’ll free the djinn and then I’ll bottle it.”