Somebody swung a backhand Goblin's way. He leaned only slightly. When the man pulled his hand back, having missed entirely and been only lightly brushed by a warding hand, he looked at his own paw in astonishment.

Ten thousand pinpricks of blood had appeared. They formed a pattern. Almost a tattoo. And that tattoo showed two serpents intertwined, each with its fangs buried in the other's neck. If necks are what snakes have behind their heads.

A distraction. I recognized it, of course. After the first moment, I concentrated on One-Eye. He just grinned.

The men who were to stretch him turned back after a moment, whipped by their Colonel's snarl. Sweet was damned uncomfortable now. He had a suspicion he faced something extraordinary, but he refused to be intimidated.

As the torturers stepped up to One-Eye his naked belly heaved. And a big, nasty spider crawled out of his navel. It came out in a ball, dragging itself with two legs, then unwrapped the others from around a body half the size of my thumb. It stepped aside and another crawled forth. The first ambled down One-Eye's leg, toward the man who held the crank to which One-Eye's ankles were strapped. The fellow's eyes just kept getting bigger. He turned to his commanding officer.

Absolute silence filled the cellar. I don't think the imperials even remembered to breathe.

Another spider crawled out of One-Eye's heaving belly. And another. And he seemed diminished just a bit more each time. His faced changed, slowly shifting toward what a spider's face looks like if you look real close. Most people do not have the nerve.

Goblin giggled.

"Turn the crank!" Sweet roared.

The man at One-Eye's feet tried. The first spider scuttled up the lever onto his hand. He shrieked, flung his hand around, hurled the arachnid into the shadows.

"Colonel," I said in as businesslike a voice as I could muster, "this has gone far enough. Let's not get someone hurt."

There was a whole mob of them and four of us and Sweet wanted badly to rely on that. But already several men were edging toward the exit. Most were edging away from us. Everyone stared at Sweet.

Damned Goblin. Had to let his enthusiasm get away. He squeaked, "Hold on, Croaker. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Let them stretch One-Eye a little."

I saw the light dawn behind Sweet's eyes, though he tried to conceal it. "Damn you, Goblin. Now you've done it. We're going to have a talk after this is over. Colonel. What will it be? I have the edge here. As you now know."

He elected for the better part of valor. "Release him," he told the man nearest One-Eye.

There were spiders all over One-Eye. He had them popping out of his mouth and ears now. Getting enthusiastic, he had them turning up as gaudy as you can imagine, hunters, web-spinners, jumpers. All big and revolting. Sweet's men refused to go near him.