Sinbad and The Eye of the Tiger Read Online Free Page A

death he himself would have dealt out unmercifully to the weak and defeated.
    Sinbad stood over him, the point of his sword at the sly traitor’s throat, pricking at the vulnerable softness of the fallen man’s neck. “Who are you?” Sinbad demanded. “Why have you tried to poison us?”
    The wounded man’s mouth moved again, but only strangled croaks came from him. Then his eyes moved past and beyond Sinbad. The sea captain heard a gasp of surprise from the cowed drummers and he stepped quickly away from the downed host, his blood-spattered sword coming up, his senses all on alert.
    There was a sharp wind and all the lamps flickered out. The scattered coals of the fire made small glows in the smoke-filled tent as Sinbad stared at the hooded figure that had appeared in the entrance to the tent. Its cloak billowed in the wind and there was a moment of silence punctuated only by the hiss of smoldering pillows and distant cries of men.
    The hood kept the features of the figure in shadow and Sinbad’s eyes searched in vain. He saw a hand emerge from a long black sleeve and recognized it as a woman’s. Warily, he saw her hand reach for a necklace around her throat, pulling forth into the light a golden chain from which hung clawlike glass containers. The hairs on the back of Sinbad’s neck rose in a nameless fear and his grasp on the sword tightened.
    There was a twin blaze of light within the shadowed hood and Sinbad caught the impression of slitted pupils and slanted eyes widening with feline fury, but passed it off as a trick of the flickering fire between them.
    The lean fingers of the woman yanked at the chain. It parted and the necklace of claws swayed and jangled, swinging wildly into the firelight. The female hand stretched out, clasping a tangle of chain and claws. The fingers opened, flinging the necklace into the embers of the partially scattered fire.
    “Arise!” the figure said ominously. “From the depths of the earth I command you! Arise!” Her voice was deep and commanding. “Destroy them!” she cried in a sudden change. “Kill Sinbad! Kill! Kill!”
    She raised her arms as a priestess might and the flames rose, hissing and flickering. Thick dark smoke billowed, flecked with flames, filling the tent. Sinbad backed away, seeing Hassan drag the Mate, Aboo-seer, to his feet, a sword in his hand.
    Then out of the thickening smoke came four nightmarish figures. Sinbad cried out involuntarily. They were of human size but with the horrific appearance of anatomical specimens. They had neither hair nor flesh, only sinew and gaunt muscle stretched thinly over naked skeletal bone. They were obscure parodies of human forms, and Sinbad knew instinctively they were soulless, the ghouls of the hooded figure’s incantation.
    They advanced toward Sinbad, right through stuttering flames, and Sinbad realized with a shock that they had no feelings and were able to withstand extremes of pain. And they were well armed with axes and clubs.
    “Hassan! Aboo-seer!”
    “Aye, sir!” Aboo-seer shouted back. “I’m better now. Where’s my sword?”
    But all three of the adventurers were staring with unbelieving eyes at the four apparitions.
    “They’re . . . they’re not human!” gasped Hassan.
    At his words the ghouls reached down and scooped up hot coals and burning brands from the scattered fire. With sudden, abrupt gestures they showered the burning material upon all three of the sailors. Sinbad and his men jumped back, sweeping up cushions to protect them from the rain of burning fire. More small fires were started among the pillows and spilled wine, adding to the smoke and danger of the tent.
    The ghouls advanced, their skeletal hands wielding clubs and axes. One or two of them turned toward each of the embattled sailors. The one that came at Sinbad reached into the flames and pulled forth a blazing length of wood. Then the ghouls and Sinbad’s men were locked into a deadly battle—a battle in which one side