The Gilweean Gateway

by R A Lindo

  “It means that things are getting bad again,” she explained, motioning to the discarded pamphlet closest to them.

  “That’s an understatement,” commented Kaira as she studied the familiar faces occupying The Seating Station and congregating on the marble floor. Erent Koll’s name could be heard in whispered conversations along with Isiah Renn’s: sure signs of danger afoot.

  Kaira wondered how long it would be before the shock of Meyen Grayling’s name was added to the list of malevs posing a threat, and how Guppy and Jacob would deal with this. It seemed that her dad’s unquestioned authority in the Society had minimised the stain on the Renn’s magical lineage: a betrayal Kaira was still having increasing difficulty understanding after yesterday’s events.

  Addressing the potential fall out of Meyen Grayling being expelled from the S.P.M.A. was something Kaira had tried, and failed, to raise with Guppy. Perhaps, like her dad’s refusal to address questions regarding Kaira’s grandfather, Guppy was struggling with divided loyalties. It was clearly a very personal struggle - a secret country full of tension and longing, and one which Kaira was yet to grasp.

  14

  Tallis & Crake

  Tallis & Crake stood on Pimion Place, nestled between Merrymopes and Cribbe & Corrow, two society establishments Kaira was now familiar with. Its peeling, white frontage gave the impression of an establishment weary of business, reinforced by the dirty, tinted windows and lack of an identifiable trade.

  Like all other Society buildings on Founders’ Quad, however, Tallis & Crake had its own unique function: the trading of rare artefacts. The trading of magical rarities could not be done in view of above-ground people who also filled Society establishments, enthralled with objects and leaning buildings which shook their dulled senses.

  Like Cribbe & Corrow and Merrymopes, there were certain doors that could only be accessed with a penchant - doors which led to other rooms, providing the secrecy necessary to carry out certain transactions. The door in question had a ‘Staff Only’ sign above it, slightly complicating matters for the two friends who clearly weren’t old enough to be staff. Not that this troubled Guppy in the slightest - a seasoned veteran in negotiating her way around the barriers adults put up.

  On glancing in the window of Tallis & Crake, you would be as likely to see a tatty comic as you were a pocket watch; a landscape painting alongside a cheap, wooden toy. However, this was merely the facade adopted by the proprietors, Ina Tallis and Benjamin Crake, who had perfected the art of hiding in plain sight. Whilst their above-ground clientele foraged through the everyday items, lost in the myth of the lucky few who had found a priceless object within its hallowed walls, Society business was conducted behind the door with the ‘Staff Only’ sign.

  The door was, of course, a Perium to another realm inaccessible to those without penchants. The sight of Kaira and Guppy in the shop received mixed reactions - surprise from the above-ground faction of shoppers and a nod of recognition from Society members.

  Distaste towards the young was slowly turning to grudging acceptance, particularly in light of the appearance of another under age member: Conrad Kusp. Conrad hadn’t reappeared after their tracking of The Sinister Four to the Sylent, making Kaira wonder if they had exposed him to too much on his first day. Or course, it could also be that there was more to Conrad’s silence than was currently understood.

  Either way, he was yet to forge a clear friendship with them so their adventures continued as a trio - once a nuisance although increasingly playing a critical role. The winds of change hovered, blowing softly in the ears of anyone prepared to listen: change was afoot and the benefits of age and youth would be needed to negotiate the impending storm.

  Ina Tallis’ tall, slender figure seemed to fill the interior of Tallis & Crake, the sense of being hemmed in not helped by the poor lighting. As far as Kaira could tell, the entire shop was lit by two wall lamps, the dull glow of which added a Gothic element to proceedings, creating the very mystery which drew the uninitiated inside. The Christmas season hadn’t reached this particular establishment - no sign of decoration or festive spirit in sight.

  Finally in striking distance of the shop counter, Guppy got the attention of Ina Tallis who feigned a frustrated wave towards the door marked ‘Staff Only’.

  “Keep the noise down,” was the line always used when Guppy appeared, suggesting that she was a mild annoyance to an adult who was trying to make a living. Of course, this was merely to maintain the smooth running of Tallis & Crake whilst ensuring no overt attention was given to two young girls, pushing through the crowds towards the door off-limits to most. The act of entering wasn’t a simple matter of turning the brass door handle because, of course, all handles needed to be manoeuvred in a particular manner for Periums to work.

  “Stand behind me,” instructed Guppy as she placed her hand on the brass door handle, ensuring Kaira was in position to stop anyone seeing it being pulled outwards and turned anti-clockwise, creating the familiar clunking sound of locks opening. The familiar sensation of shifting equilibrium formed once more, although the above-ground shoppers, having no connection to the magical universe, continued their browsing none the wiser. A handful were briefly distracted by the two girls entering the ‘Staff Only’ area: an area which led to another door. Behind this lay a tiny, square landing lined with a door on each side.

  Each of the four doors had a mirrored panel in the centre, although Kaira quickly noticed that her reflection appeared in none of them - another strange wonder.

  “What do we do now?” she asked Guppy who patted the pocket of her jeans in partial explanation.

  “Comeuppance,” her friend uttered before reaching into her jeans’ pocket and taking out a Vaspyl. She then held it up to each of the mirrored panels, decorating each door.

  Sensing that this ritual would not be helped by further questioning, Kaira waited patiently, conscious of the hum of activity behind each door. She wondered if what lay beyond would match the stunning scale and beauty of The Cendryll - a thought she lost track of as Guppy knelt, placing her hands on the wooden floor.

  “Quickly, Kaira,” encouraged Guppy as the wooden floor began to rise, making the mirror-panelled doors slowly disappear.

  Pausing a moment too long, Kaira lost her balance and reached for the rapidly disappearing doors, causing Guppy to grab her trailing arm and pull her down next to her. Adopting Guppy’s position, crouched as if about to run a sprint, Kaira realised the danger inherent in reaching for the doors to regain her balance; they simply disappeared, replaced by nothing but silence and shimmering light, the wooden floor continuing to rise.

  “Don’t worry,” said Guppy. “You don’t fall to your death if you lose your balance.”

  “That’s reassuring,” said Kaira, offering the bravest smile she could muster.

  “You just fall into the place we’re headed to, but it’s a heavy landing and pretty embarrassing. Relax. It’s all part of the fun.”

  “Falling into darkness and smashing head first at your destination, you mean?”

  “Maybe we should do just that, for the fun of it.”

  “Don’t you dare,” Kaira warned as Guppy pretended to fall forwards into the shimmering light, before a new wonder revealed itself: the trading lane of Tallis & Crake.

  The trading lane was designed in a rectangular shape which veered off in four directions, each walkway representing the entrance and exit points. Kaira and Guppy stood in a queue forming along one of the walkways, watching the bustling and bartering ahead of them. Society members sat on wooden stools on each side of the trading lane, opening small, wooden drawers and placing the artefact they had brought to trade inside. With the drawer closed, they would sit and stare, awaiting an offer. No other human interaction was involved - just a simple dose of magic seemed enough to carry out each trade. Aside from the main trading lane, two square structures stood at either end, called bartering boxes. Each of the bartering boxes had a grilled frontage which had to b
e tapped to get the attention of the person inside. If and when the grilled frontage was open, those who hadn’t been successful on the trading lane could try to barter for their desired artefact.

  This was the one complication of trading; no member was guaranteed the artefact they desired. It simply depended on the ‘the mood of the lane’, as the Society elders liked to put it. Offerings could be limited or varied - fair or unfair. The building’s name came from the narrow, central lane occupying the entirety of the floor space - a sight Kaira was studying now as she and Guppy received a few perfunctory nods from familiar Society members.

  Pushing her long, brown hair away from her face, Guppy offered a quick explanation of the rules of the trading lane. “The trading lane works in a similar way to Periums.”

  “In what way?” asked Kaira, studying the elaborately dressed men and women sitting contemplatively on the wooden stools, awaiting the offering from the wooden drawers.

  “Poor returns today,” Kaira heard someone whisper ahead of them, evidently in reference to the increasing queue forming outside each bartering box.

  Ignoring the negative mumblings, Guppy continued to clarify the trading lane’s workings for Kaira. “Once your artefact is placed inside the wooden drawer, you push it back into the wall and wait. Before long, words appear above the box, like they do above door handles on Periums.”

  “Saying if the trade’s successful or not,” predicted Kaira as the process became clear.

  “Sort of. The words represent the artefacts offered in trade, so not a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ but a range of choices.”

  “Bad ones it looks like so far, from the look on people’s faces.”

  “The mood isn’t great at the moment, but we’re here now so we might as well give it a try. Also, it’s a new place for you to visit - not a bad trick to have up your sleeve.”

  Guppy was right about that, Kaira thought. Another magical realm accessed via Tallis & Crake which offered the chance of getting your hands on rare artefacts, although not accessed via normal Periums, it seemed.

  “Why couldn’t we just use a Perium in The Cendryll?” asked Kaira as the queues in each walkway grew in number and impatience.

  “I think it’s like Gilweean,” replied Guppy to the surprised responses of some the adults surrounding them. Gilweean, it seemed, was rare in both its beauty and accessibility, and the news that the youngest members had travelled there whistled through the walkways.

  “Maybe we should keep our voices down,” suggested Kaira. “I’m not sure our recent trip is supposed to make the front page of No News is Good News.”

  The touch of sarcasm was enough for Guppy to get the point. “Yep, sorry. Anyway, some places in the Society can only be accessed in certain ways, particularly if a greater level of security is needed.”

  “Like The Web of Azryllis in the tunnels?”

  “Right,” added Guppy with a mild gesture of contrition, conscious that her reference to Gilweean had started a rumour which was gathering pace. The surrounding adults’ reaction to news of their recent trip suggested such journeys were rare. Her attention was averted by an unwelcome sight at the opposite end of trading lane … four intimidating figures pushing their way to front of the queue in the opposite walkway: The Sinister Four.

  “Now, that’s guaranteed to lower the mood,” quipped Guppy in reference to the group of Implementers who had once humiliated her brother. Jacob had got his own back, of course, in the Pancithon - his unique ability to communicate with the Quij used as a ferocious weapon when they’d been cornered.

  The issue they faced now was twofold: they needed to get onto the trading lane whilst making sure The Sinister Four didn’t get their hands on them. Revenge burned in the eyes of Sylan Ryll, the spiky, red hair in contrast to his pallid complexion and grey overcoat, decorated with the insignia of Implementers. Aneesha Khan’s vicious smile returned at the sight of Kaira and Guppy - predatory and primed for attack.

  “I think we should go back,” suggested Kaira as the queue moved forwards behind them, nudging them to the end of the walkway, the next in line for a vacant wooden stool.

  “Why?” queried Guppy in mild annoyance. “They’re not going to try anything here, in front of all these people.”

  Kaira didn’t view The Sinister Four’s appearance as a coincidence. In her mind, it was linked to tracking them to The Sylent, where the Prince of the Underworld appeared: Erent Koll and the fire-red hair and eyes that emanated pure evil. A terrifying figure who gave no sanctuary to mercy. The decision to whether they should turn back was taken out of their hands when a frustrated member - a nervous woman dressed in a sombre overcoat and hat - pushed Kaira and Guppy onto the trading lane, mildly scolding them for holding up the queue:

  “We all have business to attend to, young ladies,” she hissed in admonishment, “so please attend to yours.”

  Realising that turning back was no longer an option, they walked along the trading lane towards the vacant wooden stool in the centre of the left-hand aisle - conscious that they were being studied by a familiar enemy.

  “You sit,” instructed Guppy as she glanced at an ancient, balding man who had nodded off on the stool alongside them.

  “Do you think we should wake him?” asked Kaira above the man’s snores.

  Guppy shook her head, transferring her glance between her friend and The Sinister Four who were nudging closer to the edge of the walkway. “No. The stool will sink to the floor in a bit. If that doesn’t wake him up, the wooden drawer will shoot out and give him a bash on the head.”

  Realising that Guppy wasn’t joking nor in the mood for further distractions, Kaira focused on the task at hand: the trading of Guppy’s Vaspyl for a Panorilum. “So, how do I open the wooden drawer?”

  “You don’t. Just say the name of the artefact and the drawer will open, assuming it’s interested in the trade.”

  Having long abandoned reason in the magical universe she viewed increasingly as home, Kaira did as Guppy instructed, uttering ‘Vaspyl’ whilst preparing to defend herself against a wooden drawer flying out at her. There was no sudden, violent motion but, instead, a slow, smooth appearance of a perfectly polished drawer decorated with green baize. The green baize was Taulyn, the material used to neutralise the magical properties of artefacts. After all, if a Vaspyl was activated inside the drawer, it could suddenly expand to fill the entirety of the trading lane in seconds.

  “Now, we just put it in and wait,” explained Guppy.

  As the old man’s snoring continued, Kaira waited impatiently on the wooden stool, conscious of The Sinister Four edging ever nearer, and the whispered sound of her name.

  “Kaira Renn,” she heard amongst the bustle and bartering, along with, “Left roaming in our world without her father’s guidance or protection.”

  The sense that she was a wild force, dismissive of etiquette was mildly amusing to her, considering the number of questionable adults she’d come across. Her attention returned to the wooden drawer when words began to appear: Keepeasy … Zombul … Looksee … Ozzer but no Panorilum.

  “Looks like we’re out of luck.”

  “Be patient,” stated Guppy, refusing to lower her gaze as The Sinister Four approached - a familiar fearlessness which was potentially misplaced this time. After all, there was no Jacob to orchestrate another Quij attack, and their magical training hadn’t prepared them for such a confrontation. Now wasn’t the time for another impulsive rush into danger, and with the trading lane remaining in its uncharitable mood, Kaira decided it was time to retreat to the safety of The Cendryll where defensive charms could be improved, along with a plan to expose dark agents.

  “Now,” ordered Guppy as she pointed at the wall, just in time for Kaira to see the word ‘Panorilum’ appear.

  “Just say the word,” urged Guppy. “Quickly, Kaira.”

  Kaira did as instructed, saying, “Panorilum,” loudly, causing the wooden drawer to dart open with the very artefact they desired
- a small, green notebook which, on activation, morphed into a large piece of parchment, hovering in the air of its own accord, offering a compendium of Society activity. The drawer alongside Kaira darted out, banging the sleeping man on the head. The wooden stool the disoriented figure sat on began to sink, throwing the old man onto the floor: an action which provided the platform for The Sinister Four to feign concern, closing in on Kaira and Guppy.

  15

  Majesty & Mayhem

  Recognising the ploy the four Implementers were trying to enact, Kaira grabbed the small, green notebook and placed it into the pocket of her jeans, whispering ‘Keepeasy’.

  “Come on,” she said as she grabbed Guppy’s arm to manoeuvre her away from an impending conflict.

  Never one to back down, Guppy resisted Kaira’s attempts to guide her back to the walkway.

  “Guppy,” urged Kaira. “Come on.”

  It was both the malevolent presence of The Sinister Four, and the strange sensation of hearing her name whispered that accelerated Kaira’s need to exit the trading lane. She knew they were not skilled enough to defend themselves against any subtle attack, so it was time to retreat from the enemy.

  A group almost certainly behind the attack on Blaze Flint - the black market rat who had inadvertently got his hands on a Terrecet fragment. Their presence in The Sylent yesterday morning also put them in direct allegiance with Erent Koll, suggesting a level of hidden venom Kaira didn’t want to experience now.