by Ty Beltramo
“Well, it might be because Aeson tried to feed me and Aello to them, in the Abyss. It might be because he’s been feeding them humans in large numbers.” The images came back in all-too-vivid detail. “Their clothing was current. They had been served up within the last couple years. But mostly I know because Aeson just admitted it.”
I could see the gears in Rolic’s head turning furiously. He nodded.
“I see it now.” He stepped toward me.
“Whoa there, bunky. Another step and you’ll be joining Apolik.”
He stopped and looked around. “What can be done? This can’t be allowed to happen, Elson.”
“I’m not giving up. Just doing a strategic retreat. If you want to help, spread the word. People need to know.”
He considered that, cocking his head to one side. “Apolik is approaching. You should be going.”
“Sure thing. See you around, Rolic.”
As I left, he made a subtle gesture that might have been a peace sign. Another clean getaway.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Chile is a very nice country, if you like vacationing in the Third World. It reminded me of Cleveland.
I could see why Aeson had friends here. It was mountainous, desolate in most places, and--like Cleveland—too far south. Everything that clung to life here did so through endless toil. It was a perfect playground for the likes of Aeson. I put Chile on the list of places to “help out,” when time permitted.
I settled on a large mountain in the Andes and called for Borse. The wind blown snow turned the world white and small. The earth’s horizon extended below me in every direction. I was on the top of the world, but the snow obscured its vastness.
After a time, a yeti shambled toward me, its bulk plowing the snow like a draft horse. As the creature got close, only its shining eyes revealed the true nature of the thing.
“Hello, Borse. Nice outfit. How’s it shaking?”
“All over Chile, I believe. But that was what you desired, yes?” He sat down and sank to his waist in the snow.
“Yeah. I appreciate all you’ve done.”
“It has been my pleasure. All our pleasure.” He turned to me. “You have heard that my people are free?”
“Yes.”
“It has not been so since the beginning. It is a new era, a new age.”
He didn’t know the half of it.
“I’m glad to hear it, Borse. Your people seem like a good bunch. Never involved in the politics that mess this place up so badly.”
He grunted. “We are a simple people. But we fear things are only beginning and will get more difficult.”
“Why is that?” I asked.
“It has been asked by our Pillars, ‘Why now?’ We are keen to fundamental changes in nature. Our state is part of nature. The changes of late have been fundamental.”
I knew what he was getting at. “What are the Pillars?” I asked.
“They are our leaders.”
“Well, Borse, things are changing everywhere. But I wouldn’t get too prophetic about it. Change happens in spurts. Change begets change.” If the elementals were getting edgy, that might have negative consequences on lots of things.
“True. But there is change and then there is change. Not all change is the same. This is different. We sense the world is turning.” He raised a large hand in a very human gesture. “Do not misunderstand me. We do not fear change. Nor do we seek to resist it. But we are our duty. We must be diligent to contemplate what this change means to that duty.”
“I understand. Borse, I need another favor.”
“Hrmph.” He stood up, in front of me, tall and straight. “Friend Elson. For ages without count, your kind has never asked us kindly to do one thing, until now. The Chain-Breaker has never commanded us. Truly, you have done us great service, without our request. Hear me, Elemental-Friend. You are respected and honored among the elemental clans. Speak. We will hear.”
“This is a big favor, Borse. It will require a great deal of trust on your part.”
His big brows furrowed. I struggled to find the best words to approach the delicate subject without spooking him.
“Friend Elson. You have our trust. Speak, and we will hear.”
“I need you to open a pyramid for me.”
Borse didn’t say anything. He just stared. I could hear the cracking and grinding of his joints as he tensed.
“I give you my personal guarantee, Borse, that none of your kind, not even the one trapped in the pyramid, will be subjected to another’s will. Not while I live. Do you believe me?”
He was silent. His eyes blazed.
“You spoke of change. Let me tell you about the change that will occur if you don’t help me. One of my kind intends to free the Apolloi from the Abyss. You know them, don’t you?”
“We do.”
“They will be released. Some will fight them. But war has a way of killing the good along with the bad. There will be war in heaven and on earth.”
He sat down with a thud.
“What you ask is hard, Friend Elson. The memories burn. The risk is great that secrets will be revealed and things undone.”
I put my hand on his shoulder. “Borse, I don’t intend to undo what you’ve done. There are many pyramid prisons now. I intend to lock away the tools of destruction that Chaos would use to create that war. I just need you to open one of the pyramids so I can fill it with badness and lock it away. Will you help me?”
Borse stood. “It is not for me to say. You must make your request to the Pillars. They shall decide.”
“Okay. But I’m on a bit of a timetable. The war is about to break and if we delay, our chance to avert it will be lost.”
“Then come. I will take you.”
Borse began to walk back through the snow, toward the west.
“Where are we going? And walking sure isn’t going to get us there on time.”
He didn’t answer. He kept plodding through the snow. I followed.
The air became salty. The smell of the sea filled my nostrils. Warmth drove away the cold, and the snow blew away in one last blast of fury.
Whatever means of transport Borse had used, it was new to me. I never even sensed movement beyond that of our walking.
We were standing on a beach on a small island. Ocean waves lapped near my feet. The smell of brimstone tempered the salty air with a spicy flavor that was pleasant.
In the center of the island was a hill that steamed--or smoked. It was an active volcano.
There was no life to be seen, except for Borse, who was walking ahead of me. No flora. No fauna.
“Water, fire, earth, and air. But no life,” I said. “Is this the elemental country club?”
Borse answered without turning.
“This is where the Pillars are. They will meet you here.”
I looked around. “What, on the beach?”
“Yes.”
Cool. The fate of the world would be decided on a beach. As they say: life’s a beach, then you die. I hoped it wasn’t true--not for me, anyway.
The sand extended a few hundred feet from the sea and ended abruptly at the jagged brown jumble of rocks that formed the base of the small volcano. The island itself was very small, perhaps a quarter of a mile long. It was hot. The absence of trees deprived the place of any shade.
The ocean’s throb was muted by the hissing jets of hot gases from the volcano’s cone. Small threads of lava inched into the sea.
This was no vacation spot.
A splash from behind me caused me to turn. A wave stood up and walked onto the sand. A column of liquid gracefully turned and bent, sparkling blue and green in the light. Within it, I could see strings of icy crystals undulating with the mass.
Next to it, the sand lurched and heaved, then rose and became stone. Granite, quartz, and many other geological formations decorated its bulk. I wondered if there was any uranium in there.
Before I could ask, a dust devil joined the water and earth. It w
as larger than the others, towering perhaps a hundred feet into the air. It kicked up sand and as it gained strength took on the appearance of a small twister. The sound of rushing wind and blowing sand would make it difficult to hold a conversation. But asking an air elemental to be quiet would probably do nothing but insult it.
Finally, a flame leapt from a stream of lava and took its place on the far side with air and earth separating it from water.
After a pause, the four elementals moved to surround me, each one taking a corner of the compass.
The air spoke with a tornadic hiss.
“Elson Chain-Breaker. You are honored, and you honor us with your presence. As the Pillars of all elemental clans, we thank you for your service.”
Each of the four made various twisting and bending motions I assumed were attempts at bowing. I was somewhat taken aback. Rarely was “thanks” part of one’s phraseology when speaking with me.
“My service to you was my duty and my pleasure—and now, my honor. In other words, don’t mention it. Or, you’re welcome.” I wasn’t sure what to say.
Earth spoke next. “Borse has sent us word that you wish to open a prison, one similar to that which hides our brother. Do you know of what you speak?”
“Yes. And I know where it is. But it is not my intention to undo what you in your wisdom have done. I, too, need to hide away that which is to be used for great evil. The Abyss is no longer an effective prison. Your prison is the only one safe from us.”
Fire spoke. “It is evil that you know of it. Do others know of it?”
“Yes, I believe several others do. In a short time, less than a day, a great many will know about it.” I left out the part about that being my doing.
The dancing flame elemental became agitated and turned from a rosy red to a blazing blue.
“We must act to undo this. Place the Engineer into the prison. It is the only way.”
Ending up in prison myself was not entirely a new idea to me. It’s what I regularly avoided. But these guys knew how to do prison. I had seen that for myself. I guessed that they had skill that would keep even me tucked away for eternity.
“Now hold on there, sparky,” I said, lifting my hands in a peaceful gesture. “Let’s not be impulsive. Locking me up won’t solve anything. Like I said, there are many others who know the secret. Locking people up won’t bury it.”
“How did you discover it, Engineer?” Fire asked.
“Someone led me to it. I don’t know who,” I said.
I told them of the events leading me here, leaving out only those actions that might incriminate me in future discussions.
That shortened the story considerably.
After hearing my tale, they began speaking to each other in a manner I couldn’t decipher. I waited.
Water spoke. “It is time for change, my brothers. It is plain to see. Let us not be foolish by trying to prevent what must be.”
Earth agreed. “Elson is the Chain-Breaker. We cannot chain him. It would make us as those who enslaved us from the beginning.” Then to me he said, “Chain-Breaker, that door has been shut since the Great War. Your kind, in its anger at losing their servant, enslaved us for their purposes. How can we know that you will succeed? Your failure will have great effect on nature.”
“Would have great effect. It’s still hypothetical failure, after all. But I’m willing to offer myself as a guarantee. I will sacrifice whatever I have to in order to ensure the evil you fear does not come to pass. Besides, one thing that you may not know, there are now many pyramids surrounding the one you use as a prison. Any of those will do, I believe. So the risk should be minimal.”
The little voice inside me was laughing hysterically. The setup was far too neat for me to get off that easy. Deep down I knew it. But it was the only move I had left, though I had one more chess piece to sacrifice if I had to.
Water came forward. “It is appropriate for us to do as the Chain-Breaker asks. Change is upon us. Let us face it with honor and courage.” I got the sense that among the elementals water was the agent of change. It fit its personality in nature.
The others did an undulating dance that I took for bowing in agreement.
“Tell us, Elson Chain-Breaker, what you plan,” Earth said.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
As I approached my coffee shop for what I believed to be the last time, I noticed that something was very wrong. The place practically lit up in the ethereal plane. Whatever was going on there was creating quite a disturbance. A crowd of entities that I guessed were Engineers packed the place.
Sending a posse to intercept me was not all that unexpected. But this was no posse. They were not chasing me, nor were they attempting to set an ambush. They were loud. They were having fun. As I got closer, I inspected the area for traps, but found none.
The party, for that’s what it looked like, had spilled out into the park next to the coffee shop. I could see at least fifty Engineers; some I knew and some I didn’t. They were from many Disciplines and several domains. More Engineers were arriving every minute.
I spied Els, sitting inside at my favorite table. She was watching Jill, who was moving with supernatural speed to meet everyone’s orders.
I slipped in quietly, next to Els.
Jill gave me a wink and got the coffee going.
“What’s going on?” I asked Els.
She turned to me and gave me that look she does—the one where I’m supposed to be destroyed.
“It appears you’ve called a Gathering,” she said.
“I have? When?” I had never called a Gathering. Even if I did, no one would come.
“I have no idea. But it appears to be common knowledge. I don’t think this place will be able to hold everyone. I spoke with Eli over there,” she pointed to an Engineer standing on the street corner outside, sipping a big cup of something hot and inspecting the street, as if he was on guard duty. “He’s a close friend of mine. He mentioned something about Indians. Mean anything to you?”
“Uh . . . oh. Yeah. I might have mentioned to Melanthios and Aeson that I was starting a new organization.”
She looked suspicious and squinted her eyes, focusing their destructive power.
“What kind of organization?”
“Uh, one opposed to both Law and Chaos, being militant and antiestablishment. Hmm, maybe that was a bit impulsive.”
“You think? Are you really crazy, Elson?”
“I don’t know! Why are you asking me? Would a crazy person know if he were crazy?”
“Not any more than an idiot would know he was an idiot. What are you going to do?”
I thought it over. That little voice--the one that got me into this mess--was conspicuously silent. I waited for some muse to inspire me. I got nothing. “I guess I’ll just make it up as I go.”
Els got Eli’s attention and motioned for him to join us.
“Eli, this is Elson,” she said.
“Ah, the amazing Elson. We’ve been talking about nothing else these days. Tell me, is it true that you escaped from the Abyss and defeated Melanthios in a personal duel?”
“I told you about the Abyss, Eli. But I wasn’t present at this so-called duel,” Els said.
They turned to me and waited. “Well,” I said, “I just removed Melanthios’s glamour and smacked his hand. It wasn’t anything, really. It certainly wasn’t a duel. He’d crush me in seconds, if he even thought about it. Believe me.”
“We heard you exploded his hair, and that he ran around on fire, and that Aeson begged you not to harm him.”
“Uh, that’s an exaggeration. His hair only smoldered. And Aeson threatened me. Not the other way around.”
Eli laughed. He seemed to have a better sense of humor than Els.
He said, “Well, everyone’s been trading Elson stories for the past two days. What is becoming apparent to all is that you have quite the storied, and somewhat infamous, career. My personal favorite that I heard from Dieson over there,”—he poin
ted to a tall, thin Engineer who was having a heated argument with someone I didn’t recognize—“is the story about you keeping the Christian section from burning when Nero set fire to Rome. It turned out to draw a little suspicion their way, I believe.”
I was getting more uncomfortable by the minute. “Yeah. That was slightly unexpected.”
“Or when Attila the Hun was about to sack Rome, and the Pope went out to meet him. It was you who told Attila that if he didn’t run away, you’d make sure his, how shall I say, male parts, would shrivel up and fall off. Attila turns and runs like he’d seen Death himself.” He laughed loudly. “The Pope gets all the credit and is set up as some kind of divine savior. And we all know how that ended up, don’t we?”
This was going to be more of a roast than a Gathering. Laughter drowned out the sounds of discussion and argument in the coffee shop. At least I was good for entertainment.
Els spoke up. “Actually, Elson, I’ve been walking around and listening to the stories, and there is a common theme. It seems that you’ve been somehow involved in the early formative period of many major world religions. The only one that I haven’t heard mentioned at all is Hinduism,” Els said.
“Uh . . . The Keystone of the Harappans,” I said.
“The what?” Eli asked.
“The Keystone of the Harappans. The Harappans were a very early Indus Valley civilization that based everything in their culture upon standards and consistent measurements. Everything was square. Their houses and rooms were of standard proportions and they were very square. Their cities were prefect grids. Even their tools conformed to standard sizes and shapes. So, I showed them how to make arches, using keystones. They couldn’t handle it. That’s why you’ve never heard of them,” I said.
“What does that have to do with Hinduism?” Els asked.
“The Harappans would have been the dominant culture and would not have allowed such an organic theology as Hinduism to form. The Harappans were too structured in their thinking. When they left, they created the vacuum that Hinduism filled.”
