Keris was performing a fingertip exploration of the wall around the doorway. Shann sat on her haunches and thought back to the time when she was at the Cathgorn Tower with Rael. There was an area on the topmost level full of strange machinery that operated the great silver globe. Maybe it operated the door, too? She backed up, descended the first flight of stairs once more and began looking for the room she remembered.
She entered an open doorway and found the familiar panel on the wall. Lights in the ceiling clicked on. Keris would no doubt object, but there was no way Shann was going to be able to figure out anything in the dark. There were the same banks of machinery and consoles set with a myriad of different switches, dials and screens. If I were a door release switch, which switch would I be? If only Rael were here. He would be the one to figure this stuff out.
She ran her eyes over the array. Pushing things at random did not seem to be a very good idea. Then she spotted it, a lone pedestal at the end of the room with the familiar shape of a scalene triangle set into its surface. She ran her hand lightly over the indentation. It seemed to be the right size.
“What are you doing?” The tall figure of Keris loomed in the entranceway.
“Do you have the access module?” Shann held her hand out. Keris walked over, reached inside her pouch and placed the transparent device with its intricate workings in the girl’s palm. Shann fit it into the pedestal. The initial saffron glow switched to bright red. “Try it now.”
The other woman opened her mouth, then closed it again and headed back up the stairs. Shann retrieved the module and followed, keeping her distance.
When she reached the outer door once again, Keris already had her hand on the latch and was turning it gingerly. Clunk. The same dull mechanical sound. Keris winced. This time, however, the door moved outward a crack. Keris stopped and turned to the girl behind her, holding out her palm. Shann placed the access module in it. Keris closed her fingers around the device and nodded once, then she pointed down at the floor with a thin forefinger. Wait here. The dark-haired woman pushed the door a little further open, slid through the narrow gap and was gone.
~
Keris crouched in the corner of the parapet nearest the door, blending into the shadows. She scanned the roof of the tower. The great silver globe rested at the centre of the platform, held in place by four huge clamps. In front of it she recognised the sleek outline of an avionic. The spy was here, just as she had anticipated. She began to move, gliding along the low wall, keeping to the dark places. As her perspective shifted, another shape became visible past the globe, on the other side of the stone roof–a tent.
Keris crept silently across the platform and hunched down next to the canvass, straining her ears. After some moments, she detected a faint shuffling. He’s inside. The spy would be using the ‘eaves’ to monitor developments at the Dais, probably planning to make his move as soon as the party had garnered all four of the components. Perhaps he was going to call in reinforcements to take the components by force? Or maybe he planned to escape with the knowledge and then pilfer them at some later time. Sorry. Your little scheme ends here.
The strategy was simple enough. In Shassatan terms–Dam and Dagger. Cut off the enemy’s line of retreat. Then strike. The tower’s lodestone platform was the perfect setting to make full use of the flying cloak’s capabilities. Two armed with flying cloak and staff against one ground-bound spy who had no idea that he had been compromised. It was going to be a short fight.
Her first target was the flying machine. Disabling it was a simple enough matter. She had effectively put one of them out of action at the isolated house in the hills above Kieroth, shortly after their arrival in this world. The panel containing the delicate control mechanisms was just forward of the cockpit. Keris used her staff to carefully lever it open, making as little noise as possible, then ripped out as many parts and severed as many of the multicoloured wires as she could access. Satisfied, she turned back to the roof exit where Shann was hiding–and froze.
A steady drone–like an insect, only too regular. Keris’ fingers flexed on her staff, and her eyes flicked over the stone platform, but she could not see the source of the sound. Then a sudden movement. A bronze sphere flew from the direction of the tent, coming to a stop and floating in the air a few feet in front of her. It had an irregular, indented surface and was set with a clear orb at its centre, giving it the appearance of a large mechanical eye.
Keris dodged to her left and shot past the eye toward the exit door. She pulled it open and beckoned to the girl crouching behind it. “We’ve been discovered. Quickly.”
Keris led the way back toward the tent. The eye had gained height and was tracking them from high above. As they approached the tent, the flap opened and a figure emerged. Keris skidded to a halt, uncertain what to make of the creature. It was unlike anything she had seen before. Kelanni furs seemed to enhance the unnaturally broad shoulders. But this was no Kelanni. Pallid skin. Round face. Piercing blue eyes. However, the thing that caught her eye most of all was the strange profusion of facial hair.
The hair parted to reveal a gaping mouth and a gruff voice. “Visitors. I assume you are with the group over there. You discovered the eaves and traced me here. Well done. When I set a watcher all the way up here, Susan accused me of being paranoid. However, I have learned over the years never to underestimate your people. I am called McCann. My friends call me Mac–so I suppose that means you will be calling me McCann. I would be fascinated to discover how you made it all the way up here.” He looked from one to the other with an expression of detached amusement. “I hope you’re not going to tell me that you flew?”
Keris thrust aside her revulsion of the creature before her and refocused on her task. “You have been spying on us.”
“Yes, well, I don’t suppose an apology would suffice?” His eyes searched hers. “No, I suppose not.”
“You know the power of the four components,” Keris accused.
“You mean the odd theory of your scientist friend that they can convert ordinary matter into lodestone? Well, I wouldn’t be inclined to put too much store in that, if I were you. Your level of scientific knowledge on this planet is…quite rudimentary. No offence.”
“Rael knows what he’s talking about,” Shann said from behind Keris’ shoulder. Keris twisted her head and fired a look that said ‘shut up’.
“Having said that,” McCann continued, “I will have to take the ancient devices from you–whether or not they do what you say they will. Wang would expect no less. We will see what Lafontaine makes of them. I don’t suppose you would be prepared to simplify matters by just handing them over? I can assure you, it will be easier for you in the long run.”
Keris listened carefully for a weakening of his voice, a flaw in his self-assured façade, and found none. The creature was brazen–she’d give him that. However, confidence doesn’t alter the truth of your position. It was still two against one. And with their flying cloaks and staffs, theirs was the overwhelming superiority.
“I’m sorry, but we cannot allow you to leave here with that information.”
“I see,” McCann said. “Well then, let’s see how you handle this.” With one fluid movement, he reached behind his back and levelled a burnished silver staff with peculiar bulges along its length. He flipped a control, and lightning shot forth from the end of the weapon, splitting the air between the two women. They dived to either side. The bright yellow streak impacted the parapet behind them, sending shards of stone flying into the air.
Keris scrabbled to her feet and extended her cloak, leaping away toward the cover afforded by the globe that sat in the platform’s centre. To her relief, she saw that Shann had the same idea and was angling through the air, making for the other side of the globe. Keris touched down and circled around the globe until she saw the girl backing toward her. She grabbed the girl by the shoulders and pulled her down, desperately trying to think what their next move should be.
“E
lectrolaser,” Shann hissed.
“What?”
“Rael told me about them. They’re what the drach use to drive away wild animals. But they’re used only to stun, never to kill.”
Keris glanced over at the ruined parapet and the bits of stone strewn nearby. There was a lingering smell of ozone in the air. “I wouldn’t count on it.” From a tactical point of view, their best move would be to retreat. However, under the circumstances, that was not an option. This…individual could not be permitted to escape with the knowledge he had. However, every other gambit she could think of carried extreme risk. Their only remaining advantage was that there were two of them. If she could distract him, maybe even provoke him a little… “Stay here,” she commanded. “Keep out of sight. I’ll try and give you an opening.”
Without waiting for a reply, Keris backed up, flared her cloak and launched herself skyward, then leaned forward and flew over the smooth metal surface to land on top of the immense globe. She immediately spied the creature. He had hardly moved from his previous position–he seemed to be waiting for them.
“Impressive weapon,” she taunted. “Not very accurate, though.”
“Accurate enough,” he called back. “Why not come down from there and see for yourself? By the way,” he said, looking round, “where’s that companion of yours?”
He’s not stupid, she thought. I’m going to have to play this very carefully. “This is between you and me. I destroyed your flying machine. Surrender now.”
“And if I do, you will let me live? I don’t think so.” Keris caught a slight movement of the silver staff he held in front of him. A split second later, a searing bolt of lightning sprang forth, blackening the top of the globe where she had been standing.
The tall woman dropped from the sky, her cloak spread out wide behind her. She landed gracefully on the platform in front of the avionic. She was fairly certain that McCann wouldn’t risk damage to the aircraft by firing directly at it. That gave her some breathing space. Keep him talking. “You are not Kelanni. What are you?”
“You don’t know? Memories of the last conflict between our peoples must have grown dim. Ah, but of course–you must belong to the group that traversed the storm barrier from the other side of the planet.” The creature was advancing on her slowly. Cutting down the range. Reducing her escape window. She was starting to run out of options.
Whoosh. Keris started at the unexpected sound. It came from behind McCann. Tongues of fire leapt up from his tent, sending sparks coruscating into the night air. Shann. Keris’ eyes flicked either side of the tent, but the girl had melted into the shadows once more. Brilliant.
McCann turned back, eyes and mouth wide open, lit by the orange flames. Keris saw her chance. Leaning forward and extending her lodestone layer, she shot forward through the air, closing the gap between them in an instant. He turned toward her as her staff was descending, barely managing to raise his own weapon in time to ward off the blow. Darkwood and metal clashed together, ringing out across the open rooftop of the stone tower. Keris pressed home her advantage, letting forth a flurry of blows designed to drive him back and keep him from using the lightning weapon. He fended her off but did not give ground. He’s strong.
Keris disengaged to give the impression that she was pulling back, then feinted to her left and sliced the staff low and to her right. The diamond blade bit through cloth and deep into McCann’s leg. He cried out–pain mixed with rage–brought his own weapon to bear and fired blindly. Searing heat brushed Keris’ shoulder and she felt a sudden flash of agony. Her nostrils caught the smell of burning cloak and flesh. She staggered backward, clutching her arm while trying to clear her head. McCann was stumbling away toward the burning tent, leaving a dark wet trail on the smooth stone.
The fire was starting to take hold, its flickering radiance dancing among the shadows–pushing back the cold starlight. Keris stared down at her diamond blade, and at the shining pool before her. Red. The creature’s blood was red. His skin is white and his blood is red. Those were the words of Annata at the Great Tree. She felt a cold chill run through her despite the growing heat from the fire. You are the Unan-Chinneroth.
Keris fought down a wave of nausea. Her shoulder screamed for attention. She consoled herself with the fact that he was worse off. He was on one knee, one hand propping up his weapon, the other exploring his injury. Loss of blood would soon take its toll: lethargy, blurred vision, loss of concentration–ultimately, loss of consciousness. All she had to do now was keep out of the way of that weapon of his and bide her time.
She made to turn away, but her eye glimpsed a movement from beyond the light of the fire. A black-cloaked figure was arcing through the air on a direct line toward the creature. Shann. No.
McCann tried to raise himself, turn and fire one-handed all at the same time. A jagged bolt burst forth from the weapon, which veered mercifully just wide of the incoming girl. Her feet impacted the platform and she fell forward, pressing her eyes shut and shaking her head.
McCann grabbed the blinded and disoriented girl from behind and thrust the bulbous end of his staff at her head. “I appear to have found your friend. Stand aside or she dies.”
The girl bared her teeth and struggled, but the creature’s meaty arm held her fast. He jabbed the weapon against the side of her face to reinforce his point. Keris cursed under her breath. You brave, stupid girl. Still, what was done was done. She urgently needed to buy time. “If you harm her, you will pay.”
“Your threats are meaningless,” he croaked. “Stand aside now.”
“I cannot allow you to leave with the girl,” she called back. “However, if you release her, I will allow you to leave through the tower.”
“You managed to unseal it somehow. That’s how you got up here.”
“Yes,” Keris said. “Let the girl go, and I will allow you to depart peacefully.”
“Unacceptable. You have your own avionics. Out on the plains, you would pick me off with ease. No, the girl stays with me. She is my insurance.” There was a silence. The strong whiff of ozone from McCann’s staff weapon hung heavy in the air between them. “You have no choice.”
Shann squirmed in his grip, her face a mask of rage. “Finish him,” she yelled.
McCann tightened his arm around her. “Quiet,” he ordered.
She wriggled again defiantly. “Finish him. I am not a component carrier. It doesn’t matter what happens to me. Finish him now.”
McCann ground his teeth. “I’m warning you–”
“Wait. There’s another way out of this,” Keris cut in.
His eyes were wild, fixed on the girl. “Speak.”
“I have the ability to activate the ancient technology in this tower. That is how we gained access to the interior. There are…several such towers on Kelanni. They are essentially transport devices, capable of transporting a person from one part of the world to another instantaneously.”
“You are attempting to deceive me,” he accused.
“I can prove the truth of what I say. Watch.” Keris spread her arms theatrically, then bent down and placed her staff on the ground in front of her. Turning her back, she walked slowly toward the great silver globe. She ran her fingertips over its smooth surface and made her way around its circumference until she found the place with the telltale triangular indentation. Pray that this works.
Keris reached into her pouch and extracted the access module. Lining up the corners, she pushed it firmly home. Instantly, the transparent device lit up with a golden glow and there was a barely audible hum. Keris held her breath. The light changed to bright crimson, and a door slid open, revealing a dark interior.
McCann raised his eyebrows. “Impressive.”
“Inside you will find a control panel and two sets of levers. The red ones will take you to the towers on the other side of this world. One lies on the Eastern Plains and is destroyed–it will no longer work. However, the other is the Dagmar tower near Chalimar.”
“
No,” Shann spat. “You must not allow him to escape.”
Keris ignored her. “There are two conditions. First, you must release the girl before you enter the globe. And second, you must let me have your Speaker Ring.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why?”
So that you cannot immediately Ring your compatriots and bring them down on us. I figure it will take you at least a day to cover the distance from the Dagmar tower to Chalimar and raise the alarm. By then, we will be long gone.”
Tears rolled down Shann’s face. “Don’t. Don’t do this.”
Keris kept her eyes firmly on McCann. “I am Keltar. The servants of the Prophet live by a code of honour. I give you my solemn oath that you may use this machine to get away safely. Do we have an agreement?”
The conflagration behind McCann was dying down; tattered remnants of blackened canvass flapping in the wind, glowing embers sailing up and vanishing into the night sky. The ‘watcher’ overhead suddenly fell to the platform, smashing its glass-like interior. It bounced once, then rolled to a dead stop. There was nothing left for him here.
“Very well.” He raised himself, pulling the girl to her feet. Keris backed off slowly, giving him free access to the opening in the globe. Putting all of his weight on his good leg, McCann limped toward it.
Keris waited until he was just a few yards away. “That’s far enough. Release the girl and remove your Ring.”
“If I do that, how do I know you will not try and stop me?”
Keris steeled herself. “I have stated that you can leave freely. I cannot break my oath.”
McCann met her steady gaze, then shoved Shann forward, sending her sprawling to the platform. He tore off his Speaker Ring, held it in his palm for her to see, and then closed his fist around it, turned and hurled it beyond the parapet so that it disappeared into the night. He began hobbling the last few yards to the globe’s entrance.
The Lodestone Trilogy (Limited Edition) (The Lodestone Series) Page 70
