by Galen Wolf
"Dunno," Atorkh stroked his beard absentmindedly. "Some kind of metal?"
"Doesn't matter," Severan said. "At least not yet."
"Not yet? What does that mean?" Torina said.
There was another rumble behind them. The library shook again, dispensing more dust from on high in a light shower onto their faces and shoulders.
"I think they might be through soon," Morah said lazily; indolent languor was her affected style and, if she ever got worried, Gaijann had never seen it. "I'm talking about those pesky Kissag," she added in case anyone hadn't been paying attention.
"You seem to be taking it all well," Torina snapped. Gaijann saw the healer's face was pale and drawn.
Morah looked coldly with her white and red eyes. "I'm just not troubled by adolescent anxieties, little girl. That's all."
Torina looked away. "You're such a bitch." Gaijann saw her curl her hands into fists and got ready to hold her back if she rushed at Morah. It would only go one way and he felt protective towards the white haired cleric.
Severan held up his hand in command. "Can it. This doesn't help."
There was a pause. Torina fumed. Morah smiled. Atorkh pulled at his beard.
"So down?" Gaijann said.
"Can you see any other direction?" Atorkh grinned.
"Funny," Gaijann said. He flicked the technician's forehead with his finger. "You're a very funny boy when you try."
Atorkh grinned even wider. The assassin rolled his eyes.
Severan started on ahead. Already he'd begun to descend the long stairway, before the rest of them got moving. Gaijann stepped down after him with Atorkh at his heels.
Behind the leaders came Torina, muttering under her breath. The gold glyph of the Queen of Disks glowed dully on the white breast of her k-mesh. Gaijann wondered as he watched her clenched jaw whether she was lost in private fantasies of how she was going to teach Morah to shut her smart mouth. And then came Morah herself ignoring the blond priestess of the Queen of Disks. The Count and his daughter came last. Severan was feet below them. "The boss is in a hurry," Atorkh commented to Gaijann.
"Maybe he's got somewhere to be."
Torina asked, "Remember the black tide that will drown this place in about nineteen hours?"
Gaijann reached and squeezed the healer's shoulder. "I'll keep you safe," he said.
She knocked his hand from her shoulder. "I don't need your help." Then she turned. "Thanks though for offering." Gaijann saw how pale her face was and the anxiety in her eyes. She was new to the group, their last healer had been blasted fairly recently. He wondered at Severan's choice of this girl. She had a good heart, but did she have the nerve to do what they did day in day out?
The party was strung out in a line, slowly going down the flawless black steps, each of them concentrating, watching where they put their feet. Eventually the descent fell into a rhythm and each seemed lost in their private thoughts. Gaijann hurried to be just behind Severan. If he expected the giant to explain or elaborate on their journey, he was disappointed.
Towards the back of the line, the Count coughed. It was clearly intended to attract attention. Morah turned.
"You have some very special skills," the Count said so only she could hear.
She paused as if assessing his comment. She kept stepping down. Finally, she said, "You think?"
"Unusual, I mean," he said.
Morah just kept going down the stone staircase. "Ah," she said. "Unusual." She half turned her head and raised an eyebrow. "Is that good?"
"Very much so. I could use someone like you working for me."
"I thought I was working for you," Morah said without turning.
"I mean on a long term basis."
"Long term. I see." She still didn't pause in her descent.
The Count quickened his pace. "You have qualities I like."
Finally, she half turned to look at him. "That's lovely. I've seen how you treat your employees however." Her voice was low and sensual. The Count shrugged like he was about to speak. Then he laughed, unable to keep quiet any longer. He said, "They were slaves not employees. I didn't pay them."
Morah didn't respond.
He added. "I didn't think you were the sentimental sort."
They stepped down more steps and finally she said, "So, what would I do for you?"
"I haven't thought it out yet. Not in detail. But I think you wouldn't be particularly squeamish. That's important."
She stepped carefully over a broken step as she went down. "No, squeamish isn't my thing."
"I have tasks that require someone who doesn't have a weak stomach."
"That sounds like me. And the wages?"
"They would be generous - very generous."
"Hmm." She smiled. "Maybe I should ask Severan's advice?"
The Count's mouth twisted. "I think not."
They went down the next steps in silence. It was still a long way to the bottom. Then another rumble and more dust from above.
"Tell me," said Count Owain, as if trying to prolong their conversation.
"Tell you what?"
"Are you particularly - wedded - To Severan, I mean."
Morah was watching her feet as she stepped down a run of broken steps. Something had fallen and smashed them, possibly centuries before. Morah said, "Severan and I have a working relationship. We're not best-friends-forever. It's business, that's all. He's a good leader. He makes me money. Or should I say, I help him to make money. Either way it works."
"It just might be that I wouldn't need Severan, if you worked for me."
"I see. So best not talk it over with him?"
"That's right." There was a further pause. "You'll think about my offer?" said the Count.
But Morah didn't answer.
Further down the stairs, Atorkh winced as another explosion shook the library. "You know, those Kissag are behind us."
"Really?" Gaijann said.
"I know. I mean I know you know. But I dunno, - they're not just going to let us out again - not just by us asking nicely."
"Probably not. They aren't known for their manners."
"So we're going to have to kill a whole bunch of them to get out, just saying."
"Looks that way," Gaijann said.
"Hmm," Atorkh said. "I dunno about that. Could be a big ask."
Gaijann turned. "But don't forget Atorkh. By then we'll have the secret knowledge of this library at our disposal. We'll be all powerful."
The kid seemed suddenly impressed. "You think so?"
"Sure," Gaijann said with a grin. "Or we'll be dead. Either way the problem will be solved."
CHAPTER SEVEN: The Room of Desire
They came to a room, neatly excavated into the shaft wall. It looked to be some kind of shelter or even a guard post. "Hadn't these people heard of elevators?" Atorkh said. "I mean they were so advanced, but they still used stairs."
The others ignored him.
"Maybe we could rest here?" Torina said. "My knees are aching."
"I'm hungry," Gaijann said.
"Okay, ten minutes," Severan said.
Gaijann unshouldered his pack and Torina and Severan did the same. Morah caught them up. Atorkh took out an energy cell and set it for both heat and light. He set about making himself a herbal infusion. Gaijann opened his pack and took out dried meat and flat bread. He offered some to Morah. She hesitated and then took it. "On this occasion only," she said. "Normally, I prefer fresh kills - with blood." But she was smiling.
Gaijann frowned. Sexy. Scary, but sexy.
"You know, I think we get on well." She stretched out her leg and ran the toe of her boot along his calf. "All this killing makes me horny."
"Oh," Gaijann said. He felt blood run to parts he'd forgotten about for the last couple of hours. He cleared his throat "I'm sure we could find some way to help you with that."
"Please," Atorkh said. "Not within my earshot."
"In the name of all that's holy," Torina said. "Just read your
book, Gaijann."
"Yes," Severan said. "Read your book. Find out where we are."
Gaijann looked at the giant. "Sure thing boss." Then he turned back to Morah with a wink. "That'll have to be later then."
"I'll look forward to it," Morah showed her sharp teeth.
Severan frowned and looked at the witch. Then he looked at his friend and shook his head. Finally he said, "Tell me something about this place, Gaijann."
The assassin took the book out of his pack and leafed through the pages. "Hey," he said finally. "Those things that we fought are called Alu. Apparently they're awoken from the rock and wander the library as guards."
"What kind of library has guards?" Atorkh said. "I thought libraries were the sort of places you came to get knowledge."
"Remember the Anubis people treated knowledge like it was treasure," Torina said. She brushed back her short white hair and looked very young.
"That's right, Torina," Severan said. "It was for their own personal consumption. They didn't let just anyone come in. I'm guessing that lots of the defenses have died over the years. It was probably even harder to survive in here once upon a time."
"So this here seems to be the Shaft of Silver," Gaijann said, eyes following the lines of elegant script. "I can't read the rest of this page. It's something about creatures of silver: 'Complexity and Entropy' —something like that."
"What does that even mean?" asked Torina.
Atorkh had lost interest in Gaijann and the book and had gone back to fiddling with his own gear. Lights and patterns flowed across the screen as he manipulated the controls.
"I don't know what it means," Gaijann said. "But it looks like the next place we get to is called The Room of What Really Is."
"Another mysterious title," Torina said. "I get tired of all this not knowing what the hell is going on."
"Hey, hey," Atorkh piped up. "Talking about not knowing what's going on, I'm making progress cracking the Kissag codes. Or at least my little brain here is." He gestured to the glowing box on his lap.
"So?" Severan said.
"Well, I haven't got most of it. But, I'm pretty sure they are saying they were supposed to meet someone here."
The giant frowned.
Later, Severan asked, "Everybody rested?"
There was general grumbling as they stirred. Count Owain was already on his feet.
"Time to get moving then," Severan said with a broad grin. The giant stood, brushing the dust off his pants.
"Slave driver," Torina said, but she was smiling too.
He looked back at her affectionately. "Come on little sister, get up and follow me into the pits of hell."
She gave a mock sour look. "Why don't you ever take me anywhere nice?"
He grinned and pulled her to her feet. Then he extended his hand to Mehefin, who took it gracefully. She thanked the giant. He bowed. Gaijann saw Torina flash the aristocrat a jealous stare.
Then they walked the few steps from the recess shelter back onto the staircase, stepping down and further down.
It took a long time to get all the way down and when they were at the bottom of the shaft, it was half in darkness. Some of the lights were off and others flickered sickly. It had grown cold and they could see their breath. The pool was contained by a regular low wall of black rock. Gaijann went up and took a closer look. "I think it's mercury - quicksilver," he said.
"Decorative or functional?" Severan asked.
"I don't know."
Severan shrugged. "Either way, on we go." He started off.
"You're in a hurry," Gaijann said walking alongside him.
"The place fills up with darkness when the planet turns. You heard what the man said."
Gaijann looked at him slyly. "But it's more than that. You forget how well I know you."
"Then if you know me so well, you will know why."
But Gaijann didn't know why.
Severan stood on the way out of the square chamber that held the silver pool. Ahead of him, the path split into three, like a trident. Severan asked the Count. "Any ideas where you want us to go?"
The Count said only, "We just need to go deeper. As deep as possible."
"This place is miles deep," Atorkh said. "How far down do you want us to go?"
"To the bottom of the Library."
Atorkh gestured in disbelief. But nobody in his audience was paying him attention. Torina looked to Gaijann and he shrugged. They prepared to move on from the room with the pool. As he began to walk off, Gaijann's attention was caught by movement in the pool. He snapped his head round. He watched more closely. There was definitely a ripple in the silver liquid extending in concentric circles from a point in the middle, as if a fish had jumped unseen.
Atorkh saw it too. "What the hell was that?"
Morah regarded the pool with interest. "Something's in there." Torina stepped back toward the wall.
"Check the book, man," Atorkh pulled at his beard. "What is this place called? It freaks me out. Like there's something in there that's gonna eat us."
Severan hadn't turned round. He was still staring into the dark tunnels ahead.
Gaijann placed a reassuring hand on Atorkh's shoulder. "Keep a lid on your nerves, kid. You're making Torina nervous." Then he turned to the rest of them. "Okay, well you know my translation might not be fully accurate."
"Just check it," Atorkh said.
Gaijann took the book out of his backpack. Everyone was watching him except Severan who switched between looking up towards the top of the shaft and then glancing forward into the tunnels.
"Ok," Gaijann spent a moment thumbing through the parchment pages. "It's here. Well I think it translates as 'the Place Where Thoughts Thicken, or maybe 'coagulate'." He shrugged. "Difficult to know what that might mean."
"Difficult to know what this whole place means, or what we're doing in it," muttered Torina.
"Come on," Severan had decided which way they were going and was already advancing into the dark by the time the rest turned and shouldered their packs.
The tunnels they entered were made of featureless smooth rock. Severan chose the middle one and strode on as if he knew where he was going, but if he had a reason why he took that way, he didn't share it, and no one asked.
It was dark - the Library's lighting didn't work here, or had never been installed. The mercenaries had to turn on the image intensifiers on their visors. They also had the option to switch on heat vision, but when Gaijann played with it, he saw the whole place was of a totally uniform temperature, rendering thermal vision useless. The party marched on.
Their boots crunched on the stone floor. When Gaijann leaned down to see what was making the noise he touched the ground with three of his fingers and found they were coated with a clear crystal dust.
Atorkh saw what he did and copied him. He scanned the material on his finger ends with his sensors and said, "Diamond."
"What that hell is that sprinkled here for?" Torina said.
"Could be natural," Atorkh scratched his beard nervously with his left hand then took his right to his lips and felt the coolness of the dust. "Yep. Did you know diamond is an excellent conductor, that's why it feels cool to the touch?"
"Yes," said the Count.
Mehefin smiled. "My father knows everything."
"This rock is kimberlite," Atorkh pointed around them. "It's a volcanic rock that is often host to diamonds." But no one listened and they walked on. Atorkh shook his head and hurried to catch up.
Then the tunnel opened into a room. Severan suddenly stopped, teetering on the edge until Gaijann yanked him back. The assassin looked down and saw the floor fell away below them. It dropped hundreds of feet into the darkness. He looked up and saw the walls of the room were shining crystal.
"More diamond?" he asked.
"Could be," Atorkh said, getting over his sulk at being ignored. He scanned the walls then smiled at Gaijann and nodded. "Yes."
Above, there was a ceiling of diamond that warped a
nd distorted the light in its depths. Gaijann looked up and in the light from his visor, could imagine he was seeing anything in the crystal prism. Then Gaijann stared over the yawning drop. "How do we get over this gap?"
Severan studied the room. It must have been fifty feet - too far to jump "Okay, back we go. We'll take the left tunnel this time."
Atorkh piped up. "Hey Gaijann, what's this room? From your book."
"I'm not a tour guide, man!" the assassin said.
"Just look it up. I'm curious."
Severan had already turned to go but he stopped and waited for Gaijann to read. Gaijann eventually said,"This is 'The Room of Desire.'"
Atorkh laughed. "What's your secret sexy desire, Torina?" He gave the healer a wink.
She blushed. "Shut up."
"And that means?" said Owain. He had his fingers tucked into his broad belt, drumming on the leather.
Gaijann shook his head. "You know I think the makers of this place are messing with us. It's like the whole place is made as a joke. The guidebook thing was so obvious to find and then it was in a language that at least one of us could understand."
"I'm not laughing," Torina said.
Morah studied the healer. "Maybe you should. You could do with lightening up a little."
Torina glared at the witch. "I just don't see what's funny."
Severan caught Torina's eye and he put his finger to his lips to indicate she shouldn't rise to Morah's jibe. Torina's blush deepened and she looked down at her feet.
"Ok," Gaijann said. "It seems to be that in this room you see what you really desire. If you're brave enough to take the test."
Morah said, "And the test is?"
He ran his finger along the page. "Hmm. Says you cross the bridge."
"There is no bridge," Morah said. "Who's brave enough to jump?" She didn't wait for an answer. "No one here is."
"No," Gaijann said. "Not me anyway. It's a long way down."
Severan had already lost patience and was walking away. The Count looked like he wanted to leave, but was waiting in case someone figured out how to cross the room.
"I'll risk it," Torina said suddenly.
"You?" Morah raised her eyebrows and then broke out into a laugh.
