Gaal the Conqueror

by John White

  "Mark this section well," Pontificater said. "Tell me. What is different about the wall behind you?" He was pointing at the outer wall above Eleanor's head. They rose to their feet and stared at the section at which he pointed.

  "I don't see anything special," John said.

  "Good. Indeed, excellent. That is as it is meant to be. But could you find that same piece of wall again?"

  "Well, it is the widest part of the stairs we've seen so far," Eleanor replied. "Of course there could be wider places still higher up."

  "Fortunately, that is, fortuitously, indeed auspiciously-"

  "For goodness sake, just say it, Ponty!"

  "-there is no other place as wide as this. You will identify it with minimal difficulty."

  "You mean we'll spot it easily. But why should we want to?"

  "Ah! I was about to illuminate that little obscurity, or shall I say to decipher the mystery that presents itself to your minds. Observe me well." John and Eleanor stared at the dragon, who cleared his long throat impressively. Then he said, "I come to the hiding places in the name of Gaal!" and promptly the dragon vanished.

  "You know he does like to show off-but I admit that was impressive-very impressive," John said.

  "Gosh, I hope he comes back though. I wouldn't want to be left alone around here."

  Almost immediately Pontificater reappeared on the staircase as suddenly as he had left it.

  "How do you do that?" John asked.

  "Don't say them now," the dragon said, "but when we return you may repeat the same words-the words about coming to the hiding place in Gaal's name-and you will find yourselves beyond that wall of rock in the secret tunnels of which the enemy knows nothing at all. And it is in them that you will lodge while we are in Bamah."

  They turned and pushed on determinedly until at last they reached a small circular platform, where the staircase ended. The circular walls surrounding them stretched upward into the dark. There were intricate carvings of geometric designs all round the wall from the floor to about shoulder height.

  "We have arrived at the temple," Pontificater said.

  "You mean this is it?" Eleanor asked.

  "We are at present inside a pillar-a large and hollow pillar from which we can gain access to the main hall of the temple. Gaal left instructions with me that you are to enter the temple at this point. But he made it very clear that you must never enter it again. His protection will be about you on this occasion because you are doing what he instructed. But if you should enter when he has not so instructed you, even the Mashal Stone would not protect you from the evil."

  The children stared at him, saying nothing. Pontificater continued, "I suggest you take the chain of the Mashal Stone, Sword Bearer, and attach it to your own and Eleanor's arm in the way you described to me."

  Eleanor's eyes were shining with excitement, and she raised her arm and placed it beside John's left arm.

  "No, let's use my left arm and your right," John said. I might need my right arm for the sword." Then he looked hard at Pontificater. "You're not suggesting we rescue Gaal right now, are you?" he said in alarm.

  "No, Sword Bearer. There should be no one in the temple at this hour. But invisibility will constitute a wise precaution. I think it might be advisable for you to have some familiarity with the temple and to be able to identify and find your way back through the pillar. Notice the carving of the rose on the wall beside you. If you press it a door will open inward and admit you to the temple hall."

  They stared at the direction his claw pointed and saw, after they had stared a few minutes, that a carved rose had subtly been inserted amid the geometric lines.

  "Now, I suggest-in fact I am sure that this is how Gaal would have it-that you make yourselves invisible and enter the temple. There is also a rose on the temple side of the pillar, by which you may re-enter the tunnel. I shall wait here until you return."

  So this was it. Not only were they to enter Bamah, but into the temple itself-and alone. John took a deep breath to steady himself, and to quell the nausea he felt. He could see that Eleanor, too, was pale and trembling. Gaal had said not to use the Mashal Stone unless he himself said so. But now he had said to use it. He felt anxious and tense as he twisted the chain that bore the Mashal Stone around his left arm and Eleanor's right. But at once he felt the familiar surge of tingling power invade his limbs, and his fears subsided as if by magic. Eleanor stood beside him patiently. Until they vanished.

  "O-Oh!" she gasped. "I-I can still feel myself. I can even feel the floor under my feet. Are you sure I'm really-? But by golly, I am!"

  "Of course you are," John said. "Now don't look at the floor. Just look wherever we're headed, or you'll feel a bit giddy at first."

  He reached toward the rose and touched it. Instantly a section of the wall swung silently inward. Beyond it John saw the dim vaulted interior of the temple and gasped. It was the same building he had dreamed about that morning.

  John and Eleanor made their perilous way along a crowded Bamah street, a street that lay just inside the city. The city wall was on their left. Houses and shops nestled beneath it, leaning their weight against its massive strength.

  There had been much to learn in the last few days, and many new things to fear. Once they had been able to see what the interior of the temple looked like, Pontificater had introduced them to the tunneled walls of Bamah. The city still filled them with fear. But since Bamah seemed to be the place where Gaal wanted them to be, they had to cope with their fears as best they could. "At least we don't seem to be bothered with Shagah here," John said one day.

  Eleanor sighed. "I wish we could be sure. I know nothing's happened recently, but I can't believe he's given up."

  They had spent the last three days with the widow Illith, the lady in whose room in the city walls Bomgrith and the old prophet had met some weeks before. To their delight they discovered that she was the same widow Illith that Authentio had spoken of as his mother. But their joy was immediately clouded by sorrow as they learned of Authentio's capture, and their fears of Bamah grew steadily.

  But by now they were familiar with the labyrinthine tunnels honeycombing the wide walls of the city, as well as with their secret entrances and exits. The knowledge increased their confidence, making them feel a little less helpless. Pontificater, who could squeeze along the narrow tunnels, came and went on business of his own.

  Yet still the dread of Bamah lay like a mantle on John's and Eleanor's shoulders, perhaps on John's more than on Eleanor's, while the frightening cat-and-mouse game they had to play to survive in enemy territory kept their nerves on edge.

  The human inhabitants of Bamah (the Regenskind) as well as most matmon, would shuffle silently along the streets, their eyes downcast. Slaves of the Circle of Light, they pursued their hypnotized way, either doing their own errands or those of their masters. This meant that whenever John and Susan ventured into Bamah, they had to imitate the downcast eyes and the shuffling walk of the inhabitants to avoid notice.

  Dwarflike matmon, the beards of the males flowing over their rotund bellies, mingled with their human counterparts in the same condition. Only red-haired, red-bearded matmon of the Habesh clan roamed the streets freely, their fierce eyes watchful of all that took place.

  "I wonder what they're all thinking," Eleanor whispered.

  "They don't seem to be thinking of anything," John replied softly.

  "They look scared though."

  "Perhaps. And perhaps not. Though that is what Pontificater told us originally. But they look sort of dumb. The followers of Gaal now-they're the ones who should be scared. They're in real danger."

  "I know. It scares me to think about them. And I had no idea there were so many of them."

  "It's amazing how they've organized all the tunnels and the hiding places. It's fortunate there are so many cave systems. It's like an underground city. Strange, the Circle seems ignorant of it."

  "That's what scares me. They could find out any da
y."

  They were nearing their goal, which was a baker's shop whose owners were secret followers of Gaal. It lay on the left side of the street against the city wall about thirty yards ahead of them. Once they could get into the back of the shop they could slip to safety. A cupboard there opened into a secret passageway that opened into the tunnel system.

  "Why don't we cross the road and get on to the left side where the shop is?" Eleanor whispered.

  "Don't look now," John murmured urgently, "but there's a Habesh matmon on that side. He's been following us for the past five minutes."

  After a moment she said, "You sure?"

  "Yes. He's over on the left side of the street, and I caught his eye last time I glanced sideways. I think he's suspicious. We're going to have to separate. He can't follow us both."

  They continued to shuffle toward the baker's shop, still staring at the cobblestones beneath their feet. "We're supposed to get back to Widow Illith's chamber," Eleanor whispered after a moment.

  "I know. But we mustn't draw too much attention to the baker. If we cross the street and go in together he's sure to follow us. But if you alone slip in he might just follow me. I can always use the Mashal Stone if it gets rough."

  "I don't like it-"

  "Neither do I. But we have to do something. I'll be all right."

  The door of the baker's shop was only ten yards away on the far side of the street. The red-haired matmon began to cross the street toward them. John quickened his pace to get ahead of Eleanor.

  "I'll pretend my sandal straps are slipping down and stop to tighten them," Eleanor muttered. "That'll get him past me and you can go on and turn the corner."

  By now the matmon was close behind them. Eleanor slowed her pace, and almost opposite the entrance to the shop she stopped, stooping to play with the leather straps around her left leg. The matmon, by now at her heels, stumbled against her and almost fell. He cursed, but with hardly a glance at her he hurried after John. Eleanor watched anxiously as he almost ran round the corner. She was tempted to follow, longing to know whether John was safe. But deciding against it, she rose to her feet, crossed the street and disappeared through the door of the baker's shop.

  John never paused for a backward glance. He had heard the matmon stumble and curse, and was grateful for the extra yard or two it gave him. In readiness he had also extracted the chain and the stone before reaching the corner, and as he swung into the side street he flipped the chain over his head and slid into invisibility. He was delighted to see the street was crowded and stood with his back against the wall of a building, letting the crowd pass by.

  He was just in time. The matmon, his lips pressed together in fury, leaped round the corner into the narrow street and, seeing no sign of John, recklessly pushed his way among the shuffling inhabitants of Bamah looking this way and that.

  John drew a deep breath of relief. For a few moments he remained where he was, and stared at the silent crowds that drifted past him. He knew what he ought to do. The proper thing would be to remove the Mashal Stone and make his way to the baker's shop. But now it was round his neck his feelings had changed. Fear and dread had gone. For days he had longed to experience the sense of joyful courage it always seemed to impart to him. Sometimes he had daydreamed of wearing it forever, not because it made him invisible but because it filled him with such an extraordinary sense of power. But he remembered Gaal's warning, and for a few minutes he struggled with his conscience.

  John knew he should have taken the stone off then and there, but he was tempted. Word had reached the followers of Gaal of the return of Lord Lunacy to Bamah and of a special meeting of the Circle of Light. Surely it would be helpful if Gaal's followers knew what Lord Lunacy planned. He began to picture himself surrounded by underground leaders as they listened with earnest attention to his revelations. He could almost hear their expressions of awe and gratitude at his amazing exploit.

  He suppressed the warning bells that clamored for his attention. What prevented him from playing the invisible spy? Why indeed shouldn't he? He had proved already that the Lord Lunacy could not see him when we wore the Mashal Stone. Nothing had happened to him last time he was in the temple. Surely nothing serious could happen now. He would actually be helping Gaal's cause. He continued to suppress his misgivings and in the end desire won out over conscience.

  Hardly aware of pulling himself away from the wall John began the ascent to the temple, hidden from his view for the moment by the crowded terraced houses. But it was not long before he saw the awesome structure which dominated Bamah. Fifteen minutes later he had left the shuffling crowds behind and had reached a strange circle of massive stones (`just like Stonehenge," as he and Eleanor had commented to each other) that encircled it, and was crossing the grassy space and heading for the temple opening.

  There was no one in sight. In spite of the Mashal Stone and of the assurances he had given himself, a chill of fear entered his heart. What would he encounter there this time? Nothing had happened last time-but what if... ? Still he pursued his way forward. Shadows and dimness slowly wrapped him round as he tiptoed through the massive opening.

  Twenty yards inside the temple John stopped. Sinister shadows shifted constantly. At times they passed right through him, chilling him by their passage. It was as though a draft of cold damp air had gone through his body. Sometimes he would dodge one shadow only to get in the way of another. And each time it happened he was left feeling a little colder than the time before.

  Anxiously he peered round, wondering where he might find Lord Lunacy. There was no sign of the kind of beings who might be members of the Circle of Light. Did they meet in a hidden chamber somewhere? Cautiously he began to move forward, his eyes searching for the particular column which bore the stone rose. The need to be able to escape quickly entered his mind and the column with the rose would serve as his escape route. It took him some minutes to find it. When he did, some obscure instinct made him squat down, leaning his back against it. He felt safer that way.

  But by now he was in the grip of an icy chill, a cold of an intensity he had not experienced even in Canada. It seemed to wrap itself round his heart, slowly freezing what courage and hope the Mashal Stone had given him. Still the flitting shadows swept and swirled around and through him. Instinctively he hunched himself into a ball, wrapping his invisible arms around his invisible knees. He had the curious feeling that there was no difference between the inside of him and the outside.

  How long he remained like this he could never afterward say. Something deep inside was telling him to leave. But he had lost, or seemed to have lost, all power to make decisions. He sat huddled, cold and invisible at the foot of a column, almost frozen by the power of evil. Darkness fell (which was strange, for it was only the middle of the morning) and since the lamps were not lit, he soon could see nothing.

  A voice broke the silence, a voice he recognized clearly and hated-the voice of Lord Lunacy. He could not tell whether it sounded inside him or around him. He was even not sure, when he heard it, that he had a body at all. "We are gathered, I see." Clearly the remark was addressed to someone other than John.

  Murmurs of assent filled him with a sense of nausea, but once again he had no idea whether the sound of the murmurs was only in his mind, or whether it surrounded him.

  "Your assigned tasks have not been changed. Perform them lest I consume you before your time."

  There was a long silence, so that John eventually began to wonder whether the meeting was over. He could no longer feel any part of his body and began to fear that he indeed might no longer have one.

  "My plans mature," Lord Lunacy said at length. "The miserable creature Gaal will be sacrificed tomorrow, so that I shall then have no rivals in my control of this particular planet. Its kingdoms will develop and serve me, and its peoples will die and fatten me."

  There were murmurs of approbation, and this time John had the distinct impression that they came from different points of a circle surrou
nding him.

  "You will all protect a certain Regenskind for the next twentyfour hours. His name is Prodo Tehs. It is he who will bring Gaal into our hands. He is one of the humans whom Gaal interfered with, but he has returned his loyalty to me. We shall dispose of him once he has served his purpose. Remember the nameProdo Tehs."

  For some reason the sound of it began to echo in John's mind, "Prodo Tehs, Prodo Tehs, Prodo Tehs."

  "I regret to inform you that our comrade here, the Lord Shagah, has persisted in an independent course."

  John sensed a wave of fear hit him as if it came from the side of the circle opposite the voice.

  "However, I sense that your own cleverness may undo you, Shagah. The sorcery you have devised for your salvation may trap him for centuries, and when it does, your doom will be sealed. How can you ever expect to have success apart from me? And now, my esteemed Hocoino?"

  A voice on John's left answered, "Your majesty?" and as it did so a vision flashed into John's mind, a startlingly clear vision of an exceedingly tall, thin man, draped in gold-braided black velvet that fell from a hood over his head and dropped down to his feet. His face was the face of a corpse, smooth, gray and dead, the nose aquiline and the lips a line of scarlet that slashed the dead flesh beneath it. His eyes were two burning black holes. For a second the vision was frighteningly real. Then it was gone.

  "I know your heart. It is in my hands. You must be especially careful. If you meet Lord Shagah when he is released from his picture," the disembodied voice of Lord Lunacy continued, "and should you ally yourself with him at that time, you will share his doom."

  "Your majesty knows all things," Hocoino's voice replied.

  "Quite so. Now let me come to the point of this meeting. You are all to focus your powers on the legendary Sword Bearer. He must be somewhere in the vicinity-"

  There was a second pause, even longer than the first. When Lord Lunacy's voice sounded again it awoke terror in John's heart.

  "Indeed he is closer than I had suspected. I can actually smell him. Let me describe the smell to you so that you with me can close in on him. There is that rather pleasant perfume we all exude, the smell of a lust for power. Nearly all humans drift our way when they have a real taste of it. It is modified by a light and refreshing touch of vanity and the scent of fear. Spoiling all that is the odor of the fire of the Changer's hateful sanctity. That should be enough for us all to smell our way to him." He laughed long and riotously, peal after peal multiplying the terror in John's heart. "Who would have believed it? Who could have credited it? The Sword Bearer-fulfiller of prophecy and destroyer of my tower-oh, fool that he is!-has flown like a fly into my web, a web that was never even planned with him in mind!"