Interesting. Serena wondered anew what might lie behind the door spoken of in the rhyme. Something that Lokants and draykoni felt an equal interest in hiding? That raised more questions and answered none at all.
‘Let’s spread out and see if we can find that key,’ Tren said.
Serena picked a direction nobody else seemed to be heading in and set off. She soon left the rest of her party behind, and a sensation of peaceful isolation came over her. Little sound reached her ears save for the muted, soft crunching noises her feet made as she trod through the cloud. She couldn’t see her own feet through the layers of swirling mists that obscured the surface.
Where might they have put a key, in this wide space? Could its creators have simply thrown it anywhere, trusting to the randomness of the act to keep it hidden? If so, how would they ever find it? If it lay somewhere on the floor, it might be hidden forever by the white mists that seemed to cover every inch of it.
They wanted it to be found, though, whoever had made this place. If the intention was to keep the keys hidden forever, they would have been buried in a deep, dark hole somewhere and left, or even destroyed. All of this elaborate game — the Dreams, the rhyme — suggested that the intention was to hide them well, so that no casual wanderer would stumble across them, but to render them accessible to the very determined. And if somebody had made it all the way up into the tallest peaks between Irbel and Orlind, an area impossible to reach on foot, and had survived the howling cyclone that guarded the Dream, such a person must qualify as very determined.
She did not think, then, that the guardians of these keys would have tossed it into the cloud and walked away. They would have put it somewhere more or less visible, surely? Perhaps the trees. Serena lifted her gaze from the impenetrable mist and began to scan the nebulous flourishes of light that passed for trees around here. On a hunch, she stretched out her hand to touch one. It was surprisingly solid, just like the cloud. Were they simply illusions, these visions of clouds and light? Perhaps that was the nature of the “Dream”: they were standing on bare rock, but their eyes saw all manner of wonders.
These thoughts had barely passed through her mind when she tripped, fell onto her hands and knees, and received a small, painfully solid object in the eye. Ow. How had that happened? Something lay hidden under the mist, which was certainly its prerogative, but whatever it was didn’t have to throw things at her.
Her groping hand swiftly found the offending object, and lifted it above the fog. It was a little round stone, its colour pale like marble and striated with dark crimson. It bore the spiral pattern of some kind of seashell.
Serena gripped the key in frozen wonder for a long moment, her mind whirling. How had she found it? She hadn’t found it. If anything, she might have said that it had found her.
A flare of light caught her attention and she turned, staggering to her feet as she did so. Some kind of image was flickering to life a few feet above the clouds, emanating, she supposed, from something lying hidden beneath. This was not like the boards, though. The picture hovered above the ground, cast upon the air itself; no gadgetry of any kind supported it. Engineering, or draykon magic, or Lokant trickery?
A face appeared. He was old, Serena immediately thought, as his hair was pure white and fine. His face, though, was largely unlined, and showed no signs of the advanced age that would match his hair. A Lokant, then, and probably no partial-blood at that. His eyes were green and calm, his expression intent. She thought he possessed a slight air of sadness.
He appeared to be staring straight at her, but that was impossible. Serena waited under this apparent scrutiny, wondering what the image would do next. Then it began to speak, and belatedly she realised she ought not to witness this alone. She lifted her voice and hollered for her companions.
I don’t know who are, said the vision slowly, but you have The Key of Orlind, and I hope you are a worthy bearer of it.
The vision paused. Tren and Fabian came running up together, Eva not far behind. I have no doubt you will find the rest, continued the face. Perhaps you already have. I cannot guess at why you seek the repository, but please: use it wisely.
The repository? Serena had never heard any mention of such a thing before.
In the meantime, added the man, with a faint smile, I hope you are enjoying the work of my children. Is it not fine?
Nothing more was said, and the vision gradually faded away.
‘I’d better take that,’ said Bron, and held out his hand to Serena.
Team Carterett had prepared for this possibility. The crimson-streaked stone was safely hidden in a pocket; the one she now held in her hand was similar in appearance but paler, with some artful-looking orange swirls decorating its surface. Bron had never seen the real one, so he couldn’t know that the colours were wrong.
But it was necessary to keep up the pretence. ‘If anybody is to keep it, it should be Lady Glostrum,’ Serena said. ‘This is clearly Lokant business, and as such must be the province of the LHB.’
Bron shook his head. ‘In borrowing G.A.9’s equipment, the LHB tacitly ceded control of the exploration to my employers. As their representative, I must insist upon retaining any important finds.’ He held out his hand. ‘If you’re concerned about its safety, I need hardly tell you that G.A.9 is by far the best equipped to keep it out of unfriendly hands.’
Why did G.A.9 have to be so pushy, just because they were bigger, stronger, richer and altogether more impressive than everyone else? Serena handed over the stone with a perfectly real display of ungraciousness, and managed, with a heroic effort of will, to ignore the satisfied smirk with which Bron received the treasure. He awarded her a comradely nod and said, ‘Right decision.’ With a sideways glance at Fabian he added, ‘And don’t even think about trying to steal it back. I’ll be on guard for any shenanigans.’
Serena adopted an innocent smile, hoping all the while that he would indeed be on his guard. She and Fabian would give him a fine show between them. Hopefully he would be so busy trying to fend off their attempts at stealing back the key, it would never occur to him that he hadn’t been given the real one to begin with.
Thanks, Teyo, she thought silently, with a mental hug for her friend and colleague. It had occurred to him before they had separated that a few fakes might not go amiss, and he had found time to prepare two for Serena. He’d also taught Fabian how to make more, in case of need (Serena had passed on this tutorial, owing to a lamentable lack of skill in the area of arts and handicrafts. She was liable to get as much paint on herself as on the object at hand, and equally liable to saw off something vital of her own if given a sharp implement to use).
Later, she would hand over the new key to Eva, who would spirit it away somewhere together with the Balbater key.
Chapter Seventeen
It was market day in Aravin. This complicated matters a little, since the town was much more populous than Teyo had been expecting. On the other hand, it provided useful camouflage. They’d had the presence of mind to stop on the outskirts of the town and walk in, in human shape and on foot; a pair of draykoni flying in with a passenger would attract far too much attention. They needed to hear the news, while keeping as low a profile as possible.
It didn’t take long to find the information they needed. The three of them wandered through the market separately, purchasing a few provisions here and there and keeping their ears open. Conversation buzzed regarding the large team of explorers who had passed through Aravin a few days ago, boasting that they were about to find the next key. They had gone up to the coast, as Teyo’s contact had said. Teyo got the directions easily enough, then took out his voice-box to call Egg and Iya to join him.
But when he retrieved it, it was already lit up and rattling. He hadn’t noticed in the tumult of the market. He switched it on and held it near his mouth.
‘Teyo,’ he said, trying to keep his voice low.
‘Tey!’ came Serena’s voice. ‘Great news. Mission successful.’
‘Congratulations,’ he replied, smiling. ‘Did you use the toys I gave you?’
‘Yeah. Thanks for those.’
‘All going according to plan, then?’
‘So far, so good. Can’t wait to tell you all about it. Where are you right now?’
‘Aravin.’
‘Which is where?’
‘Northern Glinnery. Can’t stay, we’re pressed for time.’
‘Good luck.’ The box went dark. Teyo reactivated it and called Egg and Iya. Fifteen minutes later, he stood at the north gate of Aravin watching as the two of them approached together. Judging from the matching scowls, they were arguing about something.
‘We’re going that way,’ said Egg, pointing.
‘Yep,’ agreed Teyo.
‘See?’ Egg said to Iyamar. ‘I told you he’d already know.’
Iya shrugged. ‘Whatever.’
‘Let’s walk a half-mile or so and shift, all right? We’re in a hurry.’ The people of the market didn’t yet seem to know that someone had (or might have) found something significant up there, but it wouldn’t be long before that news spread. Teyo didn’t want to have to fight his way through hordes of excited villagers.
Airborne, they had no difficulty finding the site. It wasn’t swarmed under, but it was busy enough. As soon as Teyo spotted a knot of people on the horizon, he led Iyamar back to the ground and they shifted human again. The coast was rocky, and ended abruptly in tall cliffs which plummeted a long way down to the sea. The site, if it was a true Dream site, must be situated underneath them. Thank goodness it wasn’t underwater.
‘Who are we going to be?’ he said as they halted just within sight of the crowd. ‘LHB again?’
Egg shook her head. ‘It’s a bit early for them to show up, don’t you think?’
‘Right. Um, what then?’ He scanned the gathered people, trying to work out what they were doing and who they were.
‘Does it have to be human?’ Iyamar asked.
Teyo blinked. ‘Well, no. Not all of us have to be.’
Iyamar promptly shifted into the shape of a swift, sharp-clawed, bushy-tailed rodent that he’d seen darting about among the glissenwol trees on the way here. Her fur was powder-blue, which was very pretty, but wouldn’t work very well underground. He didn’t have to tell her. In an instant, her fur changed from blue to a sleek grey which wouldn’t stand out at all among rock.
‘Go on,’ Egg said, waving him in Iya’s direction. ‘I’ll probably have an easier time getting in alone than with two companions.’
Teyo knew better than to argue with her. He swiftly copied Iyamar’s shape, and the two of them raced away towards the site. He let her take the lead. Judging from the way she was swishing her tail around, she was enjoying herself.
Clustered near the cliff face was a group of eight people wearing uniforms. They had spread themselves out and stood in uncompromising poses; clearly they considered themselves to be on guard. Their uniforms were crisp and identical, all coloured in blue and white. The group comprised an even mixture of men and women, all of whom were both young and white-haired.
They didn’t waste any time, Teyo said to Iyamar. He felt more than a little dismay upon seeing them; here he thought they had been among the very first to reach this site. How had a Lokant group learned about it so quickly? Perhaps they were the ones who had discovered it. Were they Ylona’s people? Had they already secured the key?
The entrance to the site was behind them, of course. Teyo saw a jagged splinter in the rocky face of the cliff, surrounded by rubble. Had somebody blown it open? How had they known to try that just here?
Let’s split up, he told Iya. See if you can sidle past on that side.
He hung back and watched as the small, furry form of Iyamar inched her way past a pair of uniformed Lokant guards. She was clever enough to dawdle, foraging with her nose in the ground as though looking for food. These creatures ate worms and beetles which they dug out of the soft earth; there was no chance of finding food in this rocky terrain. But he didn’t expect these Lokants to realise that, and indeed, nobody took any notice of the little creature. Once she had disappeared into the crack in the cliff, Teyo followed.
Nobody had yet had chance to set up any lights here, Teyo supposed, as the passage that lay beyond the entrance was pitch dark. Fortunately, Teyo had excellent night vision in his current shape. He wondered whether Iyamar had foreseen that, or whether it had been a lucky choice. Neatly-cut stairs spiralled down into the darkness. The topmost two or three had been damaged in the explosion (or something) that had broken open the passage, but the rest appeared unharmed. Iyamar was already scrambling down them.
Teyo started after her. He was too tiny to navigate them easily, and his long claws skittered on the smooth stone surfaces of the steps; he had to go carefully. Or rather, he chose to go carefully. Iyamar, heedless with youth, all but fell down the stairs. Actually, she did fall down a couple of them, tumbling end-over-end and giggling as she went. Teyo sighed inwardly. Teaching that one caution might be an interesting task.
The bottom of the staircase had just come into view when the stairs abruptly disappeared. Teyo barely had time to register that something like a tree had taken their place as he utterly failed to catch hold of it, and plummeted a long way down. It wouldn’t have seemed like much in his human shape, but as small as he was, it felt like a very long way indeed. He landed painfully, bounced and landed again, even more painfully than before. Dazed, he lay for a few moments, panting, before his confused brain remembered Iyamar.
Iya? He scrambled up and dashed about in circles for a minute, trying to see her.
A stray giggle reached his thoughts. Interesting, she said.
Teyo discovered that he couldn’t roll his eyes while he wore the shape of a small, furry thing. He tried hard, though.
He stood up and shook himself, enjoying the way his thick fur felt as it flew out and then settled smoothly back down again. The way his bruised muscles felt was less pleasurable. He made a few absurd gestures with his paws before realising that he couldn’t brush himself down. His cheeks made a fair effort at blushing, and he hoped Iyamar hadn’t seen.
Are you coming or not? she demanded, and he heard her paws pattering away. He hurried after her, taking note of his surroundings as best he could. The stairs had indeed become a tree, a very tall one which stretched away without apparent end. He hadn’t fallen that far, he was sure, or he could not have survived. What was going on with this place? He left the tree behind as he ran after Iyamar. There was grass of some kind under his paws, and his twitching nose detected the presence of some delicious worms underneath. This was no illusion, he realised with wonder. The earth was real, and populated with all the wildlife he would expect to find. The grass growing atop it was real, too. He thought back to the underground Balbater site and its gorgeously coloured, vibrant trees and vines. How was any of it possible?
The sensation of the springy grass and moist earth beneath his paws was delicious, and no dangers threatened. He threw caution to the winds and raced after Iyamar, his tail streaming out behind him. He felt free and wild and overcome with joy, almost demented with happiness. He didn’t remember ever feeling like that before.
The sensations lasted until an enormous pair of human legs appeared suddenly before him, as vast and immoveable as tree trunks in his perception. He came to an abrupt halt an instant before he ran into them face-first, and sat down on his haunches, panting for breath. Iyamar sat not far away.
So much for teaching Iyamar caution. What had got into him? There was something in the air down here, he decided; something strange about the place.
He looked up. The human was by no means as oblivious to their presence as he’d hoped. It was a woman, he judged from the skirtish thing she was wearing; he couldn’t see her face clearly. He could tell, however, that the face in question was turned in his direction.
The human said something in a booming voice, hands planted upon her h
ips. It wasn’t in any language Teyo understood. She bent down to examine them, and before Teyo could move an inch he was grabbed by a pair of ungentle hands and hauled skywards. He wriggled and struggled, claws flailing, but she was firm. She said something else, in Glinnish this time, but Teyo’s grasp of the language wasn’t up to deciphering it. She cycled through a couple more languages, and finally spoke in Nimdren.
‘How about this one?’ she said. Teyo responded with another wild attempt at escape, which failed.
‘Ah! I see we’re getting somewhere,’ said the woman in Nimdren. ‘It’s a lovely job, but I do think you ought to take your proper shape, don’t you? Skulking about like this! It is very rude indeed.’
She put him down, and grabbed the end of his tail before he could run away. Having snared Iyamar likewise, she crouched there implacably, waiting.
What do we do? squealed Iyamar silently.
No help for it, Teyo replied, and shifted human. He turned to face their persecutor, dusting off his garments with what he hoped was a casual air. ‘Good morning,’ he said gravely.
Iyamar flashed into human shape beside him, though she adopted none of his calm. She stood with her arms folded, glaring accusingly at the woman. ‘You hurt Teyo!’
The woman — who was, not unexpectedly, white-haired — stared critically at Teyo, and looked him over. ‘Not very much, I think. What are you both doing in my dig site?’
She may be white-haired, but she was elderly enough that Teyo wasn’t positive she was a Lokant. Probably she was. Her face was traced with fine wrinkles, and deeper ones marked her eyes and mouth; laugh lines, he thought, though she was not smiling now. Her hair was long, but very fine, and swept up into a messy bun at the back of her head. She looked to be of considerable age, but she possessed an air of vigour that belied her years, and her eyes were peculiar indeed: pale purple, and very intent upon Teyo. No mere human, this.
‘We’re looking for keys,’ Teyo said bluntly, ‘like everyone else.’
Seven Dreams Page 19
