Jane Doe and the Key of All Souls

by Jeremy Lachlan

  Elsa quickly raises her crossbow, wobbling the bridge. ‘Kala du napa!’

  A faint cackle. A rattle of beads. ‘Nimbu tala,’ a croaky voice says. ‘Welcome.’

  Elsa doesn’t move. ‘Masaru … where is everyone? The gate was unguarded.’

  ‘Oda min,’ the old man coos. ‘Always so wary.’ He shuffles aside with another tiny cackle. ‘You are home, and all is well. Come, come. Let me see her.’

  ‘Oh, this guy isn’t creepy at all,’ Hickory mutters.

  Elsa lowers her crossbow. Looks wary, confused. Tries to hide it with a smile. ‘It’s okay. We’re okay.’ She holds out a hand. ‘Jane …’

  Aki rattles his throat. Violet says, ‘Be careful.’

  I flash them a forced smile. ‘You heard her. I’ll be fine.’

  Elsa leads me across the bridge. We step onto the pillar’s stone landing, and I’m not exactly sure what I’m feeling, but it sure as hell ain’t a sense of calm.

  Masaru’s ancient: bald, wrinkly and small. Bones dangle from his earlobes. The whites of his eyes are yellow. Pouches sag beneath them, big enough to smuggle baby birds, and his skin’s so pale it’s almost translucent. He’s dressed in a cloak that might’ve been red once, just like Winifred’s.

  ‘Gods, am I glad to see you, oda mun,’ Elsa says with a short bow.

  ‘And I you,’ the old man says, but his watery eyes are fixed on me. ‘Oh, yes …’

  He hobbles over, shoulders bent, feet shuffling, circling me like a dog sniffing a tree. He sucks on his splintery teeth, pokes my back, legs and shoulders with his walking stick. When he reaches for my bandaged hand, I pull it away. Elsa shoots me a warning look.

  Back on the rope-bridge, Violet pulls out her Boboki blade. Hickory yawns. Aki snarls.

  ‘It’s okay,’ I tell them, and hold out my hand.

  Masaru prods the dirty bandage. Squeezes the wound, hard. I wince and yank it back, shocked. Masaru doesn’t seem to care. Just stares at my eyes, into my eyes, and takes another step towards me, uncomfortably close. He smells sickly sweet, like honey.

  ‘What is this?’ Violet shouts. ‘Elsa, what’s he doing?’

  Elsa shushes her, though she looks a little bothered, too. She nods at me.

  ‘Oh,’ I say, and take a step back. I figure she wants me to introduce everyone. ‘Masaru of Arakaan. I’m Jane Doe of … well, Bluehaven, I guess.’ I gesture at the others. ‘These are my friends, Violet Hollow, Hickory Dawes and Aki … Gorani? Don’t worry, he’s on our side.’ Masaru doesn’t glance at them. Doesn’t even blink. What the hell is he waiting for? What else am I supposed to say? ‘Um … we come in peace!’

  ‘Gods have mercy,’ Elsa mutters.

  ‘Too much?’

  ‘Just … stop.’ She shoves me aside, takes the Cradle key from around her neck. ‘We’ve got it, Masaru. All three Cradle keys are –’

  ‘Show me,’ he says, holding out a bony hand.

  Elsa blinks at him, startled, but hands it over. He inspects the key closely, muttering things under his breath. He has a fake key of his own, I notice, dangling from a thin chain around his neck, along with a dozen other necklaces bearing feathers, beads and bird skulls. A plain clay medallion dangles from one of them. A palm-sized disc.

  ‘It’s the real deal,’ I tell him, nodding at the key. ‘I promise.’

  Masaru grins at me, another cackle quivering his bony chest.

  ‘What’s so funny?’ I ask. ‘Elsa …’

  ‘Oda mun,’ Elsa says. Seems she doesn’t get the joke either. ‘You’re acting very strangely. We’ve come a long way, and I’ve much to tell you. Yaku betrayed us. The Boboki attacked Orin-kin. We got away, but I fear they’re not far behind us.’

  ‘Betrayal,’ Masaru croaks. He turns to Elsa at last. ‘I know a thing or two about that myself, oda min. Yes, yes, yes.’

  Elsa shifts on her feet. ‘I’m sorry, oda mun, I – I don’t understand.’

  Masaru tut-tuts her. ‘Té na casai, Elsa. No more games.’

  The breeze blows again – stronger this time – swirling the cloud of dust till the suns peek through and the canyon city’s revealed in all its dreadful glory. The towering, honeycombed cliffs. The long drop beneath us. All those dark, empty hidey-holes in the pillars, which aren’t so empty after all. There are people crouched inside them, perched like birds of prey. A hundred-odd red-cloaked soldiers with rifles and machetes, bows and arrows, all of them drawn and pointed our way.

  ‘Come, come,’ Masaru says. ‘The council is waiting.’

  THE SECOND KEY

  The march to the canyon floor passes by in a daze. The sandy, spiralled path looping round the pillar. The swarm of red-cloaks following as we go, swinging from the ropes, climbing down, tracking our every step. The archers crouched on every ledge, arrows nocked and ready to fire. The sweat. The dread. Definitely not the welcome we were expecting.

  No more games. What did Masaru mean?

  Elsa ignored him. Played it cool when he instructed us to hand over our weapons. Violet objected, of course. Elsa told her to obey. Now she’s gabbing at Masaru in Arakaanian a million miles an hour, no doubt telling him about Yaku’s deception and the attack on Orin-kin. ‘The Boboki are coming for her, Masaru,’ she adds so we can understand. ‘We’ve no time to waste.’

  ‘Dai dai, oda min,’ he says, clucking his tongue. ‘Always in a rush.’

  Elsa glances back at me, visibly shaken by his less-than-lacklustre response. Tries to cover it with a smile. ‘Apologies, oda mun,’ she says. ‘I’m just a little anxious.’

  ‘I am sure you are,’ Masaru says, playing the Cradle key through his fingers.

  He should’ve given it back by now.

  By the time we near the bottom, the suns are out in full force. The canyon walls are peppered with columns, caves and curtained windows. Doors and perilous staircases. Undulating paths criss-cross the canyon floor, weaving around the base of the pillars. A fair number of scorpions were blown over the mountain during the sandstorm. A bunch of club-wielding teenagers stand by, ready to squash them. Any ordinary day, I bet they’d make a game of it. Race each other. Right now, they’re staring at us, clubs raised. Another classic Jane Doe greeting.

  ‘No way,’ Violet whispers, gaping down the length of the canyon. ‘Jane, it’s the painting. The one hanging in Winifred’s study. Except for the creepy decorations.’

  ‘Glad you’re enjoying the view, Violet, but I think we have more pressing concerns right now.’

  The red-cloaks swarm around the base of the pillar, flanking both sides of the path.

  ‘This is all quite unnecessary,’ Elsa chuckles, but her eyes are a little too wide, too frantic. ‘We were heading to see the Elders anyway. We don’t need this much protection.’

  ‘Udun gór,’ Masaru says. ‘Perhaps it is not you we are protecting.’

  Through the procession of red-cloaks we go. Some stare at Aki. Others at me. Anyone’d think they’ve never seen an avatar of three ancient gods before.

  None of this makes sense. These people have sheltered Elsa for decades. They’re on our side. So why are they treating us like a bunch of crooks?

  Across the canyon floor we go, into the shade of a large cave. More decorations hang from the walls. Knotted flags. Strings of teeth. Threaded skulls. Some of them, I notice now, are human.

  ‘Perhaps a rest first,’ Elsa suggests, trying to buy us time. ‘Before we see the council.’

  ‘No rest,’ Masaru says. ‘We go to the chamber now.’

  A staircase carved of stone. A sandy, cliff-side corridor. Open archways and balconies line one side. Intricate tapestries hang from the other: images of Winifred fighting Roth, holding the arrowhead up to the sky, leading people across the desert. I still can’t believe she was here. In the last tapestry, she’s standing on a mound of grey Gorani corpses. Aki snarls at it as we pass by, beady eyes narrowed.

  A wooden door opens at the end of the corridor. Most of the red-cloaks stop and stand to
attention. The rest march us inside the chamber. There are no balconies here. No windows or other exit, except for some kind of ornate circular seal in the middle of the floor, which could be another trapdoor, I suppose. I make a mental note not to stand on it.

  The Elders are on their thrones, red-cloaked and wrinkle-skinned. Five women. Five men. A single empty throne in the middle that no doubt belongs to Masaru. A false Cradle key dangles round each of the Elders’ necks, but something isn’t right. They don’t look happy to see us. Don’t look relieved. Their eyes are bulging, their foreheads beaded with sweat, and it’s no goddamn wonder. Their hands have been lashed to the armrests of their thrones – a few of them have been gagged – and they’re surrounded by a dozen red-cloaks wielding spears.

  The council chamber’s under siege.

  ‘Elsa,’ I say as we’re lined up before them, ‘what’s going on?’

  Her eyes are fixed on the circular seal. She looks just as frightened as the Elders.

  Masaru shuffles over to his throne. The door slams shut behind us. The flaming torches lining the walls crackle and spark. Ten more red-cloaks have lined up behind us, preventing any chance of escape. I can tell Violet’s mind is racing, sizing each of them up as she stares over her shoulder. Even Hickory looks mildly concerned. Aki rattles his throat by my side.

  ‘Kala tum dé nuun,’ Masaru croaks with a clap of his hands.

  ‘Kala tum dé nuun,’ the guards chant back.

  Masaru gestures at me. ‘Third key, step forth.’

  I glance at Violet. She gives a subtle nod, but keeps her eyes fixed on Masaru.

  ‘Go on, Jane,’ Elsa manages to say.

  I step forward, unsure what to say, what to do. The ungagged Elders gasp. Some lean forward to get a better look, straining against the ropes around their wrists.

  Masaru calls for order and starts croaking on about a bunch of stuff me, Violet, Hickory and – I assume – Aki can’t understand. I mean, the old man could be listing his favourite fruits and vegetables, for all we know. The other Elders stare at me with sorry expressions, breathing heavily into their gags. Masaru nods at us, points at us and shakes his fist at the ceiling, rambling on and on.

  ‘I can’t take much more of this,’ Hickory mutters.

  I know how he feels. ‘Oi, old guy,’ I shout over Masaru. ‘You about done?’

  ‘Jane,’ Elsa almost-whispers, ‘what are you doing?’

  ‘Speeding things along,’ I mutter, then raise my voice so everyone can hear. ‘Listen, Masaru, I was gonna thank you for looking after Elsa’s key all this time, but you’re obviously up to some pretty dark shenanigans here. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure what you’re saying is super fascinating and all, but we’ve had a really big day – a big week, actually – and we can’t understand a word you’re saying. Get to the point.’

  Clearly, he wants the keys for himself. I shouldn’t be surprised. Should’ve known there’d be other players in this game, other parties desperate to claim the Cradle. But why? Does he want to control the Manor, like Roth, or tear it apart, like Hickory?

  ‘The point?’ Masaru says, glaring at me. ‘You dare command me –’

  ‘I’m not commanding anything. I’m just saying the Manor’s dying, a clan of murderous raiders are headed our way and, quite frankly, I’ve gotta pee. Hurry up.’

  Masaru cocks his head at me, looks at the other Elders. I expect him to explode, but he cackles and shakes his head. ‘I like your spirit, my child,’ he croaks. ‘But you need not worry, no, no. Elsa’s plane is being fuelled and the runway cleared of sand as we speak.’ Masaru rubs the clay medallion dangling from his neck. He grins at Elsa, baring his crooked, yellow teeth. ‘It is time, oda min. It took some – what is the word? Convincing? Yes, yes. But my fellow Elders and I have all entered our combinations. Yours is the only one left.’

  He claps twice. Two guards stomp over to the centre of the chamber and stand to attention either side of the stone seal. There are symbols carved around its edge, I notice now, almost like a clock. It’s a giant combination lock: the vault Elsa mentioned in the watchtower.

  She walks over, kneels, places both hands on the dial. Masaru watches her carefully, greedily. The two guards unsheathe their blades, and Elsa turns the dial two clicks to the right, pauses for a moment, turns the dial seven clicks to the left, then stops.

  ‘Just so we’re clear,’ she says, hands still fixed to the dial, ‘you need me, Masaru. Remember that. I’m the only one who can get us to the gateway.’

  ‘I am aware, oda min,’ he says. ‘Just as I am aware of your true intentions. You may have fooled the council, but I have known for many years.’ He nods at the dial. ‘Finish it.’

  Elsa looks up at him. ‘When did you figure it out?’

  The old man sneers at her. ‘I saw the darkness in you the moment we met, oda min, but it was after your journey to Atol Na that I knew you had finally seen it, too. The desert changes people. Reveals many hidden truths. You cannot run from it. I have told you this.’

  What the hell are they talking about? What intentions? What darkness?

  ‘I shouldn’t be surprised,’ Elsa says. ‘You are very wise, old friend …’

  One more turn of the dial – click – and the chamber starts to rumble. Some kind of mechanism’s turning underground. Masaru hops out of his throne. Elsa steps back as the ancient seal rises from the floor, driven upwards by a stone plinth. The dial on top’s spinning slowly of its own accord, separating into a kaleidoscope of stone wedges that split apart and recede, unveiling a shallow stone basin. And in the middle of this basin lies a single brass key.

  The second Cradle key, at long last.

  The mechanism stops, the stone plinth waist-height. Silence falls upon the chamber. I go to grab the key, but Masaru nabs it first, and holds both Cradle keys up high for the guards to see. ‘Yennatai,’ he shouts. ‘Nu sarro ta Bonté luun!’

  ‘Yennatai,’ the guards chant back. ‘Nu sarro ta Bonté luun!’

  ‘What does that mean?’ I shout. The guards beat their weapons against their chests and cheer. The Elders shake their heads in defeat. ‘Oi! What did you just say? Elsa –’

  She’s out of it. Staring vacantly at the empty plinth. The spark inside her has been snuffed out.

  ‘Yennatai means victory,’ Masaru croaks. ‘I said the Manor is ours at last.’

  But it’s what comes next that really shatters me.

  ‘A new age is about to begin, my child. Hail Roth, conqueror of worlds!’

  BETRAYAL

  If I had a rupee for every time I’ve been held at knife-machete- and/or gunpoint over the past week I’d be able to buy a goddamn coconut grove. The crap’s really hit the cartwheel now. Elsa’s frozen. The red-cloaks have drawn their weapons. Violet and Hickory have been gagged and forced to their knees, their hands tied behind their backs. Some chump tried to nab Aki, too, but Aki threw him into the wall, grabbed the guy’s machete and leapt beside me. Now he’s snarling at them while I aim the machete at Masaru’s shrivelled, ugly mug.

  We’ve got ourselves a stand-off.

  ‘Easy now,’ the old man says. ‘Let us not make this difficult.’

  ‘You’re the one making things difficult. Hail Roth? Seriously? The guy’s evil! He started the Immortal War. He destroyed this world. Hell, he killed most of your ancestors.’

  ‘Do not presume to lecture me on the history of my own people, my child. Tell your Gorani to stand down and we can talk like civilised people, yes?’

  ‘Are you gonna let my friends go?’

  ‘I am afraid I cannot do that.’

  ‘Then I’m afraid I can’t be civil. Tell me. Why are you doing this?’

  ‘Why?’ Masaru beams at me, a maniacal gleam in his eyes. ‘Jane, Roth saved our people. He freed us from the tyranny of the Dahaari. They were not benevolent rulers. They used us, exploited us, kept the riches of Arakaan for themselves.’

  ‘I thought the mortals worshipped the Dahaari. I though
t they lived in peace.’

  ‘Bah!’ Masaru screws up his face. ‘A lie we’ve been fed for generations. Our people were glorified slaves! They worshipped the Dahaari out of fear. Even as a child, I understood. We should have sided with Roth and his Gorani in the Immortal War.’ He steps towards me. Aki snarls again, stands his ground. ‘Our ancestors were going to surrender to Roth, until that blasted Hali-gabera ruined everything.’ Me and Violet glance at each other. ‘If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t have had to live in the shadows all these years, scratching around in the dirt. We could have been the new gods of this world. We could have lived in peace.’

  Violet was right. Definitely best we don’t tell him Hali-gabera’s our friend. Well, Violet’s friend. I’m not so sure where I stand on that front.

  ‘So you’ve been lying to everyone all this time?’ I ask. ‘Using Elsa as bait?’

  Masaru turns to her. ‘What is that phrase you taught me, oda min? Good things come to those who wait?’ Elsa says nothing. The old man cackles. ‘Yes, yes. I like this phrase.’

  He nods at the guards around me and Aki. They step closer, machetes at the ready. Aki rattles his throat and clenches his fists. I grab his arm, tell him to wait.

  ‘You need a hobby, old man.’ I’m stalling. Trying to figure a way out of this mess. ‘I mean, forty-seven years?’

  ‘A small price to pay for salvation.’

  ‘Salvation?’ I shift my stance. Hold the machete a little tighter. ‘You’re a fool, Masaru.’

  ‘I am a visionary, my child. The only one brave enough to do what is right for our people. I was the one who convinced these’ – he waves at the other Elders – ‘these fools to take Elsa in. I saved her life. Told her everything she wanted to hear. Yes, we would keep her key safe. Yes, we would give her shelter until you or that – that man you call a father came to find her. For forty-seven years, I’ve put up with her foolish antics, drunken outbursts and lies.’

  ‘If you hate her so much, why didn’t you take her to Roth right away?’