Jane Doe and the Key of All Souls

by Jeremy Lachlan

  You’re so small, you can’t sit still.

  Bobbing up and down, so fine,

  Your voice is just as good as mine …

  I can feel Roth’s hands around my neck, my feet leaving the floor. I can feel my breath catching, but that’s okay. Because I can also feel the arrow, slipping into my right hand.

  Bluebird, bluebird, sing me a song,

  Of distant shores, come along.

  Across the seas, away from here,

  I long to fly, to disappear …

  Roth growls and pulls me closer. My legs jitter, hot tears stream down my cheeks, but I don’t mind, because the arrowhead’s slicing through the bandage around my left hand now, reopening the gash in my palm, and the furious tide’s ready to go. It’s time.

  Bluebird, bluebird, don’t delay,

  It’s getting late, we cannot stay.

  Hey Roth, we found the arrowhead,

  Say goodbye, you’ll soon be –

  ‘Stabbed right through the heart, you prick,’ I wheeze.

  Roth’s eyes widen, his mind reels back, but I’m already gripping the arrow with both hands, already plunging it up into his chest as hard as I can. His flesh tears. He shrieks, drops me and staggers back. I hit the floor hard, slam my hand onto the stone, and let go.

  ‘Now, Hickory! Get the keys!’

  Everything happens at once. Hickory breaks free of his guard and tackles Roth. The ground cracks. The prisoners scatter. Violet and Yaku scream into their gags and Aki leaps beside me, shielding me from the Leatherheads, who are already coming to get us, already opening fire. But they’re too late.

  The floor’s tearing apart, crumbling, falling.

  And we’re all going down with it.

  VIOLET’S FIRST TEST-DRIVE

  A quick drop. A shower of stone. Me and Aki bounce once on the back of a soft-topped truck and fall through a second later as the cloth’s torn by bricks and boulders. We hit the tray between crates of supplies, coughing, winded, wiping dust from our eyes. Not the smoothest exit, sure, but it worked.

  We’re out of the keep. Almost free.

  ‘The others,’ I gasp, slipping from my shackles. ‘We’ve gotta make sure they’re okay.’

  The hole in the ceiling’s big. They must’ve fallen down somewhere nearby. A few Leatherheads, too. Hell, in a few seconds, Roth’s entire army’s gonna jump down to join the party.

  We scramble out of the truck, squinting through the cloud of dust.

  ‘Find Violet,’ I tell Aki. ‘Violet. Go!’

  Aki nods and darts off between the trucks. I spin around, searching for –

  ‘Jane,’ Hickory gasps.

  He and Roth landed right beside the truck. Roth’s still alive. Got his hands around Hickory’s neck and all.

  The arrow’s protruding from his chest.

  I missed his goddamn heart.

  ‘Get off him!’ I hurl a rock at Roth’s head, and it explodes upon impact, doesn’t leave a mark. Gets the jerk’s attention, though. He drops Hickory. ‘Uh-oh.’

  I turn and run, stumbling and tripping over rocks. Slide under a truck and scramble to my feet on the other side. Roth’s right behind me, death-rattle breaths like scraping stone. I catch a glimpse of him grabbing the end of the arrow as we run, trying to pull it out. Shadows drop through the ceiling all around us: Leatherheads with rifles and Tin-skins ready to hunt.

  Violet shouts my name. I turn to find her, trip, fall, and scrape my hands and knees.

  Roth’s on me in a flash, picking me up, spinning me round, pinning me to the wall. My eyes burn and water, but I can still see clearly enough to grab the arrow. I twist it, angle it towards his heart and try to shove it deeper before he chokes the life out of me. Roth shrieks. A gurgled, guttural cry. I can see the shock in his eyes, the outrage, but there’s something else, too, something I never thought I’d see.

  Fear.

  Roth grabs my hand, grips it tight around the arrow, and yanks it from his chest. Doesn’t make a sound this time, just tosses it to the floor, grabs my neck and squeezes so hard stars burst before my eyes, and then –

  Click-clack-click.

  A darting shadow. A swinging metal beam.

  Aki sends Roth flying across the room.

  ‘Thanks,’ I gasp, rubbing my neck.

  Roth’s okay, of course. Already getting up, his half-mask chipped and cracked. He clenches his fists and shrieks at us, ready to charge again, when –

  BAM!

  – a truck slams him into the wall.

  Violet’s behind the wheel. ‘Get in,’ she shouts, backing up, swinging the truck around.

  Yaku throws open the back flap. ‘Come on!’

  I grab the arrow and we chase the truck as Violet floors it, headed for the exit. Aki throws me on board the second we’re close enough and leaps up behind me. Hickory’s already inside, catching his breath. Elsa’s trembling in the corner. She’s still recovering from Roth’s intrusion, but can’t stop staring at the arrow in my hand. Praise the Makers, Dad’s here, too. Alive, but only just. Who knows where Masaru’s got to? Right now, I really don’t care.

  ‘Go, go, go!’ Yaku shouts.

  Roth’s peeling himself from the wall.

  ‘Wait,’ I shout. ‘What about the keys?’

  ‘No worries there,’ Hickory coughs, rubbing his throat. I could hug him. Both keys – the real keys – are dangling from his hand. He tosses them to me. ‘Now you’re reunited at last.’

  I slip the chain over my head and hold them to my chest. ‘About bloody time …’

  ‘Hang on back there,’ Violet shouts.

  We crash through a metal gate, burst into the corridor and speed back down the road, bowling through a troop of Leatherheads. Violet takes a hard right and sideswipes a wall.

  ‘Where the hell did you learn to drive?’ Hickory shouts.

  ‘Winifred taught me,’ she replies.

  ‘In theory,’ I shout, stumbling over to check on Dad. ‘She taught you in theory!’

  Violet changes gear. The truck grinds and roars.

  ‘Better buckle up, then.’

  I tuck myself down next to Dad. Hug him, check his wounds, push his hair from his face. He’s out of it. Mumbling. Can barely open his bruised, swollen eyes.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he says. ‘I’m so, so sorry. I wanted to tell you the truth, but –’

  ‘It doesn’t matter, Dad,’ I say. ‘I understand. And it’s okay. I know everything. I know I’m the third key, and I know you’re still my dad, and I know where the Cradle is at last. We found –’

  ‘Elsa?’ Dad mutters. He blinks, trying to focus. Sweeps over Elsa without recognising her. She stares back at him, tears welling in her eyes. ‘Where is she?’

  I don’t know what to say. ‘Dad, she … she’s …’

  ‘Dead,’ Elsa says. ‘She died, a long time ago.’

  ‘Oh.’ Dad closes his eyes. ‘I was sure she … I’d hoped …’ He reaches out a hand. I hold it tight. ‘I’m sorry, Jane.’ His voice cracks, trails away. ‘I wish … you could’ve met her. She really was amazing …’ And with that, he falls silent, head lolling to one side.

  ‘Dad,’ I say, shaking his shoulder, panic rising. ‘Dad? Elsa –’

  She wipes a tear from her cheek, turns away.

  ‘He is unconscious,’ Yaku says, kneeling by Dad’s side, checking his pulse. ‘That is all.’ He hands me a rag. ‘For your hand. Don’t want you tearing apart the road while we’re on it.’

  ‘Actually, that might not be a bad idea,’ Hickory says from the back.

  We’ve got company. Another truck’s roaring down the corridor behind us with Leatherheads leaning out the windows, clinging to the sides, wielding blades and big sticks with hooks.

  ‘Faster, Violet, faster!’

  She floors it, the wind blowing through her open window whipping her hair. ‘Find a way to lose them!’

  Our truck’s all but empty. There are no weapons. Just a gas mask or three and some
shackles. And I can’t cause another quake, not so soon. Even if I could, it’d be way too risky. There could be lava flowing beyond these walls. ‘We have to outrun them!’ I yell.

  We speed past a deep, molten corridor; cross another chain-link bridge. Violet screams, ‘Hold on,’ and soars over a short staircase into a wide, sprawling hall, and still, we can’t get away. We dodge bullets and duck for cover. I hold on to Dad for my goddamn life – and his. The pursuing truck speeds alongside and slams us. A bunch of Leatherheads jump on board. Hickory, Aki and Yaku kick and punch them clear. One of the Leatherheads tries to grab the wheel through the driver’s-side window. Violet kicks open the door and sideswipes a pillar, knocking the Leatherhead – and the door – clean off. Another slashes the side of the canvas cloth-top open and hooks me round the neck with one of those sticks, but Elsa leaps forward, yanks the stick down hard and sends the chump tumbling under our wheels.

  ‘Thanks,’ I gasp.

  She snaps the stick in two over her knee. Goes to say something, thinks twice.

  ‘Somebody help me out!’ Violet shouts. ‘I don’t know where I’m going!’

  ‘Aki,’ I shout, and point at Dad, ‘watch over him, please.’ I scramble into the seat beside Violet and scan the hall. ‘There! Ten o’clock! Turn – now!’

  Violet yanks on the steering wheel. We skid and slide but make the turn in time and speed into a new corridor. Unfortunately, the other truck makes it, too.

  ‘Check that compartment,’ Violet says, pointing in front of me.

  I rustle around inside. ‘Bingo.’ A pistol. ‘Hickory,’ I shout, and toss it back to him.

  He catches it, clicks the flicky-bit, takes aim and fires, just as the truck’s about to ram us again. Their windshield shatters. The Leatherhead driver slumps against the steering wheel and the truck veers left, side-swiping the wall, shooting sparks. We cheer –

  Until another truck explodes past it a second later, gaining speed. This time, Roth’s behind the wheel.

  ‘Are you kidding me?’ Hickory raises the pistol.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Violet shouts, glancing in the rear-view mirror. ‘Don’t shoot at him – aim for the tyres!’ Hickory aims again and fires – bam, bam, bam – but Roth weaves the truck, dodging every bullet. Violet turns to me. ‘Still got the arrow?’

  I pat my forearm. ‘Got it. Unfortunately, we don’t have a bow.’

  ‘It still would not work,’ Yaku shouts, pointing back at Roth. ‘Look! His chest!’

  We look over our shoulders and through Roth’s windshield. He’s wearing a metal vest, a chest-plate shielding his heart. ‘Damn it …’

  ‘Oi, watch the road,’ Hickory screams. We’re about to run into a wall.

  Violet cries out, takes a hard left and scrapes along another wall. Hickory loses his footing and drops the pistol. It slides along the tray of the truck towards us –

  Only to be stopped by Elsa’s foot.

  She leans over Dad and whispers something into his ear. She kisses his forehead, gazes at him, and his eyes open for a moment. A flicker of recognition. Confusion.

  Elsa nods at him, just once, and picks up the pistol.

  Roth’s smashing through his windshield, clambering to the front of his truck. Must’ve wedged down the pedal, because the truck’s still surging ahead.

  And he’s gaining on us.

  ‘He’s gonna jump!’ I scream. ‘Elsa, shoot the wheels!’

  ‘Not yet!’ she replies, getting to her feet, checking the gun. ‘Two bullets left.’

  ‘Do it – now! Violet, go, go, go!’

  But there’s bad news up ahead – a dead end. A stone balustrade with nothing but chasm beyond. A fierce red glow. A giant stone hand reaching out in the distance.

  We’ve doubled back to the hall of gods.

  ‘Wait – no – stop, stop, stop!’

  ‘Don’t you dare,’ Elsa screams. She hands half of the Leatherhead staff to Violet. ‘Wedge it between the pedal and the seat. Everyone jump on my command!’

  ‘Jump?’ I say, scrambling into the back again. ‘From a speeding vehicle?’

  ‘You’ve survived worse.’ She nods at my forearm. ‘Masaru had the arrowhead all along, didn’t he?’ I nod. Elsa clenches her jaw, closes her eyes for a moment, then stares down at Dad. ‘Seems I’ve been wrong about many things. Well …’ She grabs a pair of shackles from the floor. ‘I may not be able to kill Roth for you, but I can help you get away.’

  ‘You’re coming with us, Elsa.’

  ‘You have your father now. You don’t need me.’

  ‘Here he comes!’ Yaku screams.

  Roth’s clinging to the front of his truck, getting ready to jump, the wind whipping his cloak.

  Everyone packs into and around the two front seats. Aki grabs Dad and holds him tight. Ahead, the cavern looms closer.

  ‘Come on!’ Elsa screams at Roth. She raises the pistol and fires. His front wheel explodes. Roth jumps. His truck crashes into the wall, flips and rolls, but Roth’s already landed safely in the back of ours.

  ‘Now!’ Elsa shouts.

  Hickory, Violet and Yaku throw themselves into the corridor. Aki leaps out with Dad. I go to grab Elsa’s arm to make sure she comes. She snatches my wrist instead and pulls me close.

  ‘I told you, Jane. Life is a series of sacrifices.’

  She tries to push me from the truck, but she’s too late. Roth’s already on us. He grabs my arm, shoves Elsa’s aside, and pins me to the back of the seat.

  ‘Get off me,’ I shout, ‘or we’re all gonna die!’

  Roth looks out the windshield. The fiery light of the hall glows in his eyes. He’s about to drag me from the truck, when – click – Elsa shackles his wrist to hers, holds the pistol right up to his mask with her other hand, and squeezes the trigger. BAM!

  The mask explodes. Roth shrieks. I catch a glimpse of the horror beneath, but only for a fraction of a second, because Roth’s turning away. Because Elsa’s shoving me out of the truck. Because I’m hitting the ground hard, and screaming, rolling, scraping my skin, spinning round and round. Then everything seems to slow down. I look up just in time to see Roth fighting Elsa, trying to shake her off. But she isn’t budging.

  The truck crashes through the balcony and soars over the edge, like it’s learned to fly. Then it vanishes.

  ‘No!’ I leap to my feet and stagger to the edge just in time to see the truck hit the lava way down between the statues. There’s a burst of flame – a bubble-broth of churning, spitting fire. The truck sinks in seconds, taking Roth and Elsa with it.

  She’s gone. She’s really gone.

  Violet staggers to my side, grazed and bruised, nursing her elbow. She holds my uninjured hand. We stare down into the cauldron, the updraft of heat blowing our hair. Hickory joins us, too, rubbing his head, swearing under his breath.

  ‘Why did she do that?’ Violet asks. She sounds angry.

  ‘So we could get away,’ Hickory says. ‘She bought us time, but time only. It won’t take Roth long to claw his way back to the surface. He’ll never stop chasing you, Jane.’

  He’s right – I know he is – but I feel so numb, so empty.

  Yaku and Aki limp up to us. Dad’s unconscious, cradled in Aki’s arms. He was lucky. We all were. I hold his hand, fighting back tears. He recognised Elsa back there in the truck. I’m sure he did. What am I supposed to do when he wakes up? What do I say?

  ‘We must leave.’ Yaku’s staring down at the lava, the red glow glinting in his eyes. I can’t imagine what he’s feeling. He knew Elsa the longest, after all. Longer than anyone, really, even Dad. ‘They are coming.’

  A rumble of trucks, back the way we came.

  I turn to Violet. ‘The other truck back there. Reckon you can get it going?’

  ‘If it wasn’t too badly damaged in the crash,’ she says, ‘yeah. Can you take us to the Cradle?’

  I glance at Hickory. The Manor can shift rooms, he said. Stands to reason you can, too.<
br />
  ‘Get us somewhere safe,’ I say. ‘Somewhere quiet. All I need is a door.’

  LIKE FIRE

  It is a strange sensation, swimming through lava. It is thick. Glutinous. When Roth’s hand breaks the surface and he hauls himself onto the foot of a statue, the lava clings to him. A radiant second skin. It has fused the metal plate to his chest and burned away his clothes. The remnants of his shattered mask will have melted now, along with the truck – and her.

  Roth feels only the pain in his chest where the arrow pierced his flesh. The wound will never heal, but he will live. From the lava itself, he feels barely a breath of warmth. He wipes it from his eyes, and surveys the lofty wall he has to climb, shakes his head.

  Elsa, Elsa, Elsa.

  He should have known she’d try something like this. Should have sensed it when he read her mind. After all these years, it should be a comfort to know he can still be surprised. It will not happen again. He will hunt down the girl. He will take what is his at long last.

  But first, the climb. Roth clambers up the statue. Leaps over to the wall at its knee. He jumps from columns to archways, from balconies to broken stairs.

  The girl and her friends had better be running fast.

  When he bounds onto the chain-link bridge, Roth realises he is not alone. An old man is gaping at him nearby, trembling. The old man who flew into the Manor with the third key. What did Elsa call him?

  Masaru. Yes, that was it.

  Roth approaches him, spots of lava sizzling on the rusted steel with every step.

  ‘My lord,’ the old man stammers in his mother tongue. He kneels in the middle of the bridge. ‘Praise be. I … I was searching for you. I feared you had been slain.’ He is clutching one of Roth’s masks. Two of his curved sickle blades. ‘I – I was not stealing them.’ Masaru carefully places them on the bridge. ‘I found them, back at the … after they … I – I was looking for you. I thought you might want them.’ He bows. ‘I am your most humble servant.’

  Curious, Roth thinks, for a servant to look so afraid.

  ‘What did they tell you?’ Masaru says, almost hysterical now. ‘What did the girl show you? Did she – no, no, no.’ He licks his lips, holds a bony hand to his chest. ‘Yes. It was me. I saved the arrowhead for you. I was going to present it to you as a gift!’