Gates of Neptune

by Gilbert L. Morris

  “I'll do that, and then I'll just make a reconnaissance. One of us ought to go through and find out for sure where the tunnel goes and see if it's guarded. The rest of you can study the map while I check it out.”

  “Oh, Val, Val, that could be dangerous.”

  Val grinned at Sarah. “I don't think so. I think we'll find that at the end of the tunnel there's a door, and we can walk right into the Citadel. But we need to check first.”

  Val drew the map, armed himself, and with a wave said, “I'll be back as soon as I can. We may have to move fast, so everyone be ready.” Then he turned and left for the crater.

  When he was gone, Jake said, “You're a pretty smart fellow, Josh. How'd you know there's a tunnel down at the bottom of that crater?”

  “I didn't know. I was just crazy enough to try anything, so when I saw that ladder, I knew I had to go down it.”

  “We're lucky to have you with us.” Jake grinned. “It takes a smart fellow to figure out a thing like that.”

  “I'm not very smart, Jake, and we're not inside yet, so let's all keep on saying our prayers.”

  Sarah smiled at him. “I'm proud of you, Josh. You did fine.”

  Josh's face burned, and he merely mumbled and turned away. He was thinking now about the tunnel and what lay at the end of it. Perhaps as all the rest of them were thinking, he wondered what they would actually do in the Citadel with a thousand different passageways.

  He thought, Goel will have to be with us, or we'll never get there.

  14

  Betrayed

  The tunnel that led underneath the ocean floor was cut out of solid rock. As they moved slowly along, weapons at ready, Val marveled at it. “It must have taken a long time to cut a tunnel like this. Lots of work. But it makes an excellent escape route.”

  “What about our beasts?” Sarah asked. “What will happen to them if we don't get back?”

  Val smiled down at her, his eyes glowing as a reflection of the pale luminosity of the rocks. “Don't worry. They're trained to eventually go back to the base of Atlantis. They'll be all right.”

  The tunnel itself was no more than six feet high and wide enough for only two people, at the most, to squeeze through at one time. It made Sarah nervous to be walking steadily into what could be the lion's mouth, and she asked, “Val, do you think we can find Aramis? I mean, that's a busy place, isn't it, the Citadel?”

  “Yes, it is. It's a honeycomb of tunnels, passageways, rooms, a city in itself. But we'll find him.” He smiled down at her. “I don't want you to worry, Sarah. Things are going to be all right.”

  Sarah smiled too. “I feel safe with you to lead us, Val.”

  Val lost his smile for a moment. “You really trust people, don't you, Sarah?”

  “Yes, don't you?”

  Val shook his head. “It's not the way of the world. I've been brought up mostly to trust myself. That's the way it is with royalty.”

  “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown?” she asked.

  He stared at her. “That's the way it is. What made you say a thing like that?”

  “Oh, that's just a line from a play written by a man called Shakespeare a long time ago.”

  “He knew about kings, all right. When you're in line for the throne, everyone either wants to kill you or to get you to do what they want you to do. ‘Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown,’” he repeated. “That's the way it is.”

  They walked on for what seemed hours, and then Val held up his hand. “The door is just up ahead.”

  “Did you open it when you were here checking it out, Val?” Sarah asked.

  “Oh, yes. And there are no guards on the other side. Our only problem, if we get through it, will be to find Aramis alone.” He looked at them. “You know, all these spear guns won't help us a bit. There are a thousand guards in there, and we can't fight all of them.”

  “What do you think we ought to do?” Josh asked.

  Val said, “I think we'd better go as quietly as we can, and these things make a lot of noise clanking around. We'll leave them out in the tunnel, then when we come back we can pick them up again.”

  Even as he spoke, they reached a large door that seemed to be made of heavy metal or glass. “Just pile them here,” Val said and stripped off his own spear gun and dagger. “We may need them when we come back through.”

  Josh said, “I don't like this idea. We may meet just one man …”

  “Well, that's up to the group, of course,” Val said.

  “But I know that right now it's more important to be quiet than it is to have a useless spear gun.”

  Sarah put her hand on Josh's arm. “Please, let's do what he says, Josh. After all, you can't fight a thousand men.”

  Slowly Josh turned to her, then shrugged. “All right,” he said quietly. He stripped off his quiver of darts and spears and laid it down with his spear gun beside the wall.

  When the rest of them had done the same, Val said, “All right. You all remember the map. We go in, and we follow the map that I laid down. That will take us right to Aramis's private quarters. We'll just have to hope we don't meet any guards. If we do, we'll have to hide.”

  “Doesn't sound too promising to me,” Jake said. “If there's a thousand men in there, how're we going to dodge all of them?”

  “Well, Aramis's quarters aren't very far.” Val thought a moment. “Instead of all of us trying to get through, why don't we do this? You wait in the storeroom on the other side of this door. You should be safe there. And I'll go get Aramis.”

  “Why, he wouldn't come for you, would he?”

  “He might. After all, we know each other, and he might listen long enough to hear what I have to say. I don't think all eight of us can move down these halls without being seen. But I could pass for one of Aramis's men. There are so many, they wouldn't know one more mariner. I think I could bluff my way through.”

  He talked rapidly, and in the end Sarah said, “It sounds right to me. Are we all for it?”

  She saw most of them nodding, but Josh said nothing at all. Disappointed, she said, “Most of us are for it. Take us inside, Val.”

  “All right. Now be very quiet.” He moved forward, turned the handle, and the door swung smoothly back on its hinges.

  Light flooded into the dark tunnel, and Sarah blinked against the brightness. They entered a large room, at least thirty feet long and twenty feet in breadth.

  Val shut the door and came back to whisper, “There's the door that leads inside. You wait here and don't make any noise until I get back.”

  Sarah put her hand on his arm. “We'll be asking Goel to help you, Val.”

  He nodded briefly, then left without another word.

  Sarah and the other Sleepers looked around the room. It was bare except for a few tables and chairs and several storage compartments that mostly stood empty

  When they had explored, they all sat down, except for Reb. “I'm nervous,” he said, pacing back and forth. “Never did like waiting.”

  Josh said heavily, “You might as well sit down. It may take a longtime.”

  Sarah sat beside Josh. He did not meet her gaze. Finally, speaking so quietly that the others could not hear, she said, “Josh, I wish we were like we used to be.”

  “I guess you can't go back again and be what you were.”

  “Of course you can! Good friends can. Even though we don't agree, we're not enemies, are we, Josh?”

  He looked at her. “No, we could never be that. We've been through too much together.” He suddenly reached out awkwardly and patted her shoulder. “You know how much I think of you, Sarah, and always have.”

  Tears burned her eyes. She captured his hand and pressed it against her shoulder. “Thank you, Josh. I needed to hear something like that.”

  There was nothing to do, and when there is nothing to do, time crawls by. No one had a watch, and they were too nervous to do much talking. After a long time, Josh said, “Listen. Do you hear anything?”
>
  Instantly, they all came to their feet, their heads cocked toward the door.

  “I think I hear somebody coming,” Wash said.

  “I hope it's Aramis,” Abbey said. “What will we do if it's some guards?”

  “We'll have to try to jump them,” Josh said. “Dave, you and Jake and Wash and I—if it's just two—will take one apiece.”

  “OK.” The boys got ready on each side of the door, ready to jump.

  The door swung open.

  Sarah, who was standing in the middle of the room, blinked and raised her hand to her mouth in shock.

  Val entered and with him a tall man wearing a dark green cape. Behind them stood at least twenty armed mariners, spear guns at ready.

  Val turned to the tall man. “Here they are, Duke Lenomar. Remember our agreement.”

  Duke Lenomar, tall and somehow threatening-looking, ran his dark eyes over the Sleepers. He seemed to pay little attention to Val's words and murmured absently, “Oh yes, our agreement.”

  Sarah said, “This isn't Aramis, is it?”

  Duke Lenomar laughed aloud. “No, my dear young lady, I am Duke Lenomar, adviser to Aramis.”

  All eyes went to Val, who suddenly flushed. “Look, I can explain all this.”

  “How can you explain bringing these guards?” Josh demanded.

  Val tried to explain, the words tumbling out of his mouth. “Nothing else would have worked. Don't you see that? We have to make an arrangement with Aramis, and the only way to do that is through Duke Lenomar.”

  “That wasn't what Goel told us to do,” Sarah said sharply, tears in her eyes. “You betrayed us, Val, after we trusted you.”

  Val came at once to stand beside her and put his hand on her arm. He spoke rapidly. “You have to look at it this way—we're fighting for our lives here. Whatever we do is done for Atlantis.”

  One look around the room showed Sarah that the others were staring at Val with dismay.

  At that moment there came the sound of footsteps, and a tall, blond man wearing a green robe and a gold medallion stepped into the room. Without being told, Sarah knew this was Lord Admiral Aramis.

  He stopped inside the door, and Duke Lenomar said, “We have captured the Sleepers, my lord, just as I told you.”

  Aramis looked carefully at the Sleepers. Sarah felt, as his bright blue eyes bored into her, that Aramis was looking deep inside her heart. But she met his gaze boldly, without blinking.

  Finally Aramis said, “Well, Valar, we meet again.”

  Valar at once went on his knees before Aramis. “I have come to join you, sire.”

  Aramis looked down at the young man. “What about your king?”

  “Like yourself, Lord Aramis, I am forced to choose between my love for him and survival for Atlantis, for I realize, as you tried to tell us long ago, we must join ourselves to the strongest force.”

  Aramis stared at him, then looked back at the Sleepers. “We will speak of this. Come with me, Valar.”

  Lenomar stepped forward, saying, “We must do away with the Sleepers!”

  Aramis whirled and glared at his lieutenant. “No, let them live. Keep them under close guard.”

  “Your Majesty, we must—”

  “Those are my orders, Lenomar.” Aramis glared even more fiercely. “If anything happens to them, I will hold you accountable.”

  Lenomar looked dismayed as Aramis walked away. Then he rested his eyes on the Sleepers and said to the guards, “Take them to the cells.”

  The young people were taken, each with a guard on either side, to a compartment large enough for all of them. There were separate cells for sleeping.

  Lenomar's eyes were cruel as he said, “I know who you are, the servants of Goel.”

  “Yes,” Sarah said at once, and Josh spoke at the same time.

  They glanced at each other, and Josh went on. “We are the servants of Goel, and I can tell that you are the servant of the Dark Power.”

  Lenomar whispered, “Perhaps you will carry that secret to your grave.” He then walked out, and the Sleepers were left alone.

  Sarah moved to a chair, fell into it, put her arms on the table, and then buried her face against them. Sobs shook her body.

  At last Josh came over and touched her shoulder and said, “Don't do that, Sarah.”

  “I can't help it. It was all my fault.”

  “We're not blaming you.”

  Sarah lifted her head. Tears ran down her face. “It's all my fault! Yes, it is, because I … I …”

  “What is it, Sarah? What's the matter?” Josh asked. “It'll be all right. We're just doing what Goel told us to do.”

  Sarah's voice trembled and became a whisper. “But Josh, I lied about what Goel said.”

  “You did what?” Dave demanded, and the others looked at her with shock. “How did you lie?”

  Sarah looked around. “It was all true except one thing.” She bowed her head and bit her lip and tried to restrain a sob. “It was all true except what I said about Valar. Goel didn't tell me to bring him.”

  “Why did you do it then, Sarah?” Abbey asked.

  “Oh, I don't know, Abbey. Why do I do crazy things, anyway? I guess I liked him, I trusted him, and—” she raised a hand to her mouth “oh, now I know!”

  “What is it?” Josh asked.

  “Do you remember before we left the mountain, the last time we saw Goel? Do you remember what he did?”

  Josh nodded. “He gave each of us some kind of message—prediction, you might say.” His eyes lighted up. “Oh. I guess now you understand—” He broke off and looked down at his hands, apparently not knowing what more to say.

  It was Sarah who spoke. “I had forgotten what he said to me, but now I remember, just like he was saying it. He said, ‘Daughter, your role will be lonely. Those you trust most will betray you.’ You remember he said that to me, and I've done exactly that. I trusted Valar, and he betrayed me.”

  As the others stood looking on, she put her head back down on the table, racked by sobs again.

  Abbey came over and patted her and whispered encouragement. One by one, each Sleeper came by and gave her words of comfort.

  Last of all, Josh came. “Sarah, I want you to know one thing—well, two things really.” He waited until she lifted her head. “First of all, none of us hates you for the mistake you made. Any of us could have done it. We all love you as much as ever.”

  “Do you, Josh? I don't see how you can,” she said in despair.

  Then Josh said, “The second thing is, do you think we're better or more loving than Goel?”

  “Why, no. Nobody is,” Sarah said in surprise.

  “Then if we're willing to love you and forgive you, in spite of the mistake, don't you know that he will be?”

  Shock ran through Sarah, and somehow a ray of hope came to her. She bit her lip and opened her eyes wide. Then she whispered, “Oh, Josh, do you really think so?”

  “I know so.” He sat down and put an arm around her. “After all, he's forgiven me for worse.”

  The two sat there together for a long time, and finally Sarah began to feel that Josh had spoken the truth. Still, there was sadness in her heart. “To think that Goel could have warned me so plainly, and I just ignored the warning.”

  “Well, that's the way it is with us human beings,” Josh said. “We make mistakes. We must trust Goel to get us through despite them.”

  What must have been less than two hours later, the door opened, and Duke Lenomar came in. “I've come to tell you you have forty-eight hours to make your peace with whatever god you serve, for in exactly two days, at this hour, you will be put to death. It will not be an unpleasant death—at least not a long death.”

  “What's going to happen to us?” Wash whispered.

  “Oh, our method of execution is fairly merciful, I think.” Lenomar's thin lips smiled. “We have some hungry sharks that we keep in a tank. Traitors and rebels and heretics are thrown to them as an offering to our god. You wil
l make a fine offering. The Seven Sleepers, an offering to the Dark Lord!” He laughed, then turned and slammed the door.

  The seven looked at each other. The door's hollow, clanging sound reminded Sarah of a funeral bell.

  15

  Perilous Journey

  The voice seemed to come from very far away. At first it was so faint that Sarah barely hear it. It came out of the quietness, somehow, disturbing her sleep. Finally she recognized that someone was calling her name.

  Sarah. Sarah!

  Sarah squirmed in the chair where she had fallen asleep. She tried to close her consciousness, for sleep was a refuge. When she was awake, all she had been able to think about was the shark tank where Duke Lenomar had promised they would be thrown. In sleep, she was at least unaware of that.

  Sarah. You must wake, Sarah.

  The voice was louder this time, more insistent, and with a start Sarah pulled herself out of deep sleep. She was still groggy, but she had more of her mind about her now. She saw that everyone else had fallen into at least a fitful sleep. She wished she could join them. But as she closed her eyes, the voice came once more, and this time she could not ignore it.

  Are you awake, my Sarah? Do you recognize me?

  “Goel,” Sarah whispered inaudibly. “Is that you, Goel?”

  Yes, it is I. Listen carefully, Sarah, for I have a difficult task indeed for anyone to perform.

  Sarah's heart sank, for she knew some of the hard things that Goel demanded. But she had also learned what it meant to disobey, and that came to her mind now. She whispered, “Oh, Goel, I lied about your message. I was wrong about Valar. It was my stubbornness and my pride. I'm so sorry.”

  I know that, my Sarah, and I forgive you. I believe you have learned through this to trust me. Have you not?

  “Oh yes, Goel,” Sarah said thankfully. A burden seemed lifted from her now that she had been forgiven.

  That is good, the voice said. It was a warm voice, full of hope and cheer, strong and steadfast, and as long as she heard it there was no fear at all in her.

  Listen carefully now, Goel went on to say, for upon your obedience depends the fate of many things, the lives of your friends for one.