The Dark Lord's Demise

by John White

  Kurt stared up at the wide sky. "Then Lord Lunacy has been wounded from that day. You'd hardly know it, the way he operates. Oh, gosh, I wish I could stay here forever. This is terrific." He took a deep breath of summery air. "There aren't even any bees around!"

  They started down the hill. Spicy, pungent scents rose from the ground as their feet crushed the grasses. Lisa plucked a blue flower and slipped it into her hair. As they approached the silvery stream, they heard a voice and stopped. The voice came from behind a dense growth of bushes. It sounded familiar-something like Betty Riggs's voice. But it had strength and authority and was more musical than Betty's voice, not so harsh and edgy.

  They stepped closer. Now they were near enough to make out some of the words. They froze in place and stared open-mouthed at the bushes that hid the speaker. At first the words made no sense; then they cleared up, as a muddy stream clears, and flowed with power. The air above the stream vibrated with a force beyond anything natural. The strange words continued for several minutes while the children stood entranced. They felt themselves grow cleaner and larger, not in their bodies but from within. Abruptly the words stopped.

  "Who's there?"

  That was the unmistakable voice of Betty Riggs!

  Wes called, "It's us! Wes and Kurt and Lisa!" They hurried around the bushes to find Betty seated on the ground beside the stream.

  She was unmistakably the same neighbor who had knocked on their door on Grosvenor Avenue. Yet she also looked every bit the royal princess. She wore richly embroidered robes and a crown of fresh flowers in her hair. But her most transformed feature was her face. The Friesens could hardly believe the change. The old Betty habitually looked arrogant, annoyed or both. Now her face glowed with new excitement and peace.

  In her lap she held a small leather book with brass corners and a brass clasp. It looked impossibly ancient. At the same time, it looked freshly printed and bound. The book was closed. They were sure Betty had closed it when she heard them coming.

  "It's the Book of Wisdom!" Lisa cried. "You were reading from it! Where'd you find it?" For a moment they almost ignored Betty as they crowded around the book.

  "Remember how Chocma read from it on the battlefield? Both at the Castle Authentio and at Rinnar Heights?" Wes reminded his brother and sister. "The goblins and ogres couldn't touch anything within the sound of it. It was like the words protected us."

  "There was blue light from it too," Lisa recalled. "The light made an umbrella over us. Betty, didn't light shoot out from the book when you opened it?"

  "Where did you guys come from?" Betty's blunt question brought them back to reality.

  Kurt explained, "We came by raft. Kind of like the raft we all got arrested on. Gaal left it there for us."

  "Gaal!" Betty's face glowed. She clutched the book to her. "Isn't he great? Now I understand why you talked about him so much. Thank you so much for telling me about him and for bringing me here. He's wonderful! I asked him to help me, and he showed me how to get in here." She turned serious. "I)id you see what Lunacy (lid to Queen Hisschi? It was horrible! I never want to see him again as long as I live!" She drew up her knees and hugged the book to herself.

  The Friesens were ecstatic that Betty finally understood about Gaal. Lisa breathed a quick thanks. I goofed it up when I tried to talk to her, but you took care of her. "Betty, we are so glad you are safe from Lunacy," Lisa said putting her arms around her. "Gaal has changed you wonderfully."

  "Oh, he has. I feel like a different person."

  Everyone agreed.

  "Look," said Kurt. "Over there. It's the pigeon. He's heading back to the door. He seems to want us to follow."

  "That must be what we are to do next. Come on, everyone. Let's get going. Bring the book, Betty. Gaal told Lisa that once we entered the Garden Room we would know what to do. Finding both you and the book here is no coincidence. We'll probably need it," Wes said.

  "Need it for what?" Betty asked. She didn't move from her place by the stream.

  "To get through the Mystery's forces if they spot us. Who knows what tricks Lunacy will have waiting for us. Come on!"

  "I'm staying here," said Betty. She settled her gold-embroidered skirts around her.

  "You can't stay here!" Lisa sputtered. "Lord Lunacy is in the fortress! Right outside that door!"

  "Right. And he can't get in here. So I intend to stay here forever. Why shouldn't I? Everything I need is here. There are fruit trees and berries and cold clear water. Over that way is a stand of beautiful long-needled pines. I'm going to make myself a nice bed of pine boughs."

  Kurt was flabbergasted. "Betty! The Garden Room is for safety. It isn't to live in!"

  Betty looked astonished. "Why wouldn't I want to live where I'm safe? For that matter, why wouldn't you want to? Why don't you all stay too? This is much better than your old house on Grosvenor Avenue. I got the idea you weren't happy with your aunt and uncle, and you hardly ever see your parents. Why don't you just stay here?"

  Betty's suggestion left them speechless. It made such perfect sense that they didn't know how to answer. They could only look at each other, at Betty, at the Book of Wisdom and at the incredibly serene and beautiful valley. The stream chattered and splashed. From a tree on the other side of the stream, a bird gave out a burst of sweet music. Warm breezes rolled down the hillside and washed them with the scent of wildflowers. Here there were no arguments between Uncle John and Aunt Eleanor. No threat of being tossed from their home. No fears or uncertainties.

  "We can't stay," Wes said in a flat, even voice. "The pigeon is from Gaal and has always led us the right way before."

  "Well, it must be wrong this time," Betty calmly replied.

  "It's not wrong!" Lisa snapped. "Do you know how many times Gaal has talked to us and how often we've followed the pigeon?"

  "All right, leave if you like. I'm staying."

  The Friesens stood helpless. Wes felt for the Sword of Geburah, but even the Sword of Geburah was powerless in situations like this. Lisa noticed that Betty had relaxed her grip on the Book of Wisdom. With a quick movement she snatched the book away. Betty yelped in alarm. Lisa said, "We're going! All of us! Whether you like it or not!" She congratulated herself: I'm getting pretty good at snatching things. First Dominicus's sword, now the Book of Wisdom. Betty only stared at her in shock and did not move.

  Wes grabbed his own head in both hands. He was completely exasperated, but he knew he had to stay calm. He heard Kurt mumble, "It's not easy to rescue somebody who doesn't want to be rescued."

  "Maybe that's how Gaal feels," Wes said. "He tries to rescue us even when we're too stubborn to cooperate." He looked back at Betty. "You haven't known Gaal very long. But you already trust him. Don't you?"

  "Of course I do!"

  "He wants us to follow the pigeon. You wouldn't go against his orders, would you?"

  "His orders? I didn't know he gave orders. He cares about me, that's all. And he let me find this place."

  "But hasn't he ever told you to do something, and you did it just because he said it?" Kurt asked. "Oh, maybe not. You haven't known him long enough."

  A little of the "old Betty" came back as she scowled at Kurt. "Hey, since when is this a matter of how long you've known him? Isn't it a matter of whether or not you know him?" She chewed her lip a moment. "Now that you mention it, he did tell me to do something. He told me to walk toward him in my heart. And I did. Except I also walked across the courtyard at the same time."

  Lisa brightened up. "See? This is the same thing. Gaal is telling you to walk out of here. He wants you to go out that door with us. You wouldn't want to be responsible for us not doing what he wants just because you don't want to. Would you?"

  Lisa was not sure if she followed her own argument, but it apparently worked on Betty, who sighed and said, "You're absolutely sure this pigeon is from Gaal? Then I guess it's all right. But let's make it fast. I don't want meet up with that horrible Lord Lunacy again."

  Th
ey started up the hill at a good pace. Halfway up Betty said, "Wait! I'm going back to get the glow stone. It might be worth a fortune! If it is, maybe I'll cut you in on it."

  Wes asked, "Glow stone? What's a glow stone?"

  "It's a blue pebble I found in the stream. I hid it under the sand by a round, red rock, right by the edge of the water." Betty turned and hurried back down the hill. The Friesens felt it cold shock. Then warmth spread through them from the toes up. What if ... ? They waited in suspense as Betty came back up the hill cradling something in her hands. Their breath came faster and their eyes widened. A blue glow rose from Betty's hands. When she was a few steps away, she held out her hands for them to see what she held. Pure blue light flashed from her fingers.

  "The Mashal Stone!" exclaimed all three Friesens at once.

  "Betty, do you remember when we were by the fountain, and I told you I wished I had the Mashal Stone? Well, this is it," Lisa said. "It makes you invisible if you wear it. Several people can wear it at once, if they put one chain around their necks. It also lets you see things as they really are, which isn't very nice sometimes, but ..."

  Betty interrupted. "Invisible? That's terrific! That means we can get down the stairs and out of the tower without being seen!" Lisa marveled at how easily Betty accepted the strange fact of invisibility. Betty was so new to Anthropos. Perhaps she simply expected the impossible to be possible here.

  Wes fretted. "How can we all wear it at once? The chain is missing." A small hole had been drilled through the stone to accommodate a fine chain, but there was no chain. They looked around for something long enough to loop around themselves, yet fine enough to go through the hole until Betty suggested, "How about one of the gold embroidery threads from my skirt? I think I can pull one out." She went to work and soon extracted a long shiny strand. They threaded it through the hole in the stone and tied it into a long loop.

  Betty asked, "Can we practice this?"

  "We don't need to practice," Wes answered. "It'll work. Just remember to keep quiet. The stone makes you invisible. It doesn't make you inaudible."

  They followed the pigeon, who had waited patiently for them, to the door that stood so unnaturally on top of the hill. Wes dangled the Mashal Stone from the golden thread. Lisa tucked the Book of Wisdom into her sash belt. Wes looked around at the group and said, "Okay, ready? As soon as I say you-know-what, I'll drop this over our heads and we'll go." He turned to the door. "Open in the name of Gaal!"

  Immediately the door swung open. The pigeon went through and disappeared. The four of them followed. One second they were in brilliant sunshine; the next second they were in darkness. After the door closed behind them, they stood for a while confused and disoriented. They had forgotten it was night on the Island of Geburah. Slowly their eyes adjusted to the faint light in the hallway. When Wes could see a little, he nudged the others toward the stairs.

  They descended to the room below the Garden Room, then on down to the balcony room. Just before they stepped out onto the balcony, Wes put out his hands to stop the rest of them. There was fire ahead! He wished he could go forward alone to check it out, but they all had to stay within the gold thread. He nudged them forward onto the open balcony. There they saw the source of the firelight.

  The room had a small grate where a fire flickered yellow and red. Something moved and muttered near the floor in front of the grate. A hand came into view in the firelight. It placed a piece of parchment into the blaze. The flames licked and consumed the parchment and seemed to ask for more.

  A face leaned into the light. Betty gasped. Lisa fumbled for her arm and squeezed it, though she couldn't be sure whose arm she squeezed since they were all invisible. The face turned toward the balcony. It was the face of an angry Matnion. He listened a moment before he turned back to his task of burning parchments. As he worked, he muttered to himself. "Destroy her documents, he says. Rub out her memory, he says. Some still loyal to her. He doesn't know half." His head snapped around toward the balcony. "What's that?"

  The children never knew what alerted the Matmon-perhaps a squeaky board, perhaps too loud a breath. He crumpled a last piece of parchment, threw it in the fire and started toward the balcony. They moved quickly but softly down the steps to the square room on the ground floor. Here some torchlight from the courtyard streamed through the red window glass. Betty turned to nod encouragement to the others. She let out a startled yelp. They were gone! When she raised her hand to her face, her hand was gone too!

  Lisa warned, "Shhh!" but it was too late. The Matmon upstairs demanded, "Who's there?"

  In a loud whisper Betty said, "I can't see you! I can't see me!"

  "Of course you can't. We're invisible."

  "Yes, but I thought we could see ourselves. I thought we could see each other. I just thought nobody else could see-could see-" She started to panic with the strangeness of it all. Wes berated himself: We should have practiced after all. Being invisible really throws you the first couple of times. He reached for the door to the wharf, but it lay just outside the span of the gold thread.

  The Matmon stumped down the stairs on his short legs. The children froze. He took a quick look around the square room. Then he passed within inches of Kurt and jerked open the door to the wharf. Cold damp air rushed up from below. The Matmon went down the stairs, leaving the door open behind him.

  "What'll we do?" Betty whispered frantically.

  "We'll keep quiet!" Wes hissed back. Fast footsteps echoed as the Matmon ran back up from the wharf. Again he narrowly missed colliding with the children. He threw open the door to the courtyard and called, "Enemy intruders! Seal off all doors! They are somewhere on the island!"

  As one, the four children ran for the stairs to the wharf. The garish red light from the walls and steps lit their way. But it is hard enough to run down clamp stone stairs in a group when you can see each other and see your own feet. Running downstairs when you and your companions are invisible is asking for disaster. Someone tripped-they couldn't tell who-and they all stumbled together in a heap. The gold thread snapped. All four of the children popped into view. The Mashal Stone clattered clown the steps like a pebble down it stony hillside.

  They listened in horror for the splash, but there was none. The stone must have come to rest on the wharf. They scrambled on down the stairway. "At least we can see ourselves now," Kurt muttered.

  "If we can just see the stone!" said Wesley. They looked and felt all around the base of the stairs. Gold thread still trailed from their necks.

  Above them frantic voices shouted, "Search the tower!" "Bring torches!" "I)id they enter the courtyard?"

  Kurt said, "Lisa! Open the book!"

  "There's no time to read from it!"

  "Open it! The light may help!"

  Lisa pulled the Book of Wisdom from her belt and opened it. Blue light like lightning shot out and arched above their heads. She tried to see the words on the pages, but they made no sense. Then Betty exclaimed, "Over there! Wes, beyond you! Glowing blue!"

  Wes turned and saw a tiny spot of brilliant blue. It was further away from the stairs than they had expected the stone to land. Its glow seemed to reflect the light of the Book of Wisdom. Wes crawled to it. His hand closed over it. "Got it! Where's the string?" Kurt dragged the gold thread off his own neck and tried to poke it through the hole while Wes held the stone. He fumbled it twice.

  "Never mind that now," Lisa said. "Let's get on the raft!" She tucked away the Book of Wisdom.

  Someone above called out, "Strange voices from the wharf. They seek to escape! Perhaps they have seized the Lady Betty!"

  Kurt clutched the Mashal Stone and the cord. Lisa, Betty and he tumbled onto the raft. With shaking hands Wes untied the painter and jumped on. The raft pitched wildly with his weight. He and Lisa grabbed two of the paddles, thrust them against the stone wharf and pushed off. The paddle blades slipped on the wet stone. They tried again. This time the raft slid away toward the tunnel opening. Wes and Lisa dug in. The
third paddle lay unused while Kurt fumbled with the stone.

  "Give me that!" Betty ordered. "You paddle! You know how and I don't!"

  Kurt gladly obliged, picked up the third paddle and dug in on Lisa's side. The raft lurched forward into the tunnel. Betty's fingers worked quickly. Lisa whooped, "We're going to make it!" Then she cried, "Betty! Where did Betty go?"

  "You're gone too!" said Betty's voice. She had threaded the gold cord through the stone, tied the cord in a loop and tried to toss it over all four of them. They were too far apart on the raft. She had succeeded only in catching herself and Lisa. She said, "Hey, this invisibility stuff is fun. Once you get used to it, that is."

  The raft was a strange sight as it made its way down the glowing red tunnel. It appeared to carry two boys who both paddled furiously. Behind one of the boys, a third paddle moved by itself. Kurt remarked, "At least if they're after Betty, they won't know she's on this raft."

  The end of the tunnel loomed ahead as a half-circle of darkness. Wes said, "Lisa, use your paddle as a rudder again. Kurt and I will shoot us straight out of the tunnel. Wait about ten paddle strokes and then cut us sharply to port. Okay, Kurt, dig in!"

  The raft emerged from the tunnel into the dark waves and wind of Lake Nachash. Ominous as the red light had been, it was unnerving to lose it and head out onto black water under open black sky. Lisa concentrated on counting paddle strokes. At ten she shoved the tiller-paddle over hard. The raft turned neatly. It rocked some but rode the waves well.

  Betty asked, "What's that line of fires on the far shore? Do they have bonfires every night at the royal lodge?"

  Hazilon should have spotted the false image first, but he was busy figuring out how to separate the queen's soldiers from the followers of Gaal. The crowd made so much noise that he did not hear the first loud exclamation. Even when many voices called their Shepherd's name, he barely noticed. After all, "Gaal" was on the lips of everybody here. Then he caught the fresh excitement in the voices. He leaped to his feet. A smile, a genuine smile this time, spread over his face.