He banished such thoughts from his mind. None of this really mattered. Only the short time he had left with Kat was important now.
While mounting Maytra again, he considered what was to happen next. As Lumnia had helped him understand, only by sacrificing his own life would the world stand a chance of surviving. After accepting that this was now both his fate and his duty, promising himself in marriage to Queen Berathis became a meaningless gesture intended solely to attain her army’s support in the war. It was true what he had told Kat: The queen’s allegiance would save many thousands of lives. What he had not yet told her was the caveat to that statement: that all of this was entirely dependent on him being triumphant in death. Ultimately, Lumnia would either survive or it would perish as a result of his final battle with Shinzan. And whatever the outcome – for good or for evil – he would not be around to see it. For some strange reason, he found this almost comforting.
Once airborne, Kat’s arms slipped around his waist. This simple act raised a thought in Ethan’s mind. They had never actually enjoyed a night completely alone together. One thing was certain – before he embarked on his final journey, that was going to change.
Chapter Seven
David could barely contain his excitement. The voices of the dwarves were but a dull buzz in the background. Magnificent. Absolutely magnificent. To think that such primitive people once possessed the ability to build such an amazing creation. It was mind blowing.
Thick fingers gripping his shoulder demanded his attention. He glanced over to see an elderly dwarf in white coveralls, wearing a deep scowl. David thought for a moment, trying to recall his name. Fulmar? Yes, that was it.
“Are you going to share it with us?” the old dwarf asked. “Or shall we guess at what has plastered that ridiculous smile on your face?”
In spite of this rude and gruff manner, David actually quite liked Fulmar. Not that he’d had much real interaction with him. But he did serve the useful purpose of keeping curious onlookers away, so preventing most interruptions to his work.
“This damn thing really moves,” he responded, as much to himself as to the dwarf. “I mean…it really moves.”
“We already know that,” Fulmar responded. “What we don’t know is how.”
David traced a finger over the schematic. The dwarf language was still a mystery, which meant he’d had to rely entirely on those around him for translating most of the written stuff. The mathematical symbols had also proved a bit tricky at first, but a few of the more intelligent dwarves had been able to help with that. Eventually, it had been possible for him to piece it all together.
He had already been told about the space ship discovered in the Dragon Wastes. Now, looking at the unbelievable level of engineering that surrounded him here on Borgen, there was no doubt in his mind that this race had indeed once traveled the stars. The severe shortage of working instrumentation was hindering his progress, which was frustrating because he was certain that somewhere among the thousands of ancient objects stored here were the tools to perform the necessary repairs. The only problem was, it could take literally years to sift through them all and divine their functions. For now, he was compelled to stick with the simplistic instruments that were at his disposal. A lesser man would have thrown his hands up, declaring the task to be impossible. But not David. He might not be much of a mage, but he was without a doubt a world-class engineer.
He pointed to a spot near to the corner of the paper. “Do you know where this is?”
Fulmar nodded. “It’s just below the main power station.”
He folded the schematic and gripped it tightly. “Then take me there.”
Fulmar clearly did not like being given orders, pausing to give David an unpleasant sniff that punctuated this fact before turning toward the door. David followed him closely as they threaded their way through multiple hallways and down several stairwells. The hum of the power generator grew louder with each step, and when actually passing through the massive chamber that housed it, he was, as usual, forced to stuff cloth into both ears. Curiously, he had noted on previous trips here that none of the dwarves ever appeared to be concerned at all by the noise.
Thankfully, the chamber below when they arrived was fairly quiet – at least by comparison. After stepping through the steel double doors, David immediately felt an almost overwhelming burst of anticipation. Facing him at the rear was a huge bank of panels, screens, and buttons bearing a bewildering array of strange dwarven symbols. To his right, he could see an intricate weave of pipes and tubes all linked together by a series of valves and metal knobs. With no tables or chairs available, he immediately plopped himself down onto the floor and unfolded the paper, smoothing it out flat.
For half an hour, he examined the schematic, periodically looking up at the room and then back again. Fulmar remained silent throughout.
“It’s exactly as I thought,” David said eventually. “This room controls the…well…I guess an anchor would be one way to describe it.”
Fulmar cocked his head. “An anchor? You mean like on a ship?”
“Yes. And no. This entire facility is powered by hydro-electric currents when stationary. But to stay in place, it needs to channel water continuously through an elaborate system of jets. Half of all the power produced is used just for that function alone.”
“And if you disabled it?”
“Then the island would float freely. You would of course engage the engines, making us able to leave this area and go to wherever we wanted.”
“And what of the cloak which hides us?”
David leaned back on one elbow and rubbed his neck. “It might just stay in place. I haven’t quite figured that out yet. But I will.” He cracked a smile and pushed himself to his feet. “I think I know how to steer the island. Or at least, from which room the steering is done.”
The sending rod in his pocket began to tingle, eliciting a groan. Trying hard to ignore this interruption, he approached the panel bank and ran his hands over the blank screens, imagining what they might look like when lit up and fully functioning. Of course, they were old and could well be in need of repair. But if they were built as well as everything else here on Borgen, maybe it was reasonable to be optimistic.
The tingling in his pocket persisted. “Damn it, woman!” he muttered. But his irritation was fleeting. He had promised to be back at their quarters in time for dinner, and Val was making sure he kept to his word.
Since arriving, Val had let go of some of the grief over her brother and had dedicated herself to helping David in any way she could. Though not the most educated of women, he’d found her to be extremely bright. Had she grown up under different circumstances, he had little doubt that she would have made a fine academic.
As it was, her tender nature and caring ways had given him a confidence he’d never possessed before. He had only been with two women in his entire life, and both of these had been short-term affairs that left him with shattered self-esteem after being dumped without reason. Now he could look back at these experiences and shrug. Neither one of them could hold a candle to Val’s beauty. Or her kindness.
Reaching into his pocket, he grasped the rod. “I’m on my way,” he told her.
“Will you be returning later?” Fulmar asked.
“I doubt it. Val has made me promise not to overdo it.”
The dwarf nodded with what could almost be described as a grin. “Yes. I remember her being quite upset with you during your first week here. You are lucky to have someone to look after you as she does. My own wife is not nearly as caring.”
David started toward the door feeling oddly uncomfortable. “Oh, we’re not married.”
Fulmar raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Then you should take an old dwarf’s advice and remedy that particular situation as soon as possible. Women can be a great source of strength for a man, but only if you are willing to be the same for her as well. Do not take a woman who loves you for granted. If you do, you will soon find yo
urself alone and wishing that you had been wiser when it mattered.”
David averted his eyes and hurried down the hallway. Married? The thought had never occurred to him. Hell. There wasn’t even a church or a preacher here. Or a justice of the peace, for that matter. Even if he wanted to…he chided himself for stupidity…even if she wanted to, how would they go about it?
On arriving at the room the dwarves had provided, he paused at the door to wipe his now clammy hands on his chest. All this thinking about marriage had started his heart hammering away. It took a full minute before he could calm himself enough to enter.
Their modest accommodation was just a little less stark than most other rooms within the facility. The bed was tucked away into the far corner, while a small metal dining table had been covered by a red cloth Val had managed to procure while searching for odds and ends to brighten the place up a bit. She seemed to enjoy decorating, though sadly there was very little available for her to work with. On Borgen, things were purely functional. Still, she had done the best job she could in making it look more like a home.
He could hear her humming an unfamiliar tune through the bathroom door. The table was set, and a plate of fish, together with a helping of vegetables, was giving off a temping aroma. His stomach growled. He had forgotten to eat yet again.
“I’ll be right there,” Val called.
David sat on the edge of the bed with his hands folded in his lap. A moment later she appeared wearing a pair of jeans and a loose-fitting tee-shirt. Her hair was still damp from a recent shower.
He smiled. “Am I late?”
“Go get cleaned up,” she said, ignoring the question. “The food’s getting cold.”
David hurried into the bathroom and washed his hands. Val was already sitting at the table when he returned. As they ate, he told her about his discoveries that day.
“So how long do you think until you can get the island to move?” she asked.
“There’s no telling,” he replied through a mouthful of fish. “Maybe never. I mean, I understand how it works…more or less. But the engineering is far more complex than anything I’ve ever seen. It’s ancient, too. If only one component has worn out or rusted away, it could take years for me to fix it.”
Val looked around the room. “It certainly doesn’t look old to me.”
“It is, though,” he told her. “Thousands of years old. Maybe tens of thousands. All the same, whatever they built it out of, it was sure made to last. Not even the great pyramids stood up to time this well.”
After dinner, they took a leisurely stroll through the halls, eventually stepping outside and sitting on the beach. David listened attentively as Val brought him up to date with her studies of the ancient dwarf language. It had turned out almost on the day they arrived that she possessed quite a talent for such things. In a surprisingly short time, she had already memorized most of the characters and was even capable of reading a few simple passages.
“Who knows?” she said, leaning back with her hands behind her head. “Maybe one day I’ll actually be useful around here.”
David rolled to his side and met her eyes. “You’re already useful. At least, you are to me.”
Reaching over, she lightly flicked his nose. “You’re sweet, you know that?”
“I’m serious. I couldn’t have learned anywhere near as much as you have that quickly. Hell, I even failed beginner’s Spanish in school.”
She eyed him skeptically. “You? Fail a class?”
“I’m serious. I was never any good at languages. Not like you. Even the dwarves have told me how amazed they are. They say you’ve picked it up faster than anyone they’ve ever seen.”
She smiled and kissed him lightly. “Thanks.”
“For what?” The taste of her lips lingered, instantly quickening his pulse.
“No one has ever told me I’m smart,” she replied. “Only you.”
“Well, you are, believe me. It’s just that you’ve been hanging around with the wrong guys.”
“That’s for sure.” Pulling him down, she kissed him again, this time with passion and urgency. “But not anymore.”
Up until now their love making had always been a little bit awkward. David was well aware that his lack of experience showed through, even though Val was always patient and had done her best not to make him feel embarrassed about it. Because of this, he did after a time begin to feel slightly less restrained, even to the point of taking the initiative on a couple of occasions. This time, however, was completely different. The way she gazed up at him and the way her body responded to his touch banished all remaining fear and anxiety, totally and forever. He had meant every word he’d said, and she knew it.
He had overheard conversations about love and intimacy, and read a few books on the subject. But until meeting Val, he’d never expected to experience it firsthand. Now, as their bodies intertwined beneath a star-strewn sky, he felt truly happy. For the first time, he knew she was feeling exactly the same passion for him. Her eyes never left his as their love came to a climax, and they remained joined both physically and emotionally for some time after.
For the next week, Val decided to split her time between studying the dwarf language and keeping David company while he puzzled out a way to safely activate Borgen. Though at first he feared she would be a distraction to his work, he soon found that he enjoyed having her around. She could anticipate his needs far more easily than the dwarf assistants, and her ever-increasing understanding of the language also came in handy a good number of times.
Several of the island’s longtime residents were clearly uneasy about his work and made no secret of their displeasure. At first David took it to be resentment over the fact that he had taken only weeks to figure out things about Borgen that had eluded their best minds for decades. But this thought was soon dismissed. The discoveries he made were praised. It was clear they lacked the need for personal accolades – a trait he had found so distasteful in his colleagues on Earth. In the end, it was Val’s insight that eventually explained their standoffish and occasionally rude behavior.
“I think they fear change,” she told him. “My brother was the same way. He hated anything that upset his normal routine. That’s why we never moved out of our crappy little house. Probably why he was such a pain in the ass when we first came here.”
It did not escape his notice that she always spoke of Jake in the past tense. He could see the pain behind her eyes, but thought it best to say nothing. He had never been good with comforting words and was afraid of making matters worse.
By the next week, he was growing ever more confident that not only could he get Borgen to move, but that the mechanisms needed to achieve this were all still intact. This caused a great stir among the dwarves. Calls for him to halt his work immediately became louder and more urgent. A few of the elders came to speak with him during the evening hours, grilling him repeatedly on the safety and practicality of what he was doing. Most of them seemed to think that his time would be much better served working on some of the other items and machines they had in storage, particularly the weapons.
David listened patiently, more than a bit accustomed to other researchers disagreeing with his methods. But shortly following this meeting, Hanvir, who up until now had chosen to mostly keep his distance, came by to explain that he had been in regular contact with King Ganix via a sending rod. Even after he’d passed on the elders’ objections, his monarch was unswayed and had been most insistent that David should continue as he was. Mobilizing Borgen was to be an absolute priority. For David, at least, this was good to hear.
He was just about to get ready for bed when an urgent banging at his door reverberated through the room. Before he could even say to enter, it flung wide open and a young bearded dwarf bearing a small hand axe came rushing inside. Fear was marked clearly on his face and his breathing was coming in rapid gasps.
“Shinzan!” he panted.
Val, who was already in bed, jumped up and grabbe
d her robe. “What?”
“Shinzan!” he repeated. “He’s here.”
A cold chill stabbed through David’s gut. “Shinzan? Are you sure?”
“We are surrounded,” the dwarf continued. “The whole of Borgen. A hundred ships at least.”
This news struck David with the force of a blacksmith’s hammer. Val was already gathering up her clothes. “How do you know it’s Shinzan?” she asked.
“They are flying the Imperial banner.”
While Val headed for the bathroom to get dressed, David forced himself not to panic. “That doesn’t mean Shinzan is with them,” he said.
He frowned. Considering what he knew about the dwarves, the terror emanating from their messenger was unusual. Something strange was clearly affecting him. A moment later Val emerged fully dressed.
The young dwarf quickly led them to the facility entrance. The halls were buzzing with activity. Most of those they passed were now armed with at least a small axe, and many carried dwarf rods.
On reaching the exit, they had to push their way through dozens more dwarves before finally getting to the top. Most of them appeared to be confused as to what they should be doing. David’s puzzlement increased. He knew they had repelled an assault before – quite recently in fact – and from what he had been told, Borgen could withstand any kind of attack short of one coming from Shinzan himself.
The puzzlement fell away as he drew near to the open air. A sudden wave of panic gripped him. It felt as if all his courage was being stripped away. Val’s hand suddenly clasped tightly around his, telling him that she had felt it too.
Outside, dwarves were streaming toward the beach. A decision had already been made that, unlike the previous attack, this time they would defend their shores rather than allow the enemy to land. With their many formidable weapons, that should not be a problem. A wooden ship was no match at all for a line of dwarf rods. But this fact only made the unnatural panic even harder to understand.
Dragonvein Book Five Page 10
