The other diners were also transfixed.
‘I never tire of hearing the legends,’ Asil Rais said. ‘Grandmother has been telling us these tales since we were children. She has a wonderful memory for stories. It is a gift she has.’
‘Flatterer,’ she laughed. ‘So, I will continue.
‘The city took years to build. Nobody thought it odd that they had not seen one single invader in all that time. They were too consumed with their task of building, tunnelling and scooping out the earth and rock.
‘The city was vast with many levels and stretched for miles but, best of all, there was no trace of it above ground and no invader would imagine there was such a world beneath their marauding feet. The local people stockpiled supplies. They carried down mountains of grains, pulses, animal feed, dried fruit, herbs and spices. Barrels of wine, strong liquor and olive oil were rolled into the underground storehouses. They mined copper ore to take down for melting and linseed was to be used for lamp oil.
‘They rounded up the livestock and herded it down into dark rock-hewn stables. Lastly, the villagers harvested all the fresh produce they could, in preparation for moving every trace of their lives below ground. They did not even sow seeds for the coming seasons for they did not want to give any clue of the civilisation who once lived there.
‘And so, late one night, under cover of darkness, the inhabitants from Zelmat and from the other villages in the region gathered in front of the five white pillars at the cave entrance to their new city, to make their way below ground. They did not know how long they would have to live there, but as long as the threat from invasion remained, they would be safe, hidden away from the world.
‘In all, over twenty thousand men, women and children descended into the bowels of the earth. And so, the exodus from above ground was complete.’
‘What a tale,’ Alexandre said. ‘Imagine moving lock stock and barrel under the ground, away from the light of day. Thank you for retelling it. I am grateful.’
‘That is only half of the story,’ said Asil Rais. ‘Children, it is late. You must go to your beds now.’
‘But, Father,’ Yunue said. ‘I do not know the ending.’
‘The end of this story is not for young children,’ Asil Rais said to him. ‘When you are grown, you may hear the ending.’
‘I know the ending already,’ Yusue taunted him. ‘And there is lots of blood!’
‘Yusue!’ his father said. ‘Bed. Now.’
The children reluctantly said goodnight and left the room with their mother, who also bid the guests goodnight.
‘We should very much like to hear the second part of the legend,’ Alexandre said. ‘But if you are tired and wish to retire, of course we would not presume to keep you. Maybe you would continue tomorrow?’
‘That is thoughtful,’ Havva replied. ‘But I do not sleep much these days. Three or four hours a night is usually enough for me and so if you really want to hear the rest of the tale, then now is as good a time as any. As long as you do not suffer from nightmares.’ At this she laughed her wheezy laugh. ‘But let us have tea, I am thirsty and another of your baklava would be good.’
They retired to a comfortable sitting room. The lamps were lit, casting a hazy latticed glow across the room and a large water pipe was set up on the floor, its crystal bottle glinting in the lamplight. Servants brought in tea and pastries and the three men smoked and drank tea whilst listening to the rest of Havva’s tale.
‘Those unfortunate people were not alone below the ground. The night they descended into the earth, they were accompanied by others.’
‘Others?’ Isik asked.
‘Yes,’ Havva continued. ‘The strangers who had arrived all those months ago were not as they seemed. They had spoken the truth when they talked of an invasion, but it was an invasion of their making. For you see, they had carefully planned the whole thing. When the city was finally complete, they sent word to others of their kind and they all descended into the earth together, along with the villagers.’
‘I do not understand,’ Isik said.
‘Demons, my friend,’ Asil Rais said. ‘Demons.’
‘Thank you, Asil,’ his Grandmother snapped. ‘Whose story is this?’
‘I am sorry, Great Grandmother. I am spoiling your tale.’
‘You most certainly are. But my impatient grandson is right. They were indeed foul demons. Demons who could not stand the light of day, for the sun’s rays would kill them. Demons who lived on blood alone.
‘Before the city was built, they had led solitary existences, coming out at night and feeding quickly, when and where they could. They killed with no mercy, taking human blood as we take bread or water. But their lives had always been lived in secret. They were never able to live freely, but forced to roam singly or in pairs for they could not draw too much attention to themselves for fear of persecution.
‘Until one day, one of their kind devised a plan to give them everything they desired with no need to hide in the shadows anymore. It was a plan to signify the death of thousands of innocent humans; the humans who would follow them down into their underground lair and give them access to what they needed.’
‘So the travellers were the demons?’ Alexandre asked.
‘Yes. The villagers did not know it but they had built their own prison, their own hell. They had been duped into building a trap for themselves. Once down there, away from the sun’s protection, no one could help them, God rest their souls.
‘They were slaughtered with abandon, but even worse, many more were kept alive to breed and ensure an eternity of blood to satisfy the thirst of the evil ones. There is no happy ending. This is our terrible history and we ignore it at our peril.’
‘But forgive me,’ Alexandre said. ‘You said this is your ‘history’. Surely you cannot believe this is true?’
‘We ignore it at our peril,’ she repeated.
That night, Alexandre and Isik slept in the guest quarters, above the stables. Long after Isik was snoring, Alexandre lay thinking of the chilling tale. He could hear Havva’s rasping voice in his head, recounting the ancient words and he shivered despite himself. He laughed inwardly at his fears. She has unnerved me, he thought. That lady and her tales of underground demons.
*
The following morning, after a lavish breakfast of fried eggs, sausages and fresh-baked bread, Alexandre and Isik prepared to take their leave of the Sahin family. Alexandre was sorry to say goodbye, for in the short time he had been there, he had already grown fond of them.
Yusue reminded Alexandre of his earlier promise to show them his weapons.
‘Another time, Yusue,’ his father said, ruffling his eldest son’s hair. ‘Monsieur Chevalier is a busy man.’
‘I am not too busy to keep my word,’ Alexandre replied. ‘If your father agrees, we shall have a quick weapons training school in the garden.’
Three small faces swivelled round to look at their father, eyes wide, waiting for his consent.
‘If it is not too much of an imposition on your time.’
‘Come, children.’ Alexandre held Aysun’s hand and the two boys followed behind as they walked out through the front door. ‘But remember your father’s warning,’ Alexandre said. ‘If you touch any of these weapons without permission, you will turn instantly into black beetles and be forced to live under a rock for the rest of your days.’
A small crowd of village children gathered to watch. Isik showed them the gleaming curve of his scimitar, slicing up a cucumber with its deadly blade. He then pulled out his knife and threw it with confident accuracy into the trunk of a walnut tree where it embedded itself, quivering in the morning sunlight. This earned him a round of applause and he bowed theatrically.
Next, Alexandre demonstrated how the musket and pistol worked. He removed the bullets and let the two boys pretend to fire them. They charged around playing soldiers and bandits until Isik said they really should head back. Alexandre picked up little Yunue and swung him
around, he kissed Aysun’s soft cheek and shook hands solemnly with Yusue. Finally, he mounted his horse, alongside the Turkish guard and waved goodbye to the little household with promises to return.
As they left the village behind, Alexandre could not believe they had only arrived yesterday evening. He felt as if he had been there for at least a week.
‘I am afraid we must inform the others we have failed to find the entrance,’ Isik said.
‘I think we should look for ourselves, before we head back to disappoint them.’
‘That was not the plan.’
‘No, but how far is ... What is the name of the village?’
‘Zelmat.’
‘How far away is Zelmat? My father knows we may be away for a few days. We could use the time wisely and there is nothing to be lost by looking.’
‘It is almost on our way back, not too far from camp.’
So instead of heading straight back, they took a detour and rode towards the village that Havva Sahin had named in the legend.
Alexandre realised he was enjoying himself. It was like playing at detectives, finding clues to solve a mystery. It made a welcome change from the prod, prod prodding of sticks in the ground and trying to find non-existent entrances at the back of caves. He did not believe he had ever before felt this sense of purpose and excitement, not since he was a child playing make-believe games with his friends. Today he felt alive.
They rode hard and the morning sun burned hot. They were forced to stop several times for the horses to drink and to splash their own faces in the welcome streams which bubbled along the way. They reached the outskirts of the village by midday and found a shady spot to sit and share the large packed lunch that Nuray Sahin had pressed into Alexandre’s hands before they left.
The cavern was supposedly situated to the south of the village. It should be somewhere close by. Alexandre itched to start his search, but he knew he could not deny his companion rest and a meal first. He ate quickly, not even tasting the food. He was too wrapped up in thoughts of discovering the entrance. At last they remounted their reluctant steeds.
‘I know, girl,’ Alexandre patted the mare’s neck. ‘It is hot and you are still tired, but you can rest again soon.’
After several fruitless hours searching back and forth along the fast-flowing river that cut through the valley, Isik rode up to Alexandre.
‘My friend, I know it is disappointing, but maybe we need to accept it is just a legend and there is no cave. Or that it has indeed been lost to time.’
‘It must be here,’ Alexandre’s eyes narrowed in frustration. ‘The place was named. The location was specific. It must have been based on something.’
‘Let us rest for a few minutes,’ Isik said. ‘I will light a fire and make us coffee and we will talk of what is to be done.’
‘No. Please let us keep looking for a while longer. It has to be somewhere.’ Alexandre looked away across the land to the small figures in the distance, moving about the vineyard terraces. ‘We should head away from the river. Over there.’
The Turk sighed and gave his horse’s flanks a gentle kick. He said nothing, but cantered off in the direction Alexandre had pointed. Alexandre followed.
They found nothing. No caves or columns. The land flattened out and became less rocky and more desert-like. Alexandre stopped and jumped off his horse. He kicked the ground in frustration, sending dust and stones skidding up into the air. He picked up a pebble and hurled it with all his might. He remembered doing something like this as a child – sending smooth round pebbles skimming across The Seine with his father.
He bent down and picked up another stone, rubbing his thumb across the polished warmth, before sending it spinning into the distance. Why were these stones so smooth? What had polished them like this? One usually found these sorts of stones in a river … Could that be the answer? Could it really be as simple as that?
‘The river!’ he shouted.
Isik headed over towards him.
‘Isik!’
‘What is it, my friend? Are you well?’
‘I am fine and I think I may have solved the mystery of the missing cave.’
Isik wrinkled his forehead.
‘These pebbles are round and smooth.’
The Turk’s frown deepened.
‘I am not mad,’ Alexandre laughed. ‘Do you not understand? They are river stones. I think this used to be a river bed. But the river is no longer here.’
Isik did not change his expression.
‘I think the river must have changed its course or perhaps been diverted closer to the villages to irrigate the fields. Can you not see? The cave was in the valley, but the river was diverted there … and so now the cave is underneath the river. I am sure of it.’
‘I do not know about that,’ Isik said.
‘I am right,’ he insisted. ‘You will see. I will prove it. Did you say there were five columns? Five ... what do you call them? Fairy chimneys? There are many of them in the area and I have seen how tall they are. The columns could now be protruding from the surface of the river. We must look.’
Isik rode with Alexandre back towards the village of Zelmat.
The river ran deep and wide with a steep pitted rock face on the opposite side. Alexandre stared hard at the unbroken surface of the river, willing himself to see the tops of the five columns poking out. Nothing. They kept up their search all afternoon.
‘It is dark, we should set up camp,’ Isik, the voice of reason, broke through into Alexandre’s thoughts.
‘You are right,’ he sighed.
‘We can try again tomorrow morning,’ Isik said.
‘Thank you for humouring me,’ Alexandre said tiredly. ‘You must think me a fool to keep hoping.’
‘Not at all. As long as there is life, there is hope.’
*
The following morning, as dawn spread its soft yellow light across the river, the two men resumed their search. They searched all day and Alexandre was grateful to Isik for going along with him even though it was obvious he had no faith in this quest.
Now, late in the afternoon, they had travelled far beyond the area where the cave was supposedly sited.
‘Very well,’ Alexandre said. ‘We tried, but I finally agree with you, Isik, my friend. There is nothing here. Let us retrace out steps and head home.’
They reined in their horses and turned around, heading back along the river in silence. Alexandre sat low in his saddle. He suddenly felt very tired and thought he would suggest stopping to make camp. They could return to the site tomorrow when they awoke.
‘Alexandre.’
Dispirited, Alexandre was slow to respond.
‘Alexandre, could that be something?’ The Turk pointed to a spot near the middle of the river where two stones protruded from the water. Alexandre jumped off his horse and peered across. He threw his hat onto the river bank, stripped off his jacket and shirt and undid his boots.
‘I must protest,’ Isik said. ‘If you are going to do what I think you are. It is far too dangerous. Your parents would cut my throat from ear to ear if anything happened to you and I would not blame them.’
Alexandre grinned at the worried-looking Turk. ‘I do not think you could have picked two people less likely to do what you have just described.’ He clapped him on the back and started walking upstream. Then, he dived into the icy cold water.
‘Mind the rocks!’ Isik shouted.
The water flowed steadily and it would take a strong swimmer to navigate the current. Alexandre let it take him downstream whilst he tried to make his way to the centre of the river.
Very quickly, Alexandre reached one of the protruding stones and clung to it, trying to get his breath back. The freezing water and the strength of the current had shocked him, but he also felt exhilarated and refreshed, excited that this might actually be it - the discovery they all hoped for. He waited until he had his breath again and then he plunged beneath the surface.
Chapter E
leven
*
At ten on the dot, Travis’ rusty yellow van roared up the driveway and came to a gravelly halt outside the house. The horn finally brought Maddy and Ben out of the house. Ben got in first and Maddy squeezed in beside him, so all three sat up front.
‘Wish you’d tell me where we’re going, Mads,’ Ben said.
‘Yeah. Where to, Maddy?’ Travis asked.
‘Any 4x4 dealerships around here?’
‘Serious? You wanna test drive one for a laugh? I don’t somehow think they’re gonna let us do that.’
‘Yeah they will.’
‘If you say so. I don’t think we’ll have much luck, but it’s worth a go.’ Travis nodded his head.
‘Are we getting a jeep, Maddy?’ Ben asked.
‘Might be.’ Maddy nudged him playfully.
‘How old are you then?’ Travis asked Maddy. ‘If you don’t mind me asking.
‘Sixteen.’
‘Then how are you going to …? I mean, you’ve got to be seventeen to drive and if you haven’t got a licence, then ...’
‘That’s where you come in. You’ve got a licence so you can test drive it and tell me what you think. Then, when I find one I like, I’ll be able to drive it around at home.’
‘You’re going to buy one?’
‘Pretty much.’
‘Do you know how much a brand new 4x4 costs?’
‘Not really. But I don’t really care about the money side of it.’
‘Wow.’ Travis breathed out. ‘I didn’t realise you were loaded. I mean, I know you’ve got a big house and everything, but mummy and daddy must give you a lot of pocket money for you to be able to buy a car just for riding around the garden.’
‘It’s not like that,’ Maddy said, her mouth hardening into a thin line.
‘We haven’t got any parents,’ Ben said.
‘Oh no! I’m really sorry. I’m such a big mouth,’ Travis said, pulling over near the end of the long drive and glancing across at them. ‘Sorry. That must be rough. Do you live with your grandparents or something?’
When Darkness Falls - Six Paranormal Novels in One Boxed Set Page 13
