Gaal the Conqueror (27 page)

At his words the blue light around them flared dazzlingly,
and in its light they were shocked to see not an old woman, but
an enormous spider hanging in a web that covered the mouth
of the passage. The face of the spider was the blood-engorged
face of an evil woman. Then the light faded, and the entrance
to the passage remained dim and red, but with no sign either
of the old woman or of the spider.

"Has she gone?" Eleanor asked.

"Hm! Everything depends, my dear, on how one would define the word gone. Gone from view, certainly. But her presence
still hangs there, invisible in the shadows, as she waits to fatten
herself on the life's blood of unwary travelers."

Eleanor shuddered. "Eeugh! Let's get away from here!"

"We are now several hundred feet directly under the temple,"
Pontificater said. "It is important that you know how to get in,
and how to get out without being observed. But first we have
a long climb."

The staircase was wide enough, but not so wide as the corridor, so that they were now forced to remain behind Pontificater, who now bore on his back the leather bag containing
the chest, the book and the iron key. And because Pontificater
was long, all Eleanor got to see of him was his left back leg (and
occasionally a glimpse of the right one) and his long tail. John
was behind Eleanor, and could see only the curve of the tail.

The climb was a tiring one. The long days of walking in the desert and the enchanted forest had toughened and hardened
both of them. But their legs still ached from the last hard push,
so they were glad to stop once or twice to catch their breath,
for the climb was steep, and Pontificater moved quickly. The
staircase widened at the second place they rested, enabling
John and Eleanor to see all of Pontificater.

"Mark this section well," Pontificater said. "Tell me. What is
different about the wall behind you?" He was pointing at the
outer wall above Eleanor's head. They rose to their feet and
stared at the section at which he pointed.

"I don't see anything special," John said.

"Good. Indeed, excellent. That is as it is meant to be. But
could you find that same piece of wall again?"

"Well, it is the widest part of the stairs we've seen so far,"
Eleanor replied. "Of course there could be wider places still
higher up."

"Fortunately, that is, fortuitously, indeed auspiciously-"

"For goodness sake, just say it, Ponty!"

"-there is no other place as wide as this. You will identify
it with minimal difficulty."

"You mean we'll spot it easily. But why should we want to?"

"Ah! I was about to illuminate that little obscurity, or shall I
say to decipher the mystery that presents itself to your minds.
Observe me well." John and Eleanor stared at the dragon, who
cleared his long throat impressively. Then he said, "I come to
the hiding places in the name of Gaal!" and promptly the dragon vanished.

"You know he does like to show off-but I admit that was
impressive-very impressive," John said.

"Gosh, I hope he comes back though. I wouldn't want to be
left alone around here."

Almost immediately Pontificater reappeared on the staircase
as suddenly as he had left it.

"How do you do that?" John asked.

"Don't say them now," the dragon said, "but when we return
you may repeat the same words-the words about coming to
the hiding place in Gaal's name-and you will find yourselves
beyond that wall of rock in the secret tunnels of which the
enemy knows nothing at all. And it is in them that you will
lodge while we are in Bamah."

They turned and pushed on determinedly until at last they
reached a small circular platform, where the staircase ended.
The circular walls surrounding them stretched upward into the
dark. There were intricate carvings of geometric designs all
round the wall from the floor to about shoulder height.

"We have arrived at the temple," Pontificater said.

"You mean this is it?" Eleanor asked.

"We are at present inside a pillar-a large and hollow pillar
from which we can gain access to the main hall of the temple.
Gaal left instructions with me that you are to enter the temple
at this point. But he made it very clear that you must never enter
it again. His protection will be about you on this occasion because you are doing what he instructed. But if you should enter
when he has not so instructed you, even the Mashal Stone
would not protect you from the evil."

The children stared at him, saying nothing. Pontificater continued, "I suggest you take the chain of the Mashal Stone,
Sword Bearer, and attach it to your own and Eleanor's arm in
the way you described to me."

Eleanor's eyes were shining with excitement, and she raised
her arm and placed it beside John's left arm.

"No, let's use my left arm and your right," John said. I might
need my right arm for the sword." Then he looked hard at
Pontificater. "You're not suggesting we rescue Gaal right now,
are you?" he said in alarm.

"No, Sword Bearer. There should be no one in the temple
at this hour. But invisibility will constitute a wise precaution. I
think it might be advisable for you to have some familiarity with the temple and to be able to identify and find your way back
through the pillar. Notice the carving of the rose on the wall
beside you. If you press it a door will open inward and admit
you to the temple hall."

They stared at the direction his claw pointed and saw, after
they had stared a few minutes, that a carved rose had subtly
been inserted amid the geometric lines.

"Now, I suggest-in fact I am sure that this is how Gaal would
have it-that you make yourselves invisible and enter the temple. There is also a rose on the temple side of the pillar, by
which you may re-enter the tunnel. I shall wait here until you
return."

So this was it. Not only were they to enter Bamah, but into
the temple itself-and alone. John took a deep breath to steady
himself, and to quell the nausea he felt. He could see that
Eleanor, too, was pale and trembling. Gaal had said not to use
the Mashal Stone unless he himself said so. But now he had
said to use it. He felt anxious and tense as he twisted the chain
that bore the Mashal Stone around his left arm and Eleanor's
right. But at once he felt the familiar surge of tingling power
invade his limbs, and his fears subsided as if by magic. Eleanor
stood beside him patiently. Until they vanished.

"O-Oh!" she gasped. "I-I can still feel myself. I can even
feel the floor under my feet. Are you sure I'm really-? But by
golly, I am!"

"Of course you are," John said. "Now don't look at the floor.
Just look wherever we're headed, or you'll feel a bit giddy at
first."

He reached toward the rose and touched it. Instantly a section of the wall swung silently inward. Beyond it John saw the
dim vaulted interior of the temple and gasped. It was the same
building he had dreamed about that morning.

John and Eleanor made their perilous way along a crowded
Bamah street, a street that lay just inside the city. The city wall
was on their left. Houses and shops nestled beneath it, leaning
their weight against its massive strength.

There had been much to learn in the last few days, and many
new things to fear. Once they had been able to see what the
interior of the temple looked like, Pontificater had introduced
them to the tunneled walls of Bamah. The city still filled them
with fear. But since Bamah seemed to be the place where Gaal
wanted them to be, they had to cope with their fears as best they
could. "At least we don't seem to be bothered with Shagah
here," John said one day.

Eleanor sighed. "I wish we could be sure. I know nothing's
happened recently, but I can't believe he's given up."

They had spent the last three days with the widow Illith, the lady in whose room in the city walls Bomgrith and the old
prophet had met some weeks before. To their delight they discovered that she was the same widow Illith that Authentio had
spoken of as his mother. But their joy was immediately clouded
by sorrow as they learned of Authentio's capture, and their
fears of Bamah grew steadily.

But by now they were familiar with the labyrinthine tunnels
honeycombing the wide walls of the city, as well as with their
secret entrances and exits. The knowledge increased their confidence, making them feel a little less helpless. Pontificater, who
could squeeze along the narrow tunnels, came and went on
business of his own.

Yet still the dread of Bamah lay like a mantle on John's and
Eleanor's shoulders, perhaps on John's more than on Eleanor's, while the frightening cat-and-mouse game they had to
play to survive in enemy territory kept their nerves on edge.

The human inhabitants of Bamah (the Regenskind) as well
as most matmon, would shuffle silently along the streets, their
eyes downcast. Slaves of the Circle of Light, they pursued their
hypnotized way, either doing their own errands or those of
their masters. This meant that whenever John and Susan ventured into Bamah, they had to imitate the downcast eyes and
the shuffling walk of the inhabitants to avoid notice.

Dwarflike matmon, the beards of the males flowing over their
rotund bellies, mingled with their human counterparts in the
same condition. Only red-haired, red-bearded matmon of the
Habesh clan roamed the streets freely, their fierce eyes watchful of all that took place.

"I wonder what they're all thinking," Eleanor whispered.

"They don't seem to be thinking of anything," John replied
softly.

"They look scared though."

"Perhaps. And perhaps not. Though that is what Pontificater
told us originally. But they look sort of dumb. The followers of Gaal now-they're the ones who should be scared. They're in
real danger."

"I know. It scares me to think about them. And I had no idea
there were so many of them."

"It's amazing how they've organized all the tunnels and the
hiding places. It's fortunate there are so many cave systems. It's
like an underground city. Strange, the Circle seems ignorant of
it."

"That's what scares me. They could find out any day."

They were nearing their goal, which was a baker's shop
whose owners were secret followers of Gaal. It lay on the left
side of the street against the city wall about thirty yards ahead
of them. Once they could get into the back of the shop they
could slip to safety. A cupboard there opened into a secret
passageway that opened into the tunnel system.

"Why don't we cross the road and get on to the left side
where the shop is?" Eleanor whispered.

"Don't look now," John murmured urgently, "but there's a
Habesh matmon on that side. He's been following us for the
past five minutes."

After a moment she said, "You sure?"

"Yes. He's over on the left side of the street, and I caught his
eye last time I glanced sideways. I think he's suspicious. We're
going to have to separate. He can't follow us both."

They continued to shuffle toward the baker's shop, still staring at the cobblestones beneath their feet. "We're supposed to
get back to Widow Illith's chamber," Eleanor whispered after
a moment.

"I know. But we mustn't draw too much attention to the
baker. If we cross the street and go in together he's sure to
follow us. But if you alone slip in he might just follow me. I can
always use the Mashal Stone if it gets rough."

"I don't like it-"

"Neither do I. But we have to do something. I'll be all right."

The door of the baker's shop was only ten yards away on the
far side of the street. The red-haired matmon began to cross
the street toward them. John quickened his pace to get ahead
of Eleanor.

"I'll pretend my sandal straps are slipping down and stop to
tighten them," Eleanor muttered. "That'll get him past me and
you can go on and turn the corner."

By now the matmon was close behind them. Eleanor slowed
her pace, and almost opposite the entrance to the shop she
stopped, stooping to play with the leather straps around her left
leg. The matmon, by now at her heels, stumbled against her
and almost fell. He cursed, but with hardly a glance at her he
hurried after John. Eleanor watched anxiously as he almost ran
round the corner. She was tempted to follow, longing to know
whether John was safe. But deciding against it, she rose to her
feet, crossed the street and disappeared through the door of the
baker's shop.