Liquid Diamond (32 page)

Clenching his jaw as tightly as he could and bracing himself for the most pain anyone dare inflict upon themselves, the Elf pulled back hard while he twisted his fingers against the enormous pressure of the block. With one bone-breaking painfully huge pull, the Elf ripped his fingers free, leaving behind one nail and three fingertips, bone included.

Leaping with what little strength he had left, the Elf jumped back to where he had started. Barely managing to grab the lip of the drop, the Elf pulled himself to safety. Holding his two hands in front of him, dripping with blood, the Elf set off after his prey.

#

As Natalia readied herself to cross the cobbles, Catalyst could hear Bailey coming.

“
Natalia – don’t panic – but there comes that rotten Elf,” called Catalyst, sounding rather calm about it.

With her eyes wide open, Natalia watched the stairs for a moment as Bailey climbed after them, taking a quick look at the marked path across the cobbles.

“
Stop! Listen, Natalia, you need to take off your socks and wipe the X's off as you cross,” said Catalyst.

“
Okay,” called Natalia as she hurried with fear at the thought of the Elf coming up the stairs behind her.

“
It'll do you no good! I heard everything you told him! Everywhere he had to step!” screeched the vile old Elf, hobbling as fast as he could.

Wiping off the X's as fast as she could as she stepped from cobble to cobble, Catalyst picked up handfuls of loose dirt and threw it over Natalia’s head, covering the floor behind her until she was standing beside him, leaving the path a matter of guesswork.

“
Now let's see him try and cross that,” said Catalyst.

“
I would rather not see him at all, if it's all the same to you,” said Natalia.

“
Let's hurry just in case. Maybe he really did hear everything,” said Catalyst pulling Natalia behind and disappearing from the Elf’s sight as they made their way up the last of the stairs.

#

As the Elf reached the cobbled landing there was no sign of where he should step. He had lied about hearing where Natalia told Catalyst to step because his pain had drowned out most of what was said. He stood there beaten once again, and while moving backwards through the traps and puzzles was safe enough, the Elf knew he just didn't remember the cobbled floor well enough. Snivelling, he fell to his knees then lay down to look under the landing, studying the layout of the pillars. The Elf’s only hope was not to forget.

#

At the top of the stairs and standing on the last landing, Natalia and Catalyst stepped into a room that led to an even bigger Hollow. Walking over to the entrance Catalyst stopped Natalia.

“
Walk into that and you'll end up with a bloody nose, Natalia,” said Catalyst.

“
Walk into what?” asked Natalia seeing nothing.

Gently putting his hand up and reaching forward, a soft white wave rippled across the archway.

“
That, and what's more, the harder you hit it, the more strongly it reacts,” replied Catalyst as he moved Natalia to the side.

“
See this? This is what we have to solve,” said Catalyst as he pointed to some carvings etched into stone tablets that were set in a square in the wall.

“
I've got to tell you, I've never solved it and never made it past this point,” said Catalyst, hoping that Natalia could solve or help solve the riddle.

Taking her sock from her pocket, Natalia shook her head and wiped the face of the puzzle.

“
Hmmm, let's see, a man, land, the moon, I think a sundial, a woman, water, the sun and some stars, with one empty space. Well, Catalyst, the empty spot is so you can shuffle the tablets around, and the rest is a timeline of creation. All you have to do is put them in the right order,” said Natalia wondering why he couldn't figure out such an easy riddle.

“
Oh, I've tried, and the story goes like this. Watch,” said Catalyst as he started to arrange the tablets.

“
Time gave birth to the universe, the universe gave birth to the sun, the sun needed the moon, the sun and moon warmed the water, the water gave birth to life, the land gave life a home, life was woman and she gave birth to man,” said Catalyst as he lined up the tablets.

“
Now look, the barriers still there,” said Catalyst as he poked the surface into a visible wave again.

Standing there studying the puzzle, Natalia noticed that sliding the tablets around had removed some of the dust covering the empty spot.

“
There's something else carved on here, Catalyst,” said Natalia as she wiped off the rest of the grime, revealing a faded symbol.

“
Yes, I know that's there, but I don't think it means anything. There's only eight tablets and as you said, the ninth spot is for moving the rest around,” replied Catalyst.

“
Well even if one tablet is missing, it still has to mean something. So let's take a minute and think about this. I wish I could see this better,” said Natalia staring at the faded blocks.

“
You can't see that? It looks like the weighted ends of two catapults behind a broken triangle, with what looks like an eye floating in its middle and the letters, F.E.M. O.N. from your alphabet,” replied Catalyst.

“
Why didn't I see this?” said Natalia, peering at the carving.

“
We've been going about this all wrong. We thought because this is your world, the order of the tablets had to be based on your beliefs, but it isn't. That symbol is of the Illuminati and it is scratched over the symbol of the Freemasons. How do you know my alphabet?” asked Natalia.

“
My father's Human. These Illuminati and Freemasons I've never heard of.”

“
Well in my world they’re two groups of people, of who knows how many, lying in wait to take over Earth for what they would call the New World Order. I’m betting if we arrange these tablets to fit with the creation story from Earth, that shield will come down,” said Natalia.

“
By all means, Natalia. After all, that Elf could be on his way, so the faster the better,” replied Catalyst, pointing to the puzzle.

With a blink of her eyes in fear at that thought, Natalia began to arrange the tablets.

“
Okay, the stars first, then water, then land, then the sun, then the moon, then man, then woman and to conquer it – all time, said Natalia as she moved the last piece into place.

“
You did it, Natalia. The barrier is down! In five minutes you did what I've been trying years to do,” said Catalyst excitedly.

“
Well you know, Catalyst, if you want something done get a boy, but if you want it done right get a girl. Now come on, we don't want to be here after that stupid Elf figures out how to cross that landing,” said Natalia smiling proudly as she took Catalyst by the hand and walked into the barrier. With a thump, Natalia landed right on her butt.

“
Now what?” moaned Catalyst as he offered Natalia a hand up. Looking back at the puzzle, Natalia took Catalyst by the arm and holding on tightly, pushed him into and through the barrier.

“
What was that?” demanded Catalyst, pulling free from Natalia’s grip.

“
You could have got me hurt, or worse, killed!” continued Catalyst, looking as angry as he was afraid.

“
Catalyst, in the creation story from my world, man was made first, followed by woman, and since the markings of the Freemasons under the Illuminati are on that puzzle, it stood to reason that they were involved in making it. Since they used Genesis as the code to unlock it,
you
had to go through first, taking me with you,” replied Natalia.

“
At least now I know why I could never solve it,” said Catalyst bringing the subject to an end.

“
What was that?” asked Natalia with her jaw clenched and eyes open so wide they looked like targets.

“
Just the tablets sliding back into their places. Look, the barrier is back up,” said Catalyst poking it into another rippling wave.

“
I thought for sure it was the Elf,” said Natalia as her heart raced.

“
He's still on his way, so we should keep moving,” said Catalyst.

“
Good idea, but where?” asked Natalia, looking at the void.

“
Put your glasses back on, Natalia. It'll be easier for you to see where we are going,” replied Catalyst. He stood watching the smile spread over her face as she saw the Hollow glow with a faint hue.

“
Wow! These things are fantastic,” said Natalia as her eyes followed the glow up and around a path that led to a bridge a few hundred feet above where they were standing.

“
It won't be an easy climb, not with all these rocks and tight squeezes, but it looks as though we're at the end of it now,” said Catalyst.

#

The Elf had studied the layout of the pillars long enough. He was frustrated by the fact that he used to know the Hollow of the mountain as well as he knew himself. He took his first step across the cobbles and then another one, all the while kicking the dirt off where he was stepping, leaving a clear and visible path should he need to escape the Clique for having failed to stop Natalia and Catalyst.

Stumbling up the stairs to the last landing, worried and afraid for his own life, the Elf couldn't help but remember how the Clique had dealt with him and how they helped him escape from the Gallows and removed the drill worm from his head. He also remembered their threat to put it back should he fail them.

“
All this for my freedom and a few meals! I was better off in the Gallows,”
mumbled the Elf as he vomited with worry.

When he arrived at the Genesis puzzle, the Elf took a good look around the room for anything that may have been hiding, hoping it would open the barrier for him. Frustrated but not surprised, the Elf found no one.

“
I remember you,” said the Elf as he stepped in front of the code and shuffled the tablets into their correct order.

The Elf sighed, knowing the barrier was now passable. Stepping through the archway, and with his hearing now damaged from his head being smacked off the wall as well as being smacked by the Basajaunak and Catalyst and one Blemmye chest/face, not to mention infection, the Elf had to search every nook and cranny for Natalia and Catalyst as he moved towards the crossing.

#

Natalia and Catalyst came to a drop that looked as though it went on forever. There was a bridge carved from stone that stretched so far it faded into the shadows of the void. Natalia and Catalyst just stood staring at it in wonder.

“
Now what? This bridge is so long we'll never cross it before the Elf catches up to us,” said Natalia as she began to shake with fear.

“
Natalia, it's a trick of the light. Remember looking up at this bridge? We saw how big it is and it's still the same size. As for the Elf, it sounds as though he's stumbling around back there and I don't think he'll catch us, not now,” said Catalyst.

“
Maybe not but he'll see us if we try crossing the bridge now. He won't be far behind us then,” said Natalia, making Catalyst feel it would be better to be behind the Elf instead of in front of him.

As Catalyst stood looking around him for a place to hide, the shadows, as dark as they were, offered little comfort. Spying a lip under the bridge, Catalyst could see his only choice was no choice at all.

“
Come on, Natalia. We'll have to hide under here. There's a small ledge under the bridge. Just hold on to me,” said Catalyst as he took her by the hand and led her to what she believed was a bad idea.

“
Sh,” whispered Catalyst in case the Elf moved closer and might be able to hear even the smallest sound.

“
Look, Catalyst, rungs,” whispered Natalia as she pointed to the underside of the bridge. As quietly as they could, they climbed up and out of sight, bracing themselves between the rungs and the bridge.

The Elf stopped at the crossing and searched the shadows for his would-be prey. Even though Natalia’s perfume was thick in the air from her sweat, the Elf’s nose couldn't tell him where they had gone.

“
There's no way those two could have crossed this bridge without me seeing them. They didn't have time,” blathered the Elf as he bit his tongue in rage trying to quiet himself before being discovered by the Clique.

With the sound of the Elf’s fading footsteps, and his finger pressed against his lips, Catalyst nudged Natalia to start across the bridge as they crawled their way underneath. Moving slowly, however, did not mean moving quietly, and hearing the scrambling of feet from above, Catalyst reached out and grabbed Natalia’s hanging coattail, lifting it out of sight just in time. The Elf hung over the side of the bridge so close to Natalia and Catalyst the stench from his rotting pus-filled wounds nearly blacked them out.

The Elf couldn’t see anything, so he waited. He continued on his way checking and checking again over the edge of the bridge as he mumbled his desire for their death.

“
We have to be quieter,” whispered Catalyst as he reached for another rung. Natalia moved as softly as she could as she led the way.