The Hunter (32 page)

Keri fell for what seemed to be a very long time, but in truth she fell no more than twenty feet before she landed atop a
hard, unmoving object. She struck hard, but fortune was with her for she fell flat and as a result suffered no broken bones,
although the breath was driven from her body. She took an experimental breath and was relieved when everything seemed to work.
She wriggled her fingers and toes and then sat up gingerly, holding her head in both hands and blinking her eyes to shut out
the disconcerting vision of the blinking lights.

She heard her name called aloud and was gratified to hear the degree of concern echoed in Braldt’s voice. “Here!” she called
weakly and after a moment Braldt’s torch waved in the darkness above her. “I’m down here, be careful, it’s a sheer drop!”

Outlined against the darkness of the doorway by the flare of his torch, Keri watched carefully as Braldt circled
the opening with the flaming brand, searching for a way down.

“There!” Keri’s voice rose as she pointed toward an object that Braldt could not see. “There, to the side, no, the other way!
Isn’t that a ladder?”

Braldt held his torch to the side, against the inner wall, and there, just as Keri had said, was a slender ladder attached
to the wall with gleaming spikes the color of silver, the same color as the silver insets in the Temple of the Moon and the
Council chambers.

Braldt’s sword and dagger were forged of bronze, a soft metal that was quite adequate under most circumstances and certainly
better than anything possessed by any of the other tribes or the slavers, but it could not compare to the hard edge of the
silver metal that belonged to the priests and the priests alone. Braldt had often wondered what it would be like to possess
a blade made of such a metal. It was easy to work, malleable and obedient under heat, forming itself into whatever shape was
required, but nearly as hard as stone when cooled.

Braldt had always wanted a sword made of the bright shining metal, but the priests had decreed that it was for their use alone,
and while the bronze was dug from the red cliffs and smelted on the hearths, the priests supplied the silver metal from sources
that they never divulged. Now, here, right in front of him, was enough silver metal to forge a score of swords and daggers,
a lifetime of shining weaponry!

“Braldt, do you see it?” Keri’s voice rose from beneath him and he became aware of Batta Flor shaking him by the shoulder,
concern in his voice.

“What? Yes, yes I see it. Are you all right? I’ll be there in a moment.” Holding on to the edge of the doorway, Braldt swung
himself over, gripping the cold metal with hand and foot. It seemed steady, holding his weight with little difficulty even
though it was apparent that the ladder had been constructed for something other than creatures of his size. The back of the
handhold was a smooth slot and it seemed likely that whatever had climbed it last had clamped onto it and risen smoothly.

The crossbars that Braldt had at first taken for steps were affixed in such a manner as to allow unbroken access to the groove
and provided a means of attaching the ladder to the wall. Whatever the purpose, it provided him with a means of reaching Keri,
and he descended the ladder swiftly until he stood on the platform that had broken her fall, and without thinking, his arm
circled her waist.

She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed.

Braldt could see that they stood on a small square, no more than six feet in all directions and were enclosed on all sides
by solid walls. Above them there appeared the outline of a door, like the one Keri had fallen through, but this door was closed
and fitted flush with the wall. The surface they stood on was some sort of dull, unfinished metal and in the very center there
was the outline of a smaller square. Around the edges of this smaller square were lights that blinked red and blue and white
over and over again in sequence. Never had he seen anything like it. So much metal, his for the taking!

“Braldt, have you got her? Come back up!” Batta Flor’s voice boomed down through the narrow opening and echoed in the small
space.

“No, not yet, I want to see what’s here first,” Braldt replied as he knelt beside the small square.

The square was fitted with a latch that came open under his fingers and lifted easily although uttering screechy protest.
Instantly the small chamber was flooded with brilliant light that all but blinded Braldt, blue, red, white, blue, red, white,
the lights blinked over and over in an urgent sequence that seemed to be demanding some form of action. Braldt shielded his
eyes and leaned forward, peering into the square framed by the blinking lights. At first he could see nothing, his vision
blurred by the incredible intensity of the lights after the length of time they had spent in nearly total darkness. Braldt
felt the platform dip as Batta Flor joined them and heard the scrabble of claws as Beast scrambled to find his footing on
the metallic surface. But all of his attention was focused on the bright opening; closing
his eyes against the glare, he knelt and ducked his head inside the lighted square.

In a moment he realized what he was seeing, to put words to it, but even then, it made little sense. It was an even smaller
enclosure fitted with a tiny sliding door to match the one Keri had fallen through. Next to this door was a panel of sorts
with smoothly carved knobs set into the surface and inscribed with more of the curious glyphs. The walls and floor were constructed
of a material that Braldt did not recognize. It was not wood, nor was it metal. It was like nothing he had ever seen before.
What was this thing they had found? It appeared to be no more than a large empty box fitted inside of a vertical tunnel of
its own. It was very puzzling.

Batta Flor looked at him for a moment and then dropped to all fours and, grasping the edge of the opening, did a somersault
and swung down into the cubicle before Braldt realized what he was going to do. Keri gasped and huddled beside Braldt, wondering
what would happen to Batta Flor.

“It is as I suspected. It is naught but a lifter,” said Batta Flor after a quick glance. “Come down, there is nothing to fear
and perhaps it will still function and take us where we want to go.”

He seemed completely at ease and opened the small panel, revealing a number of brightly colored coils attached to the back
of the smoothly carved knobs where they came through the panel of the door. “Come down,” Batta Flor urged, “I think it is
still working, perhaps it had a power source of its own.” He continued to murmur to himself as he fiddled with the brightly
colored threads, screwing them more firmly to their fittings. Satisfied, he swung the panel shut and placed a finger on one
of the knobs.

Keri threw Braldt a dubious glance and then slid through the opening into Batta Flor’s waiting arms. Beast yipped as though
fearing being left behind and he jumped through the small opening without a moment’s hesitation. There was nothing left to
do but join them.

Batta Flor waited until Braldt’s feet touched the floor before he actually pressed the knob. This simple action was instantly
followed by a throbbing vibration that filled the small box that contained them. There was a slight lurch and then the flashing
lights ceased their manic action and a pale glow took their place shining down on them from the small square in the ceiling.
They were like priest lights, but different, and Braldt would gladly have given up some time to examine them but he could
not do so for immediately following the small lurch and the change of lights, the small enclosure began to fall! Keri screamed
and scrambled to reach the escape hatch, but Batta Flor merely chuckled and held her loosely in his arm. “Do not worry, my
friend, this is a good happening and nothing to fear.”

“Tell that to Beast,” shouted Braldt over the desperate keening of the terrified lupebeast who flung himself from one wall
to the other, seeking escape. Braldt felt like doing much the same thing himself and it took every bit of his control to stand
there, matching Batta Flor’s calm air.

Batta Flor waited for his moment, waited until Beast struck the wall nearest him, feet desperately digging at the ungiving
surface before he reached out and pinched the pup on either side of its neck with thumb and forefinger. Beast struggled for
a moment longer and then sagged in Batta Flor’s grasp as he was gently lowered to the floor.

Braldt stepped forward, anger growing in his eyes, for Beast and for himself and Keri as well. Who was this Madrelli and how
well did he know the secrets contained in this mountain? Was he leading them into some trap, some manner of death from which
only he would emerge?

Braldt’s hand tightened on the hilt of his sword and he opened his mouth to speak just as the room came to a silent halt and
the door slid back into the wall, revealing a corridor beyond. The corridor was unlike any other they had traveled, for it
was paved with cream-colored stone and walls the color of the sky and all along the ceiling were rows of muted lights burning
steadily. A soft humming could be heard in the distance, and in the hush there was the feeling of anticipation, a feeling
of patient waiting.

Keri stepped free of the small enclosure with a glad cry. Batta Flor followed her and gestured toward Braldt with a crook
of his shaggy eyebrow. Beast raised his head groggily and staggered out without a second glance, and Braldt could do nothing
but follow suit, feeling slightly more than foolish for it was obvious that they had come to no harm. The door to the room
slid shut behind him, but no sooner had it done so than the quiet of the corridor was broken by an odd metallic voice, jarringly
strange in the utter calm. “Interference in the control room, danger in the compound! Repeat. Danger! Security has been breeched.
Secure all positions! Danger! Danger!”

Carn had almost reached the end of his endurance. His
skin was blistered from the heat and his sword had become too hot to hold. He had placed both sword and dagger in the folds
of his pouch and robe, for it was too hot to wear and the ring clasp had burned his flesh. His feet were somewhat protected
by his heavy leather traveling boots, but even so the soles of his feet had become painfully tender.

The wall continued to glow, a deep fiery color that was like looking into the heart of a smithy’s forge. It was hypnotic,
mesmerizing and constantly changing, going from red to scarlet to gold to white. Here and there droplets oozed from the wall
and trickled down the sides, puddling at the base. Carn had to fight back the desire to thrust his sword into the wall, allowing
the molten material on the other side to flow free. He knew it was madness, and could mean his death, but still, it was a
thing that wanted doing.

Another factor had entered the already frightening picture, one that scared him even more. Deprived of an adequate supply
of oxygen and laboring under demanding physical conditions, Carn had entered a hypnotic trance state and was highly influenced
by the visions, primarily religious in nature, that his fevered mind created.

This hallucinogenic state permitted him to continue on, long after others would have lain down and died. He no longer recognized
the constant shuddering of the earth for what it was, reason for great alarm and swift exodus.

The tunnel that he had been following suddenly branched; one tube, open and free of fallen debris, turning off to the left,
away from the molten wall, and rising; the second tunnel swung sharply to the right, and if anything, the wall
glowed even more brightly. Fixated as he was, Carn swung blindly to the right rather than choosing the path that would lead
him to the surface and to safety.

The new tunnel was taller and broader than the original path he had followed, but the heat was even more intense. Without
thinking, he dropped his pouch. It had become simply too much trouble to hold. He soon shed everything other than his small
body pouch and his boots, but still he felt burdened. There was nothing left to leave behind.