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Illustration
Chapter One, Chapter Twenty Seven, Chapter Thirty Two.
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You may go as far into the story as you wish. The text links take you to excerpts within the chapter texts. If you want to visit The land of Muggy Journal- the background of this story, click on the map icon. Click on the rocket icon for the Dreamtime Fiction site. |
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CHAPTER ONE- STRANGE THINGS 1,2,3,4,5,6 CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN- THE VALLEY OF THE RED ARKH 1,2,3,4,5,6 |
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INTRODUCTION TO THIS WRITERS EDITION FORWARD PROLOGUE 1: THE LETTER FROM ARGO BELLO 19: BINNEY'S LETTER 22: MAP 23: BOOK ONE- THE VOYAGE: ONE STRANGE THINGS 27: TWO SAFE ENOUGH 42: THREE DISASTER ON THE TELEMBRAR 57: FOUR THE KEEPER OF FELENDEER 78: FIVE THE VOYAGE TO THE FAR OFF CITY 90: SIX THE STELE 106: SEVEN GAZER OF THE STARS 117: EIGHT THE MIDDLE OF THIS WORLD 137: NINE GLYPTICS 158: TEN THE BATTLE OF AVATUS 182: ELEVEN WELCOME BACK MASTER 193: BOOK TWO -THE DARK KING TWELVE THE HOMELAND 217: THIRTEEN A GREAT AND STRIKING EVENT 230: FOURTEEN SHALDARN'S WAR 244: FIFTEEN MYSTERIES RESOLVED 275: SIXTEEN THE 'FELENDEERY' 295: SEVENTEEN THE FIRST BATTLE OF MACHINES 308: EIGHTEEN THE GREAT COUNCIL 329: NINETEEN THE RINGING OF THE CHIME 341: TWENTY TWO KINGS 365: TWENTY ONE ASLEEP! 384: BOOK THREE- THE FAR SOUTHING TWENTY TWO THE WONDERVADE 397: TWENTY THREE BALARID OF 'O' 414: TWENTY FOUR THE BURNING SEA 437: TWENTY FIVE THE ARMINNAR 448: TWENTY SIX LOD EZZURBARA 469: TWENTY SEVEN THE VALLEY OF THE RED ARKH 487: TWENTY EIGHT MAKING THE JEWEL 502: TWENTY NINE AWAY FROM HERE 522: BOOK FOUR-THE THRONE AND THE STARS THIRTY HALF-WORTHY GABBIRS 531: THIRTY ONE THE TOMB KEEPERS HOUSE 547: THIRTY TWO FOURTH BRIDGE 567: THIRTY THREE THE ARMY OF THE JEWEL 584: THIRTY FOUR THE RING DANCERS DANCE 599: THIRTY FIVE A WILD RIDE 613: THIRTY SIX THE FIELDS OF TALIVANAR 632: THIRTY SEVEN AT THE INN OF ARGNEH 638: THIRTY EIGHT THE CITY, THE THRONE AND WAR 644: THIRTY NINE THE SCEPTRE 647: FORTY HOBBLING YEARS 654: APPENDICES 659 |
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Argo sat back to listen to my reading of the Surkling Tale. He was in his big leather chair at the table. The everlasting candle threw its golden light across the room. Argo filled his long pipe with his favourite Gton- Ancient Dan. He lit it from the everlasting-candle flame and soon the haze of his puffing filled the room. I filled two glasses with his Sipiti wine and we slurped at it. With a tired sigh, Argo waited for me to begin reading from the long scroll. Now the scroll was particular the way it was written on, for it was written down the left side and up the other. He had written on this until the scroll had run out. Then he had begun writing the other way- down the other side, so that the end and the beginning were now side by side. The Arquar ink glowed. It was rich bright purple and we were awash with it. After a long while, Argo snored loudly and when I looked over the edge of the scroll, he had fallen to deep sleep. He was still clutching his wine with his pipe to his lips, the smoke drifting upwards in a thin gold tangle. I read on and on all afternoon, and into the late evening. Then I finished the tale, but did not read the very last words. I closed the scrolls of the Surkling. The old white bearded wilderfallo had long been still, I knew he was dead, but I read none the less, for that is what he wanted. It was a very star lit night, for it was the last Vanir day and the eerie silver glow of the Hub seemed bright indeed. It was not a Tor year- Tor had fallen below the horizon three years ago. The next appearance of it would be in 2582. I looked out through the little Minoe windows for a time, plotting the great constellation of Charskamede above and in the East. She was a Tarinfrey of Legend, and of course that great Southern Star- Revana of which Argo had taught me so much. Finally, at the last before the Middle of the Night I went to Argo. There was a gentle smile upon his lips and his beard was like frost. I said those last words gently to him as though he could still hear me; and it seemed so. Suddenly, the candle flame flickered and died- I thought it had disappeared which it could do; and would come back, but the candle itself flickered and went dark; and it had surely died for good! The only light now was that from the starlight in the black beyond of the sky. It came through the windows like silver. From the Scroll of Sayings I remind you, "There is only this way of getting there." Binney Lenseman 2521.
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BOOK ONE CHAPTER ONE- STRANGE THINGS Strange things were being whispered in the Lefting. There was much concern, for it was rumoured, the days of a year were more than they thought! The Wiziir of the Lefting, Dairenfeld the Fifth- a humped and ample Wilderfane, was about to proclaim that the days in the year numbered nearly three hundred and twenty! And he was going to banish the Dark Year and the Light Year- forever! Gabbirs of the sea; and Trugs, it was known, both went by a mysterious reckoning! But they were not to be found on dry land. And Voyagers even went by another reckoning. Rousing speeches, now and then, had been given at the Western Gate Tower by priests, travellers and StarGazers- until they were chased away! The Wilderfolk imagined they would be much younger by this new reckoning! In years of counting, but not in tired bones and wrinkles. And they would have to work for another twenty-five years to reach the beloved Hobbling years! And hobbling years were the long years of retirement that would go on to a hundred and thirty more years- baring accidents! These years among Wilderfallo were expected to be of declining joy. This new Dairenfeld Year as it was heard to be called, sounded very confusing and dangerous! Then one night, three Wilderfallo- as the slighter of Wilderfolk are known, sat around the long Darkwood table inside the white Cottage of Felendeer. They were Terra Kottager, Salger Prato and Shaldarn Pan Priid. And they had not come to be together by accident, but rather by Great Good Luck! Now Terra made his stand against the whole notion of this year matter to his companions. "I for one do not believe in this!" Terra declared to Salger Prato. "Well, I've been telling you for a long time," said Salger. "That Lir Baltarn Dairenfeld the Fifth; Wiziir of the Righting- to give him his correct title has got it nearly right friends! Yet, wrong! His year is not anywhere long enough," declared Salger. "Long enough!" Terra said with great concern, "Long enough! Three-hundred and twenty days is a lot more than a hundred and ninety-two," he protested. "The truth of it is," Salger told him, "the year is indeed much longer, very much longer!" "Longer!" Terra said. "How much is longer?" Salger rubbed his chin and was silent for a moment. Then he said, "I don't know for sure, but I am pretty sure that I do think there are probably three-hundred and eighty-four days in a year!" "This is even more terrible," said Terra, but he knew what Salger said was not to be taken lightly, for he was a StarGazer. Storm clouds were gathering over the Hobbling years. Then Shaldarn Pan Priid told them, in as much horror as he could muster up, "Well, I have just had a few years at being a Hobbling! And a jolly good job it is too. I shall have to put all my hope in Blazeron!" There were other things being whispered. Not just on their side of the Great Lefting Line, but in the Righting too- across the whole city itself. Now, walking in the evening through the countryside was a favourite habit of all the Wilderfolk and seemed safe enough in sight of the walls. Mysteriously Wilderfolk disappeared at night. From time to time Shaldarn Pan Priid claimed- usually when all three of them were sitting at the Darkwood table, "We are being taken! I should be on your guard when in future you go awalking beyond," he said whenever Terra and Salger thought walking at night was a good thing for them. Terra and Salger were both sure they were not going to go awalking, as he put it. Then one day, the three of them were sitting in the long grass that grew up to the foot of the West wall that encircled the cottage of Felendeer. There was a scary mood in the streets of the Wilderfallo houses outside the main wall in these times, and they were talking about it. "I have no
doubt," claimed Shaldarn, "those wilderthings are to blame! They
are seen in the frontier lands and are in the countryside beyond." Everyone knew the old tale: that should one happen to see the wilderthings doing their Ring Dancers Dance at night, they would take you away forever, or throw your lifeless body in the grass! Now suddenly it seemed to move from rumour to truth. "I should not venture out without a soldier. And I will be your soldier," Shaldarn said, "and if you ask me; I think we are about to be invaded! These are the signs!" he announced. "This is true!" Salger nodded. It was he with all his fine education who had put this seed in Shaldarn's head. "After all, the Dark King has united their lands," said Shaldarn. "They have brought together all their great Phare- their great princess' of the Dark Westing; they under the sword of Azzarlon. They have defeated the Kingdoms of the Further Southing," he said. Then he warned, "It is no rumour this!" Terra and Salger listened on concerned, but not believing, for Shaldarn was known to tell a few odd tales. "Azzarlon weeps," continued Shaldarn. "He weeps for the Jewel of Paradia. Her heart has been given by none other than the great King Priim- her father," said Shaldarn. "He has promised it over our dead bodies, for the defeat of our loved Siorean League," he said. "But all this is so many years ago!" Terra said. "I think you like to grow a tale, and this one has grown right up! I think we are safe enough within these walls! And that our masters are looking after us- they would have told us, if any real danger was that near," he said. Terra lazed back in the grass, "I think all things will be as they were before. We have more important things to worry about! Like this calendar business; and the rumour; and right now the wall we are supposed to be making proper today," he said. Salger and Shaldarn yawned at him. It was a horrible thought to do anymore work now. Then Terra called out rudely, "Shaldarn!" And he sat up while Terra continued, "You should not frighten us with your tales! After all I have my Hobbling years to reach yet!" he said. Now Terra, Salger and Shaldarn were supposed to be finishing the repair of a hole in the wall that went about Felendeer. They had pulled it down but could not face putting all the stones back in order again. They would rather talk- even Terra who liked doing such things since he was so clever at it- would rather talk. "We are safe from the rumour," claimed Terra. "We live inside the main walls. There is nothing to fear," he said. Now he pointed to the far away watchtowers of the main walls in the West. "Just look at those walls and towers. I have toiled on them. Nothing could be safer," boasted Terra. Moreover, when they looked that way, it did seem a very remote possibility that they could ever be breached.
These were catchy subjects, and the day drifted by easily as they talked by the heaps of stones. Soon, the day was gone, the sun slid low down in the West; the hole would not be finished- even nearly by this day's end! Gladly they gave up and headed back to Felendeer cottage. Felendeer Cottage belonged to Jras Hornblende and his wife Illgrrd; they had named it resolutely Felendeer. This meant, 'The battle of the beginning', or 'from here we start'. Felendeer was, "An opportunity!" Terra told his companions. "To build walls and live soft." Terra's reputation as a builder of fine stone walls was well enough known, and Illgrrd had sought him out for the job of building the walls that fenced Felendeer. "Come my friends," he said to Shaldarn and Salger, "come with me and share my toil." He needed the help of his companions to do the job. Strangely, since they did not really like toil, they came without argument. That is how they came to be here at Felendeer with Terra. Then, one day Illgrrd had told Terra and his helpers about her idea to build a long aqueduct from the hillocks of the East to the Vell. This was a big job! "Walls are one thing but aqueducts are another," Salger said. "For we know nothing about this!" "Illgrrd says, build an aqueduct. I shall build," Terra said bravely. So they did, all through this spring, until water flowed from a well up on the hillside down the curving aqueduct, to the cottage. "It was well worth staying," Salger admitted as they drunk the first of the fresh water. Shaldarn agreed. It seemed there were so many things to do here they might stay forever and help Terra. "Now this is great good luck," Terra told them. "And I hope you will remember that I struck it first!" Well they did of course, but Shaldarn and Salger would not say it. They went off early in the middle of the afternoon to their houses in the Wilderfallo district. By then, it would be sunset. This was beyond the walls and a good walk but not nearly as far as they made out! When they came to the work at Felendeer, they first, dutifully arrived after sunrise. Then they were as late as the middle of the morning- and sometimes even later than the Middle of the Day. As soon as they finished this fine piece of stone architecture, they rushed to fetch Illgrrd to inspect it; and inspect it she did, by the whole length. She was well impressed I must say. So much that she employed all three of them, on equal terms to build another.
In light of the immensity of this aqueduct and the uncertainty in the Wilderfallo district- since it lay outside the walls, they were all given lodgings at Felendeer. Now Salger and Shaldarn would not have to go home each night, or get out of bed 'earlyish' and they would sleep well in the Wilderfane district. "Is this not great good luck?" Terra said to his companions. Now they had to admit that there was possibly such a thing as great good luck, but Shaldarn just had to say, "Maybe!" But when they saw the plans of Illgrrd's aqueduct, Shaldarn and Salger thought it not such good luck after all. Her plan, upon a roll of Aszar bark, showed the aqueduct was a giant of a prospect compared to the others. It was to be long and winding from a distant well high on the eastern slopes. It would take water to the Vell- a half dagard away, which was dry and barren at this time. Except in greater rainy days when its lower point would fill with a little water. Here stood alone a single huge tree on the bank of the south side. Its roots tangled out of the crumbling bank, reaching for that water when it was there, and it was always green no matter the year or the season. It was an ancient Antellon tree, the largest, and oldest of all trees in the Land of Muggy. "Here was to be," Illgrrd told them, "a garden with flowers and trees and ponds." So they set out on that very day and began to construct her great aqueduct. When Terra and his companions completed the work, the Vell was no longer dry and Illgrrd could make her garden. The aqueduct was as high as a Wilderfane, who are a hand less than three Gypt- and a Gypt is from the shoulder to the fingertip. It was held up by beautiful arches of well-chosen and placed stones. It cleverly twisted down the slopes from the spring higher up, carrying the trickle to the dry Vell. At the end, they constructed a little waterfall that splashed down and over the spare rocks. When the Vell was filled, they were given the privilege of naming the lake that had formed and they called it Long Lake Anron- the name for water. Already the Vell was looking beautiful with the silver lake in the middle of it, and the tall, green Antellon tree at the south end. "Well, the work has its end," Illgrrd told them. Terra and his companions suddenly had visions of going back to their houses in the Wilderfallo district. They frowned, their luck gone perhaps! They did not fancy going back outside the walls. Illgrrd saw the worried looks on their faces. "Unless you would be my gardeners?" Illgrrd suggested. This lifted their brows, although they knew almost nothing of gardening. "You will have to teach us," said Terra. "We will learn I am sure," said Shaldarn. "Well, I will do my best to learn as long as there are not too many walls to build, or rocks to lift," said Salger. Illgrrd seemed convinced. "You can stay forever," she told them, "Or as long as you wish." Now the truth of this is that Terra was eager to learn the fine art of gardening and Illgrrd was as eager to teach him. Shaldarn and Salger were willing and able to help but their interest lay more in the good life of it. Together though, they began the great garden of Illgrrd with great enthusiasm; and they did not forget their luck in all this. In fact, Shaldarn and Salger began scratching their heads about this 'great good luck', that Terra constantly reminded them about it. "Perhaps,"
said Salger, "just perhaps there is such a thing!"
"Well," said Shaldarn in reply, "I think it could be true
after all, but I shall wait and see," he said. It took a mere four of their years to finish the garden. Well it was never really finished, as a garden never is, but by then, Terra and his companions had been admitted to the family of the Hornblende's- as family more or less. Since Illgrrd had no children of her own, they became, being Wilderfallo and shorter therefore, her grown up children- well, only in a way of course. They ate and slept in Felendeer whenever they preferred, which was most of the time. Terra and his companions savoured this, because 'Wilderfallo' usually lived outside the walls of the city. There the houses were cluttered and close, quite different from here inside the walls; and this was a great expansive estate about two dagards from east to west; and nearly four dagards from north to south. A dagard was their long measurement of the road being almost one of our miles. They had come into double great good luck, for this was a noble family and this was a privileged place of hillocks, delves and vells that they had helped make into the wonderful garden of Illgrrd. Above all they were safe from the rumours in the Wilderfallo district and their life had a soft touch. It was the Sar Var- the Dark Year of 48 in their calendar, known to them as the Lectar Chronicle. According to this it was just beginning summer- the fifth day of it but Salger maintained, rather blearily to his companions, "This is really an autumn of an ordinary year!" Terra and Shaldarn were interested but confused. Both ways it was the Vanir day of Corrella. Every one agreed on that. The Wiziir of the Righting had not proclaimed this 'New Year' as had Dairenfeld. "Old Ard Blazeron the Seventh," Illgrrd told Salger sternly. "Goes by the Lectar Chronicle. You are still as old as you are. Here we still live the same and live a good long old age!" However, Salger still wondered how long the absurd situation could go on. If he crossed the wall of the Great Righting Line, a mere half a dagard from the cottage, and really the front gate, he could become half as old! Instantly! He and his companions, if the prefects caught them over there, would press them to do hard work again. Another twenty-five years of it! That is by the Lectar Chronicle but by the reckoning of Salger about fifteen years. If, Old Blazeron did in his wise way follow Dairenfeld, then Salger would only be twenty-sixish! This meant work again by law, so Salger was in a fix, for he was more than suspicious the calendar of the Lectar was indeed wrong. In fact, hardly a person believed in it, it was an instrument of the state; he should welcome Dairenfeld's decision but to be twenty-sixish again and have to work off taxes! Now this was unthinkable! Any visit he made with Terra and Shaldarn into the Lefting would continue to be of an almost secret nature therefore. Illgrrd of course was not affected being a Wilderfane and noble, but Salger worried, for they seemed almost exiled here in the Righting. This day of the Dark Year- Haarg, which Salger reckoned to be the two hundred and forty-fifth day of the year, was an autumn in fact. He began a secret scroll this day, and called it Salger Prato's Calendar after himself and noted down, in the very black ink of the Brin-Tisdar berry, "Year one, fifty-second day of autumn!" And underneath, "My day of Corrella; picnic at Long Lake Anron." Salger joined Terra and Shaldarn on their walk toward the Vell- in eyeshot of the cottage, where 'Long Lake Anron' sparkled in the sun. There they planned to meet Illgrrd for the picnic somewhere near the Middle of the Day. Illgrrd walked here and there between the last of the tall orange flowers that grew at the east rise of the Vell. There was a breeze blowing that way and she walked into it. Illgrrd had many worries, not least of all her husband Jras, who was away on military adventure in the Southing frontier-lands. Today, she threw all her cares away as she drifted through the beds of flowers. She stopped occasionally to admire them, for these had been risen from seeds that Jras had collected from the frontier, even as far as the Further Southing Approaches. Along with her three 'gardeners' she had planted most of them- there was a colour and life here now of many other lands. She whispered to the butterflies and bees that came by. It was as though they understood her, and now she took her shoes off and walked barefoot through a small puddle; that gave her great joy. She went on, holding her shoes, until she came to the huge tall Antellon tree on a small rise at the end of the lake. It stood straight, among other lessor trees, silver barked and catching the breeze among its branches. Its top, so very high, swayed. It was swathed in rich fury green leaves each the size of her arms. The Antellon tree was the giant among all trees in the Land of Muggy. This one was not so big as others she had heard about- but it had silver bark on a very wide trunk. It stood high and hanging with dark shade underneath its lower branches where there cool calm airs. Illgrrd sat down against the bark of the silver trunk, throwing her shoes into the long yellow grass where they disappeared. She rested her head upon the softness of the shiny bark. It felt like a cushion. She gazed up to the hillock beyond where a rainbow of flower clumps swept ever away over rocks and vells and covered the far crests that met the sky. Northwards, the roof and the chimney of Felendeer were just visible. "The world is far away," she whispered to herself, "far, far, away. Further than the crests beyond," she sighed. She breathed the fresh air deeply. Then whispered again, "Oh garden I wish nothing would ever change; but I suppose change will be; I do not wish to make this place part of the world; I wish it would last forever." Eastward, across the Vell, on the rising ground there, stretched the adjoining estate. Rough broken ground, yellow grassed with a turning road through it. The noble lodge of the Nuntees with its blue spires and fields of wine-vines sat high there. They had, for as long as anyone could remember supplied Tipiti wine to the Citadel. On occasion, she had helped herself to a dangling berry or three when they were full of red luscious wine. Above this were the high walls of the Royal Citadel. They rose like cliffs themselves from the land. Battlements, towers and parapets jutted out at irregular places from the wide top of the wall. The wall height had been built at different times and the layers were evident as red at the bottom, brown in the middles, and pink on the top. Two blue towers rose inside the citadel walls and were visible all over the city. Then suddenly Terra, Salger and Shaldarn were strolling this way through the tall flowers on the edge of the lake. Their Rarm shirts were billowing in the breeze. Their striped patterns upon their left shoulders were striking. Terra was leading his two companions who carried the basket of food between them. They were singing and seemed excited about something. She went to the bank where the roots of the tree came out of the bank like snakes and standing here, waved at them. They reached her in a little while and struggled up the bank like mountain climbers, Terra excitedly told her, "I have caught a little bird." They all gathered under the tall tree and around Terra's hand now. "Then let me see it," Illgrrd demanded softly. Slowly Terra opened his hands and there sat a tiny red baby bird- it did not fly away. It just looked up at them with its shiny dark eyes. "It is a baby Velori," Illgrrd said in a whisper. It was smothered in soft brown downy feathers, jittery and flexing its wings. It had tiny black eyes, yellow beak and green feathers. Then she took the bird into her own hands- they were not so rough as Terra's. Then she set the delicate bird upon a branch. For quite a while it did not go and sung most clearly; but then it flew suddenly away to another higher branch and then into the blue sky. "Well that is that," Terra said. "Now for wine and cakes." Now there was something on Illgrrd's mind. "Tell me about your mother," said Illgrrd to Terra. "For I am worried that your family is in the Lefting all these days alone. Tell me about her," said Illgrrd. Terra shrugged, "I never knew her...I don't recall her. For I am an Elpa. But I do have a sister called Ellavine," said Terra. "The house of Kottager- at lest my house! Has no history at all," he claimed. "I am not sad about it and you should not concern yourself about it. There is just me and my sister Ellavine. We celebrate the beginnings of all years, the end of all years and birthdays. Even though we have no idea when we were born!" said Terra mystically. Illgrrd was saddened though, "Oh," she said and put an arm round him, "And you never talk much about it, so you are a little falling petal- as they say of your kind. You and your sister," she said. "Well," said Illgrrd, "We can bring Ellavine here to stay! I am worried for her out there since the rumours grow by the day," said Illgrrd. "Ellavine is not afraid of rumour!" Terra boasted. "I can tell you this," said Terra. "We came from the proud house of Loth Carak. They who are now long gone, but somehow we came to live there and we inherited their house in the Wilderfallo district," Terra said. "From there I went into stone work to do my dept to Xander, and built on the walls of the city until I gladly gave that up to be here. And here I am. And here I am happiest," he announced. Then Terra pointed at Shaldarn. "Shaldarn is a relation of mine, for the Pan Priid's and the Kottager's are from the House of Mathos," he said. "There is a book I was shown, by the steward of the old Dakas Lodge, further down in the valley, now a ruin, down in the Far Lefting almost. It set the Line down in a book called Catchwell's Book. He was some further far distant relative of Shaldarn's, but definitely my great grandfather," said Terra. By now, Terra had the attention of Shaldarn and Salger. They did not know much of these sorts of matters. Except Shaldarn did know about the Catchwell book, but he had not been much interested in the past. Now suddenly he was, for Terra made it sound noble- and slightly mystical. Until now, he had just thought of his own name as a name. Shaldarn scratched his chin in some thought about it. He was surprised how much Terra knew. "There was old Brin Kottager," continued Terra. "Nothing is known of his wife. His daughter was Ussur Vell and the sons were Sano Kottager and he who became old White Hair Kottager- my father. He married someone called Berryvine; I am her son, and Ellavine her daughter. However, I was too young to know them when disaster struck and the Loth Carak's took us over- and saved us I suppose. But they died when we were young in the red plague and we took over the house. Whatever happened to old White Hair and Berryvine, and the house I do not know. According to the Catchwell book, the Kottager house is somewhere in the Eastward area now called Venno. They were a Far
Righting family, but I have neither looked for the house nor wanted
too," he said. "Well," Illgrrd said, "How old are you?" Terra was not about to answer, Shaldarn and Salger already knew he would not do that, "I do not like the idea of age. Since I have never wanted to die! How old do you think I might be- is as old as I am," said Terra confusingly. "Sixtyish?" Illgrrd enquired. There was a silence for a moment. Terra turned his head quickly from side to side; "I am not about to tell exactly but fiftyish will do! My birthdays are always fiftyish!" Terra said. "Though from now on because of all this Dairenfeld fiddling with the calendar I shall say I am a hundredish! Or I shall not have birthdays ever again. Not in the Far Lefting or even here in the Righting," declared Terra. The conversation had gone far enough. Nothing more was said about his age or birthday parties and they got on with eating the food from the basket. When they had finished the picnic, they walked to a little hilltop behind them in the West. There they could see the main outer wall. It was quite a sight rising along the crests and dips. It ringed the whole city, wide and strong, following the contours upon which the city perched. It had kept out invaders for hundreds of years. "I remember each brick lifted," Terra said to Illgrrd. Of course, this was not true, but Terra had laid many bricks in it. When he was a youth, in gangs of youthful workers. "It was the serving tax payable before I was thirtyish that took me there," said Terra. "They were hard long days in the sun," he recalled, "times better forgotten!" "Nevertheless," Illgrrd reminded him, "Your stone working skills got you this job." He looked at her with a frown, "These little walls are big enough for me- for now," said Terra. Shaldarn and Salger did not think these walls were so little though! Whenever Terra visited his sister Ellavine now, it was in secret. He had to pass under those walls and he could never forget how difficult the work had been. "They are mighty walls all the same!" he declared. He never failed to teach Salger this whenever he went with him. One day Terra took his two companions and Illgrrd up the big white tower next to the Western Gate Tower. He had laid the bricks up here on the high lookout, and he promised his companions a great view from there. They came to this tower, at Terra's bidding, for it was open to all and built higher for the view over the surrounding land- and the city itself. It was high! Shaldarn and Salger had not really realised how steep the steps were. They were small and winding and it seemed they would never get to the top. "Three-hundred and ten steps!" Salger complained when he reached the top. They looked down over the windy edge of the tower to the West. There below was the sweeping Valley of the Jewels- a Delve in the language, which the Aeo stream divided. The valley was wild with amber grasses, the stream sparkled in the sun as it twisted and fell below. It journeyed a great half circle about the city, from west to north. "The Aeo stream is born in the tree clad western hills of the Barinox," Salger told them. Suddenly they realised Salger knew quite a bit about the land there and they listened. "And that is in the Dark Westing!" he warned. "The Aeo stream and the Delve," Salger proudly told his delighted friends, "flows over one hundred and twenty Dagards before it disappears down a great hole into the earth below. From the Great Lefting line it is called the East Valley of the Jewels," he told them. "And where abouts does it disappear?" Shaldarn suddenly asked. They all waited in the wind for the answer. "The high rising land to the North called the Telembrar," said Salger. "There it goes and be taken underground before the broken, rocky hillocks of the Ziglar mountains rise up," he said. Among them, Terra already knew much of this. Now Terra said, "There is rumoured treasure there! And I should mount an expedition to find it," he announced. They were all disbelieving! "Don't you all find that exciting?" Terra said. They were silent. Their faces glum; they did not think this at all a good idea. "Well, I'm not going off to find treasure," said Shaldarn. "Me either!" Salger agreed. By the look of Illgrrd, she was certainly not interested in such treasure hunting either. "Well," said Terra confidently, "I shall go it alone!" From here, when they turned eastward at Salger's directing, were the tops of the two great blue towers inside the Citadel, and just the tips and several lessor ones. The two blue towers were seen from all over the city, even from the various Wilderfallo areas outside the walls- but just the tips. Upon the wide walls of the citadel were the watchtowers. They were dark against the sun as they looked down and over the city to the outer walls. The Wilderfallo houses were beyond with no outer wall. It was difficult to understand how any army, in this modern age could assail the citadel walls. So mighty and high were they! So wide and strong! "I don't think we will ever be invaded!" Terra claimed. Well, Shaldarn was not sure and Illgrrd even less so, she knew a great deal more about what went on in the frontier lands from her husband- Jras. These frontier lands Terra knew nothing about. For Terra, things should remain the same forever, but Shaldarn had been scratching his head. Ever since Terra had remarked about 'not being invaded,' he had been wondering how true that might be but he said nothing. Now they went home into the afternoon sun for wine. The name Bez means 'in the wind' anciently. Now, in these times, it had come to mean 'high place' because that is where the wind blew, for Bez was atop a mound that overlooked the Aeo stream and its Delves. Xander was the King of the Bezites. He was a Wilderfane, a tall and strong Wilderfolk with dark tangled hair. His eyes were deep brown, his brow heavy and his skin rugged. He liked to wear embroidered coats and he had a love for new buildings of which he built plenty. He was of an old Wilderfane line that stretched back to ancient times; they were a tall line but he was the last of that line, for he had not produced any heir and his brother was adopted. So there was a great deal of talk about who would become the next King, since Xander was very old by now. Salger of course, whenever this topic was mentioned, could put a whole new meaning to the argument with his 'New Year'. Xander was still proud, but worn down by time and good living, his battles in the frontier lands were distant memories. Some said he was over a hundred years old but Salger reckoned he was a mere thirtyish! When Xander, son of Tol Umbar had taken the throne after his cousin Arnzo, son of Kassamar, there had been only the Citadel with the wilderfane and wilderfallo City around it. He walled in the rambling village of the Wilderfane with the Main wall. Provided it with the proud looking Western Gate Tower and built a temple for every deity. In addition, he had taken in many other tribes from the Beyond, for better or worse; and so there was plenty to be proud of in these times. The husband of Illgrrd was Jras Hornblende son of Pandra Hornblende. He was a tall Wilderfane of the soldier class and had of course risen above the ranks of the Aroy soldiery. He had attained First Aroy, the battlefield leader of eight Striders- the Chaleaon. Now he was the esteemed Kmca, leader of the four Chaleaon of Calvary. This was a noble rank that could take him all the way into the Kmare, the Knightly Order. Nobility was in his blood and Jras had inherited the land of the long lost Pandra Hornblende family. Jras was gentle of voice, quiet in his own way, yet powerful in battle and leadership- and brave. His hair was jet black, short cropped and ruffled. His eyes were deep set, deep blue. They could be wide and friendly to welcome; but they could be concerned and piercing when struck with suspicion. His brow was straight and heavy. His nose was bold and his chin was broad and straight. As of the style of the Bezites, he was clean-. His skin had a look of autumn bronze about it. He was tall, slightly rakish and broad shouldered from where his leather armour hung well. His hands were very large for which he was known, for his name meant 'large hands'. Disaster had befallen the house of Pandra Hornblende. The red plague had taken old Deltic the Thrower- the grandfather of Jras. Then quickly it took his mother, Bany and then Pandra himself- the father of Jras. He was but thirtyish and a Kmare. Suddenly Jras was alone, too young to take over the estate of this once great noble family. He was barely six by the Lectar Chronicle. It was a strange plague for it took only the middle and aged and left behind parentless children. So there came to be, therefore, many orphans from these times. The young Jras had in his bloodline a distant connection to the Royal nobles of the King line. The line had always traditionally been of noble military decent being from the Selequ- one of the first families. His great Grandfather had been Estenor the second son of Estoner the First, who was himself a cousin of the great King Aeom. Estoner the First had served on the Kings council who chose that great King, and it was he who was given the lands of which came to be called Estoner. Now suddenly in the wake of the red plague this noble line was almost at its end. Its only survivor, over hundreds of years, the orphaned child Jras- too young at six Lectar years to take over the Estate. However, his noble blood placed him in the right care. He was taken to the military barracks in the Royal Citadel for his education and then when he was eight, joined the famous Strider college on the south side of the Citadel. Here the Kings Chaleaon, the basic Strider formation of about eight riders, trained, and from here sprung many of the Kmare- the Knights Order. When he was thirty Lectar Years old, he was returned to the Estoner estate and that same year joined his first Chaleaon out in the Frontier Lands somewhere. Jras and Illgrrd were in their sixtyish years; her nearly and him just past, when they married and that was all they would say about that. Illgrrd was from the Wilderfane house of Tarquind- a line of the famous and ancient Righting House of Arum. Her name was from the words Ill; never strong; and grrd that stood for; soft and smooth; and Illgrrd was all these things. The senior Tarquind's, Ark and Bink lived next door, over the south hillock. Often Illgrrd would go over there to visit them and her younger sister, Shimar. There a red stoned lodge stood of great age called Beyos after the founder of the Tarquind line. The lands of the other great Arum families, the powerful Thiirs and the Archervell's were in the Arum district as well. The Thiir estates were on the south end and the Archervell estates on the east-end. Besides this there was a common range of land that stretched many dagards down in the valley bordering the upper Aeo Stream. Felendeer was snuggled in the Arum district, in sight of the great protective walls of the Citadel. It was out of the way of the town that stood a dagard or so to the West against the main wall. The front gate, as they called it, was the broken stone wall of the Great Righting line. From here, a cobbled road ran alongside to the town where the chaos of the market places hustled the air. The main town of Bez was in the Wilderfane district. The buildings were two or three stories high but occasionally there were single story buildings. They were nearly all yellow and cream but here and there stood brilliant white washed villas. These were the homes of the merchants, self-made nobles- the rich Wilderfane. The markets were a place of colour among a shambles of coverings. The buildings of the town followed, on both sides of the street, all the way around the inside of the main wall. Through both the Lefting and Righting, its main street went, but the main part of the town- the market place, went south and stopped abruptly at the wall of the Great Righting line. Therefore, the town of Bez was nearly circular. The busiest place in the town, apart from the market street- called Dairenfeld Street since it was in his Righting; was the Western Tower Gate on the main wall. The gateway was two square towers joined by an arch. A high battlement linked the two towers in its centre, and a half-circular battlement wall at the rear that enclosed a military compound. The towers were wide and four stories high and soldiers were on duty there all the time. The centre battlement of the arch housed the solid Unze gate itself- closed only in time of conflict. There was a huge Unze bell on its northern tower. It had been caste up there, so the tale went, and the bell was rung to signal sun up, midday, afternoon and sun down. There were two soldiers standing beside long silver horns up on the southern tower. They would blow rudely for official comings and goings. Usually a band of soldiers would appear after the fourth trumpeting from their stations inside the lower stories of the towers and the compound behind. They would clear the way of people from under the gate arch. Often when the King or his officials' arrived they would yell down at the crowd from the centre battlement about some law or other. The tower was in good keep therefore, swept and regularly washed. The soldiers here were in ceremonial dress but wore no armour. They were red, with red swaths on their heads, red tunics, and heavy leather gold buckled belts with embroidered scabbards and larger than worthwhile sedrain sword hilts. They wore baggy red pants tucked into brown ankle boots. They were very well dressed indeed, for at any moment they should be inspected by the Royal guards, or the King himself. The crowd that meandered here was a gathering of colours bright and dull, dusty and clean. They were noisy and cheeky and at times fighting for the right to stand under the Gate. When the soldiers ordered them to stand back they obeyed well enough and there they stood, Wilderfane and Wilderfallo alike, sharing laughter, opinions and conjectures about what this might all be about. They lined the way to the tower from inside and outside of the Western Tower Gate. Sooner or later lines of soldiers carrying their baggage, trailed by servants, shield bearers, spear throwers, repairers, carts; nobles, hangers on; captain generals and even foreign rulers on occasion, went under the Western Tower Gate from both directions. The crowds were especially big at the gate when soldiers returned from the frontier. Sometimes they would carry treasure; but mostly they dragged
'Wilderling' prisoners who were bound to become slaves in the Nusra and
Maldarna mines of the Eastward district. The returning lines of soldiers would break here and the crowd would pass them food and drink. Once past the compound beyond, they disbanded. Terra was a warm faced fellow; golden skinned and dark haired. He was blue eyed. Of course, all Wilderfallo were beardless by nature. His hair was platted most finely, neatly cut and rounded to his shoulders. When gardening or likewise pursuits, he wore the Bezite Rarm shirt. His 'common' Rarm was laced but his 'noble' Rarm was buttoned and rather more fancy. The Rarm on all cases was always loose fitting with large sleeves cut off at the elbow and a wide neck. The wide neck allowed the traditional Fich-Har necklace to be worn. This was made of tubes of hollow reed coloured red at both ends. Rarm shirts were always crossed diagonally on the right side and were plain white or cream coloured on the lower part. Terra liked his clothes to be richly coloured so even his 'common' Rarm shirt had thick and rich blue stripes radiating from the centre on pale blue. His trousers were plum red. They had, as was the Wilderfallo style, deep wide pockets at the top and narrowed to the ankle where they were fastened by laces, wood toggles or buttons. Terra owned seven pairs of shoes, more than all his companions did. They were fancy indeed; and fancier than most, for shoes were a well thought-after item in most Silderilk civilisations. These were kept well, and he had paid a great deal for them. Terra was gentle by nature and well mannered and he often boasted, "A treasure I will find one day," This was his dream, "Had I been a Wilderfane," said Terra, "I should have long gone to other lands." Terra was serious about this, although he was fiftyish and it was nearly too late, "In the Northing there awaits great treasure," he claimed. Every time he talked about the treasure his blue eyes widened and his voice stretched into an excited high pitch. In the end, this was all just talk when he was drinking wine with his companions in the evening. Shaldarn would often take Terra at his word; "I shall go with you and be your guard. Tell me the day and where we shall go; let us be on our way a day soon," Shaldarn would offer with glee. But Terra did not flinch, he knew Shaldarn was tricking with him. The time was never set and the idea of treasure just remained a dream. Terra contented himself with keeping a journal, on a roll, of places where treasure might be found and he contented himself to reading it out now and then. Then Shaldarn would suggest with an urgent tone, "Let us go on the morrow!" Shaldarn would stand up as if to leave at that moment. Terra quickly laughed him off on such occasions. "No!" Terra would protest loudly. "I should not go alone with you but with the master Jras. He would take us to the Northing and even the Beyond places." Terra knew well enough of course that the Master Jras was not about to go anywhere near the Northing; let alone the Beyond, for it was quite unknown apart from rumour. "Well- I do not think the Master Jras is going to take us into the Northing just because of what you say; that you have heard treasure might exist there. From some teller of it, that you overheard, on some day, you can not remember!" Shaldarn said. In those words, Terra had the perfect excuse not to go. Terra and Salger had been life long friends. They were brotherly and went very far back to the time when Terra and Ellavine lived in the blue house of Loth Carak. Salger Prato was 'Sixteenish' then. The family of Salger Prato were scholarly next door folk. Terra could only dimly recall the event. He could not recall the actual moments of their meeting, except that they, "Got on fine." Salger had curly deep black hair. It had a shine to the locks. His face showed that he was a happy fellow, golden, well fed and rounded. His eyes were inquisitive and a very dark green. They looked almost black to a stranger. His ears were almost exactly rounded and his nose was sharp and straight. His brows were joined. A sign of over eating he was told. He did not always wear his Nobel Rarm Shirt but on this day, he wore it. The neck was wide. On all of his Rarm shirts Salger had the blue Gildo that was the sign of the StarGazer, for he indeed was one of them. The Gildo was stitched exactly in the middle of his Rarm shirt, and from it radiated sedrain threads that appeared like silver waves on a deep blue sea. He wore blue trousers with wide saggy pockets at the hip. His shoes were strapped widely- one pair of three. He looked magnificent. * Salger could recall the exact moment when he first met Terra and he occasionally told him, "I was sixteenish and you Telvish. I had to catch you for the burgling of my mothers jewel box. Old Ma Trom- she cured you of such things forever by sturdy voice. She was one to be reckoned with!" Salger said. Salger could write and read better than anyone that Terra knew and so he taught Terra the art of it. However, Terra never mastered the art very well. Terra came to know the Prato's and eventually not to fear Old Ma Trom, but to fear her rules. There were many great times ahead with Salger's father Sev Prato and the Leftings' of Albar who were the family of Old Ma Trom. They rather thought themselves as grand. Just how they had come to have the grand sounding name of Albar was mysterious and quite unexplainable. "Something we should refrain from asking about, especially to Old Ma Trom!" Salger warned Terra. Shaldarn, among them,
was the shortest. "By only a finger nail," he would point out to
Terra and Salger. His dress was plain, preferring comfort and as little fuss as possible. He did have a fancy Rarm shirt but only one where the others had three or more. This day he wore a plain Rarm shirt with the 'Half' crossed by three faint yellow strands but he had three bright Unze buttons that shone like the sun down the middle of his chest. He always wore a red leather belt across his waist. It was wide with a curved dagger in a brown and blue scabbard on his hip. He did not often wear the Fich-Har. He owned three but he reserved their wearing for special occasions of which there were thankfully few. His trousers were brown with wide pockets at his hips that usually contained coins, his pipe and a pouch of some Northing Faint- the local pipe Gton. His shoes were well chosen for walking. They had thick souls, and heavy laces of leather. He had five pairs of fine shoes and a grand pair of goldron laced ones for special occasions, of which he boasted, "I have only been to three occasions!" They were, as everything he had was- in good repair and shiny. His face was a strange brownish gold- much richer than Terra and Shaldarn. His hair was a sea of curls and difficult to comb. He did make some order of it with great trouble. His ears were small and he could manage to hide them almost completely under his hair. His eyes were buried deep but because they were light amber it appeared that he looked an intense fellow, but really he was rather happy and joyful. He had a wide and high-bridged nose and his jaw was lumpy somewhat but he had a wide cheeky smile. He gave the appearance of looking tender but he was very strong and tough. Illgrrd claimed he was, "Wiry!" It would be hard to guess at first sight that Shaldarn dreamed of mighty things, of high ideals and adventure. BOOK THREE CHAPTER TWENTY
SEVEN- THE VALLEY OF THE RED ARKH So began the Voyage into the Valley of the Red Arkh. Indomus, alone seemed to find nothing at all a worry. For Terra, Shaldarn and Salger the whole business was fraught with fear, not least of all because Terra kept saying he had a bad feeling about Lod Ezzurbara! He whispered to Salger, "He might find out about our little plot." Then, having worried Salger, whispered to Shaldarn, "He might find out about your plot!" However, he was not worried, at least he did not show it. "Trust me," said Shaldarn and off he strutted. They reached the land proper at the end of the arched causeway, and they all stopped. Something made Terra look to the seas. He looked for the Wind Ships of Azzarlon; but he saw nothing. He was greatly relieved, for all he saw was Enil-Benir on the edge of the pier, Matar Taris on the island, and the deep blue lagoon of Mawnt. On they walked by many twists and turns for most of the afternoon. The sea fell in and out of sight until Terra and his companions were quite lost. Then, they came around a bend and could see, far distant, at five Dagards or more, the red tops of Matar Taris and the lagoon around it; it was black in the low evening light. Now they saw a fine pink and red glow over the hills eastward in front of them; and Terra enquired of Lod, "What is that most beautiful sight?" "The rays of the Pyramids of Arkhean," said Lod. Then, as the sun rolled further down into the West, behind yellow burning clouds, the walls of Matar Taris sparkled. They were white and purple. Lod could see their amazement; "There are little beads of Bindler buried in every clay brick. At night they glow," explained Lod. Now they came to a square sided fort with a single white tower in the middle. This was the fort called the Fort of the Four Valleys, for here four roads led to the four valleys. The valleys took the names of the jewels found in them. The First valley was thus, Nusar; the second Arkh; the third Sur and the fourth Goldron. It was the Valley of the Arkh, where the town of Arkhean was, that the Forges were to be found. The Fort of the Four
Valleys guarded the roads, but not with real soldiers! It had seemed at
first, that there was a large army here of Maws, Boffils and Rawfs! They stood,
grim and determined from north to south and their rows were perfect. Each soldier had dark battle-mail and deep red helmets with two spines on the top. Their Aroy were ten soldiers each. They were a fierce looking lot! But they were harmless statues! Doubtless, though there were real soldiers here somewhere! So Terra and his companion's fears were real. There was no other way to the Breech of Nuban and the Valley of the Red Arkh beyond! They must pass here. This royal Valley was closed to all except nobles; so they were lucky and to have Lod Ezzurbara and his Royal Warrant. In the Valley of the Red Arkh was a town; and its inhabitants were Midor. They were called the Arkheans. They were a dark race of great strength who were born here and never went away from here- even to wonder at the great Abroad. They were the finders of jewels- the ditch crawlers- the warfins, and the diggers of holes- the berfs. And they were the Forge-Masters of the Matar Tarisians. They were fed and kept by their masters who sold the Red Arkh to the Orcileans and the Secines. Thus, Terra and his companions had found the secret source of the jewels of the Far Southing, and the place where the legendary Forges were. Indomus had at last something of great news to bring back to his King in the Far Off City, for here in the valleys, hillocks and mountains of the Long Land, were riches beyond his dreams. "There is something even greater here," said Indomus to his companions. "Here are wilderlings who can find the bounty under the earth! Here my friends is more than mere jewels!" There was a storehouse nearby, and the road circled the walls of the fort. In front was a field of three Aroy of soldier-statues, all brightly coloured in blue and red, wearing high pointed feathered helmets and holding long spears aloft. These were Thucs! At
their sides were long pointed shields with the Star of Matar Taris on their
faces. Terra and his companions came to stand before an avenue of thirty
stone Thucs! Bleak looking fellows, of strong build with rich green black
skin, decorated by carving and polished to brightness. They had dark jewel
eyes that stared at Terra and his companions- wherever they walked! It was all very frightening, but they need not have been, for it was all a trick of the stone. Nonetheless, Shaldarn thought there might have been an actual Thuc hiding among them! A Kmare on a red Strider trotted to where Lod Ezzurbara was standing. Seeing Lod Ezzurbara was none other than the Royal Aben of Matar Taris, the rider slowly led Terra and his companions along the avenue of stone Thucs toward the road. Terra and his companions found themselves on the way to the Breech of Nuban. It was as simple as that! A Breech, they learned was a secret way through the hills. They could hear the cackle of a stream trickling over rocks not far in front of them. The entrance towered above them, half drained away by sudden rains into pinnacles. Lod took them up into an arena of pinnacles. It was dark and mysterious and for Terra, it was scary! Here it was the bleakest of black; and there was no civilisation in sight. Lod found a cave in which to make camp and they clambered in behind him, managing, someway or other, to bang their heads several times! Shaldarn was glad he wore his helmet, for it saved his head against the rock! Now Salger unfastened the everlasting candle from his belt and dangled it up high, just in time to save their heads from the roof again! The flame was but a glow, just enough for them to see. This might have been a mistake, for now Lod said, "The king should like that too!" The night outside was black and a fire was lit at the mouth of the cave from twigs about and oil that Lod had in a small bottle. Salger observed its use carefully and in the end, his curiosity was swept away by the sudden notion that this oil had come from Toltez! The wilderlings must have visited here from the Dark Westing! Now Terra's words of warning- that there was something strange about Lod came to everyone's mind. Salger began a new scroll this night. It was not a very long scroll- three Gypt at the most. He scratched on it with his black ink a line he thought made the way here. He did not have much heart for the job and only wrote, "The day of Negu. On the way to the Valley of Red Arkh. Lost my calendar going back to Ekepa!" Terra and his companions did not sleep well, for the ground was bumpy and lumpy. And they were suspicious of Lod! They all slept with one eye on him; and watched every shadow with fear. The time was made nearly bearable by the embers of their fireplace, but it burned down after the Middle of Night; and it became cold and dark- not completely dark, for there was a faint rose glow. And Salger had placed the everlasting candle on a stone beside his arm and, although it had no flame, it occasionally flickered ghostly across the walls of the cave! Terra, Salger and Shaldarn curled up along side each other for warmth. And to stem off their fears! Indomus found a place under the left side of the cave wall and disappeared under his green Shvair. He was soon asleep! Lod Ezzurbara feared nothing at all; and he slept under a red rug he had brought along with just his two eyes peering out- he never seemed to shut them! He had untied his helmet from his side and it lay right next to Shaldarn! And Shaldarn pondered about how easy it would be to take the helmet; but he saw that Lod Ezzurbara's hand never left the hilt of his sword- and his eyes never shut! Midor blood was strong. It took them three days to voyage to the end of the Breech. It was the day of Negu according to Salger, and the thirty-first day of the year and the Sanguine. Here was a winding path. And it closed to a shoulder width more than a few times. The stream they had heard earlier was now beside them- and at times, they were at pains not to step into it. When they reached a wall in the Breech, they saw it flowed from a long fissure that went high up, and it appeared as if this waterfall came out of the sky! Ahead, was an awkward cleft where no Drudger could have ever passed. Now they could see the reason of Lod's abandoning any thought of Drudgers here! They could hardly squeeze through themselves. It took much pushing and pulling by everyone. Now Lod was easily past because he was smaller than they were. Even so, it looked awkward; and he had to pass his helmet to Shaldarn to make the squeeze easier. As Shaldarn held it in his hands, he looked down at the Simpi jewel on its top! He awoke to the notion of thieving the helmet! After all, Lod had parted with it! And they could perhaps even kill him! Then, he looked up at Terra, Salger and Indomus. And to his astonishment, they were all looking at him! Their look was one of- do not do this! So Shaldarn obeyed. This is not the moment he told himself; there is work to be done yet! Then, Terra sort of slithered through and fell out the other side on his back! But, Salger and Shaldarn were more round than Terra; and they found the squeeze very uncomfortable. They had to twist and turn into the weirdest angles that Terra had ever seen. It would have been funny, had not they been in agony. Indomus was last to attempt the cleft and because he was tall and rakish, he was able to slip past sideways, but still it took some effort; and he ripped his Shvair! Then at last, they were all standing in a little group on the other side; and Lod announced, "We have reached into the Valley of the Red Arkh!" The valley was wide and tear shaped. The ground was the faintest rose colour, and it was flat to the hillocks from side to side- for about a Dagard. It stretched off about two Dagards to the North, where the hillocks closed and climbed. And there sat a sharp peak. "This is just what I want!" Salger said. And he pointed to that peak. "There on that peak we shall see Tor," he said. And Lod told him, "The peak of Enil-Gasi." In the middle of the valley- but on the North side before the edge of the hillocks, stood three stepped pyramids. They were all red. And a glow of orange light spread from their tops into the air. They had seen the glow before of course; it was from the fury of the forge flames inside. Now they were struck with their mysterious power; and Indomus whispered to Salger, "Clever forge-men, mysterious stones; and clever machines make alloy-jewels!" "Why are the pyramids red?" Terra asked Lod, and he told him- and the others, "They are covered with Red Arkh!" And at this, they were truly amazed- even Indomus. "For it keeps the fury of the forge-cauldrons inside the pyramid-forges," said Lod. "And each pyramid-forge is for the three Jewels of the Midor!" They had never heard of such a thing as the three Jewels of the Midor! Even Salger, who they turned to because they thought of him as an expert on these things- even he had no idea! And it was a worrying notion. Since they connected these jewels with the pyramid-forges, the orange glow and what clever machines might be within! "The western
pyramid-forge is for Unze," said Lod. Now they were worried, for Unze
they had always thought of as a natural jewel distilled by heat from earth.
Neither made by Gods or Wilderfolk! A jewel of the blue earth! "The eastern pyramid-forge is for Goldron!" Lod told them; and they shook their heads in worry. Even Indomus! Now Lod said, "The middle pyramid-forge is for making Nusar II!" Now this was the most dangerous thing Lod said! Because Salger- and less so Indomus, knew of this as the wilderlings jewel-alloy. The black jewel-alloy of great strength beyond Unze, Nusra or Maldarna! But Lod continued; and they listened in creeping fear that made them all silent and hanging on Lod's every word! "Red Arkh binds the different jewels," said Lod. "And here rises the magic of jewel-alloys and unknown substances! And they are with great powers within! And all this- my foreigners. All this is according to the Book of Anhurr!" Now they were utterly afraid and Shaldarn began to think of his little plot- was this the time for it? "When Dargo sees what we have done," said Lod proudly. "Then he will instruct our Forge-Masters how to make the Third Surkling!" A third one!" Terra said with concern. But Lod just continued on, "The Shrine of Matar Taris is the place where the StarGazers calculate the arrival of Dargo! And there is none greater than they are! And nothing else greater than what they say and calculate!" Lod said. Now Salger suddenly felt awful! For he realised- and his heart slumped, if it did not stop completely in this moment; this was why his calendar was so interesting to the King of the Matar Tarisians! For it gave them the knowledge of when Dargo might come again and they might already possess all this knowledge! The red pyramid-forges stood on the line of the West. There was a gate in each pyramid- on the South wall. And from there came avenues or antors. They were lined- they could see, with seven goldron Assar elephants. There was a single antor from each pyramid-forge, and they all met at a great circle on the South line, in front of the middle pyramid-forge. The great circle had three white Marable spires in each quadrant. And where they parted were the directions of the Compass Stars. But this was not like the navigation table in Enil-Benir- for Salger thought it was as first, but he saw that this great circle was built after the likeness of the Star of Matar Taris. And the road that went west joined with a shrine there; and Lod told them, "And there rests the Book of Anhurr that tells of when Dargoldron will be made!" Terra and his companions were bewildered! Such a book sounded dangerous! "The StarGazer of Arkhean looks for the sign in the sky," said Lod. "And when Dargoldron is made, then shall a Surkling be forged here! Then I say! Tremble- all of you Ites, ices and ians of this world! Except wilderlings! And when those days come, no longer will the Wilderfolk Kingdoms of Orcil and Seci call us- wilderthings or wilderings, for we shall rise on top of them! And they will be our Kingdominiums!" Terra and his companions did not understand all of what he was saying; and did not feel they should ask, and so they remained silent! At the end of a thin road, winding out of the golden hillocks- northward, a square fortress stood west of the first pyramid-forge. It had a high outer wall and another with ramparts that stood inside this- beyond a moat. In the middle rose a dark looking fortress. A wide road went southward from the outer wall of this Fortress, and on it was the City of Arkhean- a city of the Midor, and their name sounded like warodfolk- workmen. It was the place of the Forge-Masters, forge-men, their warfins and berfs. The home of the soldiers- the Boffils, Maws, Thucs, and possibly the Loki. And they were all warodfolk. The city had no wall about it. Not even a ditch. Except the ruins of an ancient wall that was further in the West. All the roads were straight avenues lined with sturdy stone houses that had black roofs and wide white chimneys at one end or the other. Lod took them- upon the ridge tops of the hillocks, all the way northward, until they stood behind the first pyramid-forge. The winding road they had seen going to the dark fortress, now went below them and into a hole! It was the Middle of the Day when they reached the road. They were all hungry by now, but Lod abandoned dinner for the carrying on. "The Mines are close," said Lod. And with long sighs- for they were weary also, Terra and his companions went on behind him. Now Indomus became delayed a short time- a moment really but long enough to be last, because he scratched at some rock ledge beside where they were heading. And in his palm glittered the dust of some jewel. But when the others disappeared around some rocks he became frightened for being left behind in these strange hillocks, and strode off to catch them up! It was late in the afternoon by now, they had gone quite a way on eastward, and surely- they were thinking a rest would come now! They had wary legs, their feet were sore, and their stomachs felt as hollow as a cave! Except for Indomus that is, because he was a Wilderfane and his longer strides made all this walking much the easier for him. But Lod carried on- just far enough, and quickly enough to be out of earshot, unless he stopped for them! Which he did not! They scrambled down the rocky ridge top now and went southward toward the middle pyramid-forge; and it had grown larger than the rest by now. It stood high against a blackening and ugly wall of clouds in the South that appeared worse in the gloom of the day's end. And here Lod stopped, and they caught up. "This could be a place to stop and eat!" Shaldarn suggested but Lod told him, "Around the next bend- my friends! Are the Mines of the Midor!" Now they were hungry- and even Indomus was thinking of food and drink. Then they saw Lod's eyes! They were alight with madness! And suddenly, danger weighed on them all. Particularly Terra who even reached for his sword hilt! But there was no stopping. And Lod signalled them to hurry onward. He strutted off even faster and they felt exhausted because of him. Then, a little while on in the gloom- and it was almost dark. Salger was made to go first, for his everlasting candle could just be seen dangling from his belt, and they wanted to follow its light. They rounded the bend and Lod was standing here on a round rock. They caught up to him; and there below, in the Delve was a sea of torchlight. "The Mines of the Midor!" Lod declared in an eerie whisper. "Below us," he said. And if they had looked at his eyes, they would have seen they were aglow with green! Now suddenly Terra and his companions yearned to get there; and their hunger of a while ago, seemed to have gone! "Come on," said Terra. "Let's get on down there! Supper will wait for this!" So Lod led them down, and a few steps later they reached a well-worn path down the side of the hillocks. The path grew a ghostly white under foot from the tiny grains of glowing Bindler shards. And they could hear their feet making a crunching sound, as if a hundred twigs were breaking! When the light from Salger's candle spilled near to the path, it glowed much whiter. Then down glowing rocky steps in a cleft their chaos of many footsteps took them! All the while Salger was in front and Lod just in front of him! Then suddenly they all emerged into a Delve. "We have come the secret way," said Lod. "Here Red Arkh is grown from the rock! And here the finest matures. In tombs. There are many Delves and many shafts that go down! Tombs far underground! Underground it is entombed for the life time of the King!" Lod said. Now they saw his eyes were green and wide; and his pupils had almost disappeared! He looked frightening and Terra, Salger and Shaldarn all felt their hands touch the top of their sword hilts. They noticed old Indomus had one hand on his dagger. "And I suppose your going to tell us we are going down there- down holes to it?" Terra asked Lod. "Oh yes, and it is the only way!" Lod said with his eyes even wider by now! Terra and his companions were fearful of Lod, and of course holes. And holes deep down were very scary for them. "But somehow you have to be brave!" Lod told them. "You shall find Red Arkh no other way!" "And you know he's right!" Salger whispered. "It's awful; but he's right!" "Well, I feel like a thief!" Terra whispered. "Perhaps I might stay behind!" Salger and Shaldarn just frowned; and Shaldarn whispered, "This is the times when theft is all right!" "They are all long dead! "That's it!" Terra moaned; "I'm not going down there!" And Salger was with him; but Lod said, "Ah but it is our way to Red Arkh! It is, for I have discovered, by one means and another, that the warodfolk were crafty. They dug a secret way out!" Lod said. "Then they are not there at all. They escaped." Terra said with glee. Lod shook his head in agreement, and everyone was greatly relieved for a moment- for they were thinking of skeletons and skulls and bones and rotting things, smells and old clothes, half shut eyes and old teeth! And with his eyes wide and green in the dark, he said- with a mysterious waver in his voice, "And their tunnel is my secret. My secret I say! Their way out is my way in!" Terra and his companions felt cold. They did not fancy holes- or tunnels as Lod described them, but on they went. And the sight of the mines of the Midor was gone behind the hillocks. Instead, the sky in the south was lit- all the way to the clouds by the orange rays of the Pyramid-forge. And Lod was not just anxious about all this; he was crazed into madness for the Red Arkh! Indomus secretly drew out his dagger and kept it hidden under his Shvair. Terra, Salger and Shaldarn saw this and instead of being greatly relieved, took nothing but fright from it! Soon enough, they arrived at a place where the ground was charged with a white glow so that they were dark shadows above it. It was most strange and scary! There were no stars in the sky and Salger- wanting to see the stars, kept looking up when ever he could. Then suddenly they came upon a water-well! And Terra's worst thoughts jumped into his head! But somehow he did not believe them. After all this was just a water-well. The wall of the water-well was made of expertly cut Marable; and had this not been such a frightening event, Terra would have spent much time examining it. There was a glow from within the water-well; and when Lod stood beside it, and turned to them- his eyes without pupils, just a slight green, Terra and his companions realised they had not come to it by a chance! "This is the place," said Lod. "A water-well!" Terra said. "The shaft," said Lod. "The secret way down!" And now they were all leaning over the rock edge in panic! And looking down into the glow. They were thinking about water down there; but they saw nothing and Shaldarn said, "There's not a drop of water. Not a drop!" Now Indomus cast a pebble over the edge and waited for the sound of a splash! No splash sounded! "There's either not a drop of water or it's a very long way down," said Indomus. And even he did not like that. "It's a long way down!" Salger said. "An awful long way down!" "Ah, the Midor- the children of Anhurr," said Lod. And he was pulling the rope of the basket so that it came to the edge. "We are brave at such things! We think nothing of it! We have some use after all!" "Well," said Terra; "It's better than a hole I suppose! But it's a hole nonetheless! To me it's a clammy hole! And that basket. It looks so small! I hope we are not going down in that!" "Oh, but we are!" Lod said. "I say let's have dinner and sleep on this," said Salger. And Terra was quick to support him- any delay might give him that more courage. "Or go down later," said Terra, "Later in the night! Perhaps tomorrow night. When we are better fed and rested up!" "Well," said Shaldarn. "I think we should go down now! And get it over with!" And as he said this, he felt his hand grip his sword hilt. And he was thinking- maybe this is where I do my little plot! "Like it or not," said Lod. "We must go down now. Or risk being seen around here. We will have to go and stay in Arkhean, and I will have to think of some trick to hide you all! I can't explain away Wilderfolk in that place!" Lod told them. "And besides we can eat and sleep down there!" Nothing that he said made them feel good; but they were resigned to do it! "Here is the basket," said Lod. And it was rickety and ripped its wicker frayed, coated in white Bindler dusts and its shape bent! They glared at it and they all thought; things are getting worse. "But I'm afraid it is only built for two!" Lod declared. "Now which of you hodbods is the lucky one?" Lod said. Now at first thought, Terra thought; he was saved- and belatedly Salger. But Shaldarn of course, assumed he would be the one. But Lod's words were perilous and when they looked at the sight of him- a dangerous little Midor they thought; Shaldarn immediately realised too, that he could kill him down there! But he would most certainly need the help of the others! And this simply, was not the time! "Whoever goes down there, might not return!" Indomus whispered to Shaldarn. Suddenly- even for Shaldarn, all this felt wrong! "We all go," said Terra. "All of us! I say!" But now Lod shook his head; and said- cleverly, "The basket will take two. It might take three. It might take four!" Then, with a moan he said, "Before it breaks!" Now they all looked at Terra. He shrugged, for he could see no other way- if they were going to stay together. And at this moment, they wanted to all stay together. Even Shaldarn! Terra looked at him actually thinking; he might offer himself up, but Shaldarn was not about to. Shaldarn was waiting for Terra to speak. "Look," said Terra at Lod; "We shall all go down this hole together! We'll risk it breaking. There is only one Wilderfane among us. Old Indomus. And the rest of us are lighter! And you are lighter than us!" "Two on the rope then," Lod said. "Wind it to your wrists. And don't let it get away. Or we shall all hit the bottom; and that will be that!" And Indomus had examined the basket by this time- very closely in fact. Now he whispered, "It might hold five! It just might!" So, they all gingerly followed Lod into the basket. They were slow and scared; but Lod had no such fear, except now as the weight went on. As each one of them came aboard the sagging basket- dangerously by a leg over the side first and dragging the other inside, Lod held tight to the ropes above his head! The landing ropes they were called. Finally, there were now five in the basket and it was a very tight fit. Lod was in the middle. It was a small comfort that Salger was holding his candle- still with no flame. And in fact, it appeared quite dull and foreboding. Terra and his companions felt awful about the up-in-the-air feeling. Without anything in their stomachs, they felt woozy! But this might have been an advantage. "Now, with a jerk, Lod worked the ropes. While they held on- under his instructions like counter-weights. In fact, they held on for dear life! The basket creaked, groaned, and felt as if it would split apart at any moment. It wobbled and pitched; but at least they went down slowly, albeit in slips and jerks! "I hope he knows what he is doing," whispered Shaldarn to Terra. It grew darker; and Salger's candle was rather a waste of time against the darkness, for it just made horrible shadows on the walls of the hole! Then the basket scraped against the wall! Swung wildly, banged into the wall! In collisions, sudden falls and twists, it thumped downward; and just as Terra feared, the hole got narrow, damp and smelly! Terra had to close his eyes! "I have no head for tunnels or holes in the ground," declared Terra. "It will be a miracle if we do not fall all they way down!" And after every lurch and collision, Terra murmured, "Great good luck!" No one else said a word. Then suddenly, they were bathed in a misty gold light. And they seemed to hang here- as if floating or they imagined! They had come down to a cavern and were sliding toward the floor. The weight seemed to grow on their arms. Then they stopped with a thump! Salger lost his candle down into the basket somewhere! And they all lost their grip on the sides and the ropes. "Are we still alive?" Indomus asked. There was no answer. Then Shaldarn said, "Ten Great Good Lucks!" But Salger was in a panic. He was squeezing down on the floor of the basket and trying to see the light of his candle. He could not see it and he was panicking! Then he saw it! And it was nearly under Lod's right foot! One false move and the cage and candle would be crushed. But Salger slithered his arm that way, and with a mere fingernail snagged it into his hand. Then he held it up, as if he had found treasure. "What a nasty experience," Terra said. And then they all clambered out of the sagging basket. And they were glad to be on firm ground. There was a glow about the whole place- and they could not quiet see where they were. It was misty and the air was a hazy purple. "This is the magic of this place," said Lod. Then, he took five strides to the cavern wall- and his strides were not long. And here he pointed with his right fingertip at five or more crystallite jewels that appeared to cling to the rock; and said, "Bindler!" They spilled a silver light from their points that spread through the glowing haze, as if they were white burning candles. Salger was so excited by what Lod was showing him that he strutted right the way up to the wall with him! He had heard of the tale of Bindler; but he had never thought it true. And that rumour was that the light of the stars was trapped by this stone. Now he knew it was true, for here were the jewels of Bindler right in front of him. Great, angular fistfuls of it no less! Spilling light as fast as a river! He turned and said to Terra, Shaldarn and Indomus, "Once, in a time far distant; these stones were witness to the stars! The stars of another Age! And they caught their light until they were shifted. By Wilderfolk or God? We will never know! Night reaches all the lands, but not this place!" And they stood aghast and bewildered at what he was saying. "This is ancient light from the stars that spills into the air! Of what once was!" Salger told them. "The light of Matar Taris!" Lod said. The floor was covered by the silvery dust of the Bindler where the crystallites had broke off and fallen down. And as if a sea was lapping here, they had turned to dust! Lod called it Bindler unwound. It was soft to walk on as silk. It meant nothing more than magic to the Matar Tarisians; but Salger knew what it meant for the making of the Jewel! He scooped up three large handfuls and emptied the dust down into his right pocket. Now Shaldarn began to look into every fissure of the rock for Red Arkh; and Salger did the same. They thought they might find it right in front of them. But Lod told them, "You'll find none here!" Nonetheless, they walked with one eye open to finding some; and Terra said- as he was feeling scared by now, "This is no place for Wilderfallo!" Then suddenly Salger spotted a round pebble of Bindler, a little smaller than his fist! He picked it up and wiped it clean on his shirt. Now it glowed and he held it up for all to see- and they had all stopped to look. "There," said Salger and slid it into his left pocket. "It is only Bindler," said Lod. "Worthless except for its light!" But Indomus whispered in his left ear, "Yes! But some of it sparkles. Some of it is round. Some clear and some sharp! It all means something!" said Indomus. "As a man from Canap; it is a mighty interesting thing!" "Then maybe, I could sell it to you; yet!" And now Indomus saw his wide green eyes. He realised he should have said nothing! But stride forth along the cavern wall they did. And quite close for comfort. Then it narrowed to a hole, where Indomus gathered pebbles of Bindler, not for the reasons that Salger did, but for his own collection. He found three perfectly round pebbles that were brighter than the rest and dropped them down into his left pocket. He was now last again. "Foreigners!" said Lod. "Your land must be strange indeed! If this is worth collecting!" Now they came upon a pile of stones; but they were really brick. Broken and fractured. They were the remains of an arched doorway. "A false door," Lod told them. They scrambled over them, for they blocked the way. When they came down the other side, they had entered an oblong chamber with a vaulted roof bearing the axe marks of the warfins who had carved it out. And here they halted in fright, for in the middle stood twelve dark statues of Maws. They formed a square with three standing on each side. This was a magnificent place. It was as bright as day almost! Salger tied the cage with his candle back on his belt. It might be out for all he could see of its glow. He hoped it was not! For he thought if it were, they were indeed in terrible trouble! The walls, roof and floor were polished and smooth. They were all solid Bindler. And it was as if there were a thousand torches inside the rock! There were two false doors in each of the four walls; but the only one broken down was the door that Terra and his companions had squeezed through. There remained the other one in that wall. Now they went and looked at the statues and there was an awful trick about them, for their eyes never left Terra and his companions! They were black-red when they got near to them; and were dressed in real armour and swords, shields and helmets- all of Unze. Each Maw was on one knee- his left knee; holding a sword up with the right hand; and a long shield with the left. The battle-mail of each Maw was in the stone. "Maws of long ago!" Lod told them. "The guards of these halls." "I feel like I want to get out of here!" Terra whispered to Shaldarn- closing his eyes. But within the square of the Maws were five small chests. Now Lod took them here, and his eyes were crazy with no pupils at all. The chests were stark white Marable and each carved with a single Glyptic. Each Glyptic was for Red Arkh; and within the Glyptic was a number that Salger realised- or guessed, was a year! But it bore no resemblance to any year he knew. "Let me get this Red Arkh," said Lod. Now Terra and his companions stood looking down at the five small chests. But Indomus and Shaldarn were weary of Lod and they kept their hands on their sword hilts! Now Lod Ezzurbara did something strange, and this was not unexpected. Then he crouched down, and sniffed each of the chests with his nose. Terra and his companions were mystified! They watched as he waved his nose this way and that! Then, he scrambled down on his hands and knees and went from chest to chest! And he did this many times. Only Shaldarn would have known how many times of course. He whispered, "That's twenty-four times he's done that!" Then, Lod went to the fifth chest and pressed his nose heavily against its lid! He did it five times! "I can smell Red Arkh!" Lod declared to them. Then- still on his knees, he pulled the lid up; and stood up showing Terra and his companions inside. They thought they
would see Red Arkh; but all they saw were four grains of deep amber pebbles.
"Is this it?" Salger said. "This is it! Lod said. "Yet
not it!" They were very confused. Even Indomus was confused. "This is some way to being it!" Lod told them. "It has not grown yet! For Red Arkh is first Seed-Arkh. Then it is placed here- in these chests! In these chambers; where it grows," said Lod. "What do you mean grows?" Indomus asked. "Red Arkh grows hodbods! Grows from the Seed-Arkh," explained Lod. "It takes hundreds of years." "Hundreds of years!" Salger said. "What do you mean hundreds of years?" Because they only had a few days. Had Lod misunderstood them? More likely tricked them! "The older it is the deeper red it becomes!" Lod said- unperturbed by Salger's outburst. "The more shining it has," he said. "The more scent it has. It makes a scent the kings and nobles of the civilisations seek out!" "Well! I don't smell anything!" Salger said. "Wilderfolk can't!" Lod said. "When delivered of it, they attach it to their foreheads; in a row of three. Or burn the Red Arkh grains for the pleasing scent- that is the only way Wilderfolk can smell its scent. In the other valleys it is used for the making of jewel-alloys." Now Lod put down this chest and took up the second. He placed it at Terra's feet, creaked the lid open; and they were all peering in, but there was nothing! Then Salger, being mystified by how black it was inside there, suddenly took the cage with the candle inside it off, his belt. Then, he gently lowered it inside. Under the faint glow of the candle were seen seven grains; and one was red! "That is Red Arkh!" Lod told them. "A thousand years in the ageing!" Lod declared with glee. "This is worth a fortune," he said. "It has lain here for all this time. This is one grain that will not reach a King; but one day the other six will reach a great king of the civilised world," declared Lod. Shaldarn lurched forward to touch the grain of Red Arkh but Lod stopped him! "No one shall touch it," ordered Lod. Then slowly, he pushed his right hand into the chest and rolled the grain into his palm. Now he stood up straight and waved the grain in front of Terra and his companions- holding it between his forefinger and thumb. Their eyes turned misty red and the jewel of Red Arkh was itself a deeper red. They had never imagined there could be such a red! "I shall be the only one to carry this," said Lod. For Salger had held his palm out for it. "I can not trust hodbods!" Lod explained. And then, Lod knelt down and went about looking in the other chests! And his eyes were glazed green with lust for them! "Give me your candle!" Lod ordered and so Salger handed it to him. Then, as his back was turned, Salger whispered, "Fill our pockets with shards of Bindler while he does this." So they all scurried back through the ranks of the Maw-statues again; with their eyes fixed on the floor! Their steps were hurried- and dangerous! And in the chaos they tripped and faltered over the broken bricks at the doorway. Still Lod was kneeling over the chests, and he did not see them- he had opened three by now. They hurried to pick shards up where ever they could and slipped them down in their pockets. Then finally, Terra and his companions had filled their pockets! "Are you sure you are right? This much?" Shaldarn said. "This is an awful lot!" Salger looked mystified! Then he whispered, "I shall have to consult the Tablet really! But not here!" Salger warned. "Bindler I am sure it says to collect! But is this enough? How much you ask? More than we should need- I hope!" "Have a look," demanded Shaldarn; but Salger could see the shadow of Lod's plying hands going into yet another chest! And the lids of several left open. "I do not want Lod to see the Tablet!" Salger said. "Lest he take it. I think my guess is more than enough!" Now Terra and Indomus had become worried and they peered through the Maw-statues at Lod. They could see him taking every grain of Red Arkh! He was so concerned with what he was doing that he was oblivious to anything else! By now, they were all peering in at him around the shoulder of the Maw-statue; and they felt cold by its touch! Shaldarn counted with his left forefinger, that Lod was trying to open the lid of the second to last chest. It was stuck fast! And by the look of it, this might take a few moments! "Look at the Tablet now!" Terra whispered to Salger, "But Hurry! I don't like this hole at all!" Every eye was looking at Salger to do so! So he threw off his backbag against the far wall; and rustled out the Tablet from there! He lay it flat down on the floor, and they all looked over his shoulder. Salger's fingers swept down to the line of Glyptics where it told of the making in the Forge. "Well?" Terra asked in haste. "There," whispered Salger, "nothing about how much! Just Bindler!" Now in a panic, Salger pushed the Tablet back into his Backbag and slung it over his shoulder. Shaldarn helped him tighten the straps and said, "Have we got enough?" "I do not really know of course!" Salger told him. "It might take as much as is needed. Indomus will know when the time comes!" And Indomus, hearing this whispered, "This might be too much- or too little! We will have to wait and see!" Now they all scurried back to Lod and stood behind him, as if nothing at all had happened! They were just in time, because Lod had opened that last chest; and looted it! And they all thought he was just a common Trug for that! Now Lod gave Salger back his candle and led them all out through the door again! And with a wide smile, and a faint look of greed still in his eyes, Lod strode off down the passage; and they all followed behind! They were hurrying at quite a pace, when Shaldarn said in a breathless whisper to Terra, "Notice how he did not tell us, where the Red Arkh is mined." "Or- where the mines are! Notice that!" Terra said. Then, at last, they reached the basket. They were gathering their breath and striking up courage for the return haul up the hole- to say nothing of the effort this would take! When Lod told them, "Up we will go- my hodbods!" They all looked up the shaft and it appeared to go on forever. In fact, they thought the shaft further than they recalled. "It is still an awful hole!" Terra said darkly. "We must now go to the Forge," said Lod. "And to the Forge-master. And his Forge-men and the warodfolk. There I shall take you. And there you will make your Jewel!" Lod told them. So they clambered and fell into the basket until it was swollen. Now horror returned to Terra, when he realised they were heavier than before! "I shall be rich!" Lod said. And as he spoke his pupils shrunk. "I shall be powerful! Oh yes, very powerful!" Lod declared. "We shall be nothing if we don't get going up from here!" Terra said. But Lod just carried on saying, "You shall hear of my fame from the Abroad. You will," he told them. "My name shall be across all the Southing. And you can say- that you knew me! But tell your masters to go easy on me! I am not to be crossed," said Lod waving his finger at them all. "They shall want to invade these lands for sure! But the Wilderfolk will not prevail! Oh no," said Lod, "because you will make a jewel which will make me and my land powerful above all others! Ah, there is some good in you hodbods after all! But think of me, not as a monster- that I see in your eyes you think I am! Think of me as king! And you the King Makers! Yes, you the King Makers!" Lod said. This was awful! Despite what Lod had just said, they all
knew that the promise of the Luan Jewel was turning Lod even more evil- than
he already was!"Evil knows no
armour," whispered Terra under his breath to Shaldarn. Now they all pulled on the rope. It took all the strength of Terra, Salger, Shaldarn and Indomus combined! It took them three pulls- each one harder than the one before, until they at last lifted off from the floor. There they swung for a horrible moment with the basket creaking and the ropes groaning! Now they heaved again and they were jerked upward a few Gypt. Every jerk, when they came into the hole, was a grind against the clammy walls! Terra only opened his eyes now and then. He just blindly pulled onward! In this way, they ascended the hole. And it seemed even more horrible than before to Terra. Thus, he found strength- when he thought he had none, to pull; and they went upward in dangerous jerks. It was a long awful journey to the top! The horror of it made Terra work even harder. Finally, puffing and sweating, they reached the top, secured the rope- in chaos and misunderstanding, around the frame up there. Now they clambered out quickly- or rather fell out! When they had all struggled onto
their feet, they felt suddenly scared by the darkness! Salger looked to the
sky for stars, but there were none; so, he held up the candle within its
little basket; and Terra asked Lod in his exhaustion, "Have you still
got it?" And Lod held the Red Arkh into the light of the
everlasting-candle, between his forefinger and his thumb again.
"There!" Lod said.
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