At the Gates of Darkness Part 16

'Fingers!' said Laromendis with delight. 'You put your fingers in there.'

'And one for the thumb, I am certain.'

'Why?' asked his brother.

The Demon Master said, 'Because few of the demon hosts have four fingers and a thumb, and most of those that do have long talons that would prevent their fingers from fitting.'

'Or they just designed it that way because that's how they created artifacts.'

'Or there is that,' agreed Gulamendis.

Laromendis moved his fingers around in the impressions and said, 'I don't know how this works.'

'There's nothing in the journal about how this device operates. Lots of discussion covering what happened when they used it, but nothing as to how it's controlled.'

'There are no markings, no devices, nothing to tell you if you've selected the proper alignment.' Laromendis looked defeated.

Suddenly Gulamendis said, 'Think about where you want to go.'

'Think?'

'You're the Master Conjurer. Conjure it in your mind the place where the dragon landed us on Sorcerer's Isle.'

Having no better idea, Laromendis closed his eyes and envisioned that location as best he could. Suddenly a shot of energy ran up his arm, causing him to jerk his hand away. 'Ow!'

'What?' asked Gulamendis.

Shaking his hands a little, his brother answered, 'Nothing. Just a little-unexpected shock. As if I had touched metal on a very dry day.' Tentatively, he returned his fingers to the spots and said, 'It's not so bad if you expect it.' Closing his eyes, he again tried to concentrate on Sorcerer's Isle.

After a full minute he took his hand away and said, 'No, something's not right.'

'What?'

'If I knew, I'd be a galasmancer, not a conjurer.'

Gulamendis sat, opened the journal and began turning pages. 'This is probably futile, but let me see if there's something I've missed.'

His brother sat down a short distance away, content to wait and rest. While they had endured little physical exertion since escaping the battle with the demons, the stress and lack of sleep had taken its toll. Laromendis wished he could sit on something more comfortable than a rough patch of basalt. He ran his fingers over the finely grained dark grey rock and then inspected the edges. On the tips of the stone was a powdery dust and it glimmered with tiny fragments of crystal. He let his eyes wander over the landscape, noticing a glint of light here and there as the afternoon sun reflected off exposed outcroppings of crystal or rhyolitic gla.s.s. He could see a vein of obsidian running through the rock face not too far from his uncomfortable perch. Ages ago, water had started to seep through an interstice in the rocks, and at some point in time a portion of the hillside had slid away, exposing a record of this region's geological history. The mineral riches of this violent place had drawn the taredhel here. He wondered if the demons had come for the same reasons, or if they had merely come because their enemies were here.

There were so many things Laromendis didn't understand. From any perspective the war with the demons had been lost the moment it started, for the only magicians with demon lore had been the members of the Circle of Light. Only the few who had avoided the destruction of the Circle centuries before or those who, like his brother, had gleaned their knowledge in isolation, had survived to come to the aid of their people. Not for the first time Laromendis was visited by a deep, bitter resentment over the Regent's Meet and their policies.

Perhaps Loremaster Tandarae was sincere, and some progress could be made, or perhaps it would only take violence to change things. As fatigue washed through his soul, Laromendis closed his eyes for a moment, as he realized his thoughts were academic unless his brother could come up with a way home.

He turned his mind to wondering what they would do if Gulamendis couldn't activate this portal. Would there be any possible way home in the old taredhel fortress, many miles to the south? Even if there was a working portal, would it take them back to Hub? And if they got to E'bar, would death be awaiting them as they stepped through the portal? For the first time in years, he felt defeated.

'I have it,' his brother said softly.

Laromendis sat up straight and said, 'What?'

'I know why the portal isn't working.'

'Why?'

Rather than saying anything, Gulamendis scrambled a few feet to the base of the device and opened it to reveal the crystal. He removed the stone, then opened the small bag on his belt and took out one of the crystals he had taken off the dead galasmancer on Hub. He inserted it into the receptacle and closed the latch. Looking at Laromendis, he said, 'Now try.'

Laromendis came to his feet, put his fingertips in the depressions and was instantly overwhelmed by images. He closed his eyes and said softly, 'I see things.'

Gulamendis said, 'That shock you received was designed to let anyone operating the device know that the crystal lacked sufficient energy to make the device work.'

Laromendis took his fingertips away and laughed. 'Of course. There are no symbols, no markings, nothing...' He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and saw tumbling landscapes. 'I feel as if I'm flying over worlds,' he said softly. 'Desert, mountains, oceans...'

'Try to steer it. Like a ship at sea.'

'I'll try.' Laromendis first started by imagining he was halting and suddenly the image around him was motionless, as if he hung a few feet above the ground. He saw a meadow, with trees that almost looked familiar but were still enough different to inform him that this was not a world he knew. He willed his mind to the vale near the burned out sh.e.l.l of Villa Beata on Sorcerer's Isle, where he had been reunited with his brother.

There was resistance, as if the device did not wish to go somewhere not already known to it, or so far away, but then he felt a wrench and was suddenly speeding among the stars. He felt an almost overwhelming sense of vertigo and his stomach knotted, but he kept his grip on the device and his eyes closed. He saw a world hurtling at him, then abruptly it seemed as if he was instead falling towards it; he could see a vast ocean, two great landma.s.ses and a sea, with islands at its centre! Then he was heading straight for a small island, northwest of the coast, and he willed himself to slow down.

Fearing to open his eyes, he softly said, 'I think I've found it.'

His brother spoke in hushed tones. 'Open the portal, Laro.'

He willed the portal to open, imagining a way between the worlds, and felt a shock run up his arm, not a sharp warning, but a physical vibration as the air made a loud whooshing sound and sizzled with energy. He opened his eyes.

'You did it,' Gulamendis said softly.

Laromendis said, 'This is amazing. This portal device is better than our own, many times over. Better even than those of the humans from what I've seen.'

'Their builders were humans,' reminded his brother.

'I mean the humans on Home.'

'Home,' said Gulamendis. With a look of profound relief, he said, 'Let's go home.'

He stepped through and Laromendis followed.

They walked out upon another world and for a moment were startled by the change in air pressure; they had come from high mountains straight down to sea level and their sensitive elven ears protested. The smells were different, too, changing instantly from the acrid stench of the volcanic blasted lands to the salty air of this green island.

And there was also the matter of a dozen determined looking magicians forming a half-circle before them, with Pug at the middle.

Gulamendis held up his hands, palms out. 'It's us, Pug.'

Pug motioned for the magicians to step back. Turning to the two elven brothers, he said, 'How did you do that?'

'We found a portal, ah, rift device on another world and knew if we turned up in E'bar, we'd be-'

'Explain that later,' said Pug. 'I want to know how you got the rift to open?'

Gulamendis looked at his brother, indicating he should answer.

'I just told it to bring us here.'

'And it did?' said Pug in amazement.

'Yes, is that so odd?'

'Very,' said Pug, looking concerned. 'I have placed wards on this island since the last attack, which is why I knew you were coming. We were alerted only a second or two before the rift punched through our defences. We located the source and were here as you emerged.'

'Defences?' asked Laromendis.

'You should not have been able to get through my barriers without magic of incalculable power.'

The two elves glanced at one another and Laromendis said, 'I know the portal, I mean rift gate, was better than what our builders have created, but I didn't think it was that much better.'

Pug put out his hand as if reaching for the rift through which they had stepped and then, looking concerned, let his arm fall. 'Nothing. It closed a moment after you stepped through. Where did you come from?'

Gulamendis gave a brief description of their travels and said, 'If we can deal with the demons and get safely back to Hub, I can get you to Can-ducar on the world of Telesan, and from there I can find that portal again.'

'That will have to wait, but I will take you up on that offer. That design explains why a lot of things have happened over the years that shouldn't have, especially attacks on this island that overcome my defences.'

'Could we go somewhere and sit down?' asked Gulamendis. 'We are both rather tired.'

'Yes,' said Pug with a forced smile. 'Forgive me.' He motioned to the other magicians, 'We'll meet you back at the keep.' He put his hands on the shoulders of the two elves and suddenly they were in Pug's private study in the tower.

Laromendis said, 'This is a prodigious conjuration, Pug. I'm impressed.'

Pug smiled. 'You are good at your craft. I have two rooms occupying two different locations and anyone who steps through the door without knowing how to control entrances comes here. My office, and I do work here, is in a different location.'

Laromendis glanced out the window. 'The view?'

'Another illusion, reflecting what you would see if you were looking out of the tower.'

'Again, impressive.' He glanced around. 'The other room, the one you enter if you do know what you're doing?'

'That is for another time. Please, sit.'

The two exhausted elves did so, and Pug said, 'I can see from your appearance that you've been through a lot recently. I expect you'd prefer a hot bath, meal, and bed before any long interro-gation, so I'll keep this brief and we can delve into all we need to know from one another tomorrow.'

'That would be welcome, Pug,' said Gulamendis. 'But I feel compelled to report two things; first, I think we've found something never encountered before. On the abandoned world of Telesan we discovered an ancient human fortress, but the demons have occupied the fortress and are keeping prisoners.'

Pug remained motionless, then nodded once and said, 'I see.'

'I don't know if you do,' said the Demon Master. 'Demons don't take prisoners. They eat everything they can and move on. It's as if they've somehow changed from what I've always known them to be.'

'Isn't that a conclusion you and Amirantha reached after your pet demons betrayed you to Dahun and Belasco?'

Gulamendis said, 'That was...yes, we did, but that was us being confounded at how their behaviour changed. This is evidence that their nature has changed. They're becoming more like us.'

Pug again nodded. His dark eyes studied both elves for a moment, then he said, 'You said there were two things?'

'They seem to be at war with themselves.' He described the attack by one army of demons upon another, the illusion of Maarg, and surprising organization of the operation.

When Gulamendis was finished, it was his brother who said, 'Right before we abandoned Andcardia, we began to notice some demons in the field did not simply throw themselves at our defences, but seemed to be instructing other demons, organizing them in a rough fashion, sending them in waves against specific areas of defenders. I didn't think too much of it at the time, because it wasn't my job to think about it, and I was preoccupied with running for my life...

'However, what we saw on Telesan was far beyond that. There were demons organized into units, camped as humans or elves would camp, with officers, pickets, and even what I took to be a command tent; the attacker came down the hill in multiple columns, coordinated by some unseen overseer, since the demons we thought to be in command were simply illusions.' He sat back, obviously bordering on exhaustion.

Pug was silent for a long time, then said, 'We have much to discuss. But it can wait until you're recovered from your ordeal.'

Gulamendis handed the journal he was carrying to Pug and said, 'You might find this interesting. I know I did, and I don't understand half the things he wrote.'

'Who?'

'The author, Makras, I think?' He sighed. 'I don't really know. He had a little tower, in which there were many books and scrolls, and he kept copious notes and journals. This was the one I found conveniently on the work desk, else I might not have noticed the information that got us to the portal we used to come here.'

'Very fortuitous,' Pug observed. 'Please, if you don't mind, find your own way downstairs to the common room and feed yourselves. Brandos's wife, Samantha, has taken charge of the kitchen. She should have food for you. Then Jason will find you a place to sleep. I'll have water heated for a bath.' He stood, then said, 'Though where we'll find clothing to fit you...?'

'We'll get by,' said Laromendis. 'We can wear these a while longer if we must.'

'Perhaps some fresh robes while your clothing is washed?' suggested Pug. 'In any event, please eat and rest, and tomorrow we have much more to discuss.'

The two elves left his study and Pug looked at the book handed to him by the Demon Master. He didn't even need to open it to know who auth.o.r.ed this work. He recognized the symbol on the binding. But to satisfy himself, he opened it and saw the glyph on the first page. 'Macros,' he said softly.

Pug let out a long sigh. Had Macros lived on that world and advised some alien ruler, or was this another false lead left for him by the Trickster G.o.d?

'Kalkin!' Pug shouted. 'Is this your handiwork?'

Silence was his only reply.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN - Ancient Histories.

PUG HELD UP HIS HANDS.

The others in the room fell silent as he said, 'We have three issues before us. What the elven brothers have brought us is important and worth further investigation,' he nodded at the considerably cleaner pair of taredhel magic users. 'It also supports our recent observations of changes in the Demon Legion's behaviour.

'The book that Amirantha found,' he continued, pointing to a ma.s.sive volume lying on the table before him, 'is still being examined, and may give us a far more fundamental understanding of our enemy's nature and purpose.'

He paused, then said, 'But what is most imperative, what demands our first consideration is the information that has come to us from Lord James and Sandreena.' He nodded towards Jim Dasher, who had chosen to stand in a far corner, and then towards the Knight-Sergeant, who sat on the other side of Magnus at the table, just to his father's right.

'This construction in Kesh, in the Valley of Lost Men, is something I plan to investigate personally. It's nature and purpose must be determined within a few days.

'Kendra, the dwarf who came here with Sandreena, was only able to help us understand some of what is taking place down there. He was a hunter, herdsman and warrior, and was made a sentry and given a patrol. The smiths, engineers, miners, among his people were taken away to aid the invaders in building the device.'

From deep in the shadowed corner a voice said, 'It's a trap.'