Time's Dark Laughter Part 14

Tears filled Rose's eyes, and she pulled back, shivering. "You don't understand," she muttered. "Even I don't understand." Her tears overflowed.

Truly, she didn't understand. She had gone to Josh in the mountains to try to explain it, but she couldn't, even to him. And she had always been able to explain everything to him. And then, when he didn't understand, she began having all sorts of strange thoughts and feelings-feelings she had never been aware of having before but which nonetheless seemed to be part of her. Compulsive feelings, almost obsessions: Josh must come to the castle, he must meld with the Queen, Rose must get him there whatever way possible. She felt these things absolutely; yet another part of her knew that these thoughts, though now part of her own brain, belonged to the Queen-the Queen's sensibilities and ideas, stored in Rose's brain during the period in which they were joined by cable; information now fragmented by time and neuronal degeneration and Rose's own internal circuitry.

So Rose was a jumble now. Her skull encased not only her own sweet mind but bits and pieces of the Queen's, not to mention shards of how many other Pluggers with whom she had been in-circuit in the castle. This was what Rose was, and this was what she felt-A harmony of selves sometimes; more usually a cacophony. She struggled for a unity of expression that never came any more, though sorely she strived-except, in one thing did she feel single-mindedly unconflicted: in her driving, craving need for the Plug.

If it was the Queen in her that had taken Joshua's helmet, it was the Rose in her that tried to explain the complexity of her psyche to Jasmine and Ollie; tried, but could not.

Yet Jasmine sensed the twisting of Rose's spirit, the darkness looking for light. Jasmine had a fine, intuitive sensitivity, and she hadn't lived over three hundred years without learning a thing or two; and what she was thinking now was that Rose looked like a person whose mask had cracked; and who was desperately trying to hide the fact that several of the faces that lurked behind it were not pretty; and who was trying to plug the crack before these faces poured out into the world. Jasmine called this torment Face Pressure, and felt great tenderness for any who suffered its pain.

Ollie did not feel so tenderly. "Rose, you sound crazy," he fumed.

Rose squeezed her eyes closed.

To keep the mask from bursting open, Jasmine thought. "Rose," she began, extending her hand.

Rose pulled away. "My name is Windlight," she hissed, and ran into the darkness.

Beauty shook his head. "They are not here. At least, I cannot find them."

"Do you think you've looked everywhere?" asked Aba.

"He's had a week," growled D'Ursu. "He's looked everywhere twice. And now they won't let us leave. Stinking city."

"They'll let us soon enough," Aba said, trying to calm the Bear. "I've been talking to Sire Osi-"

"On several occasions." Beauty spoke in a monotone.

Aba was somewhat taken aback by the Centaur's manner. "And what of that?" he asked politely.

Beauty began to tense. "The way you carry on with that Sire, knowing he is one of the chief architects of these vile Human experiments, is enough to-"

"Who said he was a chief architect?"

"It is said."

'Then how better to learn what the place is about?" Aba was angered by Beauty's supercilious tone.

"By looking in the architect's cellar, perhaps."

"I find cellars beneath me."

They glared at each other a moment; then Aba relented. "Beauty, don't look to blame me for your dead ends here. I came to help you find your people, and perhaps part of my past. We've found neither, so far-you needn't grudge me because I find Osi's company interesting. He's a complex Sire, he is light and dark, and I learn from him. So let it rest, and we'll make our peace, you and I. Otherwise, I cannot help you further."

Beauty listened in silence, then hung his head. "I apologize, Aba. You have reason. I ... am distracted by our confinement here, and by our lack of success. And in my unbalance, I clutch at those who look more steady. Forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive. We all seek clarity."

Beauty finally relaxed into a smile. "When I was young, everything was clear. Now I am older, my clarity has matured into confusion and uncertainty."

Aba laughed. "Perhaps when you're very old, you'll have evolved to the view that breathing is a cause for dilemma- and then you'll die, your maturation complete."

"Then I am wise before my time, for eating already perplexes me." He put his arm around Aba's shoulder. "But not so wise as you, who can confound my despair by joking of my death."

"You can joke of death," D'Ursu spat. "I've seen enough here."

"As have I, unfortunately," Beauty sighed. He feared Joshua was lost to time; and Rose, dear Rose. He knew he wasn't responsible for the loss of his two greatest friends- yet his sorrow was so deep, it felt like guilt, which is, of course, the most deeply buried emotion. He almost hoped he would be held in the City forever, as a prisoner, that he might keep his vigil for his lost friends indefinitely. He didn't know what else to do.

"I've seen enough, too, I suppose," Aba agreed. He, too, had a profound feeling of dissatisfaction about his inquiries. No one he had spoken to had ever heard of Lon- though he had had to keep his questions discreet, and some people he still hadn't asked at all. "I only wish I'd seen the Queen herself," he said.

Beauty smiled. "I wish I'd never heard of her."

Isis sat regally in the Queen's lap and allowed herself to be stroked as she thought of other things.

She had been smelling Beauty for several days now and had expected, along with that smell, Joshua's scent to blossom full for her to follow. But Joshua's scent remained stronger here on the Queen than anywhere else; so here she stayed.

Still, she thought, the Centaur might know where Josh had gotten to. They had been pretty close once, Isis remembered-Josh and Beauty. Not as close, of course, as Josh and Isis; but still, Beauty might know something.

She remembered liking Beauty, more or less. He was a bit pompous, she thought; apt to make p.r.o.nouncements, p.r.o.ne to believe they came from a higher authority. But overall, a good sort. Loyal. Self-sufficient. Clean. And Josh liked him.

So maybe she would go see him now, in any case. Even if he didn't know where Josh was, he would be more fun than this boring Queen, with her unsubtle fingers and endless chatter.

She jumped precipitously from the Queen's lap.

"Oh," the Queen said-rather stupidly, Isis thought- "Through being petted, are you?"

Brilliant, thought Isis, and padded out the door without hurry or hesitation.

She ambled down a curving corridor, then up a gentle ramp to a stairwell. She stood beside the door patiently, until someone opened it, then walked through in a manner both stately and matter-of-fact, as if- the door had been opened expressly for her. She trotted down two flights of steps, then slithered through another door just as it was closing, and raced along the hall like the wind, just for fun.

When she got to the door that was strong with Beauty's odor, she sat down, licked her paw, drew it over her ear and across the back of her head. Repeating this motion several times, she stopped just long enough to scratch a few times at the crack where the door met the jamb, then quickly went back to a.s.siduously cleaning her head.

Beauty looked up. "What was that?" he said.

"I didn't hear anything," grumbled D'Ursu, half-asleep in the corner.

"Something scratching at the door, it sounded like."

He walked quietly over and pulled open the door. No one there-until he looked down.

"Isis," he gasped. He had been certain she died in the tunnels years before.

"Mrow," she purred, arching her back, going up on her toes and walking slowly against his leg.

"Isis!" he repeated, as if trying to convince himself. He picked her up in disbelief, stared at her a few long seconds with growing joy, then brought her to his chest, hugged her, stroked her, scratched her ears, jostled her.

She bore this display quite patiently for five or six seconds, then pushed off Beauty's chest, out of his gentle grip, and onto the floor, where she began sniffing seriously at a dust ball.

Beauty laughed. "So you are alive."

"Surrre," she answered, a little put off by his surprise.

Suddenly another thought came to him. "Joshua! You know where Joshua is!"

She looked disappointed. "Nooo. You?"

"No," he shook his head. "I hoped you might have."

"He was herrre," she nodded. "Not nowww."

Beauty's stomach jumped. "He was here? When? Where is he now?"

"Don" knowww." She brought her left hind paw up to her chin and scratched frantically ten times.

"Well, is he coming back?"

The little Cat shrugged. "I'll be herrre."

Beauty caught his balance, smiled slowly, and picked Isis up once more, cradling her to his chest. She hung limply in his grip this time, purring. "Anyway," said the Centaur, "it is good to see you again."

She licked her shoulder twice, then fell asleep in his hands.

After their meeting with Rose, Jasmine and Ollie came to the same conclusion: they had to act quickly if they were ever going to save Josh. They slipped un.o.btrusively into a dark side tunnel and began discussing specific plans of attack for that night. Within minutes, though, Blackwind appeared before them.

"What do you want?" Ollie demanded quietly. His words had the sound of a poised blade.

"I heard you," Blackwind whispered. The air tightened. "I want to go with you."

"Impossible."

"I can show you Tunnel Twenty-two," he promised slyly. "It's the only safe way in."

They all paused.

"Why," said Jasmine.

"The Serpent . . ." he almost hissed the word. "We must bring him down here ... he won't know where we are ... we have his Windlight ... he has our future . . ." His voice trickled off, at the end, into vision.

Jasmine and Ollie looked at each other in tentative agreement. The zealot couldn't be trusted, but he might be used.

Unconsciously, Jasmine looked over her shoulder- expecting the caves to thunder a denial of such precipitous action. But their silence was even more ominous, as if protest were unnecessary.

Jasmine was awakened by a slight pressure on her arm. She opened her eyes in the darkness. Beside her crouched Blackwind.

"Come," he whispered.

She rose silently and immediately, and saw that Ollie already stood near the Plugger. They exchanged looks, but no words.

Like wraiths, the three scurried across the cave floor, Blackwind in the lead. He took them down tunnels, up shafts, through crevices. Twice they had to swim under water, once for an extended period. Once they crouched in a damp hollow for ten minutes to avoid being seen by a small band of Pluggers, before slipping furtively into a hole in the rock.

From this point they followed a series of descending corridors until they stopped, finally, in a shallow stream at the mouth of a large tunnel that ran knee-deep with fast water. The tunnel opening was covered with a wire screen, which Blackwind easily pushed aside, allowing them all to pa.s.s. A light bulb hanging from the stone ceiling glowed. Black-wind faced the others and whispered his raspy whisper.

"This is Tunnel Twenty-two. This way lies Queen and Serpent." He nodded once, and stepped upriver into the main tunnel. Ollie and Jasmine followed closely.

At each successive tunnel crossing, they turned at the crossing branch; left, then right, left, right. Each intersection was lighted by a dim bulb, each shaft marked by a scrawl of numbers or letters. A rush of memories flooded Jasmine and Ollie, full of undercurrents threatening to suck them into the past. But they pushed on. Silently, they counted off each turn.

Beyond the decussation of the tenth branching, the water became much deeper, so that they had to wade chest-deep against the current. It was slow going. At the eighteenth turn, it shallowed again, though, and they paused to rest. It was there Jasmine first heard the noises.

Ollie heard them too, and looked around. "Minotaur?" he murmured.

Jasmine shook her head. "Smaller than that. Blackwind, what are the Queen's Tunnel Guards composed of now?"

"Minotaurs, mostly," he nodded. "Some Lizards, some Gators, some Ghouls."

"Ghouls," echoed Ollie.

The sounds splashed to a halt down some nether tunnel. Only the engulfing burble of the running water remained.

"Move on." Jasmine spoke low. "But make no sound."

They walked slowly to avoid making noise. The nineteenth and twentieth turns took as long to reach as had the prior five. In addition, some of the light bulbs were out in that area, making the shadows darker, the echoes louder. They stood flat against a slippery wall, waiting. The skit-terings that haunted them came closer. They separated, crouched, drew weapons. From the near tunnel a form emerged. Ollie coiled to pounce.

"I've come to join you," said the figure as it stepped into the half-light. It was Starcore.

Ollie relaxed. Jasmine stood up, angry. "You might've been killed, following us like that."

"I heard you sneaking off, and I wanted to help. I agree with what you're doing," the Plugger leader whispered. "I can't ask the others to go, but something must be done." He smiled timidly at Blackwind, and they made the Sign of the Plug, both flushed with the first dim glimmers of hope.

"Come on, then," said Jasmine, and moved forward.

Before she had taken a step, a ma.s.sive shape knocked her over and mashed Starcore into the rock. It was a Dragon's tail. Twenty feet of it had been half-submerged beside them, but now the sleeping lizard, disturbed from slumber, slithered up its tunnel and was gone. Only Starcore was left in the tail's wake, his chest crushed.

Blackwind shivered, unable to take his eyes away.

Jasmine shook her head. "This is a bad beginning."

"Let's go," said Ollie. He had to pull at Blackwind to get the Plugger to show them the way.

Soon they had gone the full twenty-two tunnels and stood at the base of a narrow vertical shaft.

"This is it," whispered Blackwind. "The chute we all came down, out of the Communion Room." He licked his lips with a dry tongue.

"Will there be guards up there?" Jasmine wanted to know.

"There never were. The Queen felt the presence of others would destroy the harmony of Communion. There was rarely anybody in this wing, except when needed." He suddenly trembled all over and sat down hard in the water. "Starcore ..." he rasped.

Jasmine propped him up against a wall, patted his forehead with cool water. "Take it easy," she said. "It wasn't pretty, but it was too fast for it to have been painful."

Ollie looked impatient. "Let's go. Leave him here-he can guide us back."