by Don P. Bick
Chapter 28
They haven't been seen by anyone ever since they somehow slipped out of Pacific unseen. They haven't appeared in any other villages or I would have heard about it, he thought. He was meditating in the darkness deep below the ground.
He was consumed by the darkness of his underground world. Most of the time he wouldn't use any light at all. He would just sit in the blackness of the cavern, the one he used as his home and work area, enjoying the total absence of light.
Even though the seven had not been spotted for some time, everything else was proceeding according to schedule. In two or three months they would be in a position to take over Val. Preparations were long under way. Val was experiencing the hardest impact of disease and animal attacks of anywhere in the land. A victory there would enable him to control the entire interior section in the most populated area of the world.
Yes, things were going well. In fact, the efforts of the seven were little more than a nuisance at this point. They had a long way to go before they would be in a position to pose any real threat to his plans. And he didn’t really expect them to succeed in the long term. It wasn't a simple task to unlock the secrets of the bridge. He was doubtful they would be successful, even without interference from him. Besides, he wasn't worried about where they were. He would know immediately if they enjoyed any success.
In the darkness, kneeling on his soft rug, he lost himself in thought, working on additional plans to thwart the efforts of the seven adventurers, should events take an unexpected turn in their favor.