The People of the Crater

by Andre Norton

  _CHAPTER FOUR_

  _The Defeat of the Ancient Ones_

  "In the days before the lands of the outer world were born of the sea,before even the Land of the Sun (Mu) and the Land of the Sea (Atlantis)arose from molten rock and sand, there was land here in the far south. Asere land of rock plains, and swamps where slimy life mated, lived anddied.

  "Then came the Ancient Ones from beyond the stars. Their race wasalready older than this earth. Their wise men had watched itsbirth-rending from the sun. And when their world perished, taking mostof their blood into nothingness, a handful fled hither.

  "But when they climbed from their space ship it was into hell. For theyhad gained, in place of their loved home, bare rock and stinking slime.

  "They blasted out this Tav and entered into it with the treasures oftheir flying ships and also certain living creatures captured in theswamps. From these, they produced the Folk, the Gibi, the Tand, and theland-tending Eron.

  "Among these, the Folk were eager for wisdom and climbed high. But stillthe learning of the Ancient Ones remained beyond their grasp.

  "During the eons the Ancient Ones dwelt within their protecting wall ofhaze the outer world changed. Cold came to the north and south; the Landof Sun and the Land of Sea arose to bear the foot of true man. On theirmirrors of seeing the Ancient Ones watched man-life spread across theworld. They had the power of prolonging life, but still the race wasdying. From without must come new blood. So certain men were summonedfrom the Land of the Sun. Then the race flourished for a space.

  "The Ancient Ones decided to leave Tav for the outer world. But the seaswallowed the Land of Sun. Again, in the time of the Land of Sea, thestock within Tav was replenished and the Ancient Ones prepared forexodus; again the sea cheated them.

  "Those men left in the outer world reverted to savagery. Since theAncient Ones would not mingle their blood with that of almost beasts,they built the haze wall stronger and remained. But a handful of themwere attracted by the forbidden, and secretly they summoned the beastmen. Of that monstrous mating came the Black Ones. They live but for theevil they may do, and the power which they acquired is debased and usedto forward cruelty.

  "At first their sin was not discovered. When it was, the others wouldhave slain the offspring but for the law which forbids them to kill.They must use their power for good or it departs from them. So theydrove the Black Ones to the southern end of Tav and gave them the Cavesof Darkness. Never were the Black Ones to come north of the River ofGold--nor were the Ancient Ones to go south of it.

  "For perhaps two thousand years the Black Ones kept the law. But theyworked, building powers of destruction. While matters rested thus, theAncient Ones searched the world, seeking men by whom they could renewthe race. Once there came men from an island far to the north. Six livedto penetrate the mists and take wives among the Daughters. Again, theycalled the yellow-haired men of another breed, great sea rovers.

  "But the Black Ones called too. As the Ancient Ones searched for thebest, the Black Ones brought in great workers of evil. And, at last,they succeeded in shutting off the channels of sending thought so thatthe Ancient Ones could call no more.

  "Then did the Black Ones cross the River of Gold and enter the land ofthe Ancient Ones. Thran, Dweller in the Light and Lord of the Caverns,summoned the Folk to him.

  "'There will come one to aid you,' he told us. 'Try the summoning againafter the Black Ones have seemed to win. Thrala, Daughter of the Light,will not enter into the Room of Pleasant Death with the rest of thewomen, but will give herself into the hands of the Black Ones, that theymay think themselves truly victorious. You of the Folk withdraw into thePlace of Reptiles until the Black Ones are gone. Nor will all theAncient Ones perish--more will be saved, but the manner of theirpreservation I dare not tell. When the sun-haired youth comes from theouter world, send him into the Caves of Darkness to rescue Thrala andput an end to evil.'

  "And then the Lady Thrala arose and said softly, 'As the Lord Thran hassaid, so let it be. I shall deliver myself into the hands of the BlackOnes that their doom may come upon them.'

  "Lord Thran smiled upon her as he said: 'So will happiness be yourportion. After the Great Mists, does not light come again?'

  "The women of the Ancient Ones then took their leave and passed into theplace of Pleasant Death while the men made ready for battle with theBlack Ones. For three days they fought, but a new weapon of the BlackOnes won the day, and the chief of the Black Ones set up this throne ofjet as proof of his power. Since, however, the Black Ones were not happyin the Caverns, longing for the darkness of their caves, they soonwithdrew and we, the Folk, came forth again.

  "But now the time has come when the dark ones will sacrifice theDaughter to their evil. If you can win her free, outlander, they shallperish as if they had not been."

  "What of the Ancient Ones?" asked Garin--"those others Thran said wouldbe saved?"

  "Of those we know nothing save that when we bore the bodies of thefallen to the Place of Ancestors there were some missing. That you maysee the truth of this story, Urg will take you to the gallery above theRoom of Pleasant Death and you may look upon those who sleep there."

  Urg guiding, Garin climbed a steep ramp leading from the Hall ofThrones. This led to a narrow balcony, one side of which was clearcrystal. Urg pointed down.

  They were above a long room whose walls were tinted jade green. On thepolished floor were scattered piles of cushions. Each was occupied by asleeping woman and several of these clasped a child in their arms. Theirlong hair rippled to the floor, their curved lashes made dark shadows onpale faces.

  "But they are sleeping!" protested Garin.

  Urg shook his head. "It is the sleep of death. Twice each ten hoursvapors rise from the floor. Those breathing them do not wake again, andif they are undisturbed they will lie thus for a thousand years. Lookthere--"

  He pointed to the closed double doors of the room. There lay the firstmen of the Ancient Ones Garin had seen. They, too, seemed but asleep,their handsome heads pillowed on their arms.

  "Thran ordered those who remained after the last battle in the Hall ofThrones to enter the Room of Pleasant Death that the Black Ones mightnot torture them for their beastly pleasures. Thran himself remainedbehind to close the door, and so died."

  There were no aged among the sleepers. None of the men seemed to countmore than thirty years and many of them appeared younger. Garin remarkedupon this.

  "The Ancient Ones appeared thus until the day of their death, thoughmany lived twice a hundred years. The light rays kept them so. Even weof the Folk can hold back age. But come now, our Lord Trar would speakwith you again."