Water.
The debris was fused together, and doing that would take water, lots of water. Walking along the top of the wheel, Martik ignored everything, searching for what he knew must be there.
"Careful, sir," Bradley said, despite the fact that Martik had been telling him to stop calling him "sir" every day for more than a year. "Don't go too far in that direction; it gets steep and slippery."
"Walk with me," Martik said. "Where would you say the halfway point is between the sides of the wheel?" It was a point of contention, since the debris prevented them from seeing just how far back the wheel continued. Most of the wheel was enclosed in the mountain itself, leaving only the strip along the edge where the debris had been cleared visible.
"I think it's as wide as it is tall," Bradley said.
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, sir, when you cut a tree, you cut it down into manageable pieces, and those tend to be about as tall as they are big around. I know that must sound silly, but it just makes sense to me."
"It actually doesn't sound silly at all," Martik said. "You have an intuitive sense, and I think you are correct. No matter how skilled the people who made this, they would have had to move it, and the size you suggest would be less likely to crack in transport. And the ancients loved symmetry, which means if they wanted to place another key shaft up here, then it would be right about there." He pointed to a place above them lost in shadow.
Bradley turned back to the crew he managed. "We need some help over here," he said. "We need to get Martik up there so he can see."
Martik smiled at Bradley's crew's competence. They had worked under him for some time and had grown into the most capable crew he'd ever worked with. They were among the things keeping him from despair. Quickly they used the materials they had at hand to erect a structure Martik could easily scale. A torch was passed to Bradley, and he handed it to Martik.
"I hope I'm right about this," Martik said under his breath.
"Even if you're wrong," Bradley said, "you'll be the most brilliant fool I've ever known."
Martik had to smile. The climb was awkward but not unsafe, and the scaffolding was surprisingly stable given its haphazard construction. His heart jumped a bit when he saw a familiar-looking circular opening a short distance from where he and Bradley had estimated.
"There's an opening there," Martik said, and though happy for him, no one expressed surprise; that alone soothed Martik's bruised ego. "We need to move this scaffold to here." He was about to apologize, but the men didn't hesitate for an instant. Bradley jumped in and helped. Martik grabbed a young man among the most muscular on the crew. "Bring me one of those shafts, but be careful with it. We don't have the tools or knowledge to make a replacement. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," the young man said.
Watching him go, his step a little too anxious, Martik hoped the boy calmed himself before coming back up with the shaft, but then his attention was drawn back to the orifice itself. His crew had reassembled the structure, and he second-guessed himself, hoping he'd not had them rebuild it in the wrong place. Despite all his accomplishments, Martik still worried he would make another mistake. It was just part of who he was, he supposed.
After climbing atop the structure, though, Martik was rewarded with excellent access to the perfectly round shaft. This one was still clean and smooth inside, and all he needed was the stone key. It was soon handed up to him.
He hesitated. There was no way to be certain this orifice would do what he thought it would. He couldn't risk anyone but himself in the event he was wrong. If he evacuated the entire work site, as his gut told him to do, he would look like a dolt and might lose what faith he had remaining in his abilities.
Either way there was risk, but only by evacuating could he take all the risk on himself. "I thank you all for getting us to this point. What I'm about to do might be dangerous, or it might have no effect at all." People laughed. "I can't risk any of you based on my feelings and hunches, so I am going to ask you all to move back to the top of the ramp." This was less enthusiastically received. It meant shutting down the entire operation for the day.
"I know," Martik said. "I'm sorry. If this does what I expect, I'll be able to get down safely. More than one of us coming down at once could mean big trouble. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong."
The crew didn't debate or grumble, they just cleaned up their work areas, gathered their tools, and made an orderly retreat.
Bradley stood beside Martik after everyone else had gone over the edge and down the ladder. "What do you think it's going to do?"
"Go on down, and I'll show you," Martik said with a grin.
"The crew and I agreed. I'm staying and protecting your back," Bradley said. When Martik opened his mouth to respond, he said, "They wouldn't take no for an answer. Surely two of us can escape whatever doom you face as easily as one?"
Knowing no discussion had taken place after his evacuation order, Martik shook his head and handed Bradley the torch. "Don't burn me this time," he said.
Bradley smiled. He hadn't burned Martik with a torch in a long time, but Martik would never let him forget it.
Once everyone else gained the safety of the upper slope, they climbed together. Martik could feel the crew's eyes upon him as he and Bradley climbed. The thought of sending for Trinda was quickly banished, though he thought he saw guards running from the chamber. That was fine with him. If they summoned Trinda, then she couldn't possibly blame him. Thinking back through their history, Martik knew she might still find a way, but at least he would make it more difficult.
At the top, Bradley held the torch overhead and to one side. Martik wasted no time and lifted the heavy stone over his head and tried to get it into the orifice. Bradley offered his other hand to steady the shaft and Martik smiled. It really was a two-man job. He'd have been hard pressed to do this alone, and he had to admit his ego was at times his worst enemy. The shaft slid upward as they guided it. Afraid to take his hands away, Martik glanced at Bradley, who was also ready to keep the shaft from sliding out and shattering atop the mighty stone wheel. Both were proven wrong when the shaft was sucked rapidly upward and seated itself with a resounding thump. The two men looked at each other, unsure how to react.
Nothing happened at first, and Martik was prepared for another humiliation. Then the stone around them began to thrum.
Thump . . . thump . . . thump . . . thud.
The last felt like a dragon had shoulder blocked the mountain.
"Run!" Martik said and Bradley was already leaping down their temporary structure.
"Come on!" Bradley said when he beat Martik to the bottom. "We've got to go now."
The two men had just made it to the ladder when the water began rushing over the wheel, soaking the debris and sending waterfalls down the wheel where the mechanism was still blocked.
As they climbed the slope to where a crowd of people cheered, Bradley turned to Martik, "Was that what you thought was going to happen?"
"I'll never tell," Martik said with a grin.
* * *
"Now how are we going to turn the water off?" Bradley asked.
It was a good question and one Martik hadn't quite puzzled out yet. The water rushing over the mighty wheel was less forceful than a flash flood, and strong climbers made it to the top despite concerns about the wood being slippery and the rungs themselves coming loose.
"I'm not certain yet," Martik said. "The water will surely have helped loosen up the debris blocking the mechanism, though."
Bradley nodded his agreement. "What about two ladders tied together at the top, so they lean on each other and can stand on their own. We can have someone holding each corner of the ladders in place against the current."
"There's a chance the debris will shift once we get up there, and that could put all of us at risk," Martik said.
"Yes, sir. We're going to have to be careful."
"Pick your best team. No more than we need but no les
s. I want to inspect the ladders before we do anything."
"Yes, sir," Bradley said, a twinkle in his eye. Martik knew he would do everything in his power to make him proud. It was a good feeling, but worry for Strom and Osbourne overshadowed it.
Even Chase had asked him if there was any news, despite Catrin's cousin being far better connected. Martik had trouble understanding why Chase was still within Dragonhold, but he admitted having his own reasons to stay. It certainly wasn't all bad. Trinda's leadership was mostly unobtrusive, and the people had flourished under her rule. Food was plentiful, people were productive, and they lived and loved much as they had always done. However, the guards watching him colored the illusion.
In less time than Martik would've thought possible, Bradley returned with his team: four men and two ladders. As promised, the ladders had been lashed together at one end to his satisfaction. It was good they hadn't been longer, since the water spilling over giant wheel's edge was filling the valley. The water was getting deeper, and the crew worked hard to lift the ladders up the slippery stair. With the rushing water fighting them the entire way, it proved more difficult than Martik had initially expected, and he hadn't thought it to be easy.
When they finally reached the top, the last man over the edge lost his footing and nearly fell, but he kept his grip on the ladder, which was held firmly at the other end. Martik and Bradley followed, helping each other manage the slippery climb. Twice Martik wobbled and both times Bradley was there.
"Sorry I'm having so much trouble," Martik said, breathing hard.
"To be honest," Bradley said, "it's kind of nice to see you have trouble with something. I know you've been having a bad run of luck, but you have a way of making a man think less of himself because of all the things you do."
Martik didn't know what to say and concentrated on making the climb. When he reached the top, the water's rush was nearly overwhelming. He could see why the crew had such difficulty keeping their footing. Bradley put an arm around him, and they moved one step at a time to where the crew worked on erecting the ladders. None of them was having an easy time of it. Martik's pride would normally have prevented him from accepting Bradley's help, but this was life or death. If someone fell and was swept away by the current, there wasn't much hope for survival.
Grateful instead for the support, he felt a little better when Bradley slipped. He shouldn't have smiled at that, but he did anyway. The entire scene was surreal, and the dim amber light danced across the water, making the stone move like a living thing, writhing beneath their feet. Those holding the makeshift structure looked less than confident, but Martik committed himself to climbing spindly ladders atop a giant rock wheel to pull a stone plug and turn off the waterfall. It was the kind of thing no one outside the hold would ever believe.
Though reaching high enough for Martik to grasp the stone shaft, the ladders flexed and moved in alarming ways.
"Let me do it?" Bradley begged, but Martik was determined.
The higher he climbed, the more it flexed and swayed. He decided to move more quickly, which worsened the problem. Finally, though, he was able to steady his weight using the shaft itself.
The force of his weight overwhelmed the vacuum. The shaft moved downward gradually at first but then fell without resistance. Martik did his best to hold on to it and had to grasp it with both hands, his legs trembling from the exertion of staying upright on an unstable structure. The lives of those below him were at stake, and he gave his all to hold on to the heavy shaft.
Though he secured it, his weight was on his heels, and he started to fall backward. Trying to shift his weight to his toes and failing, he had to reach out with one hand and grab the ladders. The shaft nearly slipped from his grasp, but the water flow had already begun to abate.
Once steadied, he shifted to a comfortable position, and Bradley met him halfway. It was an awkward exchange, but the stone was handed down, and Martik was able to use both hands to climb back to relative safety. The water was receding, which was good except for glistening silt now covering the entire surface in a thin layer. It moved and shifted under their boots and sent Martik to his knees.
He hoped it would be manageable when it dried and was pleased to see the source of this material had been the cement like sediment holding the debris together. What remained were big chunks of stone, which should be relatively easy to relocate.
After a slippery climb down, Martik was somewhat vindicated. He was now several steps closer to solving the mystery, and he could hardly wait.
Chapter 6
Passion razes kingdoms.
--King Venes
* * *
Martik sat with his legs crossed, watching the ancient wheel turn. It made no sense. After clearing the debris, the giant stone wheel began to move, the water filling the pool around it giving it buoyancy. It didn't spin; it bobbed. Bradley and Martik inserted the remaining shafts, which were sucked into place, and the mighty wheel shifted. A loud grinding noise followed by a thump made Martik's teeth hurt.
Nothing at all changed at first, but then it was clear the wheel was turning, albeit slowly. Little by little, the speed increased, and Martik wondered how fast it could go and to what purpose it moved. The wheel's movement had no perceptible effect. He had to be missing something. Bradley stood nearby and Martik knew the young man was worried about him, but he just needed to think it through. This was a complex machine, and there was no shame in not understanding it. The ancients surely knew things he did not. They had left him a puzzle, especially since he could find no way to gain access to the mechanism. The only possibility he could envision was to move the great slope behind him and fill the entire city with water, which stretched the imagination.
"There has to be another key," Bradley said.
Though he'd considered that before, Bradley's words made him stop and look at things from another perspective. "Bradley," he said, "when we decided to pile all the debris over there, why did we do that?"
The younger man thought for a second, and his eyes went wide. "Because there was already debris piled there!"
Martik didn't have to say anything more. Bradley organized his team and began the process of moving all the debris they had carelessly tossed down from above. Martik worried anything under all the shattered rock had also been destroyed. Part of him wanted to get in there and move the rock with the crew, but that was no longer his role. He had to trust his crew and Bradley to do what he asked of them. His role was to figure out this machine, and he was just guessing. If there was nothing under the debris, he'd be back in familiar territory.
Trinda had come twice to see his progress. She hadn't said a word to him since his attempted escape. He didn't care. He wasn't doing it for her; he was doing it for himself. Trinda's guards watched everything he did, and there was no need for him to report to her. His only job was to figure out this mechanism, and it was the one thing he was incapable of doing.
Even as those thoughts crossed his mind, Bradley shouted, "We found something!"
Martik didn't even remember standing up, but his legs were under him and he was moving at a reckless pace. Workers converged on the place where Bradley stood, and things went more quickly now that they were clearing a much smaller area.
"Bring water, rags, and an empty bucket," Bradley said, and he had water and rags by the time Martik arrived. Some debris remained, and he had to climb over jagged stone to see what Bradley had found.
There waited a new puzzle. Istra's likeness was set into the floor, only with holes carved into the stone where her eyes, ears, and mouth would be. Bradley wiped the area down and cleared what he could. Small bits disappeared into the holes, making not a sound; even when they used a stone on a string to check the depth of the mouth hole, which was the largest, they could find no bottom.
"And it gets even stranger," Martik said.
The crew continued to work at moving the debris while Bradley and Martik stared. The area was soon clean and swept. He walked t
he entire carving, looking for any other clues or hints as to its true purpose, or at the very least how to unlock it.
All the while, the giant cylindrical wheel turned just a little faster.
* * *
Strom walked with his shoulders hunched, and Osbourne followed, feeling about the same. Leaving Martik behind went against their values, but they really had little choice. If Trinda did not want them back in the hold, then there was little chance of getting back in. Instead, they were forced to carry on without him . . . and their supplies. It was bad enough that Trinda had intercepted Martik, but she could at least have left their supplies. Now they were being forced to forage in the same woods they'd had to forage all those years ago. It was reminiscent and altogether humiliating and demoralizing. "Maybe we'll find some black walnuts," Osbourne said, aiming low.
The truth was that these woods were no longer what they had once been. Now they supported the mouths of Dragonhold, and they had been picked nearly bare. Once there had been black walnuts by the hundreds arranged in circles beneath the trees, but now one or two might remain high among the branches, the grounds clear.
"The farther away we get the better and worse it will get," Strom said, and he knew the truth of those words. The lands were less forgiving to the east, but they shouldn't have been picked clean. The snakes alone were usually enough to keep people away. "Try not to step on any rotting logs."
"That's not even a little funny," Osbourne said, but both had a brief laugh. "While we're talking of memories, I seem to remember a hill with a big tree and some apple trees not far away. You think we could find that place again?"
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