Julia frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure!”
“Then why have you kept us waiting all this time?”
“Because the door doesn’t feel right!” snapped the Seneschal disgustedly. “I know this door leads to the South Tower, but … I keep getting the feeling that it doesn’t!”
“Are you saying we’re lost?” asked Julia, her heart sinking.
“Of course we’re not lost! I’m just not entirely sure where we are.”
“Terrific,” said Bodeen.
The Seneschal glared at the door, and then reached cautiously for the handle. Julia tensed, and held her dagger out before her. The Seneschal glanced quickly at Julia and Bodeen, and then eased the door open a crack. Bright light flared round the edges of the door, throwing back the darkness. Julia and the Seneschal fell back, startled by the sudden glare, and Bodeen moved quickly forward to stand between them and the door. He waited a moment while his eyes adjusted to the new light, and then gave the door a quick push with his foot. It swung slowly open, and Bodeen whistled softly as bright daylight flooded into the corridor.
“Come and take a look,” he said slowly. “You’re not going to believe this …”
Julia glared about her warily, before moving over to join the Seneschal at Bodeen’s side. Her sense of imminent danger had faded to a vague unease, but she still couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watched. Nerves, she told herself angrily, and looked through the door. She blinked dazedly into the light for a moment, and then realized she was looking out into an endless sky. Clouds floated before her, soft and wet and puffy, so close she could almost reach out and touch them. She looked up, and then gasped as her stomach lurched. Far above her, a hundred feet and more, lay the ground. The view was upside down. Julia closed her eyes, and waited for her stomach to settle before looking again. Heights didn’t usually bother her, but the upended view’s casual defiance of the natural order of things disturbed her deeply.
“Interesting,” she said finally, forcing herself to look up at the ground.
“Yes, isn’t it,” said the Seneschal happily, and Julia was disgusted to note that not only he was looking up and down with no sign of distress, he was actually smiling while he did it. “It’s a view from the South Tower, Princess, or at least from where the South Tower used to be. If you look down, or rather up, you can see the moat quite clearly. Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating. It’s not just an illusion, you know; somehow, within this doorway space itself has been inverted. I can feel it most distinctly. I suppose if someone were to step through this door, they’d fall up, rather than down.”
“After you,” said Julia, and the Seneschal chuckled. Bodeen stared up at the ground, frowning.
“If the Tower’s been missing all this time,” said Julia slowly, “Why hasn’t anyone noticed it before? It should have been obvious from the outside.”
“Actually, no,” said the Seneschal, still studying the view. “The Castle’s exterior is mainly illusion.”
“At least now we know what happened to the other parties,” said Bodeen suddenly, and Julia and the Seneschal stepped carefully back from the door before turning to look at him.
“Obvious when you think about it,” said the guard calmly, still staring out into the sunshine. “Like you, sir Seneschal, they must have decided to enter the Treasury through the South Tower. It was the main entrance, after all. Unfortunately, their trackers weren’t in your league. They had no way of knowing the door had become a death trap. So, blinded by the light, they just walked right in and fell to their deaths.”
“But … someone would have found the bodies,” protested Julia.
Bodeen shrugged, and turned away from the door. “Like as not they ended up in the moat, or near it. And the moat monster’s always hungry.”
“We can’t be sure all the parties came this way,” said the Seneschal. “And even if they did, I can’t believe none of them would have survived the trap.”
Bodeen smiled grimly. “Maybe there are other traps we haven’t found yet.”
For a long moment the three of them just stared at each other, and then the Seneschal shrugged, and turned away to stare through the doorway.
“All right,” said Julia, “Where do we go now? We can’t get to the Treasury this way.”
“Actually, I rather think we can,” said the Seneschal. “I’ve just had an idea.”
Julia looked at Bodeen. “Can’t you just feel your heart sinking?” Bodeen nodded solemnly.
“The South Tower may be missing,” said the Seneschal, “but the door that leads to the treasury is still there. I can see it, just a little farther along what is now the outer wall. Even more to the point, there’s a stairway that connects these two doors, built onto the wall.”
“A stairway,” said Julia. “Is it intact?”
“Mostly. The supports that held it in place seem to have vanished with the Tower, but it looks secure enough. As long as we’re careful.”
“Let me get this straight,” said Julia. “You expect us to go out that door, crawl along an unsupported crumbling stairway, carefully ignoring the hundred-foot drop, just to reach another door that’s probably locked, anyway?”
“Got it in one,” said the Seneschal.
Julia looked at Bodeen. “You hit him first. You’re nearest.”
“You won’t be in any real danger,” said the Seneschal hastily.
“Damn right I won’t,” said Julia. “I’m not going.”
“Princess Julia,” said the Seneschal firmly, “I am going. So is Bodeen. If you wish to stay behind and wait for our return, or if you want to try and find your way back through the dark without me, that is up to you.”
Julia glared at him, and then rounded on Bodeen, who shrugged helplessly.
“Sorry, Princess; the Seneschal’s in charge.”
Julia turned away in disgust. “All right; let’s get this over with.”
The Seneschal chuckled irritatingly, and moved over to look out the doorway. He craned his neck to get a better view of what lay above the lintel, and then nodded happily. “The stairs begin directly above the door. The only problem’s going to be the gravity switch, but as long as we get a good grip on the lintel first … Well, don’t just stand there, Bodeen; make a stirrup for me.”
The guard moved quickly forward and cupped his hands together. The Seneschal set his foot in the stirrup, positioned his weight carefully, and then took firm hold of the lintel with both hands. He glanced quickly out the door, and then nodded to Bodeen. The guard lifted as the Seneschal jumped, and Julia gasped as the Seneschal’s body flipped gracefully end over end through the doorway. He shot upwards out of sight, his hands still clinging fiercely to the lintel. There was a long silence, and then the hands suddenly disappeared.
“Are you all right, sir?” called Bodeen hesitantly.
“Of course I’m all right!” yelled the Seneschal crossly. “Give me a chance to get a little farther along the stairs, and then send out the Princess. And tell her to watch her step; it’s slippery out here.”
Julia looked at Bodeen, and swallowed dryly.
“Take your time,” he said understandingly. “There’s no rush.”
“What gets me is we volunteered for this,” said Julia, and Bodeen smiled.
“It beats collecting horse manure for the gardens. But only just. Ready?”
Julia nodded, slipped her dagger back into her boot so as to have both hands free, and then set her foot in the stirrup Bodeen made for her. She tried for a firm grip on the lintel, but her fingers slipped on the smooth wood, and she had to stop and rub her hands dry on her dress before she could get a grip she trusted. She took a deep breath, let it slowly out, and nodded to Bodeen. He smiled reassuringly, and Julia jumped.
Gravity changed while she was still in midair. Up was suddenly down, and her head swam madly as she found herself hanging by one hand from the bottom of the door. Beneath her kicking feet there was nothing bu
“Sir Seneschal,” called Julia sweetly, “I’m going to get you for this.”
The Seneschal looked around unhurriedly. “Ah, there you are, Princess. I would have come back to help you, but I’m afraid I got distracted by this door. I was miles away.”
“I wish I was,” muttered Julia. The gusting wind tousled her hair as she stared uncomfortably at the view spread out below her. The Forest sprawled greenly across the horizon in which ever direction she looked, and it was hard for Julia to imagine such an ancient and magnificent sight falling to darkness and decay under the long night. She strained her eyes until they ached, but as yet there was no sign of the Darkwood itself. She wondered if Rupert had passed through the darkness yet, on his way to the High Warlock. She tried to remember exactly how long he’d been gone, and felt vaguely ashamed when she found she wasn’t sure. Julia scowled, and turning away from the Forest, she concentrated on the stairway before her. One problem at a time. Her frown deepened as she realized much of the stonework was cracked and pitted from its long exposure to the wind and rain, and several of the steps hung at crazy angles from the Castle wall, apparently only held in place by a little mortar and accumulated pigeon droppings.
“Is it safe for me to come out yet, Princess?” called Bodeen plaintively, and Julia started guiltily as she realized how long she’d kept the guard waiting.
“All clear!” she yelled quickly, and scrambled down onto the next step so as to give him more room. She’d barely made it before Bodeen came flying upside-down through the door, somersaulting in midair as the gravity changed. His grip on the lintel never even looked like slipping, and in the space of a few moments he was crouching gracefully on the top step, and looking interestedly down at the view.
“Do stop hanging around,” called the Seneschal. “The Treasury door isn’t locked.”
Julia glanced across just in time to see him tug energetically at the door. It opened outwards, nearly knocking the Seneschal from his perch in the process. He quickly regained his balance, stared dubiously into the dark opening, and then jumped into it, flipping head over heels upwards as he went.
That man has nerves of steel, thought Julia. Either that, or absolutely no sense of self-preservation.
She glared at the weathered, rough-hewn steps that lay between her and the Treasury door. There were only a few gaps wide enough to require jumping, but the steps on each side of the breaks looked decidedly precarious. Julia looked down, and then wished she hadn’t. The drop seemed to get longer every time she looked. She studied the battered stairway, and cursed under her breath, so as not to upset Bodeen. If the Seneschal hadn’t already made the journey, she’d have called it impossible. As it was … Julia sighed, gathered up her long dress, and tucked the front and back ends securely into her belt. The wind was cold on her bare legs, but she had to be able to see where her feet were. She glared dubiously at the next step down, and then lowered herself cautiously onto it. The stone creaked warningly under her weight. Julia waited a moment for it to settle, and then moved on to the next step. Slowly, she made her way down the stairway, one step at a time, testing each slab of stone carefully before committing her full weight to it. Time and again she stood motionless while the ancient stonework groaned and shifted beneath her, and crumbling mortar fell away in sudden little streams. Julia was aware of Bodeen hovering close behind her in case she fell, but after a while she had to order him to stay farther back. The stone steps couldn’t hold both their weight.
The first jump was the hardest. An entire block of six steps had broken away, leaving a jagged-edged gap of some fifteen feet. The steps on either side looked none too secure, and Julia reluctantly decided that her best bet was a running start. She climbed back two steps, took a few deep breaths to settle her nerves, and then launched herself at the gap, trusting to speed and luck to get her safely across. For a brief moment there was nothing but open space beneath her, and then her feet slammed heavily onto the far step. She fell forward and clutched anxiously at the uneven stonework, but the great stone slab barely shifted an inch. Julia let out her breath in a great sigh of relief and, rising cautiously to her feet, she moved down onto the next step to give Bodeen enough room for his jump. He made it easily, landing in a catlike crouch that barely stirred the stonework. The two of them shared a grin, and then continued on down the stairs, one step at a time.
The wind was rising steadily, a bitterly cold wind that seemed to strike clean through to the bone. Julia couldn’t stop shivering, and in her eagerness to get out of the cold she hurried down the last few steps without bothering to check them first. The icy wind tugged and buffeted her as she stood staring at the final gap in the stairway. It was only a yard or so wide and, once over, it was only two more steps to the Treasury door. Julia checked that her dress was still tucked securely in place, studied the distance to the far step, and then jumped the gap easily. The stone gave lightly beneath her as she landed, and then tore itself free from the Castle wall with a roar of rending stone and mortar. Julia threw herself forward, and just caught the edge of the next step as the first slab dropped out from under her. She watched it tumble lazily end-over-end on its long way down to the dirty green waters of the moat, and tried not to think of how many other people might have ended up there. She clutched fiercely at the rough stone step, and waited for her heart to settle.
“Hang on, Julia,” said Bodeen quietly. “I’ll jump across, and then pull you up.”
“No! Stay where you are, Bodeen!” Already Julia could feel the step shifting. There was no chance of it supporting the guard’s weight as well. Slowly she pulled herself up over the edge of the step, stopping every few seconds to let the shifting stone settle. Her arm muscles ached unbearably, but she didn’t dare hurry herself. Eventually she was able to hook one knee over the edge and then, with one heart-stopping lunge, she hauled herself up onto the step. For long moments she just lay there in an ungainly heap, feeling the stone creak and groan and grow still beneath her. Her heart hammered furiously against her breastbone, and sweat trickled down her face and sides despite the chill wind. When I get inside, she decided shakily, I am going to brain the Seneschal with the nearest blunt instrument. She eased herself down onto the next step, and only then got to her feet and turned to look back at Bodeen, watching anxiously from the far side of the gap.
“All right, Bodeen, come across. But aim for this step; I don’t think the other will take your weight.”
Bodeen nodded calmly, and made the jump look simple. The stone slab absorbed his landing with only the faintest of tremors, and Julia turned her attention to the open Treasury door before her. After all I’ve been through to get here, she thought slowly, the Treasury had better be worth it. She took one last look at the Forest spread out below, and then stepped through the doorway.
Once again, gravity changed while she was still in midair, and she only just got her feet under her in time. She looked around for the Seneschal, and then had to jump to one side as Bodeen came somersaulting in. He landed awkwardly, and Julia put out a hand to steady him. He moved quickly away, and Julia was surprised to note the man was actually blushing. She grinned as the answer hit her, and carefully rearranged her dress so that her legs were once again modestly covered. Bodeen concentrated all his attention on shutting the Treasury door, until he was sure it was safe to turn around again.
“It didn’t bother you on the stairway,” said Julia, amusedly.
“That was different,” said the guard firmly. “Here, it wouldn’t be at all proper. I mean, what would the Seneschal say?”
“Something vexing, no doubt,” said Julia, staring curiously about her. As her eyes grew used to the gloom, she realized they were in a vast hall, illuminated only by the sparse light that trickled past the edges of the many shuttered windows. The timbered ceiling towered above them, choked with cobwebs. Thick streams of the dirty gossamer hung from every surface, though there was surprisingly little dust. Tightly packed bookcases lined the walls, and dozens of chairs stood before dozens of desks, all joined one to the other by their cobweb shrouds.
“I wonder what this place was,” said Julia.
Bodeen shrugged. “If this was the Treasury, I suppose this could be the old counting house.”
“Right first time,” said the Seneschal, appearing suddenly from a doorway to their left. “Who knows how many tons of gold and silver and copper passed through this room? The whole wealth of the Forest Kingdom must have passed through here at one time or another.”
Julia’s eyes gleamed suddenly. “Do you suppose,” she said demurely, “that any of the gold and silver and copper might still be around?”
The Seneschal chuckled. “Who knows?”
“I’m beginning to be glad I came,” said Julia, and Bodeen nodded solemnly.
“Let’s find the Old Armory first,” said the Seneschal dryly. “Then perhaps we can consider a little treasure hunting. This way, Princess.”
Julia grinned, and she and Bodeen followed the Seneschal through the side door into the next room. Julia stopped just inside the door, and wrinkled her nose as the smell hit her. The darkened antechamber would have seemed small and dingy even when it was still in everyday use, but after thirty-two years of neglect the place stank of damp and decay. There were no windows, the only light the familiar golden glow of the Seneschal’s lantern. Mildew and wood rot speckled the wall panelling, and what had once been a rich, deep pile carpet crunched dryly under Julia’s feet as she moved slowly into the room. A single chair lay over-turned in a corner, cocooned in spiderwebs. The Seneschal turned as though to say something to Julia, and then froze. From somewhere close at hand, quite distinct amid the silence, came a furtive scurrying sound. It was too loud and too heavy a noise to be rats.
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