One Night at a Soul Auction

by Amy Cross

  “Toward the narrow bit,” I say out loud, my voice trembling with fear, “and then... The river that goes along the edge of a forest, and then a cave and...”

  Is that right?

  Even if it is, it all sounds so terribly far. For a moment I try to picture myself making that long journey, and then I think about all the terrible things I've seen and heard so far since I got stuck here. And then, hearing music in the distance, I turn and look into the soul auction and I realize that actually it doesn't seem that bad. Duncan's obviously upset about Matilda, and I understand that, but maybe he's exaggerating just how awful the place has become. If I go in there and find him, and keep close without letting him know that I'm there, he can't be too mad at me when he gets done and I reveal myself. Then he'll have to take me home.

  I hesitate for a moment longer, before starting to hurry toward the tents. I have to catch up to Duncan and stay close to him, and then everything will be fine.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “DEATH BRANCHES! GET YOUR DEATH BRANCHES RIGHT HERE! NEVER LOOK BACK!”

  Loud, strange music is thumping from inside one of the smaller tents, and as I walk past I just about manage to spot several lights floating in mid-air. For a moment I'm mesmerized, and I step closer until suddenly an angry face appears in the tent's doorway, staring at me with several eyes that are positioned in a circle around what I think is a mouth. Then the doorway is pulled shut, muffling the music just a little.

  “LIVE GIRLS!” another voice shouts over my shoulder. “ANY AGE! ANY TYPE! GUARANTEED 100% RIPE!”

  I turn and see a very tall, very thin old man grinning at me.

  “OR NOT RIPE,” he purrs, “IF THAT'S YOUR THING.”

  His grin grows, but I suddenly feel very uneasy so I slip away from him and hurry along the next aisle that runs between two rows of tents and makeshift huts. There are patches of fabric strung between most of the buildings, forming a kind of roof, and the smell here is almost overpowering. A big metal pot is bubbling nearby, although when I get closer I see what appears to be dozens of eyeballs hissing as they sizzle in smoke, so I quickly turn and hurry on, trying to work out which way Duncan might have gone.

  “RARE FORBIDDER BONES FOR SALE! LUCK ON A STRING!” a voice yells.

  “DIAMONDS MADE FROM THE ASH OF GOTHOS!”

  “GET YOUR LUMBERQUARKS HERE! BEST PRICES IN ALL THE SEVEN WORLDS!”

  There are more and more voices yelling, and they're so loud that I can barely even concentrate. As I make my way along the next aisle, I look around and see stalls selling all sorts of pots and jewels, and I spot several strange faces staring at me. There's a man who looks like a bear with an upside-down face, and there are scaly blue people who suddenly turn green and then red as they smile at me, and then I reach one stall where there's a normal-looking and very pretty woman who smiles at me.

  “Excuse me,” I say, stepping closer to her stall, which seems to be selling marbles, “but do you know a man named Duncan? Did you see him go past?”

  I wait, but she simply stares at me.

  “Um, his name's Duncan,” I continue, “and, uh, he's kind of intense-looking, and I really think he must have come this way just a few minutes ago.”

  Again I wait, and again she simply watches me with a faint smile. After a moment, however, she tilts her head slightly.

  “He's tall,” I explain. “Well, taller than me, and he might seem a little angry right now. Please, I'm a friend of his and -”

  Suddenly a huge, gray-skinned woman looms out of the darkness and grins at me, and at the same time a dribble of thick goo runs from between her lips.

  “Are you interested in buying this item?” she asks, nudging the pretty woman's shoulder. “She's been pre-scooped, so she shouldn't cause any trouble.”

  Before I can reply, she turns the pretty woman around, revealing that the entire back of her head has been gouged away, leaving nothing but a bloody opening with pieces of broken bone poking out from the flesh.

  “Very suggestible,” the other woman chuckles, “if you catch my drift!”

  “I'm sorry,” I stammer, “I think I have to go!”

  Turning, I hurry along the aisle, while constantly glancing back to make sure that I'm not being followed. There are lots of people around, but it's hard to spot Duncan in the crowd. A moment later I bump into someone, and I apologize as I duck and run along the next aisle. The constant shouting and singing and laughing all around me is starting to feel very intense, and I can barely even think straight as I reach the end of the aisle and find myself at with several more aisles running off in different directions. I don't even -

  “DEMON!” a voice yells suddenly. “INCOMING!”

  Immediately, the people around me start murmuring and rushing along one of the aisles. I try to go the other way, but the wave of bodies is so strong that I'm forced to go with them until finally we stop at the edge of a much wider aisle. Startled, I see a tall, hooded figure walking slowly past, and this particular figure is being left well alone by everyone else. It's almost as if the rest of the crowd is scared of this person, whoever he is.

  “That one's rich,” a voice says next to me. “He'll be bidding on some high-priced souls. The Shan of Aluton only invites demons who've got serious money to spend.”

  “I heard you need ten thousand just to get through the main door,” another voice says, with hushed reverence. “I can't even imagine what it must be like to be that rich.”

  I know the tall, hooded figure can't actually be a demon, because demons don't exist, but I still feel scared as I watch the figure slowly walking away along the wide aisle. I'm sure it was just a man in a costume, but somehow the air all around me feels as if there's some kind of electric charge, a sensation that's made worse by the constant chattering of the crowd.

  “Wait!” a voice shouts suddenly, and there's a loud gasp all around as a man stumbles out from the rest of the crowd and rushes up behind the supposed demon. “I'm begging you! Stop! Help me!”

  The hooded figure comes to a halt, and after a moment it begins to slowly turn.

  “I need money!” the man sobs, dropping to his knees with his hands clasped tight. “I hate to ask, but I need money to get my family to a new life on a new world. I know it's a lot to ask, but if you could see your way to offering a little kindness to a stranger, I promise I'd praise you forever!”

  The crowd has become completely hushed now, as the robed figure stares down at the man.

  “I'll do anything you want,” the man stammers. “I have children! I have five girls and four boys. They're the most beautiful, most intelligent children anyone could ask for, and that's why I have to give them a better life. At the moment we're all just poor dirt farmers, but with a little money I can move us to another world and we can start again. Just one coin would be enough.”

  “Suicide,” a voice whispers nearby. “What's he thinking?”

  The demon stares down at the man, and then something starts rustling beneath its robes. And then, slowly, a thin gray hand emerges and reaches out toward the man, revealing what looks like a large gold coin.

  “He's not actually helping him, is he?” another voice asks. “Seriously?”

  “Are you sure?” the begging man asks. “Are you really sure?”

  The demon lets out a slow, rumbling groan.

  “I'll always be grateful,” the man continues, reaching out and taking the coin in his trembling hands. “My children... I'll tell them all about you. When I get back to our home, I'll tell them that a great demon – the greatest demon of all – saved their lives! I'll tell them that they no longer have to eat mud, and that they can dare to dream. Their mother died, so I left them at home all alone. I promised them that I'd be back to save them, and -”

  The demon groans again, interrupting him, before slowly turning and starting to walk away.

  “Thank you!” the man sobs, still clutching the coin as he gets to his feet. “And bless you! You've done a wonderful thi
ng!”

  He hesitates, before turning and taking a few steps this way. And then, suddenly, he looks down at the coin and I see a hint of confusion on his face.

  Around me, the crowd is starting to disperse, but I can't help watching the man. He seemed so pleased just a moment ago, yet now he looks as if he's scared of something. With everyone else seemingly ignoring him, I take a few steps closer.

  “Why did I...”

  His voice trails off, and then he turns to look at me.

  “This is going to sound strange,” he says, his voice filled with wonder, “but I can't remember why I...”

  I wait for him to continue.

  “Your children,” I remind him finally. “You're going to save your children.”

  “That's right!” he says brightly, although the relief only lasts for a few seconds before he once again looks very confused. “I don't remember why I came here,” he whispers, before looking down at the coin again. “Then again, does it matter? I'm rich!”

  “You were talking about your children,” I tell him.

  “I can do anything!” he stammers, and now he sounds as if he's in some kind of a trance. “I can go to the gaming rooms and turn one coin into a thousand, and then I can buy a new wife and I can start a new life anywhere I want!”

  “But your -”

  “I'm rich!” he yells, pushing past me and hurrying along the aisle.

  “You wanted to save your children!” I call after him. “You said you left them at home and you're going back to them!”

  “I'm rich!” he shouts again, and now he's vanished into the crowd.

  I open my mouth to call after him, but then I realize that he's long gone. I could try to find him, but I need to focus on Duncan. Besides, I'm sure the man won't completely forget about his children. By now he's probably already on his way back to them, and he'll use the coin to give them a new life. Turning, I try to put him out of my mind, but slowly I start to realize that Duncan must be far ahead by now, and I have no way of knowing which way he might have gone. Then again, I doubt he's hanging around in this market area, so I suppose it's most likely that he's gone to the very heart of the soul auction, which means...

  Setting off, I try to follow the so-called demon, since he's most likely going to the heart of the soul auction as well. I don't see him, though, and I'm starting to panic as I realize that I might have lost another chance.

  “Do you know the way to the center?” I ask several passersby, but they ignore me completely. “Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you, but do you know how I get to the actual soul auction?”

  Nobody replies, and by the time I reach the end of the next aisle I'm really starting to get scared. This place is massive, and I feel as if I could run and run for hours and I've never make any progress. Duncan might have been right when he said that the best option was for me to find my way home alone, and I think maybe I should have tried that, although now I don't even know how I'd ever get out of here. I look around, lost in the tumult, as I realize that I'm completely alone here in this crowded marketplace. There has to be a way out, there has to be a way for me to get home, but for a moment all I can do is listen to the hundreds – maybe thousands – of voices that are chattering all around me.

  “GENUINE HUMAN FLOW!” a man shouts nearby. “BY THE KILO OR BY THE GALLON!”

  I hurry along the corridor, desperately trying to get my bearings, but after a moment I put my hands over my ears as the sounds become too much.

  “Please,” I stammer, to nobody in particular but hoping that someone will hear, “I just want to get out of here! I want -”

  “WOLF!” a voice screams suddenly. “THERE'S A WOLF LOOSE IN THE GUARDS' ROOM! IT'S TEARING THINGS APART!”

  I turn, but then a man bumps against me and I look up to see his grinning face.

  “I wouldn't worry, little girl,” he says, leering at me. “It's just a wolf, and the guards' room is much further in. They'll have it for sale as a fur coat before the night's through.”

  “Do you know the way to the soul auction?” I ask.

  “You're already at the soul auction.”

  “But the main part. The center, the part where all the real things happen.”

  “You mean the main auction arena?”

  “Yes!” I pause for a moment. “I mean, I think so...”

  “You won't get in there, little girl,” he replies. “Do you have any idea how rich you'd need to be? Only the Shan of Aluton's closest friends get to go visit the real meat of this place. Demons. Creatures of the night. That sort of thing. And unless you're hiding something real big, real good, then you don't qualify.”

  “But -”

  “What you do qualify for, though,” he continues, placing a hand on my shoulder, “is my little palace of fun.”

  Reaching into his pocket, he takes out several small rocks. I immediately recognize them as being the same as the type that poor Van took.

  “You can have these for free,” he purrs, holding the rocks out toward me. “You seem lost, little girl. Let me take care of you.”

  I pull away, but he tightens his grip on my shoulder.

  “You're all alone here,” he says, stepping toward me again. “You won't last five minutes.”

  I shake my head.

  “I'm okay,” I tell him.

  “You're not.” He holds the rocks toward my mouth. “Now let me -”

  “No!” I shout, pulling away and turning.

  “Wait!” he yells as I start running along the next corridor. “I'm only trying to help you!”

  He grabs my arm again, pulling me back.

  “Come on,” he says as I turn to him, “why the long -”

  Suddenly he freezes, and I realize that his attention has been totally caught by something behind me. I turn, and now I can hear rising voices of excitement all around. There's a rumbling sound as well, as if something is coming this way, and finally I spot something glittering at the far edge of the crowded street.

  “It's him!” the man says, immediately letting go of me and dropping to his knees. “He's here!”

  Before I can ask what he means, all the other people around me drop down as well. I'm the only one standing now, and I watch with a growing sense of awe as the most magnificent golden carriage rolls slowly and gracefully along the street. There are so many jewels all over the carriage, I'm almost blinded by the light, and I have to shield my eyes and take a step back as the vast carriage comes closer.

  Huge elephants are pulling the carriage's main section, although these particular elephants appear to have eight legs each. There are riders sitting on the elephants' backs, wearing masks that glitter in the dark, while girlish giggles are coming from the carriage itself. I've never seen anything so grand or rich or ornate, and I'm completely frozen as the carriage starts going past me.

  “All bow before the Shan!” a voice calls out. “The Shan of Aluton demands respect!”

  “He's on his way to the soul auction,” someone whispers nearby. “I can't believe he honored us by coming along our little aisle!”

  Staring up at the side of the carriage, I see a figure sitting at one of the windows. Dressed entirely in gold, the figure is waving vaguely at the crowds, although he seems utterly bored and he's not really looking at anything in particular. In fact, his clothes are so huge and so festooned with diamonds, I can barely see his features other than the faintest hint of eyes and a mouth. To be honest, the diamonds – I think they're diamonds – all around his face are sparkling so brightly, it's difficult to really make out anything much at all.

  And then he's gone.

  I watch as the carriage trundles along the aisle. Everyone is still on their knees, although after a moment a few of them start getting to their feet. There's a nervous rumble of chatter breaking out now, and a lot of the people seem genuinely shocked that this supposedly great Shan of Aluton came so close to their humble stalls.

  “I never thought I'd see him,” a woman says as she dusts hersel
f down. “He was so bright and... gold!”

  I look up at her, and I can see the wonder in her eyes.

  “He's one of the richest men in existence,” she continues with a smile. “Don't you think he looked magnificent?”

  “I don't know,” I say cautiously, watching as she pulls a wriggling worm from the corner of her eye, “I thought he looked kind of...”

  “Splendid?” she asks.

  “Not quite. More...”

  “Commanding?”

  “Um...”

  “Regal?”

  “I thought he looked kind of silly,” I tell her. “Goofy. Weird.”

  I wait for her to reply, but for a moment she simply stares at me as if she can't believe what I just said.

  “With all that gold,” I continue, “and, uh, the diamonds and stuff? Don't you think he looks stupid?”

  She continues to stare at me, and finally I realize her whole body seems to be trembling slightly.

  “Okay,” I say, taking a step back, “I might -”

  “Heretic!” she screams. “Liar!”

  Grabbing a dagger from a nearby bench, she lunges at me.

  I pull away, but she slashes the knife again and this time she barely misses my face.

  Panicking, I rush around the corner, and then around the next. I don't even know where I'm going, and I keep bumping into people and having to apologize, but I'm far too scared to stop. I run along corridor after corridor, and around corner after corner, until suddenly I spot a patch of darkening sky up ahead. I speed up, racing for my life, and finally I spill out at the end of the campsite and then I immediately trip over a stone. Crashing to a halt, I let out a cry as I roll several times, and then I spring up and turn to see that somehow – by a miracle – I've accidentally come all the way out of the campsite.