Empress of the Underworld

by Gilbert L. Morris

  “I have many names. The name you will know best, perhaps, is Goél.”

  “Goél!”

  Beren, of course, had heard of this mystical figure. The Sleepers had told him many tales of the strength and power and goodness of Goél. He could not speak for a moment. Then he said, “I’m so glad you’ve come, Goél. Your servants the Sleepers—they’re in terrible danger.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “Can’t you do something?”

  “I am doing something, my son.” Goél hesitated. “The Sleepers must have told you that, as a rule, I do not intervene directly in the ventures of those who serve me.”

  “But you could just get them free. You’re stronger than Fareena or Lothar—I know that.”

  “Most of my work is done through my servants,” Goél said. “And that is why I’ve come. I ask you plainly, Beren, will you serve me?”

  Beren had never seen Goél in his life. At times, he had even doubted his existence. The coming of the Sleepers had changed that, and he had been drawn to the stories they told. Now he was drawn to Goél himself. He said slowly, “I would like to serve you, but what can I do?”

  Goél said, “When one comes after me, he must obey me—blindly at times. Are you willing to do this? To obey without knowing why? Even when the action seems desperate and foolish? Think well before you answer.”

  Beren was a very independent young man. To obey blindly was not in his nature. Somehow he knew he’d come to a crossroad—that he must either choose Goél or reject him forever. And he hated to give up his right to do what he pleased.

  But standing in the dimness as the flickering light cast shadows over the tall figure, he had a glimpse of the chiseled face, the steady eyes, and the firm mouth, and he knew he had found the one he must follow. “Yes, Sire. I will obey. As best I can, I will serve you.”

  “Spoken like a true man and good servant!” Goél cried. He came and put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “You will have some dangerous times ahead. Never forget this moment when you decided to follow me. Now I must give you your first command.”

  Beren listened carefully as Goél spoke quietly. He said not a word during that time, and finally Goél said, “That is what I will have you do. Are you willing?”

  “Yes. I do not see how it can be done, but I will do my best.”

  Goél smiled. “That is all I demand from anyone. Now go to sleep. You will need a good rest for your task.”

  Beren lay down, thinking he would not sleep a wink. He was so excited. But somehow his eyes were heavy, and even as he looked up from the bunk he saw that the cell was empty. A thought came to him, This is all a dream. I haven’t really been talking to Goél.

  But as sleep rushed in upon him, he said, “Dream or not, he’s given me a plan, and I’m going to follow it.”

  The next morning at breakfast, Laiona saw at once that something was different about her son. His eyes were bright, and he moved with a certainty that he had been lacking. Looking across the table at him, she asked, “What has happened to you, Beren?”

  Beren looked up from the food on his plate, which he had been eating heartily. A smile came to his lips, and he put down his fork. “You’re probably going to think I’m crazy Mother, but I’ve got something to tell you.”

  He grew excited again as he spoke of his visit with Goél, and his mother listened quietly, her eyes never leaving his face.

  He said, “I told myself that it was just a dream. But I know that Goél was in my room last night, and I’m going to do what he told me.”

  “And what is that, my son?”

  “He told me that I must go to the girl—to Abbey—and tell her the truth. She needs a shock, Goél says, to bring her out from under the spell of Empress Fareena.”

  “That will be very dangerous,” Laiona said. “They know that you are on the loose. And she will be well guarded.”

  “I know that, but I promised Goél. I must do it.” Then he said evenly, “I promised to serve Goél the rest of my life. I hope that does not trouble you, Mother.”

  The regal face of the true empress softened. “No, my son. For I am convinced that Goél is the power that will redeem this world. I myself will serve him—and all of our people. I know that he will not fail us. Only—be careful.”

  “I will be as careful as I can.”

  Shortly afterward, Beren bade his mother good-bye. He had strapped his sword to his side, adding a dagger in a sheath at his belt. In his hand he took a short staff. He carried a knapsack with food and a water bottle on a thong.

  He left the village that was carved in stone and made his way down the dark caverns. It was a winding way, and he was alert lest he encounter any of the servants or guards of the empress. He knew soldiers were everywhere looking for him and that he would have no trial if he were caught. Fortunately he also knew the Kingdom of the Underworld as well as he knew his own hand.

  For two days, he dodged through the tunnels, caverns, and holes that went down into the interior of the earth. Twice he was almost apprehended by Fareena’s soldiers, only escaping by a hair’s breadth.

  On the morning of the third day, Beren found himself inside the palace, the most dangerous place of all. But he had grown up in this place and knew every inch of it. Only he could achieve this mission.

  Servants were moving constantly about; soldiers and armed guards marched down the halls and were set at strategic points. Like a shadow, Beren slipped from room to hall to cavern. There were many secret passageways, and he used them all to best advantage.

  Finally, by listening to the talk of the soldiers as he lay hidden, he discovered the room where Abigail was now kept.

  He made his way there and saw an armed guard outside her door. “I can’t get by him,” Beren muttered. “I’ll have to wait for a break.”

  Time crawled on, and Beren grew impatient. But at last the guard was changed, and the new man seemed less watchful than the first. As the hours crept on, Beren watched him grow sleepy. Then the soldier sat down in a chair, and his head slowly began to droop.

  Beren waited until the man was motionless, then slowly stepped out of his hiding place. He crept past the guard, reached out, and took the door handle. Turning it, he slipped inside and closed the door silently.

  Abbey was asleep on the bed.

  “Abbey! Wake up. It’s Beren.”

  Abbey came out of a fitful sleep and cried aloud when she saw him.

  He held up his hands. “Do not be afraid. I will not harm you.”

  “What do you want?” she said. She remembered Beren, and it was in her mind that he was the enemy of Lothar.

  “I want you to see something,” Beren said.

  “See what?” she asked in confusion.

  “It will be very dangerous,” he said. “And we must be very quiet. Will you go with me?”

  Abbey had two impulses. One was to cry out for the guard, but something in the face of this young man prevented that. He looked so honest—and she was curious. She said, “I will go.”

  “I’ll turn my back while you dress,” he said. “Be quick.”

  Swiftly Abbey dressed, and together they slipped through the door. The guard, she saw, was sound asleep, and Beren led her down the hallway. Soon she found herself in a dark passage.

  “I’ve known all these since I was a child,” Beren whispered. “When my father was the king. Come. We must be quick.”

  He led her down many corridors, through many doors. Then he said, “We’ll now go down to the lower levels.”

  A vague memory came to Abbey. She said slowly, “I’ve been there once—I think. Are we going all the way to the bottom?”

  “All the way to the deep mines.”

  Abbey followed, and soon they were in such darkness as she never imagined. Only flickering torches broke it from time to time. “What is it that you want me to see?”

  “I want you to see what has happened to our people because of Fareena.”

  Abbey, then, had a cle
arer memory. “I have seen some of it. I’ve seen women chained and forced to chip away at solid stone.”

  “That is what you must see again.”

  Beren took her to the lower parts of the deepest mine.

  Abbey would never forget what she saw. Those who worked here were chained and almost skeletons. They barely had strength enough to raise the picks that they used to chip away at the rock. The guards were cruel; even children were treated viciously and slapped aside when they begged for food or drink.

  “I don’t want to see this,” Abbey said. “Take me up.”

  “You must see it, Abbey. This is the truth about Fareena and Lothar.” Then he took her arms and looked into her eyes. “You have been deceived by the empress—the diamonds and jewels are beautiful, but they’re not the real thing. Look at that poor woman over there with those two children. They won’t live long. They never do in the deep mines.”

  At a distance Abbey stood staring at the beaten forms and the guards who watched them like hawks.

  Finally Beren said, “Abbey, suppose you were that woman. Think what it would be like to never know a kindness, to be starved, and to see your children starved. Is that what you want?”

  “No!” Abbey seemed to be coming to herself. She said, “No, I never wanted anything like this.” Somehow the sight of the slaves being so cruelly treated had blasted her loose from the power of the empress. She took a deep breath and looked up at Beren. “How could I have been so blind?”

  “The empress has power to do that.” He smiled. “Now you seem all right. How do you feel?”

  Abbey shook herself. She took a deep breath and expelled it, saying, “I feel like I’ve been in jail somewhere, and now I can think and see how awful I’ve been.”

  “Can you remember all that happened?”

  “I remember the rest of the Sleepers. They’re trapped. Oh, Beren! We must get them loose.”

  “We will,” he said. “Now that you’re all right, you can see things clearly. Let us go.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “I must get you back to your room. Then we’ll make a plan.”

  They found their way back up, stumbling through the darkness, till finally they returned to the palace. When they reached the corridor where Abbey’s room was, Beren peered cautiously ahead to see the guard standing. “He’s awake now,” he whispered. “We’ll have to find some other way to get you inside. They mustn’t know you’ve been gone, and they mustn’t know you are yourself again. You’ll have to pretend still to be a follower of Fareena.”

  “That’ll be hard.”

  “You must do it,” Beren insisted. “And I’ll have to draw the guard away. I’ll go out so that he sees me and follows me. When he’s gone, you slip into your room.”

  “That’s too dangerous for you.”

  “We’ll have to do it. Quick now.” Beren stepped out and allowed the guard to see him. The soldier let out a cry and ran toward him. Beren dodged away, and as soon as the two were pounding down the hall, Abbey raced to her door.

  She opened it and slipped inside—and then she gasped, for Lothar and the empress stood in her room, staring at her.

  “Had a little vacation?” Lothar asked coldly.

  “I—I don’t know what you mean,” Abbey said.

  The empress came forward and stared into her eyes. “She’s out from under the spell,” she snapped to Lothar. “I can’t do it again. She’ll have to be put with the others.”

  Even as she spoke, there was a scuffle outside. The door burst open, and when Abbey turned she saw Beren, firmly grasped by two large soldiers. He had been stripped of his weapons, and despair was in his face.

  Fareena smiled, however. “Now, what have we here?”

  Lothar grinned. “It seems we have the ex-prince. We’ve looked for him for a long time, Empress.”

  “Yes, I think we have them all now—the Sleepers and the prince.”

  Lothar said, “This time it will be my way, will it not, Empress?”

  Fareena nodded. “Yes, I’ve had no success with any of them. They’re all stubborn as beasts.” She turned to the guards. “Throw these two in with the others. We’ll deal with them later.”

  As they started to leave the room, Abbey drew herself up. “You’ll not have your way with me anymore. I see what you are now. You’re a tyrant and cruel.”

  “You challenge me?” Rage poured out of Fareena’s eyes, and she took Abbey’s face firmly by the chin, smiling cruelly. “You’re very proud of your beauty. I saw that at once.”

  Abbey sputtered, “I-I-I was once, but I’ll never serve you.”

  The empress drew a small knife with a jewel-encrusted blade from beneath her clothing. “Hold her fast,” she told the guards.

  At once Abbey was held in iron hands.

  Still gripping the girl’s chin, the empress placed the cold blade on her cheek. “If I slice your cheek, it’ll make a terrible scar. Then you won’t be beautiful anymore, will you?” She smiled as Abbey’s eyes grew blank with terror. “Perhaps you have a choice to make. You’ll either help me, or I will scar your face so terribly that no one will find you beautiful ever again.”

  She laughed aloud at the panic in Abbey’s eyes. “I see that frightened you. Think about it then. You can have your beauty and serve me, or not serve me and be scarred for life. Which will it be? Take her away!”

  Abbey was pulled away by the guards, and as she and Beren were hurried down the hall, Beren said, “Don’t give up, Abbey. We still have Goél on our side.”

  13

  A Crazy Dream

  In the retaining room, the Sleepers surrounded Beren and Abbey.

  As soon as Sarah looked at the girl, she cried, “You’re all right again! Look, look at her eyes!”

  Josh crowded close and saw that indeed Abbey’s eyes were clear. “You’re right,” he exclaimed. He reached out and took both of Abbey’s hands, saying, “Welcome home.”

  Abbey looked around, and tears came into her eyes. “I’m sorry that I said such awful things. I don’t know what got into me.”

  “Never mind all that!” Reb cried. He gave Abbey a squeeze, wrapping his long arms around her. “You’re back, and that’s all that counts. Makes me want to give a Rebel yell!”

  The others greeted Abbey warmly too, but then Beren said, “I know you’re glad to have your friend back. Very rarely can anyone escape the coils of the empress.”

  “But what are you doing here?” Dave asked. “How did you get captured? What have you been up to?”

  Beren began explaining how he’d had a visit from Goél, and immediately all the Sleepers were excited.

  “Well, if Goél’s on the job,” Wash said grinning, his white teeth shining against his black face, “then we’re all right.”

  “Well, not exactly all right yet,” Josh said, looking around. “We’re still in prison.”

  “Aw, we’ve been in jail before,” said Reb.

  “Well, we haven’t been in a jail quite as far underground as this one,” Dave murmured. “Anybody got any ideas?”

  “Yeah, Beren. You know this place,” Josh urged. “Is there any way out of here?”

  Beren leaned against the wall, tapped it. “Solid stone. Can’t dig out through there.” He looked through the barred steel door and said thoughtfully, “They’ve got enough guards out there to stop us. To tell the truth, I just don’t know what to think.”

  “Well, we’ll think of something,” Josh said.

  He tried to sound cheerful, but later he drew Sarah off to one side. She was the one he always chose to share his thoughts with. He’d learned he could say what he wanted to her—even confess that he was afraid.

  He said as much now as they sat whispering. “You know, I’m trying to put on a pretty good act, but how in the world we’re going to get out of here, I don’t know.”

  Sarah took his hand. It was a natural action, and she smiled at him. “I can remember a time when you wouldn’t admit being afraid.
”

  Josh grinned. “That’s what having a friend is—having somebody you can tell that you’re afraid. I never thought you’d be the one. The first time I met you, I wouldn’t have said that.”

  “You think about that time?”

  “Sure do. I thought you were so pretty. The prettiest girl I’d ever seen, and I was so bashful all I could do was try to act tough.”

  “I thought you were awful,” Sarah confessed. She giggled slightly. “I’d never seen a boy so puffed up with himself, or at least that’s what it looked like.”

  “Good to have a friend, isn’t it? Someone to tell everything to. Everybody ought to have at least one friend.”

  After a while a guard brought their food in a big black kettle with a wire handle and set it down. “Enjoy it.” He grinned. “It might be your last meal.”

  When the door clanged shut, Sarah got up and began portioning out the food.

  As Reb ate his, he said, “This is awful! What I wouldn’t give for a mess of possum and greens!”

  Abbey stared at him. “Well, that sounds awful!”

  “Awful? There’s nothing better than that,” Reb protested. “Unless it’s some pigs’ feet or chitlins.”

  “What’s chitlins?” Abbey asked.

  “Don’t ask,” Wash said. “You don’t want to know!” He took his plate and tasted his food. “Well, I guess it’ll keep body and soul together. Sure would like a quarter pounder or a hot dog, though!”

  After they’d eaten, Beren said, “I’ve got a feeling that if we’re going to get out of here, it’d better be quick. I don’t think Fareena had anything nice in store for us.”

  “As a matter of fact,” Josh said, “you think she’s going to execute us, don’t you?”

  “I think she will. She’s been after me for a long time. Now it looks like we’re all in the same boat.”

  They talked about various plans, none of them likely to succeed. The cell was gloomy and dank, and somehow the gloom communicated itself to all of them. Time passed slowly. There was no clock, no television, nothing to mark its passage. This seemed to make everyone even more depressed.

  “If we were up on top, at least we could tell night from day,” Jake protested. “Now I don’t even know if it’s midnight or high noon.” Jake was ordinarily fairly optimistic, but he looked gloomy now and had no encouragement to give.