UNDER THE GATE
“Beautiful, isn’t it? Mirta really is quite the artist.”
Electrum gasped and spun around expecting to see Sterling and Tanner.
Simon stood smiling at him. “What do you think of our room?”
“Our room?”
“The gatekeepers. You probably figured out that we’re under the gate.”
“But Sterling….”
“We’re quite safe here from Sterling.”
“No, no. We must be quiet. Sterling followed me through the trap door in the library.”
Simon looked sad. “It is regrettable that he has at last discovered the trapdoor, though we knew it was only a matter of time.”
“You don’t understand. He’ll be here at any moment and will see all this.”
Simon smiled. “Don’t underestimate the gatekeepers. The door to this tunnel is shielded. He will only see the barred door that leads to the yard.”
“The door is not obvious, but it is a weak disguise at best.”
“Only a pookah with the gift of thought dust has the ability to see through the shield. Other pookahs might be curious, but it wouldn’t be obvious to them. Certainly a sprite with Sterling’s nature would never discover it. Our secrets are safe for the moment.”
Electrum’s mind was filled with questions and he didn’t know where to begin. Finally he asked, “How many doors are there?”
“Three. The one in the library. The one leading to the storage yard. And the one at the end of this tunnel. It leads to a path where we can adjust the glowstones placed over the top of the gate.”
“Are these the glowstones you told me about? The ones that control the gate?”
Simon nodded and pointed to Mirta’s tapestry. “It tells us where to place the stones. We’re in the process of moving them so they match the tapestry.”
Electrum looked back and forth between the weaving and the carved wall. Some of the glowstones in the wall matched the colored chips in the tapestry. The gatekeepers key.
“But how did it get here? I thought it had dissolved with the Salamander.”
“The Salamander is safe. It’s hidden by a boy who actually explored the ship and found the tapestry. I believe you know him as Trevor.”
“Trevor! Trevor had the tapestry? But how did it get here?”
“Gilder picked it up last night. Brought it in on the Dragonfly.”
Electrum remembered the sprite flying away from the ship and the one who had later tripped over him. “Huh,” was all he could manage.
“Thanks to his efforts, the Silver Gate will soon be working at full capacity. Once it is calibrated properly, the cold and much of the mist will be gone. The new key will keep the Silver Gate open for years.”
Electrum had an uneasy feeling. “Who all knows about this place?”
“Just the gatekeepers and you.”
“What about Silverthorn? I followed him down from the library and saw him escape the guards in the yard. Does he know about all this?”
“The side tunnel that leads here is shielded from him also.”
“But…how do you know you can trust me?”
“You come highly recommended.”
“By whom?” he asked with surprise.
“Mirta. One of the most perceptive of the Gold Realm gatekeepers. She has a unique view of both worlds. Very little escapes her. Also – you have left enough thought dust lying about to confirm her opinion of you.”
“But that’s just the reason I will be a threat to the security of the gates. Sterling has already become suspicious by pawing through my thought dust. Your secrets won’t be safe now.”
“Pookahs have the ability to shield ships, doors, or other things. You simply need to learn how to shield your thoughts.”
Electrum laughed ironically. “You think I haven’t tried?”
“I hear there might be a solution. I can’t vouch for it personally, but I understand there is a technique that might work.”
Electrum looked skeptical.
“Just as we have antiquated information stored away on dusty scrolls here, so there are many forgotten manuscripts in the Gold Realm. Gilder has taken quite an interest in their writings. Unfortunately his time of traveling will soon be cut short, so he has been trying to make the most of his research before his wings begin to change.”
Electrum remembered the gold scroll in Silverthorn’s room.
“He has come across some references to thought shielding. Even after you learn how to shield your thoughts, however, we insist that you not speak of these things outside these chambers. Silverthorn does not know that you are aware of these tunnels. It would be best if you do not tell him. Come. I will give you a tour of our gate and show you the scroll.”
A Sprinkling of Thought Dust Page 40