World's End

by Jake Halpern

  He didn't recognize what it was at first but then it hit him—he was staring at a particle from a leaf. Alfonso straightened up, relaxed his focus, and sensed the familiar spinning that always meant he was returning to normal.

  "Well?" Hill asked anxiously. "Did you find anything?"

  "Twelfth door from the left," said Alfonso confidently. "Someone used a leaf key in that lock."

  "I hope you're right," said Clink. "Otherwise, this place'll become our tomb." He laughed nervously. His breezy confidence was gone. Clink took a deep breath, carefully inserted the key into the keyhole, and turned it. It crinkled and disintegrated immediately. Seconds later, they heard the most beautiful sound in the world. It was a grinding noise. The entire wall of doors descended into the floor.

  The group stumbled out of the darkness and onto a wide, broad ledge made of the same marble as the doors. One by one they fanned out across the ledge and gazed out at the view in front of them.

  "Oh my heavens," said Hill in amazement. "Have you ever seen anything like this?"

  CHAPTER 33

  RIDING THE CURRENTS

  "THE OL' MINERS in Somnos'll never believe me when I tell 'em about this," Misty said in a hushed voice. "They'll say I made it up."

  "Incredible," whispered Clink.

  Just beyond the marble ledge gaped a vast chasm. Across this chasm hung a thin layer of clouds, and far beneath, lava from the earth's core had formed into a vast river. The light from the river of lava was uncomfortable to look at—just like the sun—and after a few seconds they turned their attention to the ceiling. In complete contrast to the furnace below, the ceiling, which looked to be almost a mile above them, was covered with a thick, dark blue ice, the kind that forms only after many years of below-freezing conditions.

  "What kinda magic is this?" asked Misty. She looked worried. "Why are there clouds underground?"

  Clink took a few steps forward, nodded, and turned to Misty. "What you are witnessing here, my superstitious, backwoods cousin, is nature at its strangest and most incredible," explained Clink with a professorial air. He obviously had recovered from his tongue-tied state. "The cloud layer is the equilibrium between the two extremes, where the rising heat from the lava interacts with the cold air coming off the ceiling. Cold air falls, and hot air rises. That cloud is where the two meet. Pay attention, dearest Misty, and you'll emerge from these subterranean depths an educated woman. Better late than never, I say."

  "Don't get too uppity," grumbled Misty. "I remember when ya tried to rob the mayor's house and ya locked yerself inside a closet by accident. Did yer book learnin' help ya then?"

  "Hey," said Resuza. "What's that shiny stuff farther along the walls? Is that..."

  They all followed her gaze. Misty cackled and rubbed her hands together. "I know the good stuff when ah see it! That's gold! Hah! I thought it was just the stuffa fairy tales. 'The way t' Jasber is covered wit' gold.' Well, I guess they was right."

  Alfonso looked at the walls carefully. Thick lines of something bright and yellow zigzagged in between the rock like cracks in a broken window. It was an enormous vein of gold, equal to the richest mines of Siberia and South Africa. Combined with the cloud layer, the glistening of the gold-veined walls gave the area an otherworldly feel, as if Alfonso and the others had stepped into another dimension or planet.

  "I'm sure it's mighty impressive," said Bilblox matter-of-factly. "But I get the sense we don't have any roads to walk on, like on the other side. Gold and clouds won't help us get anywhere. What's the plan, ladies and gents?"

  "We don't need roads," said a voice from above. "We've got something much better." They looked up. It was Hill. He was standing on what appeared to be the upper level of the marble ledge, which was accessed by a tiny set of stairs just below where he stood.

  "What's up there?" Alfonso shouted.

  "You're not going to believe this," Hill replied with a grin.

  ***

  When they arrived on the upper level, Hill was standing next to a row of twenty large chests, four feet long by three feet wide. Several of the chests were empty. Scattered across the floor were strips of cloth, tied together to form a strange-looking rope that gleamed blue, and rough-hewn beams of wood. Presumably the items on the floor came from these chests. Hill examined an elaborate pictograph chiseled on the inside of one chest.

  "What are these things?" asked Alfonso. He was the first to reach Hill.

  Hill wore an excited, schoolboyish smile.

  "Alfonso, this is quite interesting." Hill gleamed. "These pictographs clearly explain how to build a glider. Or at least, the Jasberian equivalent of a glider."

  "What?"

  "At long last, I've found Dormians interested in modern technology!" exclaimed Hill. "Maybe it'll be easier now to convince the Grand Vizier that Somnos needs an air force."

  "And what exactly are we supposed to do with these gliders?" Resuza asked. "We're not outside, and we don't have a motor to take us in the right direction."

  "True enough," said Hill. "Still, they're here for a reason."

  Clink walked to the edge of the upper level. He stared at the ice on the ceiling, then at the cloud layer, and then at the lava below. After thinking about this for a while, he turned back around, but as he did so, he noticed something unusual in the wall behind them. Very near the ceiling of the fault a perfectly round vent jutted out from the wall. The entire structure was constructed of a smooth material, perhaps marble, and it looked to be about a hundred feet in diameter. Clink watched the vent until a small icicle hanging from the ceiling—not far from the vent—broke away and began to fall. Yet instead of falling straight down, it flew toward the vent and then disappeared inside.

  "Aha!" exclaimed Clink. He jabbed a finger toward the vent. "That's how they do it."

  "That's how they do what?" asked Misty.

  "That vent above us is drawing in air," explained Clink. "Thus it creates a current that can pull the gliders toward it. It must be a very strong pull. Look—the vent is actually pulling in large icicles."

  They watched another icicle fall from the ceiling, veer toward the vent, and disappear inside.

  "Why does that help us?" Resuza asked. "Even if there is a current going into that vent, it doesn't matter. It's going in the wrong direction. We want to go the other way, away from here."

  "True enough," replied Clink. "But I bet there's a separate current going in the direction we want to go. And I'll wager all the gold in this fault that there's one of those vents on the other end by Jasber." He walked to the edge of the platform. "Does anyone have something they don't need, like a piece of cloth?"

  Alfonso searched through his pack and handed over a cloth sack from Somnos that contained their used tea grounds and other bits of trash.

  "That will do splendidly," said Clink. "Now pay close attention. There should be two currents—an upper one and a lower one." Clink took the sack from Alfonso and tore it into two pieces. He then took one piece and threw it high into the air. Almost immediately, it was sucked upward into the vent. "That's the upper jet stream and it appears to be bringing air toward the Hub." Clink then took the second piece of cloth and hurled it into the chasm below. They watched as it fell toward the cloud layer. Just as it was about to pass through the clouds, an unseen force gripped it, and it sped away from them, just above the cloud layer.

  "That's the lower current!" declared Clink exuberantly. "And it's blowing toward Jasber. All we need to do is assemble these gliders, drop them toward the clouds, and let the wind do the rest!"

  "Ridic'lous," proclaimed Misty. "You'll never get me step-pin' one foot in that pile-a wood on the floor, no matter how well ya hammer it together."

  Hill shook his head in amazement. "I'm trying to think of some other explanation, but I can't," he said.

  "Why don't we put the gliders together and then we'll make a decision," said Bilblox.

  As it turned out, the gliders proved remarkably easy to assemble. The frames were mad
e of sturdy wooden beams that lashed together with the aid of the gleaming blue rope joints. The wings of the aircraft were made of a soft cloth that looked and felt like silk but was so resilient that it could not be punctured, even with the sharpened tip of a sword. Each glider contained three seats. The forwardmost seat was for the pilot, who apparently was meant to steer the glider with just two levers. Each lever was connected to rope that pulled on flaps attached to the wings and fin of the plane. A crude parachute at the rear of the glider could be used to slow down its momentum, and a set of wooden wheels screwed onto the underside of the vehicle. Amazingly enough, that was it. It took them four hours to assemble the first glider and only two more to assemble the second one.

  "Well done," proclaimed Hill as he looked at the completed gliders, which sat wing to wing on the main marble ledge. "And now..." His voice trailed away.

  They walked to the edge of the platform and looked down into the fault. Below them hung the layer of clouds. They were conscious of a slight wind pushing the clouds forward, but it didn't seem nearly strong enough to support the gliders.

  "Don't worry," said Clink. "All we have to do is board the glider, push off, and fall toward the clouds. The wind will do the rest."

  "That's what ya think, do ya?" said Misty glumly. "I don't mind danger, but fallin' into a field-a lava with only the hope of havin' some wind is plumb crazy." She turned in desperation to Resuza. "This cousin-a mine, he ain't right in the head, ya see? He's fulla crazy idears, and people in Somnos don't pay him no mind. 'N' we're trustin' our lives to 'im!"

  Hill broke the silence that followed Misty's outburst. "I don't see any other option," he replied. He said he would pilot the first glider, with Bilblox and Resuza riding in back as passengers. Kõrgu would sit next to Bilblox. Alfonso, the only other person besides Bilblox with experience in planes, would pilot the second glider. Clink and Misty would ride with him.

  "As far as I can tell, flying these gliders ought to be easy," said Hill confidently. "One lever will turn you left or right and the other will bring you up or down. It all seems pretty straightforward. I believe these gliders are meant to be flown by inexperienced pilots."

  Alfonso nodded, but felt none of Hill's confidence.

  They rolled the two gliders to the far end of the platform, which extended out into the fault. This part of the platform was made of well-polished wood that still shone even after centuries of disuse, and it slanted down toward the fault below. Hill boarded the glider first, followed by Bilblox, Kõrgu, and Resuza. As Hill nodded off to sleep, Alfonso gave their glider a soft push and it slipped easily off the platform and into the air. The aircraft dropped like a lead weight. Kõrgu barked mournfully. Seconds later, the current just above the cloud layer grabbed the glider and pushed it forward just as easily as it had whisked away the sack that Clink had thrown. The glider flew steadily and safely just above the cloud layer until it became only a blip in the distance.

  Alfonso looked at Clink and Misty.

  "It works!" Clink exulted. "Let's go—we have to keep them in sight." They ran to their glider and maneuvered it into position. Misty gave it a good push, and the aircraft began its slide down the smooth wooden launching pad.

  "I love you, Misty," whispered Clink with a choked sob. "You're a fine cousin. You've always been the most supportive of all my family."

  "I still say ya ain't as clever as ya think y're, but I reckon I am fond of ya," said Misty. "Now we best nod on off t'sleep, so we can focus better and not get all riled up." Her eyes promptly shut, as did Clink's. Their bodies relaxed ever so slightly as the glider fell into the fault.

  Just as it neared the cloud layer, the current grabbed the glider and sent it skimming along the surface of the clouds. The wind roared in their ears, but otherwise, the journey seemed remarkably peaceful. Alfonso tentatively pulled on the pilot's gears. Hill was right; one gear moved the plane left and right and the other moved it up and down. Luckily, Alfonso had room to experiment, since the fault was about a mile wide. Alfonso only hoped it didn't get much narrower.

  Up ahead, Hill's sleeping-self was showing off. His glider banked upward. The glider's momentum carried it up for several hundred feet before it began to falter. Then, just as the glider was about to plummet down, the upper current blowing in the opposite direction grabbed the glider and began whisking it back toward the Hub. Hill's glider rapidly approached Alfonso's until Hill threw his glider into a steep descent and smoothly returned them to their original course. Although spectacular, these aerial acrobatics did not sit well with Bilblox. From his vantage point, Alfonso could see a red-faced Bilblox shouting at Hill. It woke up the former air force pilot, and from then on, Hill steered the glider without incident.

  ***

  Several hours later, both gliders approached a stone ledge on the left side of the gold-veined wall. The ledge was equipped with a long landing strip that was clearly intended to function as a runway on which gliders could land and then take off again. Hill's glider landed gracefully with hardly a bump, while Alfonso's landed with a great deal of jostling. Both gliders were stopped by an old rope that stretched across the runway. Hill observed that this rope functioned exactly like an arresting wire on an aircraft carrier. It caught the gliders, slowed them down, and brought them to a quick stop. Incredibly, the rope itself was made of several hundred intertwined strands of gold string, and it still functioned well after several hundred years of neglect.

  Alfonso and the others exited their gliders, stretched their legs, and took a good look around. Earlier in the day, while they were still in flight, they had passed over a number of ledges. Most were small and contained only a scattering of rocks. This particular ledge, however, was remarkably different. It was at least four times as large as the previous ledges and it contained something they hadn't seen in several days: water. Most of the ledge was taken up by a small lake bordered by a scattering of moss, shrubs, and waist-high grass. All of this plant life was the same color, a bright reddish brown. The lake itself contained water that was perfectly clear and the floor of the lake was covered with starfish. The water looked very clean and eminently drinkable. In the middle of the lake sat a man-made gold dome.

  "At last we've run into some good luck," exclaimed Clink as they all took in their surroundings. "This is a perfect place for a rest."

  "Careful," warned Hill. "We have no idea what we've landed on. For all we know, this water is a trap built by the zwodszay."

  By the time Hill had finished his sentence, Clink had already walked to the edge of the pool. He leaned over, stuck an inquiring finger into the water, and then brought it to his lips.

  "Absolutely, lip-smacking delicious!" he declared jubilantly. "You could make a fortune bottling this stuff. I suspect it's ice melt. Look at the edge of the lake, next to the wall." Although difficult to make out, it appeared as if melt from the ice-covered ceiling above them was steadily running down the wall and merging with the lake.

  "This don't make sense," muttered Misty. "In the middle-a this god-fersaken place, we got an oasis?"

  "And what about that gold dome in the middle of the lake?" asked Resuza. "What do you suppose that's all about?"

  She was interrupted by a splash. Kõrgu had jumped in the water and begun swimming around. It soon became apparent that she was headed directly for the dome.

  "What's yer wolf doin'?" Misty asked.

  "I don't know," replied Bilblox.

  They all watched as Kõrgu approached the curious gold dome. She swam around it several times, pawing at its gold walls. She barked loudly at the group and then dove underwater. After a few seconds, they heard her barking again, although this time they couldn't see her. Her barks sounded muffled.

  "She's inside!" shouted Resuza. "There must be an underwater entrance!" Resuza took off her backpack and proceeded to take off her socks and shoes. She glanced at the others. "Come on—let's see what's inside."

  "Wait a minute..." began Hill.

  But Resuza was n
ot to be deterred. She walked briskly into the small lake and within a few feet, the cool water rose above her waist. Resuza began swimming toward the gold dome. Once she was only a few feet away from the man-made island, she disappeared under the water. A few seconds later, they faintly heard her voice. "It's perfect! Come on!"

  Alfonso quickly followed and in no time he neared the hut. When he dove under the water, he saw a murky light. He swam up toward the light and then bobbed up into the dome itself. He hoisted himself out and sat down, dripping wet, to take in his surroundings.

  "Incredible," said Alfonso. "It's just like a beaver lodge, only it's for people."

  The lodge was only one room but it was large, perhaps twenty feet in diameter. There was a thick glass window overhead, and through this skylight a dim light shone through. The entire circumference of the round hut was lined with bunk beds. They were plain-looking, but each bed was covered in soft piles of the same fluorescent blue fabric that tied their gliders together. The floor of the lodge was covered with a soft yellowish moss that seemed to function like a carpet. In the center of the hut, next to the hole that led back down into the water, was a fireplace with a grill for cooking. Alfonso peered through the half-light and saw Resuza resting in one of the bunk beds.

  "How's the bed?" he asked.

  She raised her head and smiled at him. "It's very comfortable," she said. "Try it out."

  Alfonso stood up and walked toward her. He avoided Kõrgu, who was sitting contentedly on the floor by the fireplace chewing on what appeared to be a very old piece of meat. Alfonso took the bed to Resuza's left and lay down so that their heads were less than a foot apart.

  "Not bad," he admitted. "I could stay here for a while." He paused. "I wonder why they have beds. Wouldn't the Jasberians be active sleepers, just like Dormians from Somnos?"