“The Soudan Labyrinth,” Jacob exclaimed. “You’re telling me that the device is hidden in the Soudan Mine?”
“I’m saying the Soudan Mine is the entrance to the hiding place,” Evelion corrected. “However, you need to understand that the mine dug out on this side of the Divide was small in comparison to the one the Dwarven workers hollowed out when they were seeking raw materials to fund the construction of the Antikytheran Device.”
“A half-mile down and twenty-some levels is small?” Jacob gulped. “How much bigger is it?”
“It’s unknown how far into the earth they delved,” Evelion replied. “The ancients had great skill in mining and tunneling. They might have gone down until they could dig no further.” She paused for a moment, then continued reading. “‘Today we discovered the place Cordun told us about; it is teeming with power and will work perfectly for our purposes. We also made contact with the dwarven halls Cordun told us of, and they agreed to supply us with the raw materials we need for our work. Immediately our workers went about fashioning workshops and living quarters for those of us who will be staying until the device is complete. It could be a long couple of years living near some of those involved. Antuidus is a rude jerk for the most part. I hope to avoid his company at all costs.’”
They all chuckled. Evelion paged ahead. “Much of the rest of the book is a day-to-day journal of what went on during the construction. My ancestor was very careful not to reveal the details of how the device was built. She did write down her opinion that she thought someone was keeping a detailed log of how everything worked, but she never proved it.”
Suddenly Jacob snapped his fingers and jumped to his feet, making everyone else in the room stare at him in surprise.
“The Soudan Mine. Now I remember,” Jacob blurted. He began to pace back and forth in excitement. “I went on a tour there last year before all this started. The guide said that when the mine was operational, they found something on one of the lower floors and shut down the mine for almost three full days. After they reopened, one stop on the elevator was simply gone. Like, the week earlier there was a level twenty-six, and suddenly there wasn’t. Even the spot where the entrance used to be was completely walled off in brick. When the workers asked why, they were told it was unstable and couldn’t be worked safely. Many miners thought that was odd, considering the twenty-sixth level was very rich in ore.”
“Why would a mining company shut off one of their most lucrative mining levels, unless there was something there they couldn’t or didn’t want to explain?” Jane reasoned. She was following Jacob’s thoughts now and knew immediately what they needed to do. “Let’s go check it out.”
“We can drive to the Soudan and cross over,” Jacob said. “If you can make a small map of the area, we can all cross over the Divide at the map entrance, and it won’t take nearly as long.”
“You mustn’t do that,” Evelion said. She grabbed Jacob’s arm and shook her head. “The Divide’s unstable right now. If you try to cross over while someone’s working on the device, it might be your last attempt.”
That bit of information dampened on the mood, and Jacob plopped back down on the stone step. “Well, how do we go about this, then? If we’re stuck here and the device is on the other side, it’s impossible!”
“Who said the device is on the other side?” Evelion said with a sly smile. “It generates a Divide to separate both worlds. The Antikytheran Device exists in a place the Divide doesn’t touch. Once you arrive there, you’re on both sides at once or on just one side. Depends on how you want to look at it.”
“So if we can find the chamber on this side, we’ll be able to stop the assassin,” Jane said. “All we have to do is break into the mine and get someone to run the elevator and send us down to the floor that no longer exists and find out where it connects to the deeper tunnels.”
“Shouldn’t be that hard,” Jacob said. “I mean, we’ve helped run a rebellion and overthrown an evil maniac bent on world domination. How hard can it be to find the entrance to a cavern?”
“My ancestor also mentioned they placed a guardian on both sides,” Evelion said quietly. “Did I mention that?”
“No!” everyone said at once.
“They built a pair of guardians out of the same material they used to make the device,” Evelion replied. She turned the book around so they could see the page and pointed to a drawing. “It looks like this. One guards the entrance on each side.”
Eriunia leaned in and looked at the machine shown in rough outlines on the page. It loosely resembled a spider, with six legs and a square torso. Most importantly, two of its arms ended in weapons. On one side was a sword and on the other something that resembled a crossbow. Written in elfish letters on the side of the page were the dimensions of the guardian.
“Six feet tall and armored so it weighs four hundred pounds,” Eriunia translated the runes, doing the calculations in her head to make it understandable for the others.
“This machine has surely broken down by now,” Coronia said. She had been silent up until now and said out what everyone was hoping.
“I doubt it,” Eriunia replied. “If the Divide’s still operating, the guardians are still operating. Remember, they were built with the same technology and craftsmanship. Chances are, they’re still guarding the device.”
They sat silently for a moment. Then finally Jane stood. “Well, I suppose we know what we have to do.” She was going to head to the door, but Evelion caught her arm and pulled her away from the others.
“My visions are always the same,” Evelion said in a low voice. “There’s great pain and suffering coming for someone, and I feel it’s directed toward a map maker. Be careful, dear girl.” Turning to the rest of the group again, she pointed to the mantel over the fireplace at an odd-looking device, square, about the size of a football, and built of a shiny metal like brass. “Take this with you. It’s been passed down in my family for generations and is one of the reasons I’m hiding here. I was contacted by a strange person some years ago who offered to purchase it from me. I refused. The next day an attempt was made to steal it. When that failed, someone tried to kill me.”
“What does it do?” Eriunia asked. She picked up the machine and found it lighter than she thought it would be. Whatever metal it was constructed of it, it was not brass.
“It draws in power from the earth and converts it into a signal that’ll temporarily disable the guardian. However, the range is limited,” Evelion warned.
“We’ll take good care of it,” Eriunia replied. She pulled her leather pack from her back and slipped the device inside. Once it was secure, she closed the pack again and walked to the door.
“Thank you for your help, Evelion,” Jane said. She gave the kindly woman a quick hug, then turned and took Jacob’s hand. As they all filed out of the cottage, Jane had the feeling they’d never see Evelion again. The odd warning she had given Jane echoed in her mind and made her shiver. The walk back to the beach was filled with excited chatter, except for Jane.
When they arrived at the beach, the boat still where they had left it, it was only eleven in the morning. While Lenny and Eriunia worked to push the boat back into deeper water, Jane walked down the beach.
“Hey, are you all right?” Jacob called to her. He hurried down the beach to where Jane stood staring off into the distance.
“Oh, yeah, I’m okay,” Jane replied. She faked a smile that didn’t mirror what she felt inside and took his hands when he offered them. “Just a lot on my mind right now.”
Lenny called that they were ready, and Jane and Jacob returned and climbed into the aluminum craft. The motor fired up easily, and soon they were roaring across the water, heading back toward the delapitated resort.
“Do you see the wolf?” Jacob asked as they neared the shore. Lenny had idled the motor and they were sitting about
twenty feet off from the dock.
“I don’t see him,” Eriunia replied. Her eyes were sharpest of the entire group, and she scanned back and forth. The beach seemed empty. Carefully she adjusted the pack on her back and motioned for Lenny to push the boat in close to shore. When they were within five feet, she leapt across the space and landed on the dock.
The shore remained quiet as the rest piled out of the boat and onto the dock. Lenny slipped a rope around the metal upright and killed the engine. The whole shore looked a little different under the light of day and seemed quieter and more peaceful.
“Maybe they only come out at night?” Jane said hesitantly. Her eyes roved back and forth, looking for the slightest hint of movement in the tall grass. When everything remained quiet, she hurried toward the car that had been parked out front, hoping it was still there.
“There she is,” Lenny said proudly. His Cadillac was sitting right where they had left it, and it looked like no one had touched it. He pulled the keys from his pocket and clicked the remote unlock. He climbed in and the car roared to life when he started it up.
“Everyone get in,” Lenny called. He closed the driver’s door and rolled the windows down. “Let’s get out of here.” The moment the doors were shut and everyone was strapped in, he flipped the car into gear and pulled it around.
19: The Soudan Mine
The drive to the Soudan Mine took them just under four hours. As they drove, Jane and Jacob took turns filling in the gaps for Lenny as best they could. They took a break to fill the car with gas in Tower, Minnesota, and another when they stopped at a Walmart before driving the last couple miles to the town of Soudan. The town was quiet when they arrived.
“So there really are two worlds?” Lenny said doubtfully. “I mean, I know you mentioned it last night . . .” he paused and shook his head. “If I hadn’t seen and heard what I have in the last day, I’d laugh. But I seriously believe you guys. That’s amazing.”
“Well, that worked out perfectly,” Jane said after a short lull in the conversation.
“What’s perfect?” Jacob asked. He sat between Jane and Coronia in the backseat and Eriunia sat up front. Lenny seemed to be enjoying the arrangement. He kept glancing over at the elf, smiling.
“It’s Saturday night,” Jane said. “We can sneak in, hopefully, and be gone before they know we’re there. I assume they’re closed on Sundays.”
They pulled up next to McKinley Park Road and looked up at the gate at the mine’s entrance. Since it was closed and locked, they drove up the road a little and found an old, mostly unused logging trail. Lenny groaned as he saw the small dirt track, but he pulled the Cadillac onto the trail far enough that the car was hidden from the road.
They all climbed out, and Lenny popped the trunk. Inside were several bags from the Walmart, where they’d purchased four flashlights and a half-dozen packs of extra batteries. They emptied the batteries into the bottom of a pack, along with a couple dozen powerbars and some water bottles with built-in filters so they could refill anywhere and still safely drink the water.
“I’m glad you thought about stopping for some supplies,” Jacob said to Jane. He hoisted his full backpack and paused while she dusted him with mosquito spray.
“Thanks,” Jane laughed. “Someone had to be the practical one.” She leaned and acted like she was going to plant a kiss on his cheek. When Jacob turned to accept the kiss she wiped a little bit of bug spray on his cheek instead.
“Thanks,” Jacob groaned. “Everyone ready?”
When the others indicated they were ready, the group headed out into the woods. The forest was thick as they worked their way back along the side of the hill that would lead them to the buildings housing the remnants of the mine.
When they finally emerged from the trees, they were standing on the lip of a rocky cliff overlooking the remains of the open pit mine. It had been used for a time before the company realized the better ore was deeper in the earth. Jacob skirted the edge of the pit, which had been unused for so long that trees growing in it. After looking for cars or any signs of movement, they walked out into the parking lot.
“The elevator controls are over here,” Lenny said. He pointed to a steel shed on their right. “Someone’s going to have to stay there and operate the elevator.”
“I think that’s your job this time, buddy,” Jacob said with an apologetic look.
“What?” Lenny groaned. “You guys get to explore the depths of a mine no one else ever gets to see and I’m stuck running the elevator.”
“Chances are you’ll also get arrested if we don’t get out in time,” Jane said in a Valley-Girl tone. “Isn’t that exciting?” Jane clapped her hands together and jumped up and down with an empty expression.
Lenny tried not to smile but finally couldn’t contain it any longer. He shook his head. “All right, fine, I’ll run the elevator, but you all owe me big time.” He picked up a rock and looked at the locked door. “Time to open the doors and see if I can figure out how to operate this thing.”
It didn’t take more than one heavy strike with the rock to knock the padlock off the door, and they were in. Lenny looked up at the massive cables that ran from the steel building over to the iron structure that supported the elevator car. “Maybe it’d be safer to be me and stay up top. I mean, who knows, if I push the wrong lever at the wrong time, I could send you to the bottom way too fast.”
“Thanks,” Jane said with a glare. “If you get me killed going down there, I’ll come back and haunt you for the rest of your life.”
They all chuckled. As Lenny familiarized himself with the controls, the others trooped off.
“It’s about time,” Bella groaned, coming out of the pocket she’d been hiding in. “I think I have a cramp in my wing.” Bella stretched her wings out slowly as she moved muscles that had been compacted for hours.
Jacob passed out flashlights and showed Eriunia and Coronia how they operated and how to change the batteries. Besides the flashlights, he had purchased a couple of road flares, and tucked those into his pack. The elevator car was locked shut and Jacob used his sword to remove the lock in one swipe. Once the lock was gone, the mine car opened easily. They all stepped inside.
“This is a lot roomier then the last time I was in here,” Jacob said. On his visit to the mine, the guide had packed them into the elevator car like cattle. The outer doors on the cage slid open, and Jacob tapped the button on the intercom. “Did you figure it out, Lenny?” he said into it.
There was dead silence for a long moment before the intercom came to life and Lenny’s voice echoed through the car. “I think I got it. Hold on. Let me see if this works.”
“I think I would grab onto something,” Jacob said to the others. He made sure the front of the cage was closed. Jane stood near the back wall, and he walked to her and took her hand with one of his, bracing himself against the wall with the other. They waited. When the elevator still hadn’t moved after a minute, Jacob was about to step back to the intercom. The car lurched into motion and started to pick up speed as it plunged into the ground. Level after level sped by with layer after layer of stone flashing in front of them in between. Every hundred or so feet a mine floor would swish by, and the lights of the car illuminated the gaping tunnels in the ground for a moment. Finally the car started to slow. When it came to halt, Lenny chirped over the intercom, “That should be close.”
Jane and Jacob slid the inner door of the cage open and looked at the wall in front of them. Just as Jacob was about to close the door and tell Lenny to move the car down further, Eriunia grabbed his arm.
“Wait a moment,” Eriunia said. On a rough ledge near the edge of the elevator car lay a length of steel pipe. She picked it up. Using the edge of the pipe, she scraped across a section of the stone. Large flecks of paint and plaster began to fall away, revealing a brick wall. Jacob whistled.
“I never would’ve spotted that,” Jacob said. “I doubt many would.” He tapped the intercom. “This is perfect, Lenny. Leave us right here.”
“Sounds good,” Lenny replied through the speaker.
Jacob and Jane both found pieces of steel and joined Eriunia at the wall picking away at the plaster. Soon they had the entire section of bricks uncovered. Jacob noticed the mortar holding the brick in place was in terrible condition. He began digging at the gritty substance and big pieces of it came loose easily. Then bricks loosened and came away.
“We’ll have the passage open in no time,” Jacob said. He pushed on the brick in front of him, and after a moment it fell loose and clattered to the stone floor. Soon a dozen more bricks fell free from the wall, and Jacob was able to peer into the darkness behind the wall.
“Looks like the electricity was wired into the front area, at least,” Jacob said. He could see a weak light about thirty feet in. It illuminated the mine tunnel, which looked to be the size common throughout the rest of the Soudan Mine. The ceiling was nine or ten feet high, and the passage was at least ten feet wide.
“Come on, let’s get a few more of these bricks out of the way and get inside,” Eriunia said. She pushed at loosened bricks. Several more fell free, adding to the small pile of rubble on the floor.
When enough had been removed, Jacob and Jane followed Eriunia through the opening and then reached back and helped Coronia slip through. Bella fluttered through once the others were safely inside the mine tunnel. Jacob flipped on his flashlight and let it play across the walls. It was like entering a tomb. Silence hung in the air like a ghost in the background. The metal piping along the ceiling that brought power to the lights was badly rusted. Most of the lights had burned out years earlier, but about every fifth or sixth one still glowed feebly. Rail tracks had been left in the floor, but the iron rails were so pitted with rust and corrosion that Jane doubted anything would ever move on them.
The Map Maker's Choice Page 17