The Place of Dead Kings

by Geoffrey Wilson

  Christ. Jack’s heart pumped hard. Was he going to stay hiding and watch Sonali being beaten?

  Sonali swung herself round and Mahajan let go of her. She snarled and flew at him, trying to scratch his face. But a glowing, bronze-coloured mantle suddenly enveloped him. She hit the shimmering bronze with a sound like a gong and was repulsed backwards so hard she fell against the dressing table. She slipped to the floor again.

  The shield vanished as quickly as it had appeared and Mahajan stood over her. ‘Pathetic. Why do you bother?’

  Sonali looked up, her eyes both tearful and fierce. She swore at Mahajan using Rajthani words Jack didn’t recognise.

  Mahajan glared at her, his features twisting. ‘Stupid girl.’

  Sonali gave a shout, which was cut short almost immediately. She scrabbled at the torc about her neck, trying without success to wrench it off. She made rasping sounds and writhed on the floor. Her face went red. She seemed to be choking.

  Jack tightened his fists. He would have to do something. Mahajan was using some sort of power to strangle Sonali and he couldn’t stand by and watch her die. He cursed the fact he didn’t have a pistol – he could have shot Mahajan in the back before the siddha could even turn. Instead, he was going to have to rush at Mahajan and pummel him with his fists.

  Jack steeled himself to move. But then Mahajan took a step back. Sonali gasped and began gulping down air again. The torc was no longer choking her.

  ‘Don’t try me, girl,’ Mahajan said. ‘I will snuff you out one of these days.’

  Sonali sat up, rubbing her neck. ‘You won’t dare.’

  ‘I’m tiring of these games. You will change your mind, or I will make you.’

  ‘I never will.’

  Mahajan smiled and said in an oily voice, ‘We’ll see. I might enjoy making you.’ He walked to the balcony doors, opened one of them and stood looking out through the billowing curtains. He shivered slightly and rubbed one of his arms. ‘It’s getting cold. Perhaps it will snow again. I do so love the snow.’ He turned and smiled at Sonali. ‘It’s the wildness of it. It seeps into you, don’t you think?’ He looked back out of the window. ‘Civilisation is so constraining, but out here with the savages . . . we can find the savagery within us.’

  ‘You’re insane.’

  ‘Perhaps. But I have never felt more sane. Think about what I’ve said. I won’t delay any longer.’

  He left suddenly, making his way through the maze of screens. A few seconds later, the door scraped and then slammed shut.

  Jack breathed out. His heart was still beating wildly.

  Sonali slipped over to the wardrobe and opened it. ‘He’s gone.’

  ‘Are you all right?’

  She looked away. ‘Yes.’

  ‘That necklace.’ He reached out to touch the torc. He could see a line of red where it had dug into her skin.

  She slapped his hand away. ‘Leave it.’ She walked across to the balcony and opened both doors wide.

  ‘Only trying to help.’

  She stared outside. The wind had picked up and the curtains now lifted and coiled about her. Her face was still. ‘No one can help me.’

  ‘You sure about that?’

  ‘You don’t understand.’

  ‘I understand enough. I can see you’re trapped here with that thing around your neck.’

  Sonali stroked the torc with her finger but stayed silent.

  ‘Mahajan controls it?’ Jack said.

  ‘Yes.’ She looked down. ‘If he commands, it’ll choke me. He can kill me any time he pleases.’

  ‘And yet he keeps you alive.’

  ‘Perhaps not for much longer.’

  ‘Unless you change your mind. About what?’

  ‘There’s much more to this than you know.’ She looked at Jack and swept her hair back with her fingers. As she did this, her shawl slipped down and revealed a criss-cross of white scars on her arm.

  Jack stepped closer. ‘Did Mahajan do that?’

  She covered her arm quickly. ‘It’s none of your business.’

  Jack felt heat ripple across his face. ‘He tortured you?’

  ‘Forget it.’

  Mahajan was an evil bastard. ‘I’ll get you out of here.’

  ‘I can’t leave the castle. Mahajan will activate the necklace.’

  ‘Then we’ll get it off.’

  Sonali’s eyes flashed. ‘Don’t you think I’ve tried?’

  ‘There’s got to be a way.’ He looked around for something he could use to prise off the torc.

  ‘No. Mahajan’s a powerful siddha. The necklace can’t be broken. Not while he’s alive.’

  Jack paused. Sonali knew more about all this than he did. There was no reason for him to doubt what she said. But at the same time, Sonali had helped him and he had to return the favour somehow. ‘So, if Mahajan is killed, you’ll be free.’

  ‘Don’t even think about it. He’s covered in a shield. All the time. Not even bullets can get through it. Only a powerful siddha could harm him. He’s practically invincible.’

  ‘No one’s invincible.’

  She turned away again. ‘There’s nothing you can do. Wait for a little longer. Then get out of here. It’s for the best.’

  Jack sighed. He didn’t like the idea of leaving Sonali trapped in the castle. But he also knew she was right – there was little he could do for her at the moment.

  He slumped down in a cushion-seat and rubbed the back of his neck. Tiredness weighed on him. ‘Before I go, there’s something you might be able to help me with.’

  She turned and sat on a stool beside the dressing table. ‘What?’

  ‘I’m looking for four comrades. They were captured by Cattans. They might be here.’

  ‘Three soldiers and a Rajthanan officer?’

  Jack sat up straighter. ‘Yes. You’ve seen them?’

  ‘No. But I heard about them. A war party brought them in. Mahajan was very suspicious about what they were doing all the way out here.’

  Jack paused, then asked slowly, ‘Are they alive?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Jack leant forward. ‘You’re sure?’

  She nodded. ‘Pretty sure. Mahajan mentioned them yesterday. He said he still didn’t know who they were. He said he was going to find out, though.’

  Jack said a quick Hail Mary in his head. ‘Where are they?’

  ‘In the dungeon.’

  ‘How do I get there?’

  ‘You won’t be able to get them out.’

  ‘I have to.’

  ‘There are guards. Locked doors. Bars. I know. Mahajan locked me in there for a while.’

  ‘Just tell me how to get there. I’ll think of something.’

  ‘I will. When the guards are gone from the door. I doubt they’ll be there much longer.’

  Jack leant against the seat’s bolster, tilted his head back and shut his eyes for a moment. He wanted to sleep but knew he couldn’t risk it. The Cattans would still be looking for him and might come to search Sonali’s room at any time.

  The fire in his chest shivered. The strong sattva was still making him giddy.

  He opened his eyes again and saw Sonali studying him. Her features were slender and her hair glowed in the firelight. She looked sad and, he had to admit, beautiful.

  ‘Why are you here?’ he asked. ‘In this castle?’

  ‘I was one of Mahajan’s maids. In Rajthana.’

  ‘A maid?’ He’d heard there were Rajthanan servants back in Rajthana, but it was still strange to think of an Indian as a servant.

  ‘Yes. I’ve been to many places with him. The Inca lands, Andalusia, al-Francon.’

  ‘So why have you ended up a prisoner?’

  She looked into the flames. ‘I told you. I don’t want to talk about that.’

  He sighed. Sonali was full of secrets. But if she didn’t want his help, what could he do? Still, while he was here he had to find out as much as he could about Mahajan. ‘Do you know anything about Mahaja
n’s experiments?’

  She looked up quickly. ‘What do you mean?’

  Should he risk revealing to her what he knew? He had to if he wanted answers. ‘The Brahmastra. Ever heard of that?’

  Her mouth dropped. ‘You know about that?’

  ‘A bit. I know it’s a kind of weapon. Is it real?’

  ‘Maybe. I think so.’

  ‘Has Mahajan made one?’

  ‘He believes so. He’s been trying for a long time. He discovered an ancient manuscript. Or rediscovered it. It was in a private archive, but everyone had forgotten about it. It was in an old, secret language that no one knows any more, but he deciphered it.’

  ‘And that told him how to make a Brahmastra?’

  ‘Yes.’ She looked at her hands. ‘It’s a manuscript of the Kapalika siddhas. It contains many evil things.’

  ‘Kapalika?’

  She looked up, her face traced by the firelight. ‘They were an order of siddhas who practised . . . unspeakable things. They believed in achieving powers through destroying purity. They tried to defile themselves in every way.’

  Jack remembered Mahajan’s words earlier. ‘Become savages?’

  ‘Mahajan believes that, yes. The Kapalikas somehow stole the secret of the Brahmastra, a long time ago. They weren’t meant to have it.’

  ‘And this Brahmastra. Is it really as powerful as in the stories?’

  ‘I hope not.’ She shivered.

  ‘Would Mahajan use it?’

  ‘I’m certain he would. He follows the teachings of the Kapalikas. They worshipped death and destruction. Their sign was the skull – that’s why Mahajan makes the Cattans wear it.’

  ‘So, who would he use the Brahmastra on? Who’s he fighting for?’

  ‘Fighting for?’ She snorted. ‘For himself. For his own power. He’s mad.’

  ‘A madman shouldn’t have a weapon like that.’

  ‘No. Perhaps you can help. Can you get a message out?’

  ‘I can try.’

  ‘I’ve sent word before. Many months ago. A native servant. He said he’d take my message all the way to England.’

  Jack sat back. ‘Perhaps he made it. The empire knows about the Brahmastra.’

  Her eyes widened. ‘Really?’

  ‘That’s why I’m here. The army sent an expedition to see what Mahajan’s up to.’

  Sonali gripped the edge of her shawl. ‘If they know, surely they’ll send another party.’

  ‘Maybe. They aren’t sure whether to believe the story.’

  ‘You have to make them believe it.’

  ‘I’ll do my best. Where’s the Brahmastra now?’

  ‘I’ve never seen it. But Mahajan spends all his time in a workshop under the inner bailey. It’ll be in there somewhere.’

  ‘I’ll take a look.’

  She shook her head. ‘You won’t get in there either. There are many, many guards and the doors are locked with yogic powers.’

  ‘You said there weren’t many guards at night.’

  ‘There are around that room. And the dungeon. Believe me.’

  There was no reason for him to doubt Sonali. She knew the castle well and had done nothing but help him so far. If she’d wanted to, she could have turned him over to the guards half an hour ago. He had to trust her.

  But there was one last thing he wanted to know. ‘You know anything about the Grail?’

  She frowned. ‘No.’

  ‘Mahajan’s never spoken about it?’

  She shook her head. ‘What is it?’

  ‘Nothing. Just an old story.’ He stood. ‘Now, let’s see if the guards are gone. I can’t wait around here all night.’

  25

  Sonali slid the door open, peered outside, then turned to Jack. ‘It’s still clear.’

  He nodded. Having seen that the guards had left, Sonali had explained the layout of the castle to him. So long as he could remember her directions, he should be able to find both Mahajan’s workshop and the dungeon.

  He went to leave, but paused for a moment. He couldn’t help looking at the torc about Sonali’s neck. It glinted in the dull light and dug slightly into her soft flesh. ‘I’ll be back in a few hours.’

  She frowned. ‘You have to get out of the castle.’

  ‘I can’t leave you here.’

  ‘Go. While you can.’

  He wasn’t going to abandon her but there was no point arguing about it now. Instead, he said a curt farewell and slipped out of the door.

  The stone corridor stretched in both directions. Candles cast wavering light across the walls, but left large patches of shadow. Doors led off to both sides.

  He ran through Sonali’s directions in his head again, then struck off to the right, treading softly and listening for the sound of anyone approaching. What would he do if a Cattan appeared? Fight? Run? He would have to gauge the situation when it came and make a quick decision.

  He turned into another hall, as Sonali had instructed. He was heading to Mahajan’s workshop first – Sonali had said that was closer than the dungeon, and the journey would be along passages that were often empty.

  After he’d gone a few paces, he heard footsteps and men’s voices behind him, coming from the passage he’d just left. He ran to the end of the corridor, skidded around the corner and pressed himself against the wall. His chest trembled and his head swam. He’d felt better while he was resting in Sonali’s room, but now that he was moving around again his injury was worsening.

  The footsteps came closer, slapping against the wooden floor and echoing down the hall. Had the men heard him? Seen him?

  Then the footsteps began to quieten and recede.

  He breathed out. So far, luck was with him.

  He pressed on down the passage and hesitated beside a window with a half-open shutter. He listened intently. There were no footsteps. He could risk stopping for a moment.

  He eased open the shutter and peered out into the darkness. From this angle he had a good view of the front of the castle. The walls and bastions were outlined by splashes of light from windows, the vague moon and specks of luminous ash. He spied a black expanse that must be the inner bailey, beneath which lay Mahajan’s workshop.

  He heard voices coming from further down the corridor, so he slid the shutter closed and moved on.

  He came to the corkscrew staircase he’d run up earlier in the day. The scent of sattva and coal spiralled up. A tremor crossed his chest, his legs weakened and black spots spun before his eyes.

  He shook his head to keep himself from passing out. He had to keep going. He couldn’t fail now.

  He started down the stairs, listening carefully for anyone coming the other way. Pipes began knitting across the walls, heat wafted up and the distant hum of industry vibrated in the air. Wherever there was metal, he noticed the uneasy shifting he’d seen when he’d first arrived at the castle. Nothing seemed stable and certain. Everything had the quality of smoke.

  Blackness hovered about him. He paused and tried to clear his head, but the darkness enveloped him further. He stuck out his hand to steady himself, his fingers finding and then gripping a pipe that was warm and slightly damp to the touch. He felt the faint quiver of machinery through the metal.

  Concentrate. Don’t faint. Don’t fall down now.

  The blackness parted and he could see clearly again. He was breathing heavily but the pain in his chest eased a little.

  Christ. How much longer did he have now? Days? Hours?

  And what about the Grail? Despite his scepticism, despite his lack of belief in his people’s superstitions, he’d been hoping the Grail was real, hoping that Mahajan had found it. Even when he’d come to the castle hours earlier he’d let his thoughts run away with the idea that this place was the Corbenic of the old stories. But Sonali had never heard of the Grail. Mahajan hadn’t mentioned it.

  He had to give up on the idea of the Grail now. If there were any secret in the castle, it would be a monstrous weapon.

 
Nothing was going to save him.

  He swallowed. He was feeling strong enough now to continue and slipped on down the stairs.

  He heard voices coming from above, then footsteps in the stairwell. He went more quickly.

  And then suddenly he was at ground level. He’d travelled faster and further than he’d realised and lost track of which storey he was on. He was back in the hallway which led to the boiler room. Heat and coal smoke washed over him and in the distance dim figures laboured, their skin shining in the ruddy light. It seemed the men needed to work continuously to keep the castle running.

  He headed away from the boilers, turned down a few gloomy passages and finally reached the set of stairs that led to the catacombs. Sonali had explained there was a complex maze of halls and chambers beneath the castle. A few had survived from earlier times, but most had been built by Mahajan.

  He looked around. There was no one in the area. No one had seen him come to this place. So far, everything was going according to plan.

  He scurried down the stairs and came out in a hall lit by pale, silvery light that seemed to come from no particular source. Seething tubes encrusted the walls. Steam hissed from valves, water gurgled deep within the ironwork and black ooze leaked out from between rivets. The metal continually shifted and slipped around as he tried to concentrate on it. But like everywhere else in the castle, it was solid when he touched it.

  He crept down the passage, took a turning to the left and then to the right. The wheeze of steam and the chugging of machinery grew even louder. The air was moist and warm.

  Finally he reached a long hall that Sonali had told him led to Mahajan’s workshop.

  He heard footsteps echoing behind him. He glanced around. There was nowhere to hide in the corridor, but there was an opening in the wall about thirty feet away. He slipped down the passage and paused by the exit. The room beyond was dark and he could only just see the outline of the metal swarming over the walls.

  The footsteps rattled louder. Whoever was coming would soon turn into the hall.

  He slipped into the room. The footsteps stopped, then continued. Two people were walking towards him and would soon reach the entryway. If he stayed where he was, they would see him.