by Perrin Briar
“There’s nobody in town who knows more about the town’s history than my sister,” the young man said. “I sometimes think she was swapped at birth for a smarter child from someone else’s family.”
“I sometimes feel the same way about myself,” Cassie said. “Not that I’m not smart. I mean, I didn’t always fit in with my parents.”
“I suppose none of us ever really do,” the young man said. “I’m Roland.”
“Cassie,” she said, smiling bashfully.
“How about we get up these steps and look the dragon dead in the eye?” Roland said.
Suddenly Cassie couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do.
20.
“EVERY WORLD we come to, we seem to find somewhere going through a period of transition,” Zoe said, climbing the final few steps.
“In what way?” Lady Maltese said.
“In the first world there was a war between two peoples, an ancient ancestor of the human race, and a more modern one,” Zoe said. “In the second world, a war between the British and the pirates—don’t ask. The third world was being destroyed by its human inhabitants, something we understand only all too well on the surface. And now we’re here.”
“There is a transition taking place,” Lady Maltese said. “Though perhaps not on the scale you’re used to seeing. But we are changing. We are lucky enough to have a genius inventor here in this town. He’s developing technology that will completely change the way we live our lives. He’s working on making horseless carriages and ways to float safely from great heights and… all manner of exciting things.”
“Really?” Zoe said. “That’s amazing. I guess in a place as small as this, it only takes one person to make a big difference.”
“Yes,” Lady Maltese said. “Thankfully, for the better. What is the level of technology like on the surface?”
“Advanced,” Zoe said.
“You already have horseless carriages?” Lady Maltese said.
“Yes, for a long time now,” Zoe said.
“Has it changed the way your world operates?” Lady Maltese said.
“Oh yes, totally,” Zoe said. “Though not always for the better.”
Lady Maltese frowned.
“Perhaps you or your husband might educate us, so we might not make the same mistakes you and your ancestors did,” she said.
“We can try,” Zoe said. “But people have a way of ignoring good advice.”
“Then we will do our utmost to ensure we will listen,” Lady Maltese said with a fresh smile. “Will you help us?”
“Yes,” Zoe said. “I don’t see why not. But we’ll need your help too. There’s a way for us to escape, to leave this world and return to our home.”
“Certainly,” Lady Maltese said. “All you need do is describe it to us.”
They were interrupted by Lord Maltese.
“Here we are,” he said.
He was standing on top of the wall. He held out his hand to help his lady wife up the final few steps. There were soldiers standing to attention with weapons, armed and ready should the monster attack.
The family approached the wall and peered over, keeping back in case they needed to leap back to safety. They didn’t have to look long to see the giant reptile standing, almost at head height with the wall.
From here they could see the rolling grassy dune fields. They were farmed, in the midst of a new crop rotation. There was something somehow modern and organized about it. But then, they would have been doing this for hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years, and they would be experts. Still, it was a higher level of sophistication than they had seen so far in the other worlds.
Flames smoldered from the monster’s blistered lips. It did not blast them with its torrent of fire, and let its eyes do the glaring for it. The soldiers clutched their spears and bow and arrows tight. Their arms shook with fear, but they did not release, primarily because they knew it would anger the beast and force it to attack them.
Judging by the look on their faces, they did not appear to have seen the beast with their own eyes before. That struck Zoe as strange. She filed the thought away for further analysis later.
“When did the dragon first appear here?” Zoe said.
“Fifteen year ago,” Lord Maltese said. “One day he wasn’t here, and then suddenly he was.”
“Why haven’t you killed it?” Bryan said.
“Have you seen it?” Lord Maltese said. “It is large and very strong. We do not have the resources or manpower to destroy something so great. If we were to attack, it would be the end of us. But thankfully, we have an inventor, a slightly eccentric figure who is developing weapons we hope will aid us in destroying the dragon. Then we can live in peace.”
Zoe looked over the side of the wall at the monster. It appeared to be looking directly at her, as if he were all it was concerned with in the whole world. It wanted her, and her family, to consume them as it had the scorched bodies. As far as it was concerned, the family belonged to it. And it wanted them. Now.
Zoe felt a shiver go through her. How long would the town protect them if the monster attacked? Would they let their own people die before sacrificing a family they had no connection with? Zoe didn’t think so.
“Come,” Lord Maltese said. “You must be tired and hungry. You will stay with us at the castle.”
He didn’t wait for their response, and turned and began heading back down the stairs at a spritely pace. He seemed completely unaware of the look of dread on the family’s face, peering down at the near-endless stretch of stairs.
21.
THE ROOM Bryan and Zoe were given was a study in the classic medieval design. Expensive heavy drapes and fresh tapestries adorned the stone walls. The bed was huge, big enough for a whole family to sleep in.
Zoe pressed her hand to it to check the firmness. It was soft as a cloud. It didn’t matter what it was like, in truth. After sleeping on the ground and various floors the past few weeks, any kind of cushion was welcome.
The door banged open, and a gaggle of women entered carrying heavy jugs of steaming water. They poured them into the large bath in the middle of the room, and piled various soaps and perfumes on one side. They quickly backed out of the room to leave Bryan and Zoe in peace.
“Thank you!” Zoe said.
The door was already closed.
“The service is good,” Bryan said.
“If not their manners,” Zoe said.
She opened the door and peered down the corridor in either direction. Suits of armor stood to attention, coats of allegiance from noble houses decorating the walls. Cassie and Aaron were in a room adjacent to their own. Zoe ducked back into their room.
“Wait a minute,” Zoe said. “I wonder if…”
She got down on her knees and looked under the their bed. She smiled and reached for what she could see there. She pulled it out. It sounded ceramic.
Zoe lifted it up with a grin on her face. It was a strangely shaped object, with a lid on the top that slotted nicely into place.
“What is it?” Bryan said.
“A chamber pot,” Zoe said. “Here. This one’s yours.”
Bryan took it, though he didn’t want to. It felt like an alien object in his hands.
“A chamber pot?” he said.
“You-” Zoe said.
“Yes, yes,” Bryan said. “I know what it’s used for. Where’s yours?”
“Under the other side of the bed, I suppose,” Zoe said.
“Do you think they’re matching?” Bryan said.
Zoe smiled contentedly and looked around at their room. It wasn’t altogether different to a high class hotel they might find on the surface. Indeed, there were probably hotels and resorts that offered this style of room. She felt happy, and at the same time, exhausted and tired.
“Do you want to take the first bath, or shall I?” Zoe said.
“You can,” Bryan said. “I’m probably dirtier than you. Better for me to wash in your dirty water
than vice versa.”
“So kind and considerate,” Zoe said, kissing him on the cheek.
“Besides, the water’s steaming hot,” Bryan said. “It’ll be just right for you. Just make sure to get out when it’s a little warm.”
“I think being around lords and ladies is having a positive impact on you,” Zoe said.
“Do you want me to turn my back?” Bryan said.
“Why?” Zoe said .”You’ve seen everything before.”
“Haven’t I just,” Bryan said with a cheeky wink.
“You can keep an eye on the door,” Zoe said.
“I’ll jam something under it to keep it closed,” Bryan said. “That way, I can enjoy the view.”
“Pervert,” Zoe said.
“Guilty as charged,” Bryan said.
Zoe stripped off and climbed into the hot water. She lay down and let the water soak into her bones. She let out a deep contented sigh.
“I want to stay here forever,” Zoe said.
“I want to stay looking at you forever,” Bryan said.
Zoe smiled, feeling a little self conscious, but didn’t cover herself up.
“Do you want me to scrub your back?” Bryan said.
“In a minute,” Zoe said. “Let me enjoy this for a little while.”
Bryan stood up and wandered around the room. He picked up a little rock that had been polished to a high shine. It looked expensive. He moved to the tapestries on the wall.
One depicted a town that was happy and vibrant, with trade going in and out. In the next picture, a hole appeared underneath it, and the whole town disappeared into it. The town was destroyed, the inhabitants still alive, now living in a dome-shaped world. The locals rebuilt the town, and they once again prospered. And then a monster appeared. It was big with sharp pointy teeth. It came each night, taking one, two, sometimes three people at a time. Sometimes they were able to fight it off, but most of the time they failed. So they fed it dead bodies that washed up on the lake, and the town was once again at peace.
Bryan wondered what the next few images would look like. He suspected it would be of a dead dragon and a heroic figure standing over it—perhaps even Lord Maltese.
Zoe began to scrub at her skin, working hard to remove the dirt, grime and sand. She had to wash her hair three times before it began to feel like real hair.
“Okay,” Zoe said. “I’m ready to be scrubbed.”
Bryan scrubbed her back with a natural loofah.
“Careful!” Zoe said. “I’d still like to keep some of the skin if you can manage it.”
“I can’t help it,” Bryan said. “The dirt is really caked on here.”
“Just… try to take it easy,” Zoe said.
Zoe’s skin was red raw by the time Bryan was finished, but it was clean and felt like new. He dreaded to think what his own back was going to look like after he’d finished washing.
“I’m done,” Zoe said. “But the water’s cold and filthy. I’ll ring and get more hot water brought up.”
“Ring?” Bryan said.
Zoe climbed out of the bath, water spilling over the floor. She wrapped a thick towel around herself and crossed to a series of bells that hung above the door. They each had something written underneath them. Zoe studied them before pulling on the string attached to one of them.
“It’ll be up here in a minute,” Zoe said.
Ten minutes in the place, and Zoe could have been born there. Bryan supposed it was due to her classical history education. She was living in history now. It was like traveling back in time, only without the discomfort of wondering whether you’d be able to return to your own timeline. The world still existed and carried on perfectly well without them. They just needed to get back to it.
Zoe’s mouth dropped open at the color of her bath water.
“That was from me?” she said. “I’m surprised I was able to walk under all that extra weight.”
“You have lost a lot of weight,” Bryan said. “I guess the mud only made up the difference.”
Zoe pressed her lips together. It was a gesture Bryan loved, and he felt himself begin to stir. He stood up. Zoe would have recognized the look in his eye anywhere.
“Oh no,” Zoe said. “You stay away from me, you filthy beast. Get clean. Then we’ll see.”
“See?” Bryan said. “I want to do a lot more than see…”
The door burst open, and the mother hens came into the room carrying jugs of steaming water. They reached down and pulled a plug from under the bath, spilling the water into a tray on wheels. The dirty water spilled into it.
The women dragged the tray out into the hall and replaced it with another, clean one. They washed the inside of the dirty tub and wiped it down so it was as good as new. Then they tipped the hot water into it. They worked with the efficiency of an F1 pit team.
“Is there anything else, my lady?” one of the women said.
“Lady?” Zoe said. “Uh, no. Thank you.”
The mother hen followed the other women out into the hall and shut the door behind them.
Bryan and Zoe stood there a moment, stock still, minds still processing what had just happened.
“Did you just see a team of old ladies come in and replace a bathtub full of water in ten seconds flat?” Bryan said.
“I did,” Zoe said.
Bryan approached the tub, surprised to find it perfectly clean.
“They replaced the soap!” he said. “I didn’t even see them bring any new soap in here!”
“They’re efficient,” Zoe said.
“I’ll say,” Bryan said. “I’ve never seen such efficiency on the surface. Even in the best hotels in the world. No, especially not in the so-called best hotels.”
“You stay at those hotels for the prestige, not the service,” Zoe said.
“Don’t remind me,” Bryan said. “In some ways the world has gone backwards. We’ve advanced in technology and sophistication, but sometimes I think we paid too high a price.”
“I think you’re right,” Zoe said. “Sometimes we care more about the things we own more than the people who make them for us.”
Zoe opened a wardrobe. Dresses and smart male wear circa the 1700s hung from hangers.
“This stuff is in our size,” Zoe said. “How do you suppose they knew our sizes?”
“Beats me,” Bryan said, stripping off. “Maybe we match the average size of the 1700s person.”
“Maybe,” Zoe said with a frown.
She flicked through the items one at a time until she came to a long burgundy dress. She unhooked it and draped it over one arm. She felt the material between her fingers. It was smooth and silky. She laid it on the bed and admired it. It was a beautiful item. If she’d lost the amount of weight she thought she had, it would fit her just right.
Bryan eased himself into the water, his face scrunched up. It was too hot, so he stood up and put more cold water into the bath. The steam bellowed and turned his area of the room into a sauna. He sighed as he lowered himself back into the tub.
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Zoe said.
“Wonderful,” Bryan said.
He lay back and relaxed, closing his eyes. He didn’t relax as long as Zoe had, but then, she didn’t expect him to. Bryan was a man of action. Yoga for him was about the stretches. He had no time for the spiritual mumbo jumbo.
“I’ve been thinking,” Bryan said.
“Here comes trouble,” Zoe said.
“It seems like we’ve been passing through time as we move through these worlds, don’t you think?” Bryan said. “It’s like seeing the development of man, how we emerged and looked out at the world and finally managed to get control of our surroundings.”
“You might be onto something there,” Zoe said.
Relieved he didn’t sound stupid, Bryan pushed on.
“First there were the cavemen, the early humans,” he said. “And then there were the seafaring people, and then the miners. And then these people. They look mo
re advanced than anyone else we’ve come across so far.”
“But still a long way off the surface,” Zoe said.
“Maybe these sinkholes only open for a short period of time before closing,” Bryan said. “And then new ones open up, each time getting closer and closer to the surface time.”
“So you’re saying we’re getting closer to home?” Zoe said.
“I don’t know,” Bryan said. “But it makes sense in a warped kind of way.”
“It does,” Zoe said. “But just because we’re moving forward in time doesn’t mean we’re necessarily getting closer to the surface.”
“No,” Bryan said, slightly deflated. “I suppose not.”
“I haven’t noticed anything about the rocks and the walls of the worlds we’ve been to that suggests we’ve been moving up nor down,” Zoe said.
“Thanks,” Bryan said. “That really makes me feel better.”
“It’s not about feeling better,” Zoe said. “It’s about the facts. When we get back to the surface, everything we know about deep under the Earth’s surface is going to change. All the textbooks will need to be rewritten. Nations will begin digging to discover these new worlds, and these new resources.”
“Yeah,” Bryan said.
And suddenly he didn’t sound so excited by the prospect.
“But not necessarily,” Zoe said.
“What do you mean?” Bryan said. “How will we explain to everyone where we’ve been if we don’t tell them about these worlds down here?”
“There are a million different reasons we can use to explain where we’ve been,” Zoe said.
“You mean, lie?” Bryan said. “What would we say?”
“Anything,” Zoe said with a shrug. “No one would know. Anyway, we don’t need to worry about that right now. We need to focus on getting to the position where we’ll use those stories we’ll make up.”
Zoe moved to the makeup table and began experimenting with the items she found there.
“I suppose you’re right,” Bryan said. “I vote we were on an undercover mission for the CIA.”
“Something believable,” Zoe said.
“I always fancied myself in the CIA,” Bryan said.