by Alex Archer
“There are,” Hsusia said. “But our conditions here are troubling and we are forced to live as best we are able.”
“How did you come to live in this world?” Annja asked.
“We have always been here. But long, long ago, a massive event shattered our world and caused us to slip into the sea along with several other nations of people. Resources became scarce and life was truly horrible. We were forced to battle and ended up killing the other races. We alone survive now in this place.”
“You dwell beneath the ocean,” Annja said. “How is this possible?”
“The oracle provides for us everything we need. Air, water, food, light. As long as the oracle is protected, we will never die out.”
Annja frowned. “But don’t you grow old and die?”
Hsusia shrugged. “Our lives are not measured by time.”
“Do you have children here?”
“No.”
Spier was fascinated. “How do you procreate?”
Hsusia fixed an icy stare on him. “Who are you to speak to me? I have no words with you. Only with the woman known as Annja.”
Spier stepped back and mumbled something under his breath. Annja frowned. She could see that Hsusia would be tough to deal with. “We would very much like to leave your kingdom, Hsusia. We are sorry to have trespassed here.”
Hsusia shook her head. “Things are not as easy as that. We have survived this long because our existence is a secret. If we were to let you go back to the surface world, we would be compromising our very existence.”
“We would not tell anyone,” Annja said.
Hsusia smiled. “Annja, I am not a fool. I know you might be able to promise that for yourself, but the men with you are likely to not honor that promise. What then? They would seek glory for themselves and lead others here to prove their outlandish claims. We would have to fight for our lives and at worst end up as a spectacle for those like you.”
Annja glanced at Roux, but she knew Hsusia was right. There was no way she could keep control over any of the men with her. Roux especially would want to brag about what he’d found, if to no one else but Garin.
And then there was Spier. The spry eighty-year-old had already proclaimed a desire to leave a lasting legacy in his wake. What better accomplishment than being able to say he’d discovered a lost race of people?
Annja sighed. “You’re right, of course. I cannot control what these men would do once we left. But neither can we stay here. We have lives of our own that we need to get back to.”
Hsusia shook her head. “You will remain here. I will see to it that you have comfortable lives out of respect for the power you command with that weapon.”
“And if we refuse to stay here?” Annja asked.
“Then you will be put to death,” Hsusia said. “It is the only way to safeguard our home.”
“There must be another way,” Annja said.
Hsusia’s eyes flashed. “There is no other way! You will remain here as my guests.”
“Prisoners, you mean,” Annja said. “You would hold us against our will.”
“I will do whatever is necessary to protect the sanctity of my kingdom. I am the chosen protector of this place. To let you go would be to deny my responsibility, my birthright and my very people.”
Annja thought for a moment. “Perhaps you should consult the oracle and see what it has to say about this,” she suggested, having no idea what the oracle could be.
Hsusia narrowed her eyes. “And what would you do if the oracle agrees with my decision?”
Annja shrugged. “We agree to abide by its decision.”
Roux glared at Annja. “We will?”
“Shut up, Roux,” Annja said. She addressed Hsusia again. “But if you are to consult the oracle, I must be present when you do so.”
“You are not allowed to gaze upon it.”
“Then how will I be able to trust you? I must be present when you consult with it.”
“You think I would lie?”
Annja shook her head. “I don’t know what I think. I only know what any rational person would demand if they were in my position.”
Hsusia leaned back on her throne. “I suppose there is some merit to what you say.”
Annja pointed at the rest of her team. “The men who are with me will remain here with your warriors. Together, you and I will consult the oracle alone.”
Hsusia smiled. “You would be alone with me with that weapon? How would I feel safe if that were so?”
“I will banish the sword,” Annja said. When she allowed the sword to disappear to the otherwhere, she could see the surprise on Hsusia’s face.
“Where did you put it?”
“It is back where it resides,” Annja said. “But I can recall it instantly if I need it, or if I detect any betrayal on your part of our agreement.”
Hsusia nodded. “I accept your proposition. Your men will remain here. I give you my word none shall be harmed provided they behave themselves.”
“And they will,” Annja said. She looked at the rest of her team. “Right, guys?”
They all nodded and Annja turned back to Hsusia. “We can proceed now?”
Hsusia rose from the throne and waved Annja forward. Annja approached and Hsusia came down to meet her. Up close, Hsusia was strikingly beautiful. Her eyes were a cool blue that seemed to be a direct contradiction to the obvious racial background she possessed.
Hsusia seemed to be appraising Annja’s appearance, as well. “You’re quite beautiful,” she said after a moment.
Annja smiled. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”
Hsusia seemed pleased with the comment and turned. “Come with me. We will walk together.”
She led Annja toward the back of the room toward a portal. Two guards stood close by, but they snapped to attention as Hsusia passed through it. Annja thought they might tag along, but they stayed where they were.
She took one final look back at the throne room, at Hans and the rest of the team. I hope I see them again, she thought.
“Come, Annja,” Hsusia said. “Your men will be fine. I gave you my word.”
Annja hurried to catch up with Hsusia. “What is your kingdom called?”
“Why would you know this?”
“I’m curious,” Annja said. “There are many among my people who think that there were many races of people who existed long before we came along. I have always wondered if they were right.”
“What do those people call the lands that no longer exist?”
“Atlantis,” Annja said. “Lemuria. Mu.”
Hsusia nodded. “Intriguing names. I have never heard of them myself. But there might have been others long ago who knew of them. We were once known as the Jiao. Mighty warriors and brilliant scientists who straddled the realms of time and space. Our people built incredible structures all over this part of the world.”
“What happened?”
“A terrible cataclysm shook our world to the very core. Everything we’d built, everything that we had developed, it all fell apart. Our kingdom slid into the sea. Over the eons, the ocean trapped us here, save for the one tunnel that leads to the upper world.”
“Have you ever gone out there?”
Hsusia shook her head. “We would not survive out there.”
“Why not?”
Hsusia sighed. “One of our kind once ventured into the upper world. He was never heard from again.”
“So you simply believe he must have died?”
“He did die,” Hsusia said. “Otherwise, he would have come back, such was his allegiance to us.”
Annja said nothing for a while. “Have there been others who’ve trespassed upon your kingdom?”
“Many years ago,” Hsusia said. “They seemed to find us with startling regularity. We had little choice but to keep them here as slaves. Inevitably, they never survived for long.”
“You killed them?”
Hsusia shook her head. “They all grew
sick and perished.”
“Why?”
“I do not know. Perhaps there is something about our environment that your kind cannot tolerate.”
They emerged from the corridor and, at another portal ahead, Annja saw two more guards standing at attention.
Hsusia paused in front of the door. “There is something you should know.”
“What?”
“You have demanded to see me consult the oracle. I will grant that request. But others of your kind who have seen the oracle have died as a result.”
Annja paused. What would make the oracle so powerful that it could kill someone?
But she knew there was no other choice. “I’ll take my chances, Hsusia.”
“As you wish.”
“But I thank you for the warning. I will relieve you of any responsibility should the same fate befall me.”
Hsusia seemed satisfied with that. “Very well, then.” She turned back and spoke to the guards. One of them moved aside and placed his hand on one section of the wall. Hsusia placed her hand on the opposite side of the wall.
Instantly, the portal slid open.
Hsusia turned to Annja. “Come with me.”
They walked into the room and Annja saw the source of everything that the Jiao were.
The oracle sat inside the room on a pedestal surrounded by a basin of crystal-blue water. It was round. Black. Highly polished.
And Annja knew instantly she had found the Pearl of Palawan.
20
“Behold the oracle,” Hsusia said reverently.
Annja looked closely at the pearl. It wasn’t quite as big as she’d imagined—perhaps only about eight inches across. But its ebony appearance made her want to step back in awe of it.
It seemed to pulse in some way, as well. Annja watched as fresh water continuously bubbled around it. She could see that the mechanism brought fresh water in and transferred older water out, down the basin and into the floor. A constant stream of water surrounded it.
The light in the room was almost painfully bright, too. Annja had to squint or risk a horrible headache if she stayed much longer.
“It’s incredible,” she said.
Hsusia looked pleased. “It has been this way since our ancient elders molded this into what it is now.”
“But it’s not a pearl,” Annja said.
Hsusia looked at her. “Of course not. What made you think that this was something so common?”
Annja smiled. “One of the legends I had heard before coming here was that there was a giant pearl hidden somewhere on the reef.”
Hsusia sighed. “No doubt that legend was spread by one of the first people to ever intrude upon our kingdom. And the only person we ever granted freedom to. As you can see, it was a terrible mistake.”
“Who was he?”
“A local diver,” Hsusia said. “He found an opening in the reef and made his way here, somehow. He had the most amazing ability to hold his breath for what seemed hours. We were quite taken with him and showed him the breadth of our home. He took advantage of our kindness, tried to steal the oracle and then fled when he was unable to do so.”
“He tried to steal it?”
Hsusia nodded. “He claimed he would make a gift out of it for some woman on the surface. What a fool.”
“You stopped him from stealing the oracle?”
Hsusia shook her head. “No, we had no idea he would attempt such treachery. He came here during one of our rest periods and tried to pry the oracle out of its base. But while he may have had incredibly strong lungs, he lacked the physical strength necessary to carry the oracle. He was forced to abandon his attempt. And by that time, we knew what he was up to and chased him back the way he came in, through the cistern.”
“I think that’s how we entered, as well,” Annja said.
“You swam through the waste water,” Hsusia said with a grin. “But I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll be perfectly fine, provided you did not stay in it too long.”
“What happens if we stay in the water too long?”
“Did you see any fish?” Hsusia asked.
“Not close to the entrance where the water was hot.”
Hsusia nodded. “Exactly. The waste water kills everything it touches. The fish know to stay away from that area. Once the waste water mixes with the sea, it becomes safe again.”
Annja frowned. Something gnawed at her subconscious about the oracle. But she’d need to discuss it with Roux before she made any decisions.
The interior of the room felt warm. Annja put a hand to her head. “It is hot in here.”
Hsusia nodded. “You’ve been exposed to the greatness of the oracle already. You should wait outside.”
Annja shook her head. “No, I said we would consult it together. And I will stay until we do so.”
“Very well.” Hsusia knelt in front of the dais and bowed her head. From her pocket, she pulled out an assortment of long and short metallic objects. When she was finished with her prayer, she cast the metal objects on the floor in a way that reminded Annja of a shaman casting chicken bones and reading a fortune.
Hsusia looked at the metal objects and then back at Annja. “We have our answer.”
“We do?”
Hsusia rose. “Come.”
Annja followed her outside and back up the corridor to the throne room. “What did the oracle say? I didn’t hear it speak.”
“The oracle does not talk,” Hsusia said. “It speaks in the way it manipulates the metal objects I cast at its base. The oracle uses its power to arrange them in such a way as to communicate a message.”
“But I couldn’t understand what it said,” Annja said. “How do I know that you’re telling the truth about what it might have said?”
Hsusia stopped in the hallway and looked at Annja. “Because none would ever lie about what the oracle says.”
She strode on, forcing Annja to follow her. Annja felt grateful to be out of the room where the oracle resided. She’d felt feverish and clammy in the room and couldn’t help thinking she was being exposed to something dangerous.
But how Hsusia was able to withstand the effects was a mystery. Perhaps, Annja mused, they had grown immune over time?
Back in the throne room, Annja saw Roux, Spier, Hans and the others standing in the circle still surrounded by Hsusia’s warriors. They all looked bored. And even Hsusia’s men looked tired.
But upon seeing their queen enter, they all snapped to immediate attention, their spears clanging as they brought them to bear on the intruding party.
Hsusia seated herself on the throne and gestured for Annja to stand beside her.
This is odd, Annja thought.
“Annja, you have asked that we consult the oracle and I have done so. Its words are profound and not even I expected the message that I received.”
“What was the message?”
“As you know, my people have lived in secrecy for eons. We have only ever allowed one intruder to go free and that was a mistake that very nearly cost us our entire civilization.”
Annja waited. Get on with it already, she wanted to say.
“The oracle, in its profound wisdom, has suggested that you and your friends might also be freed—”
“Thank you,” Annja said. The room had erupted into startled murmurs and gasps.
Hsusia held up her hand. The throne room fell silent. “There are, however, conditions.”
Annja frowned. She should have known better than to imagine she’d get out of here without some sort of penalty.
“What are the conditions?” she asked quietly.
“First, you, Annja, must battle my bravest warrior in a contest to the death. If you prevail, then you will have to meet the other conditions set forth by the oracle.”
“I have to fight someone?”
Hsusia nodded. “It will be a glorious bout and the honor of it will become legend.”
“Who am I to fight?” Annja asked.
�
�There is but one warrior who would be able to stand before you,” Hsusia said. “Only one who would wield enough power to match your skill.”
Annja frowned. The last thing she wanted to do was fight. She wasn’t feeling particularly well. “Who is that warrior?” she asked.
“Me,” Hsusia said.
The room erupted as Hsusia’s warriors cheered.
Annja stood there with her mouth hanging open.
“You?”
Hsusia looked at her. “Of course. Do not look as though you are surprised. I have led my people into battle many times before.”
Annja nodded. “I know. And I saw on the painting in the hallway that you had. But I find it odd that the oracle would suggest we fight.”
“You were expecting a male warrior?”
“Well, yeah.”
Hsusia smiled. “In our society, female warriors are the best, Annja. We stand alone at the top. It is truly a great honor to be commanded by the oracle to meet in battle with a warrior such as yourself.”
Annja took a deep breath. “Well, I guess I feel likewise. As surprised as I am, however.”
“The oracle manifests its will in mysterious ways that defy comprehension sometimes,” Hsusia said. “But obey it we must, for it is all-knowing and all-powerful. It provides us with everything we need to sustain ourselves.”
Annja frowned. Fighting Hsusia wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind. She’d only just met the woman, but somehow felt something of a kinship with her. And now they’d have to fight to the death.
“The contest shall occur in the time span of two turns,” Hsusia said.
Annja frowned. “Does that mean we can rest before the battle?”
“Absolutely,” Hsusia said. “You will need rest and nourishment from your journey to our home. To fight now would be to nullify the honor of a match fought on equal terms.”
Annja nodded. Good, she could use some rest. And food didn’t sound so bad, either.
Hsusia summoned three of her warriors. “These men will escort you to chambers where you may rest yourself for the coming battle. The other members of your party will also be placed there with you. Feel free to take advantage of our hospitality, Annja. This is a glorious opportunity for you.”
“Not if I happen to lose,” Annja said.