‘Ruling the Manor,’ I say. ‘Controlling the Otherworlds.’
Elsa nods. ‘The legend of the Makers and the three Cradle keys had long been told by the Dahaari. The mortals of Arakaan, too. Roth decided to see if there was any truth behind the tale. Somehow, he found the Manor gateway by the dune sea. There, he posted guards and waited for centuries. Waited until two foolish explorers from a distant world stumbled into his trap and set in motion a chain of events that could very well bring about the end of all things. Me and Charlie.’ She shakes her head. Breathes in the cold dawn air, long and deep. ‘So that’s it. The whole sorry, malicious tale. Feel any better, now you know the truth?’
‘Not really.’
‘Neither did I, when Masaru first told me.’
‘It’s just … that can’t be the end of the story. There were hundreds – probably thousands – of weapons that could kill Roth, and you’re saying he destroyed them all?’
‘Every single one. Trust me, I’ve looked. I spent five years looking. I was sure there had to be a reason the Manor brought me back here. I studied. Read every book I could find. On one of my stays in Asmadin, I hiked out to the volcano where Roth disposed of the arrowhead and killed Hali-gabera, just to see it. I even broke into her tomb when I returned, to make sure Inigo hadn’t left a bone weapon in her sarcophagus. It was a mess. All I found were brittle bones and a torn shroud. Masaru caught me. Kept it a secret, thankfully. Ordered me to stop. But I couldn’t. Next day, I stole a book from the Elders’ library – the journal in which Inigo had chronicled the pilgrimage north. I sneaked it out to the shipwreck, kept it hidden in my room.’
Her secret place on the upper deck.
A hot flush fills my cheeks.
‘You’re a terrible liar, Jane,’ Elsa says. ‘I know you saw it.’
I shuffle awkwardly. ‘I may have glimpsed it –’
‘It’s okay.’ Elsa shoots me a sad smile. ‘I’m glad you found it. Glad you destroyed it, too. I used to go there on my own, when things got a bit … much. The pain. The waiting. The grief. It was good for me, at first, but after I stole the journal, the wreck became a place of madness. I cut myself off from the rest of the tribe. Translated and researched Inigo’s journal day and night. Plotted on the walls. I became obsessed with finding Atol Na. Had to go there, had to know.’
I gasp. The scribbles weren’t random after all.
‘It was a map …’
Elsa nods. ‘To the city where it all began. Where the arrowhead rested for millennia. Where Roth’s troops forged new weapons of Dahaari bone by the truckload during the war.’
‘And you found it? You actually went there?’
‘I packed in secret. Didn’t tell anyone I was going, not even Masaru.’ She shakes her head. ‘There’s nothing down there but rabid Taw-taws and empty ruins, Jane. I scoured the ancient Gorani forges for weeks. Entered the sacred temple, saw Roth’s tomb. I stood before the altar where Neela and the other Honoured were killed, even trekked out to the sacred volcano. There were no weapons left. Not even a chip of Dahaari bone.
‘I ran out of supplies. Became too weak to hunt. I started back but didn’t make it far. I collapsed in the sand. Was about to give up and let the suns take me – I’m not ashamed to say it. I felt so useless. So alone. I’d failed.’ Elsa nods to herself, slowly, eyes so wide it’s like they’re about to swallow the world. ‘But then I saw it. A vision in the heat-shimmer. A woman with glowing amber eyes. She was walking towards me, the ground quaking and roiling in her wake. At first, I was frightened, but then the woman raised her hands, and bright golden light shone from deep inside her, and it felt so electric, so … real.’ She nods again. ‘The desert showed me. The desert made me see. It was my duty to get up, keep walking, keep going. To return to this tribe and keep waiting for you. That was my purpose.’ She blinks, snaps out of her trance, looks me up and down. ‘I’ll admit, I was expecting someone a little taller.’ Then her look softens a little. She even almost-smiles. ‘I may not show it, but I’m glad you’re here, Jane. Really.’
The first sun peeks over the painted horizon, bathing us in crimson light. We watch it in silence, the whole world holding its breath as the sun morphs from a red speck to a sliver of molten gold to a bloated, watchful eye burning in the sky. The second sun won’t be far behind.
‘I’m glad too,’ I say, surprised to find I actually mean it. ‘I’m sorry I’m not like your vision. And I’m sorry you had to wait so long out here. I would’ve come sooner if I could’ve.’ I take a deep breath, take the plunge. ‘Dad would’ve, too. I mean, John – crap – I mean, Charlie.’
Damn it.
I splutter a quick ‘Sorry,’ a desperate ‘I didn’t mean to,’ a defeated ‘Oh no.’
Thankfully, Elsa takes pity on me.
‘It’s okay. You have every right to call him that. He’s the only parent you’ve ever known.’ She pauses. Chooses her next words carefully. ‘I don’t … suppose he asked you to pass on a message?’
‘No,’ I say. ‘But only because we were being attacked at the time.’
‘Oh.’ She shifts on her feet. ‘I understand.’
‘He still loves you, Elsa,’ I add. ‘You know that, right? He told me you’re strong and wise – said you’re the most resilient woman he’s ever known.’
‘Did he?’ Again, she tries to smile. Again, it doesn’t take. ‘I doubt he’d even recognise me now.’ She rubs at a stain on her robe, wipes her nose. ‘I’m sorry I find it difficult to talk about him. And I’m sorry I’ve made things so … difficult. For you and your friends.’
‘Maybe just keep the death pits to a minimum from here on out, yeah?’
She chuckles. ‘I’ll try.’
I smile, too, but something’s been gnawing at the back of my mind for a while now. Something about the journey ahead. ‘Um … speaking of difficult, you said the dune sea’s really dangerous. No human’s ever walked across it and lived to tell the tale?’
‘According to the Elders, no.’
‘Right. So how are we gonna cross it?’
‘Ah-ha.’ Elsa claps her hands. ‘That’s the fun part. Charlie didn’t tell you what I used to do in Tallis, did he? Before we set out to find the Manor.’
‘No, I – I don’t think he did.’
‘Well, I was a flight engineer. A pilot, too.’ Elsa strides back to the stairs and beckons me to follow. ‘We’re not crossing the dune sea on foot, Jane. We’re gonna fly over it.’
THE ATTACK
Elsa built a plane. Big one, apparently. Found an old wreck and spent half a decade in the outskirts of Asmadin doing it up: tinkering, forging, scavenging replacement parts, near and far. She tells me all about it as we head back down the stairs. All the strange looks she got from the tribespeople, who had seen the wreckages out in the desert and considered them obsolete. Remnants of a bygone era, as ancient and useless as the shipwrecks. The plane was her back-up plan in case Roth ever returned to Arakaan and stormed Asmadin – in case she had to make a quick getaway with Masaru and the true Cradle key.
Hell, she even gave it a name.
Betty’s our only hope of crossing the dune sea.
‘Magnificent machine,’ Elsa says. ‘Beautiful. She’s parked in a canyon north of Asmadin. Made ourselves a runway and all. She’ll get us to the gateway in one piece, mark my words.’
‘Mm-hmm,’ I say. ‘Sounds good.’
‘You don’t believe me,’ Elsa says.
‘No – I mean, yeah, I do.’
‘What’s wrong, then? You look worried. Vexed.’
I’m not sure what vexed means, but I’m definitely worried, and not about Betty. Actually, that’s a lie. There are no planes on Bluehaven, of course – the only things that fly around there are birds, insects and the occasional frying pan hurled by Mrs Hollow – but I’ve seen plenty of drawings in books, and I wouldn’t trust Elsa to pilot one of them in a million years. I’m pretty sure we’ll crash and burn, if we ever manage to get off the
ground in the first place.
Betty isn’t the only thing I’m worried about.
‘Elsa, you just told me the world’s worst bedtime story back there. I guess I’m a little distracted.’ I run my fingers along the rough stone wall, careful not to snag my bandage. ‘I mean, I finally know the truth about Roth, but it doesn’t change anything. The Dahaari weapons are gone. We still don’t know how to stop him. The only other thing powerful enough to maybe – maybe – wipe him out is the Cradle Sea, but we can’t unleash that. It’s way too dangerous, too powerful. We’d end up destroying everything – the Manor and every Otherworld.’
Elsa frowns. ‘How do you know that?’
‘Just trust me.’ I nearly trip down the stairs as images from my latest nightmare scratch at the back of my eyes. All those gateways opening. Those Otherworlds consumed by the white-fire tide. ‘I know.’
‘Don’t worry about the Otherworlds, Jane,’ she says. ‘We’re gonna save them all.’
‘Only if we manage to claim the Cradle,’ I say, ‘which is a whole other thing. We still have no idea how to find it.’ I take a deep breath. It’s time. ‘Yesterday, you mentioned a spike pit. A spike pit inside the Manor. Is that … where you found the Cradle?’
‘Yes. The spike pit lies at the end of the path. Very near it, at least.’
‘And the beginning?’ My heart hammers. ‘I know you and Dad picked up the path near Roth’s lair after you escaped, but me and Violet figure the Manor must’ve shifted it far away from there by now.’
‘It did,’ Elsa says. ‘I checked.’
‘You went back? To Roth’s fortress?’
‘I was stuck inside the Manor for years. Of course I went back. Thought if I could just find the Cradle again, get back to the foundation stone, then maybe …’ Elsa sighs, shakes her head. ‘It doesn’t matter. The path had vanished. I’m sure Roth tried to stop the rooms from shifting after we slipped through his fingers, but all it takes is one closed door.
‘I’ve thought about it a lot over the years. I think the Manor led me and Charlie to the Cradle because it knew it was in danger. It knew the time had come for you to step outside. To grow, learn and prepare. Now, the Cradle could be anywhere, waiting for your return – for our return.’
‘But I’m not prepared,’ I say. ‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to do in the Cradle. Violet reckons the foundation stone’ll amplify my powers. Says the Makers’ll be there to guide me. But what if she’s wrong? This … thing inside me. We call it a power, but what if it’s something else? What if it really is a curse?’
Elsa stops me near the bottom of the stairs. ‘There’s nothing wrong with a bit of fear, Jane. Fear keeps us alive. You just have to make sure it doesn’t control you. For what it’s worth, I think Violet’s theory is sound.’
‘That’s just it,’ I say. ‘It’s a theory. What if the Makers aren’t there? Or what if they are there? Are they gonna, like, possess me? Because that doesn’t exactly float my boat, either.’
‘Jane –’
‘Or what if they’re expecting some sort of super-amazing quake goddess in complete control of her powers, like your vision in the desert? Because we both know that ain’t me.’
‘Hey.’ Elsa grabs my arm. ‘Take a breath.’
‘Sorry.’ I breathe. ‘Elephant. Small pieces.’
An odd little smile plays over Elsa’s lips. ‘You are one very strange girl, Jane Doe. But I have no doubt you’ll shine when the time comes. You are heir to the Manor. The avatar of all three Makers – Po, Aris and Nabu-kai. Their power lies within you, and it will awaken. As far as finding the Cradle goes – picking up the path again? – I believe the Manor will help us. It’ll know you’ve returned the moment you step inside. It’ll know you have both keys. Just as it did for me and Charlie, way back when, I think it will bring the Cradle to us.’
‘Just like that?’ Now it’s my turn to frown. ‘Doesn’t that seem a little … easy?’
‘Believe me,’ Elsa says, ‘the path to the Cradle is anything but easy. We barely got through it alive.’ She places her hands on my shoulders again. ‘But know this: you’re not alone, Jane. I’ll be right beside you. I won’t stop fighting, not until we’re standing atop the foundation stone, together. We’ll make Roth pay for what he’s done. We’ll make everything right.’
‘Then we free my dad,’ I add quickly, just to make sure it’s on the agenda. Equal priority and all. ‘My dad and every other innocent person trapped in Roth’s fortress. Somehow.’
A fierce glint in Elsa’s eyes. ‘Absolutely. We’ll free them all.’
Relief pulses through my veins. I could hug this woman. Really, I could. ‘You are gonna remember all this when you sober up, yeah?’
‘Oh, please. I sobered up an hour ago.’ She winks and sets off down the stairs again. ‘Speaking of, I’m parched. Come along! Much to be done if we’re gonna reach the Canyon of the Dead by noon.’
‘Okay, but – wait, what?’
‘Place is crawling with darkling beetles, but they’re harmless. Pretty tasty, actually.’
‘Did you just say the Canyon of the –’
‘Dead. Yeah. Scorpions are the real danger, of course. They got those on Bluehaven?’
‘No, but I’ve read –’
‘I saw plenty in the jungles on Tallis. The ones they’ve got here?’ She shudders. ‘They feast on the darklings, mostly, but just one of those little blighters could kill twenty people, easy.’
‘Is that why they call it the Canyon of the Dead?’
‘What? Oh, no, that’s because of all the corpses.’
‘Corpses?’
‘Dead bodies. You know, skeletons.’
‘I know what a corpse is, I just –’
‘Place is full of ’em. Literally wall to wall. Been there forever. Remnants of a lost empire. Pre-Dahaari, they say. Don’t worry, they’re entombed. Most have probably turned to dust by now. Unless they were mummified or taken by Taw-taws. Stunning sight.’
‘Can’t wait,’ I say, and gulp so hard I nearly swallow my tongue.
Why couldn’t it be the Valley of Rainbows? The Valley of Sunshine and Kittens?
Yaku’s waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs. He looks worried. Maybe even a little scared. He tries to play it cool, but his bald head’s shiny with sweat and he keeps fidgeting while we walk. I get the feeling he’s been pacing for a while.
Elsa frowns at him. ‘What’s wrong with you?’
‘Tanuum,’ he says, wringing his big hands together. ‘Nothing. Elsa, nay badda. Forgive me. It is just … the girl is not supposed to be out of her room.’
‘The girl,’ Elsa says, ‘is with me, and perfectly fine.’
‘Yes, oda min. Nay badda. I just wanted to –’
‘Make sure Jane didn’t toss me from the balcony?’ Elsa says with a smile. ‘I’m fine, Yaku. Honestly, you worry too much. Sah-ha de mundaya. We’re all on the same side here.’
‘Yes, oda min,’ the big man says again, but his eyes linger on me a fraction too long.
Still, blessed relief pulses through my veins, calming the wasps in my gut. I love this: walking, talking, plotting the path ahead. I may not be able to call Elsa Mum, but I’m pretty sure I can call her a friend.
‘Nourishment,’ she says, ‘that’s what we need. Food and wine – I mean, water. The stablehands should be getting the horses ready as we speak. We leave within the hour.’
‘You sure about that?’ I ask. ‘It’s so quiet around here.’
‘Hmm.’ Elsa stops. Looks up and down the deserted tunnel, concerned, and mutters something to Yaku. He shrugs and mutters something back, as if he hasn’t noticed a damn thing. Something isn’t right, though.
His reaction feels too forced.
‘Go to the kitchen, oda min,’ he says. ‘Eat. Drink. I can take Jane back to her room.’
Why is he being so helpful? So nice?
Elsa waves him off. ‘Stay close, stay quiet.’
The
people in the main dome are still passed out. The old man’s gone to sleep right in the middle of his clean-up. The dancing couple have, too, as if they collapsed mid-stride. I hurry over to make sure they’re okay, and that’s when I see them. Darts. Lodged into their necks.
‘Elsa …’
‘I know.’ She plucks a dart from the old man’s shoulder. Stands bolt upright and scans the surrounding tunnels. ‘Jane, head back to the watchtower. Right now.’
‘What is it? Who’d do this? Why?’
‘Boboki,’ Elsa says.
And that’s when Yaku strikes.
He lunges at me. Elsa pushes me clear just in time, and they fall in a heap by the fire. Yaku pins her down, wraps his hands around her neck and squeezes. I leap on his back. He bucks me off. I spin around to try again, but Elsa’s already glaring up at him, grabbing a half-charred log from the fire and wheezing.
‘Let go.’
She swings hard and clocks him a good ’un, right in the head. Yaku hits the floor like a bag of bricks.
‘Jane,’ Elsa coughs, ditching the log, sucking down air, ‘you okay?’
‘Am I okay? What the hell’s going on? I thought he was your friend.’
‘So did I.’ Elsa shoves her boot into Yaku’s side. ‘Clearly, I was wr–’
A muffled crash, somewhere down the tunnel.
Coming from our room, I’m sure.
‘Jane, no,’ Elsa shouts, ‘it’s too dangerous!’ But I’m already running across the dome, desperate to get back to Violet.
The tunnel’s deserted. No – almost deserted. Our guard’s face-down on the floor, legs akimbo, weapon gone. There’s a dart in his neck, too.
‘Violet! Hickory!’ I’m sprinting now, shouting, skidding to a halt in front of the door. It’s locked. ‘Oi, somebody open up!’ I jiggle the handle, pound my fist.
Jane Doe and the Key of All Souls Page 9