CHRYSALIS

by Walter Erickson

  “Turn it out,” Ellysia Kosh whispered hoarsely, turning away, sickened.

  Simon pulled the switch, and the lake went dark. She put the gun on a table and sank into a chair. Khalid chirped once and flew to the fishwall, landing on the floor alongside the hound, chirping insistently.

  “I’ll be damned,” Simon said. “The gemstones are dead!”

  “Dead with the medusa,” Ellysia said jauntily, quite recovered. “And good riddance.”

  Simon took the ruby from his pocket and it too was dead. As dead as the emerald and sapphire around his neck, as dead as the topaz around the neck of the tiny flyer. He put them all on the floor, next to Bo.

  “And so we’re done with it,” he said with grim finality.

  In the darkened living room, by the darkened fishwall, Sariot Kosh, Juan Marie Albergest and Khalid Mafourri slowly resumed their identity.

  39

  “I’m leaving, Mr. Pure,” Ellysia said. “I have things to do, details to arrange. If I’m to be in charge, I must act quickly, before word of the Director's death reaches the ears of some ambitious Colonel. My offer still stands, Mr. Pure. The job of consort is open, but I must insist you first take a bath.”

  Something stirred in the dark, a thump, the sound of someone or something colliding with a glass wall. Ellysia flicked on the light. Three men lay in various states of dishevelment at the base of the fishwall, two of them unmoving. The third looked wildly about, eyes blinking unsteadily in the unaccustomed light. He tried to sit up, but lost his balance. He toppled over, catching himself at the last moment. He got himself balanced finally, sat up, gave himself a good scratch, and looked around.

  “Hello,” he said pleasantly, apparently unaware he was stark naked. He spoke somewhat shakily, with just the trace of an accent. “I am Hadj Khalid Mafourri. I could do with a medicinal brandy, if you would be so kind. I am certain the Prophet will understand.”

  “My God!” Ellysia cried, “they're back!”

  She hurried to her husband. Sariot Kosh lay naked and unmoving on the floor, as was Juan Marie Albergest. She felt her husband's pulse, lifted an eyelid, then bent an ear to his chest, listening for his heart.

  “Still dead,” she said, with some relief.

  Simon bent his ear to Juan Marie’s chest and was stunned to find a heartbeat.

  “Get a doctor, some brandy and some clothes, in that order,” Simon ordered. Ellysia picked up the telephone and spoke in a low and authoritative voice.

  “He's on his way,” she said cheerfully. “The brandy is in the cabinet by the fireplace, and I'll get a couple of bathrobes.”

  She was back in a minute with two red and silver robes, and a blanket for her husband. “Did you find the brandy?”

  “Found it. Now, how do I ring my room, and where is Marianna?”

  “I have no idea how to reach your room from here. This is not a hotel. As for Marianna, she’s in Corridor C, Level 5.”

  “Take care of these guys until the doc gets here,” Simon said, and raced for the door. His room was closer than Marianna's and he headed for there, passing several people in the corridor who raised first an eyebrow and then their fingers to their noses as a half naked man stinking to high heaven raced past them.

  Shallcross and Pearlman were outside the room, pacing the corridor anxiously. He burst past them and into the room, pausing only long enough to shout, “Marianna, Corridor C, Level 5!” He disappeared into a soapy scalding hot shower, emerging minutes later wrapped in a towel to find Marianna, Shallcross and Pearlman just coming into the room.

  “Just getting up, cowboy?” Marianna asked archly.

  Simon took her in his arms and said, “Sorry it took so long to find you. I hope it wasn’t too boring for you.”

  He filled them in as best he could while putting on his uniform, skipping the disgusting parts, but describing the gallant fight Old Bo put up against the panther. He didn’t tell them Old Bo was someone named Juan, or that the panther was Director Kosh, some things are simply not credible while walking at a rapid pace down a corridor, around corners and down stair towers. He did tell them Kosh was dead, and that Mrs. Kosh was moving to consolidate her power, and that if they played their cards right they were out of here in one piece, news that cheered them considerably.

  When they got to the living room, the doctor was there, examining Juan Marie. Juan was still lying by the fishwall, still unconscious, and was likely, according to the doctor, to remain so for some hours yet.

  “He’s very badly hurt,” the doctor offered. “There’s been a very severe blow to the head, perhaps more than one, causing a major concussion. We won’t know more until we can examine him completely. His abdomen is slit, and he’s lost some blood, though miraculously the wound is very shallow, and very precise, almost as if someone had sliced him with a razor and very nearly missed. The serious injury, though, is the puncture wound through his body, a very large entrance puncture wound on his left side, a smaller exit wound on his right, as if a heavy javelin had pierced him, or he had impaled himself somehow on a sharpened stake. This wound has collapsed a lung, luckily missing his heart, and has no doubt fractured a number of ribs, how many ribs and to what extent it has caused other damage we won’t know until we’ve gotten him to the Infirmary.”

  He busied himself with his medical bag and produced a hypodermic syringe. “I’m giving him an antibiotic,” he said. He slapped a bandage on the stomach wound and stood to go.

  “Thank you, Doctor,” Ellysia said.

  “I’ll send a stretcher team, Madam,” the doctor bowed, “and prepare the Infirmary staff for immediate X-ray work.”

  Khalid sat nonchalantly in a chair, looking quite dashing in a red and silver robe. He sipped steadily at a large snifter of medicinal brandy. Sariot Kosh was nowhere to be seen.

  “Where’s the Director?” Simon asked.

  “Former Director,” Ellysia replied coolly. “He’s in a drawer in the Infirmary morgue until he can be prepared for the lying in state ceremony. The man by the wall, I believe his name is Juan, will be taken to hospital very shortly. I’d take it kindly if you’d see to it that the man in the bathrobe drinking my brandy is gone with him. And take your crew with you as well. This place is a shambles.”

  “Smells like somebody blew up a shithouse,” Marianna said sweetly.

  “I've kept my bargain, Mrs. Kosh,” Simon said, glaring at Marianna. “Now I expect you to keep yours. The medusa is gone. My crew and I wish to leave. Give us safe conduct and passage to our aircar and we’ll be on our way.”

  “Certainly,” she said, sweeping grandly toward the door. “There are a few details, minor ones, of course. Such as the whereabouts of Colonel Neal Hernandez?” She laughed brightly and turned at the door to face them. “I’m sure he’s safe and sound, sleeping off a lecherous drunk someplace, though I’m sure I don't know why he found a certain redhead so attractive. In the meantime, Mr. Pure, until he’s found, I fear you must remain in Linngard.” She swept from the room, laughing merrily.

  They looked at each other, bewildered, all but Marianna. “Colonel who?” Simon said.

  “Neal Hernandez,” Marianna cried angrily. “Traitor Neal Hernandez! Rapist Neal Hernandez!”

  “My God, Marianna,” Simon exclaimed, “what the hell’s going on? Neal Hernandez is here?”

  “Not any more, he isn't. I killed him and stuffed him in my shower. And I don't want to hear another word about it!”

  “We can still go up the elevator shaft,” Shallcross said helpfully.

  “We been looking around, sir,” Pearlman said eagerly. “We know how to get in the shaft. There's an access panel in the corridor that leads to a manhole that goes to the elevator pit. Once we're in there it's just a matter of climbing out.”

  Juan Marie groaned and opened his eyes. He didn’t know where he was again, and he was beginning to be annoyed with the experience. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, raising his hand instead to touch his head. />
  Simon was by his side immediately. “Were you going to say something?”

  “Yes,” Juan Marie said, “I was about to ask 'Where am I?' and realized how unoriginal it would sound.”

  “I'll answer it anyway,” Simon said. “You’re in Kosh's living room, and you’re very badly hurt. The medics will be here soon with a stretcher to take you to the Infirmary.”

  “What happened to Old Bo?” he exclaimed, looking about wildly, for he had only just realized he was no longer a big, black hound.

  “That is a very long story, my friend,” Khalid said, refilling his brandy snifter. “One day we must exchange the stories of our experiences, you a hound, and I a canary.”

  “You were a canary, sir?” Pearlman asked, looking first at Khalid and then at Shallcross.

  Khalid sighed and said, “For seven hundred years.”

  “Seven hundred years, sir?”

  “It was not so bad, my young friend,” Khalid smiled, “though the days had a sameness to them.”

  “I think I should like to get up,” Juan Marie said. He struggled to his feet. Khalid helped him into his robe.

  “Thank you, my friend,” Juan Marie said woozily. “I seem to remember getting hit by a panther, and not much after that.”

  “A panther, sir?” Shallcross said, looking first to Juan Marie and then to Pearlman.

  “A very large panther,” Juan Marie winced. “Is that by chance brandy?”

  “Who are these guys?” Marianna asked, as bewildered as Shallcross.

  “It's a long story, Marianna,” Simon said patiently, “and one I don't think you're ready to believe.”

  “My name is Juan Marie Albergest, madam,” Juan Marie said, smiling engagingly, though his head hurt to do so, “of Sao Paulo, Brazil.”

  The other man bowed slightly and said, “And I am Hadj Khalid Mafourri, of the University of Medina, late of the city of Damascus.”

  “Marianna Hennessy,” she smiled, extending a hand, “U S Air Force, and these grunts are Jimmy Shallcross and Jack Pearlman, U S Marines. And just in case you haven’t guessed, this other guy is Simon Pure, also known as Tal Avenger.”

  They shook hands all around and Jimmy Shallcross said again, “A panther hit you, sir?”

  “Well, I was Old Bo at the time,” Juan Marie explained. Shallcross shook his head in wonderment.

  “If I understand the thrust of an earlier conversation, Mr. Pure, “ Khalid said, “you wish to leave this place, and believe you can do so by climbing an elevator shaft. Have I understood this correctly?”

  “You’ve understood the conversation, I’m not certain you understand the problem.”

  “Ah, but I do. There is a way out of Linngard, an easy way, or easier than climbing the inside of an elevator shaft. Where Juan got in, you can get out!”

  “By God!” Simon exclaimed. “You're right! Do you remember how you got in, Juan?”

  “It could only have been by the medusa's secret stair!” Khalid said impatiently.

  “What's a medusa, sir?” Pearlman asked, looking at Shallcross.

  “It doesn't matter, Corporal, she's been eaten by the fish. Come on, let's go find that stair!”

  “I should very much like to go with you,” Juan Marie said, staggering to his feet.

  “And I,” said Khalid, eager to put some distance between himself and Linngard.

  “All right, let's go,” Simon said. He gathered up the now dead gemstones, the ruby, the tiny topaz, the emerald and the sapphire on the gold chain. “Keepsakes,” he explained sheepishly, and headed at a brisk walk for the connecting elevator, knowing no other way to get to the medusa's apartments. No one hindered their departure, and in a moment they were again in medusa's apartments, standing in the dark and smelling again the awful smell.

  “This place smells worse than the blonde bitch's,” Marianna said, crinkling her nose.

  “Lead on, Khalid,” Simon said, ignoring her.

  “Remain in touch,” Khalid cautioned, “hand on shoulder of person in front of you. We have many rooms and many turnings.”

  They set out slowly through the maze-like rooms of the medusa’s apartments, Khalid guiding them unerringly. At the door to the stair tower Khalid said, said, “Down one flight is the waterlock. That is how medusa escaped to the safety of the lake.”

  “Some safety,” Simon said. “I chased her out here, but didn't realize the stair went all the way to the top.”

  “You chased who out here?” Marianna demanded, “the witch with the aluminum hair?”

  “No, the one with the snakes,” Simon snapped. “Come on, let's get out of here!”

  They raced up the stair as fast as Juan Marie could go, and in a few minutes they were lining the parapet, looking across the lake at the distant shore, where the sky was beginning to lighten to another dawn. In the near distance the concrete forest was clearly visible, the amber lights still effective in the diminishing dark. Nearby stood the small platform where sat the Director's private aircar. A further distance away, in another cluster of concrete towers, sat the massive hulk of the main landing platform.

  “They've moved my ship!” Marianna cried. “Where’ve they taken it?”

  “No doubt to the air base on the mainland,” Khalid said calmly.

  “Anybody here capable of hot-wiring the Director's aircar?” Simon asked.

  Shallcross and Pearlman both said, “Geez, sir,” terribly offended.

  “First one in comes with me!” Marianna cried. She dove off the parapet and into the lake, followed instantly by Shallcross, who had the advantage because Pearlman paused to kick off his boots.

  “Hey!” Pearlman shouted, “that’s not fair!”

  “To see the dawn again after seven hundred years,” Khalid said, breathing the morning air. “With my luck I was sure it would be raining.”

  40

  Alone in the darkness of the lake, medusa stirred. “Mother?” she said, wondering.

  “I am here, child,” her mother answered. “Your time has come to be reborn.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “The struggle of good and evil has run its course, the curtain closed on the final drama.”

  “What has good and evil to do with me?”

  “Rebirth can take place only in the context of good and evil, child. That is why the hound was sent away to bind himself and the emerald to Tal Avenger, the champion of the good, for Tal Avenger must be brought to Linngard to battle Sariot Kosh, the champion of evil.”

  “They hurt me, mother,” she whimpered. “Why did you call the panther to hurt me? Why did you call the fish to hurt me?”

  “Without pain there can be no redemption,” her mother said sternly. “The time had come to return to the clean waters of the lake, where you will be reborn as something different from what you are.”

  “I don’t want to be different,” she protested. “I like being what I am.”

  “The choice is not yours to make,” her mother said quietly. “The circle is complete. This cycle of your life is drawing to a close.”

  “What will happen to me?”

  “You will be me.”

  “And what will happen to you?”

  “I will become something else. Perhaps medusa, perhaps not. We are an endless cycle, you and I, mother to child, child to mother.”

  “You were once the child?”

  “As you were once the mother, and the child before that, and the mother before that yet again.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Of course you don’t. You are more now than the child, but not yet the mother.”

  “What is more now than the child? What am I now, mother?”

  “You are particles of matter, the residue of the feeding frenzy. You are individual molecules, drifting in the current. Part of you is even now being incorporated into the bodies of the fish that ate you. These fish, too, will one day come to the end of their time and rest, rotting, on the bottom of the lake, or will, in the
ir turn, be eaten by others. Eventually, over time, you will once again be free, every atom, every molecule, drifting free in the currents of the lake. When that time comes, you will come together, each atom, each molecule finding the other until you are complete.”

  “And when I am complete?”

  “You will be reborn, as will the universe.”

  “The universe will die?”

  “All things die, and all are then reborn.”

  “When I am reborn, will I then be you?”

  “You will not be me, you will be mother. You will have four sons. A red son, a yellow son, a green son and a blue son.”

  “The gemstones,” medusa said.

  “Yes, the gemstones. One son will represent a time, another a space, the third a dimension, and the fourth an order of the universe.”

  “Will my sons be good, like Tal Avenger, or evil, like Sariot Kosh?”

  “That will be up to them. Evil and good is a choice.”

  “And I, mother? Am I good or am I evil?”

  “You are neither, child. You and I are the context in which good and evil compete.”

  “I still don’t understand.”

  “You will when you are mother.”

  “Do you have a name?”

  “I am called by some the Lady of Duality. Others have known me by different names.”

  “Will I be the Lady of Duality?”

  “No, child. You will be called by other names. And now, it is time to return the lake to its former self. The city is an intrusion. It has served its purpose.”

  “If you become medusa, will you not need it?”

  “There will be other lakes, on other worlds, in other times. Destroy the city.”

  “All right, mother.”

  41

  Across the lake, Marianna and Shallcross reached the landing platform and circled the base, looking for a ladder. They found one and started up. At that moment the klaxons sounded their alarm, piercing the early morning mist, scaring a flock of sleeping ducks into wild and raucous flight.