Ringships

by Peter Claisse

  There were, however, small features which stood out from the mundane. Decorations carved into wood and etched into glass and metal showed the tell-tale form of runic symbols. What seemed at first to be an area of metal inlaid around the perimeter of the table was, on closer inspection, a very thick gold ring which was totally covered in the runes. These symbols pervaded every feature of the room, seeming to flow from one to the next.

  The creators of it all looked down from the stylised portraits hanging on the panelled walls. Each one was shown facing directly at the viewer, with a glowing jewel on their forehead as if the artist hoped that some measure of their living power could be immortalised in their image. Angus crossed the room to the ornate curved staircase.

  On the next floor, he found Lynella and Maria in a room surrounded by books. Lynella looked so different from the girl she had been that morning that it seemed for a moment as if one of the ancient owners had returned to defend the tower. She was sitting in a comfortable chair, looking at a book which was largely illuminated by the jewel on her forehead. Her hair, which had been dirty and tangled in the morning, now shone where it was held back by the cord holding the jewel, and then flowed down over her shoulders. Her torn clothes, which had become such a familiar sight, had been replaced with a long black dress with a high collar in the style seen in the portraits. Maria was sitting in an upright chair at a small table covered in books. She mumbled a welcome to him without taking her eyes off the text in front of her.

  He walked across to see what they were reading. Looking over her shoulder, he saw what Lynella had found. On the page in front of her, a single rune was drawn, and, with it, what appeared to be an explanation of its meaning. Noticing his curiosity, she turned the book away slightly to make it clear that he should not be privileged to see more than a glimpse of its contents. Maria's book was a history of battles. She had read about them since childhood, but this account was totally different from the graphically illustrated volumes which were kept in the castles. This was a technical description of each manoeuvre, detailing the powers used and the effect they had, and was clearly intended for practical use.

  The evening meal became an almost formal occasion at the grand table in the lower room. All except Adam, who kept looking nervously at the door, had borrowed to some extent from the supplies of good clean clothing. The table was cleared, and silver cutlery laid. Fruit and game from the forest was served on porcelain plates decorated with gold patterns.

  ‘We must decide how long to stay here,’ Angus finally said.

  ‘I could stay here for months,’ Lynella replied, ‘but we've got to get moving and get Paul out.’

  ‘We could risk a few days if studying the books will help you a lot.’

  ‘No, there's no point. They don't tell me about the machines. The Abbot was testing his one this morning; I could feel it.’

  ‘Can't you find a book that tells you about them?’ James asked

  ‘No, they weren't built when this tower was used. Nobody needed them with powerful mages around.’

  ‘They're a way for people with a little bit of power to do more with it,’ Maria added.

  Lynella tried to explain some more, ‘In the time of the mages, all they had were the little things they use to make their defensive auras. That thing on the King Solomon was a much bigger version of one of them and it meant that a monk with very little power could run the lights.’

  ‘What does the one in the monastery do?’ Angus asked.

  ‘That does a lot more than run lights,’ Lynella replied. ‘It felt as if it had enough power to fly ring-ships.’

  ‘How do you think it gets all that power?’

  ‘I am sure that there are lots of monks all feeding into it at the same time.’

  ‘So, it's even more powerful that you are?’

  ‘No,’ she replied in a matter of fact way. ‘I am sure that I am more powerful than it is. I can lift bigger ring-ships than it can’

  Angus was surprised by this reply. ‘Then, can't you fight it?’

  ‘Yes, I could’ this reply was plain and factual as before but slightly distant. ‘But remember that in straight mind contests between mages, they both died on every occasion.’ She paused. ‘Some of the greatest mages were trapped by lesser ones as part of a power play. Now this machine is trying to draw me in.’

  20

  Setting off on the following day, Lynella had no trouble telling them which direction to go. Every few hours, she would feel the pulses starting and ask Angus to call a halt while she concentrated. Each time it was clearer, stronger, more demanding. She felt that it was the only living thing that had ever penetrated the invisible barriers around her. The power was developing and moving towards it made it ever harder to resist. She yearned to call back, to open her mind to it, to become part of it. The dogs were the key to her defence. She concentrated on the thought that one small signal just might be able to tell them which way to go, and that would be the end.

  They could tell that they were moving closer to the source, even without Lynella to tell them that the field was growing stronger. After the first few days, they could see the difference all around. Over the years, the monks had established a substantial area of terran vegetation almost on the same scale as those at the castles. Around the edges of these areas, the species always mixed. One moment they would be fighting through the featureless, thorny native trees, only to emerge into the shade of a magnificent oak.

  When they finally emerged from the forest, there was a vast area of featureless rectangular fields. There were no lanes, barns or crofts. Maria looked across the whole area.

  ‘Where do they all live?’ She asked. ‘I always thought they had villages like in the kingdoms, but never let anybody see them.’

  ‘They must all live under the hill, womenfolk, children, the lot,’ Lynella replied.

  ‘That should make it easier to get in,’ Angus observed. ‘Look over there at the herds of cattle. They must keep the gate on this side open all night for the herders.’

  ‘What, just walk in and pretend we live there?’ Maria asked.

  ‘No, I was assuming that we would have to do something about the guards,’ Angus replied. ‘If we were going to try that one, it would be easier during the day. I think that we ought to watch them for a day to see how many come out. If it's more than a few hundred, we might get away with it. The trouble would be that it would be difficult to take any weapons in, without being noticed.’

  They moved up to higher ground and had a clear view of all of the farmland and could just see the pathway leading into the hill at the far side. They could not, however, find a vantage point from which they could see the gate itself. This was not good enough for Adam, who went ahead as soon as darkness came, across the farmland to hide near the gate and watch it. They watched him go, soon disappearing from sight as he followed the line of the hedgerows.

  ‘Do you think that they might smell the smoke if we cooked them?’ Maria enquired; looking at the rabbits that had been caught in Adam’s snares.

  ‘I think that we should risk it,’ Angus replied, ‘we haven't had a decent meal for days now. It'll help us try to work out what to do. I suppose he might still be out there and come back tonight.’

  The dawn had come and gone. Over a hundred men were working in the fields below them but Adam had not returned. They cooked the rabbits and ate them in silence. As they finished, Lynella spoke to the group.

  ‘I still have no idea what to do if we can get in. It must go for miles in there. I could find the machine in there, but even if I don't get drawn into it, I have no idea how to find Paul. Perhaps I should go in alone?’

  ‘No, we've come this far and we're not going to let you down now,’ Maria replied.

  Another day came and went, and there was still no sign of Adam.

  ‘We'll give him one more day and then we go in anyway,’ Angus said. ‘There obviously aren't enough of them to slip in during the day without being recognised, so we
shall have to try at night.’

  Moving in the darkness they found it easy to follow the path towards the entrance. Soon they heard people talking ahead of them. They slipped into the undergrowth and let them pass before moving on. Then, emerging from the gloom ahead of them they saw the entrance clearly outlined by lanterns at either side. The big wooden doors were wide open. There was no sign of a guard. They hid again as a couple of herders walked by and just seemed to wander in without any challenge at all.

  ‘Perhaps they don't have a guard,’ Maria suggested. ‘After all, as far as I know, nobody has tried to get in for at least a hundred years. Nobody in their right mind would want to.’

  ‘There's only one way to find out.’ Angus observed. ‘We’ll keep our swords hidden’.

  ‘It looks too easy’. Maria said. ‘I am sure Adam would have been tempted, he may have gone in.’

  The door had no guard, and the corridors beyond were deserted. The lantern that they took from the rack just inside, gave a good light and they moved forward in single file. They saw a lighting sphere and it was a challenge for Lynella. It was a beacon; its glow was only just visible, and it scarcely provided any illumination for the corridor and it called out to her to use her power. She knew that she could make it as bright as she liked, and she longed to try, but she also knew that this might summon the dogs. She concentrated on other things, anything to take her mind off it as she passed it, and wished, yet again, that she had taken more time to learn to use and control her magic. The next sphere was easier and, as the corridor stretched endlessly into the hill, each one became easier still.

  They were obviously passing along a main thoroughfare of the residential area for the community that supported the monastery. It was wide with smooth, finely crafted stone walls containing numerous entrances to doorways and other corridors on each side. There were two shallow parallel grooves in the floor which had been made by the passage of carts with metal rims on their wheels.

  Finally, they came to an archway. There were beautifully carved figures and even altars at either side, but still no guards. Beyond it, the light from the spheres was brighter.

  Angus looked at Lynella. ‘This is it then. I suppose we just go in and start looking. He's bound to be in this part.’

  ‘What about the guards?’ Lynella asked

  ‘What guards? There don't seem to be any.’

  ‘They must have known we were coming.’

  ‘I don't know,’ Angus paused. ‘Perhaps there are several factions and the one which took Adam prisoner doesn't set the guards. Perhaps he never got here. I know it seems pretty unlikely but what are the options? If they are waiting for us, they won't give up waiting for months so there's no point in going back. Anyway, if they are waiting, they'll know we're here by now.’

  They continued into the brighter light, carrying on in the same direction, until they came to a large cavern which was filled with the diffuse blue light. As they moved, forward they saw the machine and stopped, spellbound by its size and complexity.

  A single iron ring, the size of one of the ships in the crucibles, formed the base. Above it, in a seemingly random pattern, were thousands of smaller rings, all held in place in a massive wooden structure. Winding through the rings were cables which had wires wound tightly round them, throughout their length. Around the outside of the base ring were the ornate wooden chairs. They could see that a few of these chairs were occupied by monks who were totally engrossed in the machine and never looked up. The power going in was sufficient to make the machine hum gently and, at the top, they saw the cables extending out to feed energy to the lighting spheres.

  It was clear that the machine was continually being extended; partially completed timberwork could be seen in several places and hoists with pulleys were being used to place more rings on it.

  21

  The Abbot looked around with an air of calm authority. He was standing at the front of a gallery, overlooking the machine in the hall below. To one side of him, twenty armed monastery guards were drawn up in two ranks, standing to attention with military precision. Their swords and chain mail reflected the dull glow from the lighting spheres in the corridor behind. Stepping back, he turned to address the small group of senior monks who were standing in the corridor.

  ‘Now you may see why we need armed guards. For the first time since its founding, our monastery faces an armed incursion.’ He spoke with authority, but quietly to avoid being heard in the cavern above the gentle hum of the machine.

  ‘Why did we let them get this far?’ Brother Andrew asked. ‘Their presence desecrates the heart of our sanctuary.’

  ‘You are a wise man, and your contribution to our work and our faith has been enormous. In our troubled world, however, sometimes we must make decisions based on the aspects of practical reality of which you have less experience.’

  Brother Andrew did not reply. The Abbot was continuing: ‘The presence of armed men and the possibility of a disturbance in the servants' areas would have caused unnecessary alarm. Such things could spread rumours out of all proportion to the threat that these people pose.’

  ‘What are you going to do with them?’

  ‘The Princess Lynella has power. If she can be persuaded to work with us, her support could be critical as we defend this planet from this present menace and ultimately embark on our crusade.’

  Brother Andrew shook his head. ‘She hates you. Surely she will never work with you?’

  ‘She has little control over her powers. Let us see what she does in the face of her first real challenge.’ As the Abbot replied, he led the group to a dark corner of the gallery, from which they could observe the party below without being seen. Turning to the senior guard as he passed, he said, ‘Take your men below and be ready to move on my command.’

  Below, Lynella turned to Angus, ‘To think that all the time he was being so sanctimonious about the compact at the High Council meeting, he was building this.’

  ‘Don't let's worry about that for now. Let's find Paul first. I imagine that he is being held near here. We probably need another corridor leading from this hall.’

  They moved around the edge of the cavern, keeping in the shadows and looking for other doors. They found one almost immediately, but it was locked and Lynella did not dare to use her power on the latch for fear of being detected. As they moved on, they could see that, on the far side of the machine, there was a single chair that was set above and slightly back from the others. The five steps that led up to it were wide and richly carpeted and the chair itself was beautifully carved with a tall back with golden statuettes of eagles at either side. Lynella was drawn to it. She longed to control the power that emanated from it. She stopped to look at it. It was unoccupied, and the lighting was very low, so she could easily get to it without being seen.

  Finding several other doors which were also locked, they arrived back at the doorway where they had come in.

  ‘We're going to have to force a door and do it quickly. This must be a trap. It's amazing that we haven't already been attacked.’

  ‘The one on the far side would be the best.’ Lynella suggested. ‘That must lead towards the central part of the monastery,’

  They moved around and, while her companions tried, to cut at the wood with their knives, Lynella found herself slowly walking towards the chair.

  Looking down from above, the Abbot smiled. ‘There she goes. If she goes willingly, she may cross a frontier into a world from which she cannot escape.’

  Below him, Angus suddenly saw what was happening. Grabbing her arm, he stopped her, ‘Where are you going? You can't do that. It's too risky!’

  ‘It's the only way. I think that I've known all along that I would have to. All these weeks when it has been calling to me in and I have been fighting against being drawn into it, I've known that I would have to fight it at some stage. If I can control the machine, we can get what we want. If not, we might as well give up. You can't open those doors without my power
to help you.’

  ‘What happens if you get drawn into it?’

  ‘You stay with me and watch. If I look as if I'm losing control or fainting or something, drag me away. That will break the contact.’

  ‘But when I did that at the bridge it almost killed you.’

  ‘Yes, it did.’ She replied, starting up the steps. ‘But do it.’

  Ascending the steps, Lynella suddenly felt her dirty, tattered clothes and subconsciously tried to straighten them as best she could. This was a throne from which a kingdom could be controlled, and she was the person to control it. It was as if it had been built for her. The Abbot watched from above and smiled.

  Lynella felt secure and comfortable in the chair. Resting her hands and elbows on the arms, she closed her mind to the world around her and started gently probing the machine. Each of the thousands of rings could develop its own field and be detected as a separate entity. She let her mind go deep into the centre, to rings which had been hidden from sight for a generation, and then back to the outer surface to the newer structures. Each individual ring, except for the old ship in the base, was small and had taken little power to create; the power of the whole came from the number of them.

  Her mind wandered aimlessly through the complex pathways, exploring a dimension that had never before been open to her. Eventually, remembering the urgency of her task, she started looking for patterns to understand the purpose. Moving her mind around the outside, she found small regions of more powerful fields where the monks were sitting. Studying one of these regions she found that it extended upwards and, looking more closely, she noticed that the cables which extended through the machine formed pathways for the energy to be channelled upwards and towards the centre.