The Merlin Chronicles: Box Set (All Three Novels)

by Daniel Diehl

  “You want me to freeze the pipes once they have been filled with water?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “I do not understand, but I will do as you say.”

  “When the time comes, you’ll understand, I promise.”

  By the time Jason turned his attention back to the machine, the carpenters had mounted the frame onto the carriage, which, in turn, was mounted onto the tripod base. Jason walked around the ballista, lifted the tail of the carriage appreciatively and swung it around 360 degrees.

  “Nice work. Very nice work. Now, if somebody will get the coils of rope I asked for, I’ll explain how to install the throwing arms.”

  Finally, after two hours of sweating and swearing, Jason and his helpers stood back to admire their work. “Well...” Jason said, wiping his hands on his jacket, “It might not be beautiful, but I think it should do the job. All we need now is the bowstring and we’re ready to test-drive this baby. Oh, I need a test arrow. You guys attach the bow string the way I told you while I find a spare piece of copper pipe.”

  Following a quick check on Merlin, and inviting him to the test firing, Jason left to find Lu Shi and the arrows. Half an hour later, he was back in the courtyard with an expectant, curious crowd, including Merlin, who observed the proceedings from his balcony. “Ok, everybody, time to see if this thing works. Any little prayers for success, either Buddhist or Christian, will be gladly accepted.”

  Looping a crude hook over the bowstring, Jason heaved on a length of iron pipe that had been pressed into service as a ratchet handle. When the bowstring reached the rear of the carriage, Jason snapped the trigger into place and removed the ratchet handle. Carefully, Jason laid a four-foot length of copper pipe into the channel on the carriage bed. Sliding the pipe back until it touched the bowstring, he looked around at his audience. As all eyes focused on Jason and the ballista, he positioned himself at the rear of the weapon, swinging the nose up and around, pointing it high over the shattered roof of the monastery.

  “Here goes nothing.” Reaching beneath the carriage, Jason eased back on the trigger.

  There was a bone-jarring thump as the throwing arms slammed forward. It happened so suddenly that despite Jason’s explanations, no one but Merlin was quick enough to see the red-gold flash as the copper arrow disappearing over the roof of the monastery and into the valley beyond.

  “Did it work? Did anybody see anything?” Jason, who should have been taking his bows, seemed to be as surprised and confused as everyone else.

  From one of the balconies came the sound of one pair of hands applauding enthusiastically. “Very, very nice work, Jason. Congratulations. I believe you have invented a weapon.”

  “Thanks, but I think credit goes to the Romans, they invented it.”

  “But you applied the knowledge. The credit is yours.”

  “Yeah.” Jason grinned a lop-sided grin and bobbed his head appreciatively. “I just hope the real arrows work as well.”

  “We won’t know until they’re tested in action. Now may I please return control of the weather to nature? I can’t keep this up much longer.”

  Jason laughed. “I guess. No time like the present. How long do you think before our beastie thaws out enough to mount another attack?”

  “Two or three hours, no more. He is going to be very sore, very hungry and, what’s the phrase ‘really pissed off’?”

  Turning to Lu Shi and some of the other monks hovering nearby, Jason ordered them to shovel the hailstones littering the courtyard into a pile near the small pagoda. Turning to Lu Shi, he added “In exactly two hours I want you to bring three of the six arrows up from the freezer. Got it?”

  “Two hours, three arrows.”

  “Right. Now we wait.”

  “Jason. May I have a word with you?” Trying to keep the weight off of his injured ankle, Merlin hobbled across the courtyard.

  “Sure.”

  “Do you mind if I make a suggestion?”

  “Merlin, I can use all the help I can get.”

  “Then I suggest you wait until the beast has passed over and fire from behind it.”

  “Ok. Why’s that?”

  “The scales on its belly. They run from its throat toward its tail like those of a fish or a snake; if you strike from the front the bolt might slide off. If you strike from the rear, the bolt is more likely to penetrate between the layers of scales.”

  “I really appreciate that. Thanks.”

  “One other question.”

  “Yes?”

  “How were you planning to defend yourself while you take your shot?”

  “Well...” Jason screwed his mouth and scratched his head. “I guess I hadn’t really thought about that part.”

  “Possibly I should stay with you and raise a shield.”

  “If you feel up to it that would be a really good idea. Thanks.

  Merlin laid a hand on Jason’s forearm. “No one said you have to do this alone, you know.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Waiting was the hard part. While Merlin stood calmly, eyes closed, marshaling his energy, Jason’s eyes darted nervously from one side of the inner court to the other. Until now he had not really appreciated just how much damage the previous attack had caused to the magnificent structure. Two massive holes gaped in the long expanse of tiled roof. Porch roofs, columns and balustrades were shattered where falling timbers had ripped them apart and everywhere the bright red and yellow paint was scorched and blackened by fire. One by one, Jason took in every detail of his surroundings. Finally, when he looked at his watch an entire five minutes had passed. Waiting was definitely the hard part.

  “Mr. Merlin, Mr. Jason.” Sun Wang To stepped carefully between the piles of hailstones as the monks shoveled them toward the pagoda. In one hand he was holding a small jar. When Merlin stepped toward him, he said “I have the ointment which I promised you.”

  “And you believe this will make us invisible to anyone using a scrying glass?”

  “Indeed. You must dab a small amount on your third eye.”

  “I’m sorry, did you say ‘third eye’?”

  “Yes. Here.” The Lama touched an index finger to the center of his forehead. “Where the consciousness resides. Is this not where you concentrate your energy when you cast a spell or exit your own mind and enter the mind of another?”

  “Yes, of course. Now I understand.” Merlin stuck a tentative finger into the jar of unguent, scooping up a minute amount. “Will this do?”

  “Oh, yes. It does not require much. Think of it as a sun screen for the consciousness.” The Lama giggled at his own little joke.

  “You mean a few drops of this ointment and she wouldn’t have been able to follow us all these months?”

  “Not precisely, Mr. Merlin. A few drops of this ointment, as you call it, and she would not have been able to find you through all these centuries. Your self-imposed exile would have been entirely unnecessary.”

  Merlin shrugged in resignation. “Well, fancy that.” Then, turning to Jason, added “Here, put some of this on your forehead, like this.” Merlin demonstrated and Jason repeated the action.

  Nodding gently, the Lama added “You should now be safe from the wiles of this evil woman. But if you will excuse me, I must see that the brothers have all gathered in the cellars. I fear greatly for their safety when the demon returns.”

  “Of course, Your Holiness, and thank you.”

  “If it can help save your lives and the lives of those around you,” the Panchen Lama made an expansive gesture with one thin arm “then it is surely the least I can do. Now, may you be safe and your aim be sure.” With these words the old holy man went back indoors, herding his flock ahead of him.

  Finally, after what seemed to Jason like a very large eternity, Lu Shi and an assistant appeared in the courtyard, laboring under the bulk of three lengths of copper pipe, each one attached to a huge coil of wire.

  “What shall I do with these, Jason?”

  �
��Here, let me help you. Let’s lay the arrows by the ballista so I can get to them when I need them. Now, scoop away some of this ice and tie the ends of the wire around one of the pagoda’s columns. Good. Then scoop the ice over the coils of wire so they stay wet and cold.”

  Lu Shi and his helper were completing their task when the sound of giant wings beat the distant air. After a quick glance at Jason, Merlin spread his hands to the sky and began chanting, scribing runic shapes, leaving tiny blue tracers in the air. Jason tried to remain loose, flexing his hands and legs, limbering his back and shoulder muscles. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

  This time the thing knew exactly where it was going. It plummeted out of the clouds, descending like a blue heron diving for a fish in a pond. With wings thrown back, talons extended and monstrous mouth gaping it plummeted toward the center of the courtyard and the two tiny figures huddled behind the clumsy wooden contraption. Then, it bellowed. The air was rent by a deafening roar and a blast of fetid wind that nearly knocked Jason off his feet. Squinting against the inevitable blast, he held tight to the ballista, fighting to keep his trigger finger relaxed.

  The fire and flame struck with mind numbing intensity, like opening the door of a furnace or the gateway to hell itself. Even with his eyes closed and his face buried against his shoulder, Jason felt like he was staring directly into the sun. Wind shrieked and tore at his hair and clothes, but the heat from the flame never touched his skin. Cautiously raising his head, he blinked to clear his vision and locate the quarry. There it was, to his left, heading toward the rooftop. Whirling the ballista around, he pointed the end of the carriage toward its immense underbelly and squeezed the trigger.

  The copper dart looked like a pink tracer bullet as it tore into the creature’s left wing. Ripping through leathery flesh, it sailed past the beast’s shoulder with no apparent ill effects; at least not until the wire played out when, acting like a tiny anchor, it wrenched the dragon violently to the left nearly pulling it into the courtyard. But when the strain proved too much for the thin electrical wire, it snapped and the dragon righted its course, sailing away over the rooftop.

  “Damn. Missed.”

  “Calm, Jason. That was just to get your aim. It’s going to be back.”

  “Yeah, right. Help me cock this thing and get another bolt in place before it does.”

  Jason’s voice and knees were both shaking from the adrenaline rush, but he managed to keep his hands steady enough to work the ratchet without fumbling.

  “It’s coming, Jason.”

  “Yeah, and this time I know which direction it’s coming from. Let me get this thing turned around.”

  Soaring out of a gentle curve, the dragon appeared over the edge of the roof and swooped toward Jason and Merlin, blasting fire and smoke as it came. Momentarily blinded by the light, Jason could not tell where the terrible crash came from, but it sounded like half the building collapsed. When he could see again, the dragon’s back and tail were climbing over a collapsed tier of porches. Beneath it, the veranda was engulfed in flame. As the creature arched its neck to haul itself over the roof, it exposed its underbelly long enough for Jason to aim and pull the trigger.

  As though everything were moving in slow motion, Jason watched the copper bolt sail upward, playing out its golden thread. A second later the pipe and its core of ice disappeared into the belly of the beast only a few feet ahead of its bowels. It had the same effect on the creature’s alien, energy-based metabolism as dropping an electric appliance into a bathtub. Even before the wire played out, the hideous beast began writhing and whirling in mid-air. Twisting first one way and then the other, its body covered with tiny, dancing darts of electrical current, Morgana’s pet dragon threw back its head and let out an ear-splitting shriek, the wire flashing and sizzling as it sucked the energy from the beast, transferring it into the pile of ice and the wet ground. Trailing smoke, flame and the stench of burning flesh, the creature made one single pirouette before disappearing behind the edge of the roof on its way toward the trees and the valley floor. When it was gone Jason sank to his knees, exhausted and trembling, next to the ballista.

  “Is it dead?”

  “It's dead, Jason. You can get up now.”

  “I don’t think I can.”

  “Here.” Merlin reached out a hand. “Let me help you.”

  “I don’t feel well.” Jason said, hoisting himself to his feet.

  “I know. This was your first time in battle. It affects everyone that way.” The old wizard turned Jason around to face him and laid his hands on the young man’s shoulders. “But you won, Jason. As far as I am aware, you are the first man in history to slay a dragon and live.”

  Jason rolled his head to one side and grinned. “Except, maybe Saint George.”

  “Who said he lived?”

  “You’re kidding?” Jason’s tired eyes were wide with disbelief.

  Merlin only shook his head slowly.

  “Oh, shit. Help me inside...please. I think I need to sit down.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  The public address system made a screeching noise that set Merlin’s teeth on edge and interrupted his question. When the noise stopped he resumed talking. “As I was saying, did you get through to Beverley?”

  “Yeah. She’s pretty flipped out but I think she’ll be ok. I mean, we have been out of touch for way more than a month and she was a little scared.”

  “Ah. So she’s really quite angry with you.”

  Jason rolled his eyes heavenward, shaking his head. “She’s absolutely going to kill me.”

  “I’m sure she will understand when we explain everything to her. The waiting, and the not knowing, is often worse than the actual doing.”

  “She said to send her love to you, too. And she wants to meet us at the airport in London. I told her it would be quicker if we just took the train back up to York, but she insisted.” Jason flopped down on the hard plastic seat next to Merlin.

  “That’s very thoughtful of her, and by picking us up she’ll feel like she is doing something to help.”

  “I guess so. And she mentioned something I’d completely forgotten about.”

  “Oh, what was that?” Merlin cocked his head to one side like a small bird.

  “I told her I lost my cell phone in the Land Rover when we had to abandon it - and that’s why I couldn’t call her - and that brought up the question of our luggage and that’s when I remembered my passport was in with the luggage.”

  “Passport? Ah,” Merlin’s face brightened with the faint gleam of realization. “You mean that little book you gave the man at the desk when we entered Mongolia.”

  “Right. That’s a passport, and mine is probably still in the Land Rover out there by Morgana’s fort.”

  “I assume this passport is a necessary thing?”

  “Not for you, maybe, you just make yourself invisible and waltz in anywhere you want. But for me...” He shrugged and gave a worried look.

  Merlin laid aside the book he had been reading and picked up a discarded Chinese magazine abandoned by some previous occupant of the Ulan Bator International Airport. He tore off the thick, glossy cover, folded it in half and then in half again, handing the finished product to Jason.

  “What is this for?”

  “Is that about the size of a passport?”

  “Yeah, about.”

  “Put it in your pocket and hand it to the man when the time comes.”

  “You’re kidding?” Jason knew Merlin was completely serious, but it seemed like such a stupid ploy.

  “I promise you, he will have no problem accepting it. In fact,” he said, turning the magazine over and ripping off the back cover, “I believe I’ll make one for myself. It will be a new experience - having a passport.”

  Surveying his handiwork, he slipped the ‘passport’ inside his ticket folder and retrieved the book he had been reading.

  “What are you reading?”

  “Oh, it’s a book
of Buddhist philosophy that Sun Wang To gave me before we left. Just a little remembrance of our visit. Very thoughtful of him, don’t you think?”

  “Considering the condition of his monastery, it’s nothing short of amazing.”

  “I know.” Merlin laid the book back down and folded his hands in his lap, drawing in a great, ragged breath. “I feel very sorry for them; nine dead and the monastery in a shambles. If I really had the power attributed to me I would have rebuilt their monastery. It would have been the least I could have done, but like so much people say about me, many of my powers are only legendary.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. What happened back there was nobody’s fault...at least nobody’s fault except Morgana’s. And the monks know that. I mean, it’s not like they threw us out or anything.” Then after a qualifying pause, he added. “Although Lu Shi did say the place looked as bad as what the Chinese did to the monasteries in Tibet.”

  “Was that meant to make me feel better?”

  “I’m sorry, Merlin. I just meant that, terrible as it was, we aren’t responsible for Morgana’s actions. The Panchen Lama understands that. After all, he did give you the ointment and the Gnostic book to take with us.”

  “Yes, I am sure he does. And thanks to the cream - which will keep Morgana from finding us - and for providing us with a place of refuge, the Buddhists have helped buy the time I need to figure out how to close the dragon gate permanently. And that was the only thing I ever wanted.”

  “See.” Jason was doing his best to be conciliatory.

  Merlin snorted, suppressing a laugh.

  “What?”

  “I was just thinking. Morgana will be so surprised. Thanks to our use of the cream coinciding with the attack of her pet dragon, I have no doubt she thinks we’re dead and she’s now free to wreak havoc on the world.” He shook his shaggy head, his beard wafting back and forth across his heavy fur coat. “She is going to be absolutely furious when she finds out the gate is still blocked.”

  Jason snickered at the thought of the mad woman’s uncontrolled furry. “Now all you have to do is figure out the riddle in the book and hope it helps us close the gate.”