by Shannah Jay
'Wait!' Benner commanded. 'Don't shoot yet, anyway. They can't escape, after all. Let our young friend tell us what it does.'
Davred tried to keep his voice as calm as Herra's had been. 'This is a stasis cube. Ask Sen-Sether why he can't enter Temple Setherak, Benner. He has told you that it's closed off behind invisible walls, surely?'
'I've heard something of the sort. But you don't expect me to believe it's done with such a little thing as that box, surely? Do you take me for a fool? And if either of you try to leave that room, I'll not hesitate to risk whatever your box can do. My God will protect me.'
Ignoring the pain in his right arm, Davred let his fingers slide slowly over the surface of the box, setting it for one of its minor functions. 'As will mine,' he said quietly.
'If you are the best Manifestation your God can send, he's a poor sort of deity. My God is young yet. His strength will grow. And his powers. Especial y when we unlock those bitches' secrets. You'd do better to join us, lad.'
'I - couldn't.' Davred let the slightest amount of hesitation creep into his voice. His fingers moved again.
The voice became warm and soothing. 'Why don't you give me a chance to show you our ways? It pains me to see a fine young fellow like yourself doing the bidding of these women. With us, it's the other way round. The women do as we command. Think of the pleasures to be had in our shrines.'
'They - the Sisters have been good to me.' Davred coded in some more instructions. Almost. Just another few digits to go. Keep him talking.
'Surely you don't call that being good to you? What fun is there for a young man like you in praying and studying?
Why don't you at least give our ways a try?'
'He's fiddling with that thing, Lord Benner!' called one of the bowmen suddenly.
'Shoot his other arm!'
But Davred had pressed the final sequence, setting the cube in a stunner mode. Before the arrow could be launched, he was aiming the box in a circle around him. One man got as far as drawing his bowstring back before the narrow beam of stasis-stun could reach his side of the room, but Herra stilled him. Then the stasis swept over the man and he froze where he stood.
A roar of rage came from above. 'Call the reinforcements!'
Davred stepped backwards and whispered, 'Can you lead us safely out of here, Herra? This will only hold them for a few minutes.'
QUEST Shannah Jay 118
She nodded and led the way back into the tunnel, but this time she ran in a different direction. 'They'll expect us to leave by what they think is the tunnel entrance,' she panted. 'So instead, we'll go up through the cellars and leave openly, by the gate. Stop for a moment.' She laid her hand on his arm and broke off the arrow, leaving the head embedded.
The pain lessened at her touch and Davred sighed with relief.
'It's the best I can do until we get back. Can you manage like that, Lord Davred? ''Yes.' He avoided looking at the wound. He’d never been injured before, and the sight of his own mangled flesh and the dark trickle of blood sickened him. He concentrated instead on following Herra as quickly and quietly as he could.
From the cellars they made their way rapidly up into the kitchens. In their ragged clothing, they looked little different from the other scullions. Twice someone shouted orders at them, but Herra pretended an urgent message for the gatekeeper. At the gate itself, she showed the sergeant illusory orders to bear a message into town to one of the smaller neighbourhood shrines, then stood waiting humbly for permission to leave the castle. The sergeant nodded at her and Davred. 'Off with this message quickly, then!'
Davred saluted smartly. 'Yes, sir!'
'And don't you be lingering to make sacrifice, lad! Unless they're desperate for a bit of help!' He nudged Davred in the wounded arm without seeming to notice the blood and the arrowhead, and then chuckled nastily. 'Just wait till I get off duty! I'll play my part right willingly. Haven't had a woman for days. Been saving my strength. Best Festival of the year, this is.'
Davred fought to stay upright as the waves of pain from the nudge washed over him, but the man was too immersed in his own sick fantasies to notice that anything was wrong with the messenger. There was incense burning, even here in the gatehouse.
Once out of sight of the guardhouse, Herra sagged against the wal , her face shrunken with fatigue. 'I'll only slow you down, Davred. Leave me here and get back to the temple!'
Davred shook his head. 'I can't move quickly either, Herra. Besides, you're still needed. We'll help each other. What's the best route back?'
She tried to turn a Compulsion on him.
'Don't waste your time on that, Herra. You yourself taught me how to elude a Compulsion. And I won't go without you, so save what little energy you have left for our walk across the city.'
She looked fiercely at his face, saw how determined he was, and sighed in exasperation. 'Very wel , but if we're stopped, promise you'll leave me and escape.'
'If I must, I’ll do that. I know that our Quest is more important than either of us. But I see no need at this time.
Now, lean on me. Same story. You were wounded in the siege. Which way do we go?'
Staggering, breath rasping in her throat, Herra clung to his arm and gasped out instructions. There was no need for her to feign weakness. Anyone could see how exhausted she was.
It was late afternoon now, and there was a promise of rain in the smoky air. They kept to the shadows as much as possible and let drunken groups pass them.
At one point, in the full light of a burning house, they came face to face with one of the former temple servants.
Davred braced himself to deal with the man.
The servant stepped back. 'God save you, Sister! I see you not. The Tanners' Alley is nearly deserted.' Then he ran off in the other direction.
'May our Brother protect him,' whispered Herra, and changed direction.
In the Tanners' Alley she directed Davred to turn into a house, a sacked half-ruin like all the rest. There she stopped, checked that no one was inside, and led Davred through a hidden doorway at the back of a cupboard into a very narrow, low-roofed tunnel. Twice she stopped to remove and reset wards. Twice they stood still for no reason that Davred could see. Finally she led him through another doorway into the Archive Cellars, and when he turned around to QUEST Shannah Jay 119
look for the entrance to the tunnel, he saw only a wal of books, which felt solid to his touch.
'I am becoming - too old - for adventures.' Herra collapsed at his feet.
He couldn't lift her with his injured arm, so he ran to find Lara. Within minutes Herra was being tended, but Davred refused to let the exhausted Healer do more than wash his arm. 'We must leave as soon as possible,' he told Lara,
'before Benner can get a new assault launched against the temple. Herra must come with us, even if she has to be carried. My arm can wait. I have to find Katia. Tell Fiana to get our things.'
He found Katia in the temple compound, directing the defenders to douse a blazing storehouse.
'You're hurt!' She turned pale. 'I thought I felt something a while back, but with so much pain around, I wasn't sure if it was really you.'
'The arm's nothing. The main thing is, we managed to get the cube back.'
'But your . . . '
'There's no time now, my Katia. We must leave at once, and activate the stasis before they get in.'
She turned to a smoke-blackened man, hardly recognisable as the gatekeeper. 'Will you take my place now, Shel?
May our Brother watch over you!'
'And over you, Sister.'
From outside came shouts and a constant noise of people milling around. Occasional missiles flew over the walls and crashed to the ground. The savagery of the attackers' feelings was clear, even when the words were not. From time to time a voice was loud enough for the defenders to make out the threats that were being offered against those who supported the Sisterhood, as well as the vile suggestions about what would happen to the Sisters themselve
s.
'They are unclean,' said Shel sombrely. 'It's as if a madness infects Those of the Serpent. I shal be glad to wait here in safety until gentler times.' He looked at Davred. 'How long before the cube stills us, Lord?'
'A few minutes only.'
'The God be thanked! They're using battering rams on the gates, and we can't keep them out for much longer. Will it - will the stasis hurt, Lord? I worry not for myself, but I have three young daughters with me here.'
'You'll feel nothing. I've been in stasis myself - it's sometimes used by my people for travelling long distances. One feels nothing at all. It merely seems as though time passes instantly.'
As they re-entered the great hall, Fiana came over to join them. 'We're ready. I've taken our things down to the cellars.'
'Thank you.'
Davred turned to Cheral. 'The God be with you all! Good luck, Cheral!'
'Don't think you're leaving me behind!' she snapped. 'Look what happens to the Elder Sister when she's left in your care! Besides, you'll need another person to help carry Herra.'
'But . . . ' Davred looked helplessly at Katia. A spark of amusement flared briefly in her eyes and she shrugged. No one could stop Cheral when she was in that sort of a mood.
'Well, what are you waiting for, Lord?' demanded Cheral. 'Get that nasty box thing set up and join us in the food cellars. Can you manage with only one arm? Or do you need someone to help you?'
'I can manage, thank you, Cheral.' He placed the cube at the foot of the statue and began to program it.
'Katia and Fiana, come with me!' Cheral's voice had a peculiarly carrying quality and every syllable floated back up the stairs to Davred. 'Hurry up, Lord! How long do you think they can hold those gates? We haven't got all night to do this, you know!'
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QUEST Shannah Jay 120
Chapter 19: ESCAPE FROM TEMPLE TENEBRAK
Katia led the way down the underground passage, holding a lamp above her head to guide the others. In its flickering light, her shadow seemed to weave along the wal beside her like a living thing. But it was a shadow she didn’t recognise. Gone was the soft flowing robe and the tumbling mass of curly hair. Instead, her hair was twisted into a tight knot at the nape of the neck and then covered in a thick net snood. Gone, too, was the graceful gait, because she was hampered by clothing suitable for a wealthy merchant's wife. The full-skirted, tight-waisted gown was of stiff dark brown material and it had a high neckline and long tight sleeves, quite unsuitable for Tenebron's warm climate.
She sighed and hefted the heavy bundle she carried into a less uncomfortable position. It contained Davred's clothes and a few personal items, and it was the reason why she was wearing her own disguise, which was easier to carry on her back. She turned her head to smile encouragingly at her husband, who was plodding grimly along behind her. She could see he was in pain, but they didn’t dare stop to heal him until they’d left the zone where stasis would fal .
Since Herra was incapacitated, Katia decided that once it was safe to stop, she herself would have to try to help Davred. Her healing skills were still very limited, and she might not be able to heal his arm properly, but she was sure she could speed the healing of the flesh and reduce the pain emanating from him. Even if she only managed to get the arrowhead out, that would help.
'Not far now,' Davred called, looking at the small box he carried in his left hand.
Behind him, Cheral grunted something which could have been relief or fatigue. She and Fiana were carrying a litter on which Herra lay. The Elder Sister had been unconscious when they entered the tunnel, but her eyes were open now.
'Let me walk,' she begged, but Cheral shook her head. Herra sighed and let her head loll back. She knew she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the rest of them. She had felt so strange lately, unlike herself. Perhaps her end was drawing near.
Cheral stumbled along behind Davred at the head of the litter, grumbling occasionally under her breath about the unevenness of the passage floor and the bulky garments in which she, as Katia's supposed maidservant, was clad.
Fiana was dressed as a man, the servant of Davred, and she had the most practical clothes of anyone. They were neither heavy with ornamentation nor composed of cumbersome layers. With her stocky body and strong face, she made a convincing man, with a wickedly-curved dagger displayed prominently.
'That's far enough! We're well out of the stasis zone now.' Davred held out the com-unit to show them, but its lighted display made no sense to the four women. The instrument fitted neatly into the palm of the hand, but was, Davred told them, capable of doing several things. It was so different from the tracers that had been sent down to them that he wasn’t sure whether they understood that it was permanently broadcasting pictures of what was happening within a radius of four paces around it. He’d thought it better not to elaborate on that point.
He held out the com-unit towards his wife. The red light that had appeared on it when he activated the stasis cube in the temple had vanished. He entered the correct code to confirm his earlier command. 'The stasis has now been activated,' he told the women. 'Temple Tenebrak is safe.'
'Well, thank goodness for that!' Cheral's sharp voice brought him out of his reverie and back to the pain of the moment. 'I thought we were going to walk for ever! Just set the litter down, Fiana. That's right.' She touched Herra's pulse briefly and shook her head at the Elder Sister's pallor. 'What you need, Herra, is a good long rest. I shan't let you leave the safety of this tunnel, nasty dark place though it is, until you have more colour in your cheeks and can move without dizziness. Two days' recuperation, at least.' She stood up, brisk and authoritative. 'Now, just let me get my bearings. Mmmm. Right. I see. The rest of you stay where you are. I'll go and find us an emergency chamber.'
She took the lamp from Katia and walked slowly along the passage, muttering to herself the identification signs she’d memorised. As she vanished from sight around a corner, darkness settled on the small group.
QUEST Shannah Jay 121
Davred sighed wearily, and Katia's hand touched his shoulder, briefly easing the pain.
After a minute or two an exclamation of triumph floated back to them, and the light began to move towards them again. 'There's an emergency chamber only a couple of hundred paces ahead.' Cheral put the lamp back into Katia's hand and went to pick up her end of the litter. 'Well, what are you all waiting for? There's no need to tell you which way to go, surely?'
When Cheral called to them to stop, Davred could see no difference in the rocky wal s. He sagged against the rough stone and closed his eyes, knowing that the unevenness of his breathing was betraying to Katia how much his arm was hurting. It was taking all his willpower to keep himself upright.
Herra raised her head. 'I'll loosen the wards, Cheral.'
'You've done enough today!'
'Cheral, you have small gift for the setting and removing of wards, and well you know it! These are permanent and set at maximum strength. Do you even know where the doorway is?'
'Well, it's somewhere over there, but . . . '
'Don't argue, Cheral. Just help me to sit up.' It was a brief return of the old Herra. With Cheral supporting her body, she concentrated her attention on the wall. A part of it began to flicker, then dissolved into a shimmer of cold light, before vanishing completely, leaving an opening about two paces wide. 'Quickly now!' Herra commanded. 'It'll start to re-form in one minute. This is a permanent ward.' They hastened to get inside.
Sure enough, almost as soon as they were through, the hole began to shimmer again, and within a minute the wall had re-formed.
Fiana touched it. 'It feels solid enough.'
'The Seventh Manifestation of our God set these wards himself,' said Herra. 'Permanent ones such as these are beyond our skill, as yet. From inside, any of us can activate the opening controls, as I shall show you.' She made a gesture with her hand, and light filled the chamber. 'You may extinguish that lamp now, Katia. Illumination was also provided
by the Lord Ebrlk. It will shine here until I cancel it.'
The chamber was large enough to hold several times their number. It had been hacked out of the rock, with bays left around the walls to give an illusion of privacy. The roof was quite low and the surface of the walls rough. Only the floor was smooth, as if the stone had been fused by heat.
'There are emergency food supplies, money and clothes of all types at the back,' said Herra. 'We change them every few years, but these will be from before the Serpent gained control. There should be waste disposal facilities there as wel , and a spring of fresh water. The Lord Ebrlk was very thorough in his provisions.' She lay back with a tired sigh and allowed Cheral to make her more comfortable.
Fiana went to explore the recesses of the cave and came back with a drink of water for Herra and confirmation that the emergency supplies were indeed there and fit for use.
Davred was the next focus of Cheral's attention. Katia had helped him sit down with his back against the wal , but Cheral found some blankets in the stores, and put together a makeshift pallet for him. He lay down on it and closed his eyes, relieved to be able to give in to the pain.
A hand was laid across his forehead and the pain receded. 'Katia,' he murmured, knowing the lightest touch of her fingers.
'Lie still, my Davred, and I'll try to help you to heal the wound.' She began to remove the stiff garments she was wearing, for it wasn’t cold in the chamber and they wouldn’t be going out into the city for a while. It was a relief to put on a simple robe again. She shook her hair out of its tight knot. She would work best if she was comfortable.
Davred opened his eyes and smiled at his wife. 'I like you better out of those stiff dark things.'
Her smile was a caress. 'It's a ridiculous form of dress they're wearing now, isn't it? So hot and impractical. And the snoods are itchy on the neck. Would leaving my hair loose really inflame men's passions, do you think?'
QUEST Shannah Jay 122
'Only if they'd been sniffing that incense. Herra doesn't recognise the drug, but it even affected us a little until we took firmer control of our bodies.'