Chapter 2
Deaths Door
Presto knew the others were looking at him, feeling smaller and less sure of himself than ever before. Strangely, he found it hard to tear himself away from staring at the slab on the floor beneath his feet. There was such an odd feeling inside, and he knew that explaining it, even to someone as understanding as Hank, would be very difficult. He hated these situations. He never knew what to say.
(Youve gotta say something.) I know. Im just working up to it. (Work up faster!) I dont think I can. (You have to.)
His first glance was to the Cavalier. Now he wished that hed never mentioned his doubts to Eric, even though the other boy had agreed with him. Though he was annoyed that Eric had dragged Hank into it at that particular point, he knew that the Cavalier had only been trying to help, in his own uniquely abrupt way.
What I mean, Presto said slowly as he turned to face Hank, is that we shouldnt just be looking around. Weve gotta think.
He didnt need to see the Cavalier to know he had a sarcastic look on his face, and Presto could guess the comment that he was thinking. But fortunately, Eric didnt say anything.
Where do you suggest we start? asked Sheila. I dont see anything
The Magician wasnt sure what to say and as he thought, he noticed Diana, Bobby and Uni coming over to see what was happening. He waited until they were closer before speaking again.
We need to um think He petered out, aware of yet more stares from the others. Why did I start this? (Dont back down now). Why did I even mention it to Eric? (But Eric agreed with you!!) I should have known this would happen!
So we need to think, huh? said the Cavalier, the slight smirk on his face much less unkind than it could have been. Well, its not like we dont have the time, but now were here in the Treasury, we should
It suddenly struck Presto what was wrong; full force. And it was so obvious that it was almost laughable.
Wait! Thats it! Presto looked around eagerly, looking round the room with a more critical eye. What was it Eric had said before? It doesnt look much like a treasury (Its not a Treasury, is it!) So obvious! (How could you have missed it!)
Listen, guys, he said, this place isnt what its supposed to be. Were looking for the wrong thing! Were not there yet, this isnt the Treasury!
What do you mean, said Hank. Thom said
No, he didnt! He never said we were there yet! Did he?
Hanks brow furrowed as he tried to remember, and he looked round at Thom as he sat searching the scrolls at the further end of the room.
Presto followed his gaze. He wasnt exactly sure what it was about Thom that made him feel uncomfortable. So far, the little creature had kept them on the right path. But there was some odd about Thom that made Prestos skin prickle every time he went near.
Well, no, the Ranger said slowly. I suppose he didnt actually say this was the Treasury. Not in so many words.
Remember before, said Presto, trying had to organise the logjam of thoughts in his head. We had to look around, and open door, and solve puzzles. Hank nodded. Its probably the same here. They wouldnt just leave the Key lying around for anyone to pick up! Weve gotta do more!
No one spoke, just waited for him to say something else. He glanced at the attentive faces of his friends, slowly realising they were not waiting there to make fun of him, they actually wanted to know what he was going to say next; even the Cavalier!
The feeling he had was that this was an Illusion, a little like the ones Varla made. What they saw was real, but it wasnt; and he had quickly realised that the difference was magic. Varlas name lingered in his mind, the picture of her face, and her smile
Presto! snapped Eric. Stop smirking like that!
Sorry, he murmured, trying to get the distracting image of the beautiful Illusionist out of his mind.
To steady his nerves, and actually look like he knew what he was talking about, he looked round the room once more, and was reminded of something he had though when they first entered: that though the room was beautiful, and artistically decorated, there was something unbalanced about it. The people who had lived here in Ur, and built this city had a finely honed sense of the aesthetic. But there was something about this room that was wrong. But if hed said that to the others, hed never hear the end of the laughter!
What am I missing? It was starting to get annoying, like a math puzzle he couldnt get. He hated those! He would work all night just to understand. (Its so obvious, I know it is, I know!) Look more carefully. And think
He looked again, and it suddenly hit him.
The doors. Those fake doors! They werent randomly placed as hed thought before. It just looked like that because there was one missing.
Cmon, he said suddenly. Ones missing! Over there!
He walked off towards the space, with the others following.
What are you talking about, demanded Eric. One what missing!
Probably talking about your brain, snapped Diana. Give him a break!
Presto ignored them, looking at the empty space in the wall. Maybe the Hat could help, and he pulled it off his head, wondering what sort of spell he should try.
There should be a door there, he said to the Ranger. And thats whats missing.
Hank raised his eyebrow, doubt written on his face, but Presto was sure. He kept walking, and the others still followed, then stopped a few feet away from the wall. There was definitely something there! The magic was enough to make his hair stand on end.
Cant you feel it, he said to the others. Magic!
Much as I hate to add to Mandrakes ego, said Eric, when no one else spoke, but it does feel kinda odd. I suppose.
Presto grinned widely at the Cavalier. That was just the sort of reassurance hed hoped for! He took a step forward.
Looking back, he was very glad he was holding the Hat rather than wearing it at the time as, totally out of the blue, an arc of red fire lanced out of the wall, striking out at him.
The Hat, protective as ever, seemed to act as a kind of lightning rod, swallowing the flames, but it still hurt as the fire struck, and he dropped the weapon with a yelp of pain. The fire was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Sheila was by his side in a second, fussing over his reddened hand. The Hat sat smoking on the floor.
Well, at least we know theres something there, said Eric at last. Presto could nearly hear the unspoken coda: and thank goodness it wasnt me again!
Look at the wall! said Bobby, pointing.
As they all watched, the wall in front of them seemed to dissolve, revealing an alcove. But instead of one door, there were two.
Even though it wasnt quite what hed expected, Presto grinned anyway and reached down to collect his weapon from the ground. Hed been right! He was on a roll!
The two doors were like mirror images of each other. The hinges, the handles, the cross-spars; and each had a painting on it, again mirror imaged. In the picture, a Knight in shining white armour fighting something hideous; the Knight was down on one knee, his sword raised before his head to protect himself from attack, and the huge, clawed creature was only visible in shadow, much more menacing and unpleasant depicted like that than with all its body seen.
The Magician stared at the pictures. And the more Presto looked, the more detail he could see. Wasnt the Knight crying, two pure white, glinting tears on his cheek? Wasnt the creature winged, with bright glaring eyes full of golden fire? As he looked, it seemed to take on a veneer of reality, almost as if the pictures could move. The Knight seemed to breathe short, staccato gulps of air; the creature dragged its claws along the floor. He could hear it. He could smell it. He had been wrong, it wasnt the Illusion; it was real, and he was the fake.
The sound of a voice close by brought him out of his stare abruptly.
Oh, great! muttered Eric. Another choice! You know, one of these days were gonna pick the wrong one and end up ouch!
The Cavalier turned to glare at the Acrobat, rubbing his arm.
What!
Fortunately for everyone, the brewing argument was cut short.
So, youve found Deaths Door, said a voice from behind them. Thom was sitting there, his arms bulging with scrolls, watching with great interest. And so quickly, too!
D-Deaths Door? asked the Magician, a cold feeling of fear suddenly tickling his spine. Death?
Its juts a name, Thom replied.
Once again, Presto felt a wave of distrust as he looked at the little creature. What was it about him that was so strange? Why was it that every time the creature came near him, he had the almost overwhelming urge to run away?
Which door do we go through? he asked Thom.
Youre the one who found it, was the reply. Its up to you which way you go!
With a sinking heart, Presto glanced up at Hank, who was standing beside him. The Ranger shrugged and smiled.
I dont know either. Its your call, Presto.
The words were like a kick in the stomach. It was his choice. They were going to go with his decision. (What am I gonna do?) Which one is it? (Um ?)
In the moments that followed, his admiration for Hank soared. The Ranger had to deal with this every day, his choices were life or death to the group and he had done it every day almost without fail since they had been dropped in this world.
The Magician looked at the two doors. The feeling of illusion came from both equally; in every way they seemed identical. There was nothing, absolutely nothing to choose between them. (I dont know what to do) I dont know what to do.
He could feel the others watching him, and knew he had to do something, and fast. Dungeonmasters riddles were of no use so, resisting the urge to close his eyes, he pointed, hoping that their luck would hold out.
That way.
It was the one on the left.
After you, Presto, said Eric with a tight smile. Id rather not be roast Cavalier. At least, not again.
It was fair enough. It was his choice, and he had to put his money where his mouth was. (You are sure? Arent you?) Yes. I think. (Its too late to back out now!) I know!
As a precaution, he held the Hat out in front of him, but there was no more fire. He gingerly reached out to the handle, but nothing unexpected happened.
Finally, he gave the door a push, and it swung open with a low creak.
Behind the door was a narrow, grey corridor, lit by the same eerie light as everywhere else.
'More tunnels!' said Eric. You know how we all love tunnels!
Presto started forward before the Cavalier could descend into more sarcasm; he couldnt cope with more sarcasm at the moment.
The tunnel was only wide enough for them to go single file, so the Magician lead the way onwards. Unlike the passage before, this one twisted and turned constantly and before very long, Presto had no idea which way he was going.
They walked for a number of minutes. Im feeling dizzy! (Which way are we going?) I thought you knew! (I hope we came the right way) I hope so too
Suddenly, he rounded a corner and stopped. In front of him was another pair of doors, again with pictures painted on the front. But instead of mirror images, they had different pictures.
They were pictures of the same man, who Presto now recognised as the King who theyd seen before, once at the library, and once at the Crypt. On the left hand door, he was standing dressed in his full kingly regalia, looking authoritarian and strict, and reading from a very substantial scroll. On the other he was sitting in front of a darkened window, his head bowed as if in prayer.
Presto looked at the doors, carefully examining the pictures for details that would help him choose, but nothing struck him as significant.
Sorry to bring this up, Presto, murmured Hank from just behind him. But we dont have all night!
He nodded, wishing he knew for sure which one to choose.
This one, he said, again pointing to the one on the left, with the picture of the King in his full robes. I think we should go this way.
Once again, he reached for the handled gingerly, but nothing untoward happened as he pushed open the door.
Behind it was a small room, empty except for a table with some small tiles on it. There was no other exit that he could see.
Aw, a dead end! said Bobby, as they all shuffled in.
Thom leap past him and up onto the table, and the Magician only just managed to stop himself recoiling as the creature came near.
Ah! said Thom excitedly, pointing at something on the table. Here, an inscription Knowledge is not wisdom; wisdom is not magic. Ah! I see! How simple!
Presto scowled at Thoms back as the creature gave a little chuckle.
What do you mean, Thom? asked Hank. What do we have to do?
The creature tutted him loudly, shaking his green head and wagging a finger.
It never ceases to amaze me that you even managed to find Ur! he said curtly. Let alone get so far!
Yes, but what does it mean! repeat the Ranger, obviously making an effort not to get sucked into an argument.
You can get past by using your knowledge, or your wisdom, or your magic! he said. And for your sakes, I hope your magic is better than your intelligence, or your not going to get much further!
At that, everybody looked at Presto, who had the sudden desire to be swallowed whole by the ground. Fighting the urge to hide under the Hat, the Magician looked at the table. On it were nine squares, eight of which had strange symbols on them. The last one, the one in the centre, was blank, and presumably Presto had to find the correct symbol to go there, and complete the puzzle.
His first instinct was to just ask the Hat straight out what the solution was, but he knew his weapon better than that. The Hat would try its best, but he had to have an idea of the answer. The only problem was he didnt have a clue! He tried the simple solutions first, trying to find patterns in the lines and curves, but they just seemed random to him. He asked Thom (obviously a last resort) if they were actually numbers or letters, but Thom said no.
He was about to give up, when he realised something. If what Thom had said earlier was true, this was either a test of knowledge, a test of wisdom, or a test of magic. It wasnt all three! (You sound like youre grasping at straws!) I am!
Obviously, he didnt stand a chance of when he knew next to nothing about Ur; but he could use magic, and that was his chance. If he was a good enough magician, he would get the answer, just by asking the Hat: A test of his magic.
All the time, he was aware of the others starting to get nervous; they didnt have a great deal of time to waste thinking the solution through carefully.
He lifted up the Hat, letting his fingers twiddle over the top of it, and he looked at the eight symbols in front of him. (There is a solution.) I dont know what it is. (But the Hat can find it.) Yes, the Hat can find it. (I hope.)
He focused on the symbols, looking at them one by one, letting their shape and form settle in his mind. All the time his hand moved over the Hat, and it started to glow with a soft, greenish light. Behind him, the talking and noise from the others petered out.
Concentrating on the Hat, and letting the magic take care of itself, he murmured the words of a spell; Abraca-danser, give me the answer
The Hat glowed brighter, and suddenly spat a small tile out into his hand.
He looked down at it; the symbol wasnt like any of the others, or anything he could have come up with on his own. He had no idea if it was even close to being right; he wasnt even sure he was holding it the right way round! But hed come this far on the luck of the Hat, he might as well continue, for now!
Carefully, he placed the tile in the middle.
For a few seconds, nothing happened. Presto was almost going to feel worried, but he knew that time in the Realm had an odd sense of humour, and things tended to happen when he least expected it to. Sure enough, just when he sensed the others, especially the Cavalier, starting to get anxious, there was the sound of a soft click. Ahead, a door had opened, one that he hadnt seen before. He gave a relieved sigh. (Thank goodness it worked!)
Al-right! said Bobby.
Meeya! echoed Uni.
Way to go, Presto! said Hank, clapping him on the shoulder.
With a definite springing his step, Presto walked over to the door and pulled it open. He had expected more tunnels, but instead what he found behind the door was the Treasury.
There was no mistaking it, even though it still didnt look like the popular conception of a Treasury. The treasure of Ur wasnt gold or jewels, as Thom had said. It was in beauty and art, and knowledge.
It was a wide room with a low ceiling, and many rows of shelves. On some were books, and scrolls, and beautiful sculptures; some even musical instruments and a few weapons. But at the far end, a fair way away, Presto could see the glint of what had to be the other section of Key!
Look, guys, he said, pointing. The Key! It has to be!
Well done, Presto! said Hank. We knew you could do it!
He saw the wide, proud smile that Hank gave him, even Eric flashed an impish grin in his direction.
They walked on towards the Key, glancing at the objects as they went, but not stopping to get a close look. Presto could sense that Thom was very interested in some of the books, as he lagged behind on occasion, but the others managed to contain their curiosity, as the thought of the Key and the way home drove them on.
It took them just a few minutes to get close enough to see that the bright, shining thing was indeed the other section of Key. The only problem was that it seemed to be protected behind a wall of magical fire, akin to the kind that had leapt out at him before, in the false Treasury. It had only grown up when they approached, and Presto guessed this was another kind of test.
They stopped at a sensible distance, to ponder what the next move should be.
Maybe I should try magic again, said Presto, automatically lifting the Hat. But as soon as it glowed, the fire started to burn more fiercely. The heat drove them backwards.
It reacts to magic too, said Diana with a frown.
What are we gonna do? asked Bobby. We need the Key!
Presto had a sudden thought, and he grinned. There was a way; but not everyone was going to like it! He looked round at the others, his gaze finally resting on one of the others in particular: Eric.
Well, he said slowly, there is one weapon that can withstand magical fires...
= = =
The Arch-Mage stayed in the shadows, still waiting, and considered his next move.
The stone wall had come as a very great surprise; Venger had not thought the Magician was capable! His weapon was one of the most powerful in the whole Realm, but it was notoriously unpredictable. But at the time, Venger had not been appreciably angry; they had only retrieved one part of the Key, and the time was not yet ripe to reveal himself. Yet, he disliked being embarrassed in front of his Ratman entourage! They were primitive animals who feared the powerful more than followed the strong.
But ultimately, it was just a delay. All it had taken was a short detour, and Venger was back on their trail. He had ordered the cowering Ratmen to go to the High Tower, where the Locked Portal was, and await him there.
He could have waited there too, assured that those accursed children would find there way there eventually. But a certain amount of curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to know what they were doing; and how they circumvented the traps laid in protection around the Key.
He was not surprised that the Magician had been the one to notice the missing door. That young boy had a definite aptitude for the magical arts, and his previous experiences with Illusion had prepared him well for Urs traps.
But as Venger watched the boy fumble around with his Hat, and the illusion fade, he felt the black anger building inside him once again.
The power of illusion was a very strong and very, very useful; loosing control of the Illusionist had been a great blow; and one he was quick to attribute to the Magician. Not having her powers at his disposal was more than an inconvenience!
Not only that, but since then it had become obvious that the Magician had been gaining much more control over the weapon; and his powers were increasing all the time. Worse still, one day, perhaps he would indeed be a fitting replacement for the Old Man. If he remained in the Realm, that is!
Venger scowled deeply.
And he had not forgotten whos magic had immobilised him in the Dragons Graveyard, either!
The Arch-Mage was tempted to give Fate a slight push in the wrong direction but, as before, he had no desire to awaken the sleeping evil here. Besides, he wanted the Key for himself, and for them to do all the hard work, and take all the risks!
After a discrete time interval, Venger had followed them through the twisting tunnels, but paused as he when he heard that they had stopped. Another puzzle for them; and again, the Magician seemed to succeed. After a few minutes of waiting, during which the children seemed to get worried, the other door opened.
Once they had left, Venger followed, curious to know what the Magician had done. The table with the tiles was just as they had left it; and Venger was most surprised. As a test of knowledge, or intelligence, the children would doubtless have failed. But again, the magic of the Hat had pulled them out of trouble and given the perfect solution!
His lip curled upwards into a sneer. It was good fortune, more than skill. Perhaps it was fortunate for all of them that they did not know what had awaited them if they had failed. It was called Deaths Door, after all! But it could not be denied that the Magician had grown in control of that weapon. And that was most perturbing.
He followed them once more, into the Treasury and ignored the books and the miscellany of artistic treasures. But he was careful not to get too close; the children were oblivious to his presence, but he was not so sure of that strange little creature that travelled with them. It gave no hint that it had noticed anything; not to the children, at least.
The Key was still behind the Flame of Truth, and the children initially seemed perplexed.
But he gave a cruel smile. It was obvious to him what they had to do next. And he would not have missed that for anything!
= = =
= = =