The Keep

CHAPTER 43

CHAPTER 43Both Esyal and Henk were on their feet immediately, Henk hastily putting the chair between himself and the door. Esyal drew her knife again. Seeing this, Henk tentatively lifted the chair to change it from a shelter to a weapon.

There was another knock. Esyal felt herself twitch slightly, but both her mind and her instincts were already regaining control. The knock had none of the Henk’s pounding urgency that had woken her before. Indeed, it was quite discreet. Whoever was out there was making no assault. And too, Henk was there in the event of trouble, although, she reflected, with some dark amusement, he could well be more of a hindrance than a help judging by the way he was dithering with that chair.

“Mind you don’t hit me with that,” she instructed him before calling out, “The door’s not locked. Come in.”

The latch clicked and the door opened slowly. Henk’s fingers tightened nervously around the chair while Esyal’s shoulders relaxed as she slowly breathed out.

A head appeared hesitantly around the door. It was Josyff.

He knows!

The thought, certain and clear, flashed into Esyal’s mind, overwhelming all else. But it was gone almost before she registered it and she neither reacted to it nor questioned it. Some part of her had told her something she needed to know — it was enough for the moment. She tried to read Josyff’s face but it was alive with such a gamut of emotions that it defied her. Rapidly rising to dominate however, was embarrassment — embarrassment that re-doubled as his glance took in Henk.

“Come in,” Esyal repeated, sheathing her knife and motioning to Henk to put down the chair.

Uncharacteristically, Josyff stammered, and stammered badly.

“I... I... er...” His gaze was to all parts of the room except Esyal and Henk.

His manner began to render Esyal almost as tongue-tied but the blank bewilderment on his face served to draw together for her the alarming confusion of everything that had happened since she arrived here, not least the burden of maintaining her feigned loss of memory and her conflict with whatever had just pursued Henk. Events that were as convoluted as the corridors and passages of the Keep itself merged into a tangled whole — still enigmatic, but somehow clearer. She cut through Josyff’s floundering. No preamble, just explanation and question.

“We’ve had a... visitation, for want of a better word. Something’s just attacked Henk — frightened the living daylights out of him. I don’t know what it was but it frightened the living daylights out of me, too, and it’s something to do with this place and everything that’s been happening here.” Then, “Did you share the dream I just had?”

Josyff gaped as if he had been struck. As he met Esyal’s testing gaze, the word “warrior” came into his mind — and without any of the incongruity that should have hung about her light frame and half a head difference in height. He recognized the solution she had chosen — she had slashed through confusion, scattering crowding doubts, to end what was perhaps an almost paralysing uncertainty. Whether she had done it intuitively or rationally did not matter. She had set her own will on circumstances and was prepared to move now as change dictated.

She had also dashed aside the fumbling approaches to the subject he had been practising since he left his room, and given him the opportunity, if not to end his own confusion, to at least bring it to a head. He took the same leap and answered her question.

“Yes, I did.” He glanced briefly at Henk. “I know... much more than I did before.”

“And?”

Momentarily, Josyff realized that this girl — this woman — sharp-eyed and watching — could draw her knife and be on him before he could move. In the confines of this all-too-real room, it was a revelation even more alarming than the one he had received about her in his dream... or whatever it had been.

How had he not seen such dark purpose and strength in her before?

Because she had chosen to hide it and you do not look for such things, came the reassuring reply, though in its wake came the more unnerving realization that now she had chosen to reveal it...

Whatever “warrior” meant, she was undoubtedly dangerous.

“And nothing,” he replied. “Your business.”

The aptitude for avoiding contention that had protected him from the New Order spoke immediately, but, almost in spite of himself, he took another leap.

“Besides, I think I’m with you.”

He turned hastily to Henk who was staring straight ahead, fixedly, and who seemed scarcely to have noticed this terse exchange. He reached for the commonplace to anchor himself.

“I can see you’ve had a fright,” he said to him. “I suggest you sit on that.” He indicated the chair. “And tell me what happened.”

He had to repeat himself before Henk’s eyes focused on him and his suggestion was accepted.

“We have to leave,” Henk said, sitting down clumsily.

“Not possible.” Both Josyff and Esyal spoke at the same time, provoking an uneasy smile.

“Tell me what happened,” Josyff pressed.

Henk nodded towards Esyal. “She’ll tell you. I don’t want to talk about it.”

A little reluctantly Josyff turned back to Esyal.

“Never mind you don’t want to talk about it,” Esyal exclaimed angrily. “I don’t know what the devil it was — I just had a go at it with a chair — you’re the one it was after.”

“No,” Henk said, suddenly agitated. “Not when I got here, it wasn’t — it was you it wanted.”

Josyff cut across Esyal’s pending reply.

“Will one of you just tell me what ‘it’ is, because I didn’t see or hear anything on my way here.”

This time it was Henk and Esyal who exchanged looks. Esyal shrugged.

“He woke me up, banging on the door. When I opened it, he... fell in and there was this... thing... filling the passage — like a... sick cloud.” She grimaced at the memory. “I don’t know. I can’t describe it. Diseased, bloated, utterly foul.” She hesitated, searching for words. “Something... distorted... something that just didn’t belong. Anyway, I just swung the chair at it a few times until he slammed the door — I think. And it just... vanished.”

“This was all just now?”

“A few minutes ago.”

Josyff repeated himself. “I saw nothing, heard nothing and my room’s not that far away.”

An uncomfortable silence fell on the group.

As much out of desperation as in the hope of obtaining an answer, Josyff spoke to Henk: “You’ve never seen anything like this before?”

Henk gave an irritated snort and stood up, scraping the chair along the floor. “Of course not. You’d think I’d still be here if I had? I’m going.”

“Going! Going where?” Esyal said, exasperated and, somewhat to her own surprise, concerned about this surly individual.

“Back to my room then away from here, before I go completely crazy.”

“For pity’s sake, Henk, how?” Esyal’s voice reflected Henk’s own frustration. “Whatever’s going on, we’re locked in, remember? — Unless you know something we don’t. And you’re not crazy. I saw what you saw clear enough — I’ve no idea what it was, but I saw it!” She jabbed her fingers towards her eyes. “And...” She glanced at Josyff. “Other... odd things... have been happening as well.”

Henk ignored the attempted reassurance and became defensive. “I’ll find a way out, somehow.”

Esyal raised her hands in a gesture of defeat. Josyff made to speak, but, with unexpected speed, Henk was on his feet and out through the door.

“Henk...” Josyff called out, but he was gone.

“Leave him,” Esyal said, as the sound of his rapid footsteps faded. Josyff became aware of her standing very close to him.

“You and I have things to discuss,” she said. “You know much more, you said. Tell me — exactly — it’s important.”

There was a mixture of menace and pleading in the voice that unsettled Josyff and his reply blurted out almost like a startled animal.

“You haven’t lost your memory, you’re part of the Rhanen and you’re intending to kill Adroyan.”

The startled animal froze as Esyal’s eyes widened and her mouth began to work silently. At the least he would hear a vehement denial. At the worst...

But...

“It did all happen then. You did share that... dream. And all this is real.” She gesticulated vaguely. “I don’t know whether to be relieved or...”

“Afraid?” Josyff offered, more than relieved himself at not having to contend with this new-found and violent Esyal. “I’m both, I think. It is a relief — a considerable relief — to know this isn’t some trick of the mind, but if it’s not that, then what is it? Who are these people, these creatures? Where are they? And what do they want with us?”

“They want us — or, specifically, me, to kill Adroyan.”

“Which you were going to do anyway.”

Part of Josyff was aghast at the things he was saying, but the release brought on by the realization that his “dreams” had at least some element of objective reality, however bizarre and improbable, had swept aside his normal caution.

“Yes,” admitted Esyal, equally incautious now. “He’s Ordrans, for sure.” She leaned forward and her voice fell as though there might be eavesdroppers. “He might even be the First Member.”

“That had occurred to me,” Josyff replied, equally softly. “But...” His day to day normality was beginning to seep back into him. “You can’t just kill him. It’s insane.”

Esyal felt a political rant of justification forming, but it faltered and died. Somehow, everything now was different. The New Order, the Rhanen, their bitter conflict, all seemed to have changed. There had been a silent shift in perspective.

“Do you have an alternative?” she asked.

This time is was Josyff whose eyes widened.

Esyal pressed him and part of her rant emerged unbidden. “What then? Carry on doing what you’ve always done? What everyone else is doing? Dodging, ducking, going along with everything, for a quiet life? Let the New Order take more and more power to itself? Until what?”

“It’s not that simple,” Josyff protested. “I work for the Government — always have. I’m nearer to them than you — more vulnerable. And I’ve a wife to think of. I did what I had to do to survive — to get through what was happening. Like you, presumably.” He bared his teeth. “Anyway, what the hell’s it got to do with you? And why am I discussing this with you?”

Esyal’s reply was brutally simple.

“You did what you did because you were where you were. We all do. Now you’re somewhere else. You’re taking sides.”

“No, I...”

“Yes you are. Everything’s changed — I’ve no idea how or why, but changed it has and you’ve no choice but to change with it.”

“No.” Josyff was definite. He glanced at the brightening window. “This will all fade with the sun — and over breakfast. I’ll get on with my work, finish it and get out of here as soon as I can.”

“You’re forgetting the drawbridge,” Esyal taunted.

“That’s just a... problem — a technical problem. I’ll solve it when I have to.”

Esyal waved dismissively and shook her head.

“No choice,” she said, slowly and emphatically. “Believe me, it’s better to accept this now than later — a lot less painful — I’ve learned that the hard way. However insane all this seems, it’s real, and we’ve been dragged into it whether we like it or not. One way or another we’ll have to see it through.”

Josyff sat down on Henk’s chair and put his head in his hands.

“Wishing’s not going to make it go away,” Esyal said, her voice almost sympathetic. She knelt down in front of him. “Look, I’m as bewildered as you are but we’ve all seen too much to hide under the blankets. We’ve got to be practical. Work out how to deal with it.” She glanced towards the open door. “Henk’ll probably set the pace. He’ll tell Nyk and Qualto what he’s seen and what he’s going to do. That’ll stir the whole thing up — maybe they’ve all been having ‘dreams’ and been too scared to talk about them. And it’ll be interesting to see what Adroyan’s response will be.”

Josyff looked up and met her gaze searchingly.

“You won’t betray me, will you?” she asked, again part menace, part plea.

“And you won’t kill Adroyan, will you?” he replied.

Briefly Esyal’s face stiffened. Her eyes became first hard and then shrewd. “Not for the moment — that’s a promise.”

“It’s not good enough. You say this is all real — and I can’t deny that it feels that way — but what if it’s something... in the food, the water, the mountain air, anything that’s affecting us? Adroyan might just be another Government officer stuck out here like the rest of us — away from his friends and family and wanting to get back home.”

There was a hint of impatience in Esyal’s expression but it did not appear in her voice. “You don’t believe that for a moment,” she said. “You’re a civilized man — every bit of you wants to avoid this and you’re snatching at the least excuse.” Josyff made to speak, but Esyal continued. “I can understand that — I was the same once — perhaps will be again one day. What I will do is keep talking to you — talking honestly. We can be allies without being conspirators. And I won’t do anything against Adroyan without telling you.” She paused. “Besides, I’ve a feeling that things are going to become even stranger, and very quickly, and Adroyan will be near the heart of it all.”

Josyff wished he could disagree. “I’ve not much choice, have I? Besides, what proof have I of your intention that makes any kind of sense? ‘We shared a dream, I read her mind’! I think not. No, I won’t betray you, and yes, I’ll be your ally.” He levelled a finger at her. “But do nothing to...”

Esyal’s hand flicked out and struck him in the chest in a gesture at once discreet and urgent. She was staring over his shoulder.

He turned to find himself looking up at Adroyan.