Menagerie Part 11

'First exhibit: the bones of a dragon,' announced Reisaz.

Zoe peered into the gla.s.s cabinet and saw on a mock-velvet-covered plinth a humanoid skull and a.s.sorted bones. Only a bony ridge on the forehead - probably false? - hinted at anything beyond the strictly human.

'I'm not convinced,' said Zoe quietly.

'The mummified body of a giant insect,' said Raitak, pointing to the next cubicle. 'Found in the icy wastes in the south.'

'Now that's quite impressive,' nodded Zoe. 'The tissue seems hardly damaged.' She saw myriad faces peering back at her from the creature's compound eye. She turned to ask the twins about the probable age of the creature, and caught sight of an exhibit behind them. 'But this is more my field,'

she announced, striding across the room to the opposite wall. 'It looks like a cryogenic suspension unit.'

'A woman of fine taste and judgement!' noted Reisaz.

Raitak nodded. 'That's the newest exhibit, my friend., Found in the same city as your good self.'

'Though there,' said Reisaz, 'the similarity ends.'

Zoe unclipped the rope that was held at waist height across the alcove, and dropped on to her knees to inspect the casket. 'It's quite advanced,' she said. 'The principle is simple enough, but the execution is perfect.'

'You're not supposed to touch the exhibits,' said Raitak.

'I wouldn't worry,' said Zoe. 'There's no power left in this thing. The creature will have died centuries ago.'

'Is it a coffin?' asked Reisaz.

'Not really,' said Zoe. 'This will put a creature to sleep.

Decades later, when it's needed, it can be woken up again.'

'And the creature is definitely dead?' asked Reisaz quietly.

Zoe stood up, wiping condensation from the gla.s.s that formed the top half of the cabinet. 'Almost certainly.' She stared down at the creature's talon-tipped arms and its rough, muscly hide. 'Some creatures could survive for centuries like this, but -'

There was a brief hum of power, and a 3D display sprang into life, showing a shallow graph of life readings and cryogenic integrity. Before even Zoe's well-ordered mind could take it all in the casket became silent again.

'Ah,' said Zoe, the concern in her voice making the twins instantly look up from the incredible machine. 'There is some energy left in the cells. It comes through in irregular bursts. This unit could have been working until fairly recently.'

'How?' asked Reisaz. 'I see no cables, hear no noise of engines.'

'A battery can hold on to energy and discharge it when required. It's a bit like . . .' Zoe glanced around for an example. 'Like your lamp. Unlike the circus light bulbs it can give off light for long periods of time.'

'I see,' said Reisaz. 'Is the coffin safe?'

'It's not the coffin that ought to worry us,' said Zoe. 'I'm not sure this creature is dead after all.'

Seven.

With some difficulty the grating was pulled back. The Doctor squatted and peered down into the darkness. The suit protected him from the stench that for many years had so effectively prevented thorough exploration of the sewers. A glowing lantern - its naked flame covered to minimize the chance of an explosion - was pa.s.sed to the Doctor. He swung it experimentally back and forth. Silver drips of water twinkled and then faded in the darkness of the concrete shaft. 'There's a metal ladder,' he announced. 'Not much else is visible for the moment. Shall we proceed?'

He turned to the knights, all of whom had now pulled their helmets into position. Only Himesor's height allowed the Doctor to differentiate him from his colleagues.

Himesor nodded, and indicated that he would descend first, the Doctor following close behind.

The Doctor found it difficult to grip the ladder through the thick gauntlets. The rusted metal was slippery with folds of green slime, and he almost fell as he began his descent.

Metal flaked away under his grip and fell past Himesor like scarlet shooting stars. Truth be told, the Doctor was glad that he couldn't see where they were going. He wasn't one for heights.

He risked another glance downwards to Himesor, who was already twenty feet below him. The Grand Knight was moving down the ladder with herculean exact.i.tude, the lantern clipped into position on his belt. Above the Doctor, and doubtless impeded by his slow progress, came five more knights, most of whom also carried lanterns.

The Doctor's foot came off a half-broken rung. He wrapped both arms around the ladder while his boots fought for purchase on the ladder. Just as they did so his mind, confused by the darkness, made a sudden cognitive jump, and he seemed to spin dizzily through ninety degrees.

His neck and forehead were cold with sweat. In the terrible black silence gravity seemed no longer to exert a steady influence. One moment the Doctor felt that he was clambering along the underside of a roof; next, the blood seemed to rush to his head as, head-first like a spider, he negotiated a long strand of metal. He couldn't remember if he was going upwards or downwards. Perhaps he should just step away from the ladder and take stock of the situation.

He felt an arm behind his back. The knight above him had descended along the edge of the ladder and was holding the Doctor in position. 'Are you all right?' came the m.u.f.fled voice through a helmet of frosted gla.s.s. The Doctor had decided against telling the knights how to operate the inter-suit communication devices. He wondered for a moment if he had made a wise decision.

The Doctor listened for the regular drip of water, and compared its tempo to that of his blood surging through his body. Very slowly, he turned his head. 'Thank you,' he said, smiling through the darkness at the knight. 'The air here seems a bit thin. The suits don't register any problems, but .

'It's made me feel a bit dizzy, too,' said the knight.

Just at that moment Himesor's voice ascended the deep shaft. 'I'm at the bottom.'

'Come on, then,' said the knight. 'Let's keep on going.'

Breathing heavily, and staring only at his hands as they alternately gripped and released the rough metal rungs, the Doctor resumed his descent.

'I've never seen clothes like that before,' said the old guard, munching on a greasy chicken bone and looking the boy up and down.

'He's a foreigner,' said the lad who claimed to be a knight.

He continued to hold the small dagger to the skirt-wearer's throat.

The guard tutted. 'You wait till I tell my good woman when I get back. I scarce can believe my eyes.' He saluted lazily, and then waved the two of them through the gatehouse and across the cobbled courtyard.

Once they were out of earshot, the man turned to one of the other guards, whispering tersely. 'Quickly. Send word to Commander Zaitabor. An outsider, and the mage's ward.'

He watched as the young guard disappeared into a doorway in one of the walls, and then hurled the stripped bone towards the slavering dogs that played around his feet.

'They must think me mighty simple,' he said. Across the yard he saw the main doorway into Castle Kuabris close behind the two young men with an air of grim finality. How many people had the castle swallowed up in this manner, never to be seen again? Perhaps some were still trapped deep below the surface in its icy cells. Or perhaps another fate awaited them.

It was best not to think about such matters. Best just to follow orders.

Diseaeda ran his hands over the casket. They came away covered with condensation. 'You say this thing should always be cold?'

'Yes,' said Zoe. 'It's essential for the proper operation of the device.'

'How does it work?'

'There's no time to explain,' said Zoe impatiently. 'I must reconnect the cryogenic relays and -'

'I'm sorry,' said Diseaeda. 'I can't allow you to indulge in such fancies. Not until after the show, in any case. The gates open in a couple of hours. I'll need you to help sell tickets at the desk. Remember: you've got to be charming and polite.

Flirt with the men a little, but don't get -'

'No!' said Zoe firmly. 'That creature could be dangerous.

It could still be alive.'

'Well then,' said Diseaeda. 'It'll just have to become a main attraction, that's all. I'll warn the strongmen and the beast tamers to check in here on a regular basis. Now, you must prepare for the fun and games of this evening. We'll leave this magic casket for some other time. Take a wash in the twins' cabin.'

Zoe opened her mouth to argue but was quelled by Diseaeda's implacable gaze. 'I clearly have no choice in the matter,' she said.

Diseaeda nodded. 'Trust me,' he said. 'I've been in this trade since you were a mere b.u.mp under your mother's b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Everything will be all right.'

Jamie whistled appreciatively as he looked at the polished walls and ornately carved ceiling of the hall. With the main doorway to his back, the corridor extended almost out of sight to his right and left, doors and the bottom of stairs visible in regularly s.p.a.ced archways. The ceiling lamps flickered erratically, brightening the dull grey wash of light from the huge windows. It had just started to rain again, a light drizzle tapping on the gla.s.s.

'Told you it would work,' he said.

Cosmae shrugged, his darting eyes searching for signs of movement. 'I think that old guard knew me.'

'That's as maybe,' said Jamie. 'Now, give me the dirk.

Whatever happens, I feel safer with this.'

Now what do we do?' asked Cosmae.

Jamie was beginning to find the boy's whining just a little irritating. 'Where are the cells?' he asked.

'Somewhere under the castle, I would imagine.'

'Aye,' said Jamie. 'That figures.'

There was a loud creak from the stairway closest to them, and then the sound of footsteps. Jamie grabbed Cosmae by the shoulder, and the two of them ducked through the archway and underneath the steps. Most of the s.p.a.ce was taken up by old curtains and sheet, roped together in bundles, but Cosmae and Jamie were just able to squeeze into position. Jamie breathed in a lungful of disturbed dust, and had to hold his nose to stop himself from sneezing.

Moments later Jamie peered around the edge of the stairs and caught a glimpse of a knight in full ceremonial armour.

The sky-blue cloak and helmet plumes were a clear indication of senior rank. The huge sword at the man's waist was a reminder of the danger he and Cosmae were in.

The knight paused, a few steps from the bottom. He removed his helmet, his head moving from side to side like a falcon alert for the minutest sounds of prey. The knight's hands were roughly level with Jamie's head, Jamie withdrew as far as he could into the shadows.

Jamie's heart sounded like something being hammered into shape at a forge, his breathing like huge bellows. He was sure to give away their position. He stared at the shadow of the knight on the stairs, expecting sudden movement and capture. He drew in breath as quietly as he could.

After an agonizing silence Jamie heard the man sigh. The knight trotted down the last few steps. He stayed out of sight for a few moments, presumably still searching for something. A few moments later the sound of footsteps moving', further down the corridor was music to Jamie's ears.

He turned. Cosmae seemed to have stopped breathing, his skin an odd blue colour. Jamie nudged him and he drew in a great whooping breath that sounded not dissimilar to badly played bagpipes. 'It's Zaitabor,' Cosmae said when eventually the colour returned to his cheeks. 'Second only to the Grand Knight.'

'Maybe we should follow him,' said Jamie. 'The Doctor's bound to be in some sort of trouble. He's probably being interrogated by the leaders at this very moment.'

Cosmae nodded. 'It's possible if we find this Doctor fellow he'll know where Kaquaan is as well.'

Jamie and Cosmae emerged slowly from their hiding place. When they crept into the corridor they were just in time to see a flash of blue close to a stairway to their left.

The stairs of rough, yellowed stone led downwards and into darkness. Even at the top of the staircase they could smell dampness and decay. 'The cells?' asked Jamie.

'Possibly,' said Cosmae.

They walked quickly down the stairway. Jamie descended first, clutching his dirk tightly. Cosmae followed, glancing upwards for movement in the hallway. Both wondered at the quietness of the castle so far - as if the knights were otherwise engaged. A chill gripped them as they moved down the twisted stairway.

As Jamie reached the bottom he saw the knight about twenty yards further down the corridor. In that direction the walls were damp with mould. The doorways which led off from it were of stout, dark wood, with little metal gratings towards the top.

Zaitabor was talking to another knight. Although dressed much like the others, keys jangled from the man's belt, elbows and knees. His dirty helm had a large copper key as some sort of standard in the place of the usual flowing plumes. He held a thick torch of soaked rags and twigs, which provided almost the only illumination in the entire corridor.

Midway between the knights and the bottom of the stairs was a recessed alcove. Thankful for the semi-darkness Jamie edged towards this. Concentrating intently on the conversation ahead of him, Jamie slipped into the alcove. A few moments later Cosmae followed. Jamie could almost feel his fear through the shadows.

Both knights laughed loudly, the noise chasing around the stone columns and b.u.t.tresses.