The World of a Lesser God Ch10

10 The Ruse1

The room they emerged into was large; the furnishing sparse but plush. A double door and picture window opened onto a lush garden scene and to the group’s astonishment, the sun shone brightly. 2

“How can it be day? What has happened to the night?” Haag asked, walking across the room to stare through the window.3

“Wouldn’t you like a bath or shower and get out of your wet clothes - then we can talk about this over a meal?” Slyne suggested optimistically.4

“I would rather know now.” Taarg told him.5

Slyne sighed. “We are on the other side of the world, when it is daylight there it is night here and as now the other way about. Since you are so interested - it is also late autumn here and the moons appear up-side down, although of course in reality it is you who is the other way up.” Slyne added with a smile.6

“And I suppose the sun goes backwards through the sky.” Cleo snapped sarcastically.7

Unaffected or oblivious to the sarcasm, Slyne laughed. “Almost, it still rises in the east and sets in the west but it goes via south rather than north; please no more questions, we will be here until we starve. Bathe and we will eat out on the balcony and I will tell you a little more. ”8

In the large chamber Slyne showed them to, there were a number of baths and showers and a very large cupboard with stacks of soft towels, clothes and gowns; they had the look and feel of new material. ”Don’t wander off, just come back to the balcony; there are more rooms in this castle than all the buildings in the three countries; and some are arranged to be… deceptive, you could easily die of thirst before we could find you.” Slyne watched to make sure they had all taken notice.9

It took Yane a few tries to work out how the shower operated and she was nearly singed and frozen as she played with the lever but once she had got it adjusted to the right temperature she was delighted by the sensation.10

Yane was the last out the showers and put on one of the many soft absorbent robes that were available… it felt dangerously soft and feminine, compared to the practise leather armour she now wore almost every day.11

As Yane emerged out onto the balcony, the morning sun was momentarily dazzling. The first thing she noticed as her eyes adjusted was that Prince Karon looked very pale – the second; that Haag and Taarg were noticeably subdued. Haag nodded upward and behind her. 12

Yane turned and peered upward at the wall the door was set in - and upward. It was an enormous cliff of featureless black glass – so high the top could not be seen from the acute angle. It seemed to Yane it curved away in each direction but too larger radius to be sure it was not straight. Yane walked over and stroked the stone of the cliff – leaving Haag shaking his head at her lack of reaction.13

“It’s as smooth and polished as the stone of Saptor – yet there is no weathering – it looks new.” Yane said in a half question to Slyne.14

“I’m sorry – if I had thought for a moment - I would have taken you elsewhere, I don’t have much company… apart from my staff, and I had forgotten how startling the walls can be.” Slyne winced.15

“Walls – there are more than one of these?” Yane asked, staring up again, trying to gauge the height.16

“We are on the third level – there are seventeen above us and twenty below ground.17

Yane whistled and shook her head. “Must be a bitch to heat in winter.” she remarked straight faced.18

Slyne gave a snort and then broke into a chuckle, it was almost like a child’s giggle and very infectious, soon all but Darg, and Cleo who was out of earshot looking at plants, had streaming eyes and aching sides.19

Once they had calmed a little, Slyne called Cleo back and then spoke to the group. “I know you are bursting to ask questions but let me have the floor for a moment – I need to tell you something.”20

The remaining smiles disappeared.21

Slyne took a soft cloth pouch from his robe and opened the drawstring, then carefully tipped the contents onto his hand. It glistened like a fire caught in amber, scattering reflections around the group. It was the Starfire.22

Yane growled. “Damn! I knew it!”23

Haag and Taarg simultaneously gave her a reproachful look – implying; ‘You should have told us!’24

“Oh – not that he had the stone… just that this little jaunt was all wrong from the start.”25

“So what are we doing here?” Prince Karon asked clearly very surprised.26

“Now that is what I would like to know as well!’ Cleo snapped; with a half bow half nod to the Prince.27

“Impress me!” Slyne challenged Yane, who was standing - her eyes narrowed in thought.28

Yane sighed. “I don’t have a clue why but I think I have worked out why the ruse – for some reason you want this group. That was what made me think the whole thing was suspicious. I think if you had wanted to you could probably have just kidnapped us – but the hew and cry… although I don’t think that would have bothered you much here… So we didn’t journey to Harpen – for anything – therefore it must have been just to get used to each other and you?”29

Slyne nodded and smiled.30

“Then you must be going to ask us to do something of our own free will… not something you can make us do by force?”31

Slyne clapped his hands. “It is not absolutely true that I couldn’t have forced you – I could have visited you in your sleep and commanded you to obey…”32

“So why didn’t you?” Yane challenged; more annoyed because she believed him than that she had got it wrong.33

“It can cause problems – you wonder why you are doing something and the doubt means you do not function at your… best.”  34

Yane sighed and nodded at Slyne. It wasn’t much, but it was some comfort to know if she were forced she would have at least some resistance.35

“I know you want to know why – but there has been another question bugging you even more; I have seen your glances around the group.”36

Yane nodded. “Oh yes - why us?”37