“Something like that,” replied Jack. He glanced at his watch and yelped at the time. “We better move along. Those four Border Redcaps who escaped ruined any chance of our surprising their boss. If we don’t hurry, the Huntsman will mass all his forces at the entrance to this tunnel. And that could prove to be a challenge even my musical surprise can’t handle.”
Regaining their possessions, they hurried down the concrete corridor. No longer worried about secrecy, they kept their flashlights on and made no attempt to muffle their footsteps or voices. May Day Eve was drawing closer by the minute.
“What was that thing you threw at the Gabble Ratchet?” Cassandra asked curiously as they jogged over the railroad ties. “And why didn’t the first one you tossed at the beast harm it?”
“A pocket calculator,” said Jack, pulling yet another one of the machines from his pocket. “The ultimate symbol of order over chaos.”
“Huh?” said Cassandra. “You defeated the Corpse Hound with a miniature adding machine?”
“It’s not the object,” said Jack, “but what it represents. That’s why the calculator didn’t harm the Doberman originally. Without power, it’s merely a collection of circuit boards and batteries encased in a plastic shell. But, when the adding machine is working, it symbolizes the triumph of logic over disorder, of intellect and reason over anarchy.”
Cassandra looked at Jack with wide eyes. “All that from a pocket calculator? You realize I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Besides, those plastic discs you gave me to throw at the Border Redcaps worked without power.”
“As minor menaces, the Redcaps needed lesser remedies,” said Jack. “You destroyed them with three-and-a-half-inch computer floppy discs. Again, a modern icon representing the triumph of reason over irrationality.”
“Computer discs, adding machines,” said Cassandra. “I’m beginning to sense a pattern emerging.”
“Of course,” said Jack. “It came to me during my conversation with Fritz at his garage. I needed to take the long view of history to understand. A very long view.
“At the dawn of civilization, fire represented the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness. Fire symbolized the rule of order over chaos. It served man, warmed him, helped cook his food, protect him from the beasts that sought his life, held the night at bay.
“But, after an age, fire lost its symbolic power as men used it to destroy as well as protect. Fire became too common, too easily used for both good and evil. Replacing it as a symbol of order was cold iron. Forged into weapons and tools, iron helped civilization develop, society to advance. For more than a thousand years, it represented justice and fairness in a cruel, unjust world. As was the case with fire, it symbolized the rule of order over chaos. But then, iron, too, was corrupted as it became commonplace.
“Tyrants and dictators used steel to ruthlessly subdue their enemies, extend their holdings, trample the rights of the weak and helpless. Civilizations not only rose, but fell due to its use. Cold iron no longer symbolized the triumph of good over evil.”
“To be replaced by calculators?’ asked Cassandra.
Jack grinned. “In the very broadest sense. Actually, iron lost to logic. To reason. To rational thinking.” Almost immediately, his features grew serious. “Men feared the dark and used fire to conquer that enemy. Later, they needed weapons to tame their hostile environment, and cold iron and steel served that purpose. Each battle was in essence a collision between order and chaos. But the menaces were external ones. Finally, mankind itself was faced with a more deadly, more insidious challenge. One that could not be defeated so easily. Itself.
“Instead of battling tangible hazards, men now confront—other men. Civilization has grown too complex. Problems are no longer simple, and thus, neither are the solutions. People are murdered because of their religious beliefs, because of the color of their skin, because of the way they talk—the way they look—the way they think. It’s madness. The dark is rising, Cassandra, and this time it can’t be defeated by things like fire or iron. Civilization faces dangers unlike those of the past. Physical objects are no longer the answer. Instead, these threats can only be stopped by clear thinking. By logical, rational ideas.
“That’s where I come in. Merlin selected me to fight for humanity against this ancient menace because I’m a mathematician, a logical thinker, a believer in an orderly universe. Von Bern and his legions are creatures of chaos and unreason. I refuse to accept the irrationality they represent. And, as a lifelong fantasy and science fiction fan, I realize what’s necessary to fight back.
“Computer floppy discs and adding machines are only a small part of the solution. They represent logical, rational thinking applied to modern technology. Each of them brings order to anarchy. In essence, they are the new icons of good over evil. They are symbolic of man’s conquest of irrationality and chaos. They are the new weapons of order in a disordered world.”
“I’m not sure I follow your thinking very well, Jack,” said Cassandra. “But you sound pretty convinced yourself. Which is good enough for me. Especially since the tunnel is widening a bit. There’s light ahead. Unless I’m mistaken, we’re about to see how well your theories deal with Dietrich von Bern and his Sword of Chaos. Not to mention a horde of Border Redcaps and a pack of Gabble Ratchets. It should prove illuminating.”
“Light always triumphs over darkness,” said Jack, readying the black tube he held under one arm. It was the one weapon he was saving for their direst emergency. “And this particular light will defeat the blackest night.”
39
They emerged from the passageway into a huge underground railway yard easily a hundred yards across and fifty yards wide. Constructed entirely of concrete and steel, nearly a hundred pillars held up the roof thirty feet above their heads. A score of old wood and steel tracks crisscrossed the floor, leading to twenty different tunnels that dotted the walls. But Jack spent little time examining his surroundings.
His attention was completely fixed on the thirteen huge wicker cages that hung from heavy ropes from the ceiling. Each basket held seven women, most of them screaming at the top of their lungs. The sound of their voices, echoing through the immense cavern, was deafening. The reason for their distress was frightfully clear. Below each cage, groups of Border Redcaps were stacking large piles of wood for bonfires. Jack and Cassandra had arrived barely in the nick of time.
“Company, Jack,” warned the Amazon, dragging his thoughts away from the prisoners.
He had been searching the baskets, without success, for some sign of Megan or Merlin. Neither the girl nor her father was in any of the cages. Nor was he able to find, scanning his surroundings, Dietrich von Bern. Jack felt positive that when he located Megan, he would discover the Wild Huntsman as well.
A wall of Border Redcaps advanced slowly on their position. Nearly fifty of von Bern’s henchmen crowded in a solid line that formed a semicircle around the spot where Jack and Cassandra waited. Many of them carried handguns; a few even held rifles. Mixed among the fiends were the five remaining Gabble Ratchets. Thirty feet away and closing, neither the gang members nor the Corpse Hounds appeared in any hurry to lead the final charge.
“They must have heard what happened to their friends,” said Cassandra, filling her hands with floppy discs. “That’s the only thing holding them at bay. None of them is willing to make the first move. As soon as one builds up the necessary courage, they’ll roll over us like a tidal wave. Or blow us away with automatic weapon fire.”