“You sure you want to do this, huh?” asked Slobad again. “Look dangerous. Could be trap. Must be trap, huh? Very dangerous.”
“That’s why you two will stay out here,” said Glissa. “If I’m not out by the time Ingle disappears behind the Vault, you and the golem come crashing in and get me.”
Slobad nodded.
“Stay out of sight until I get back,” counseled Glissa as she pushed Yert toward the chimney. The trip to the Vault of Whispers had gone quickly with Yert’s guidance and the golem’s long legs. Now the sniveling little man was going to walk them both into Geth’s chambers.
“Here,” said Glissa, passing her sword to Yert. “Take this. You were told to bring the elf to Geth. That’s just what you’re going to do.”
She walked past him, unworried. The little man could barely hold the sword, let alone swing it. The two walked through the Dross up to the Vault. Yert guided her toward the disgusting waterfall, and her apprehension rose. The liquid would surely blind her as she passed through. Was Yert playing at something? As they approached, however, she saw the path led behind the falls to a dark opening guarded by two nim.
They passed inside. Glissa stared at the guards, ready to seize her sword should either of them attack. Neither nim moved an inch. They stared forward, waiting for an order. Glissa and Yert entered a great hall that seemed to stretch the entire length of the Vault. Glissa could see the walls disappear into the haze above her, which hung thick in the air just as it did outside. There were a few nim walking about, all apparently on errands. Most held objects stiffly in front of them and walked in straight lines back and forth, appearing from and disappearing into dark openings that lined the sides of the hall.
A few controllers also walked through the hall. They wore their cowls crumpled around their necks within the Vault, so Glissa could see their faces. Yet even without the cowls, these men looked more nim than human. Many of the controllers had nim escorts. Glissa even saw one leading a reaper. This controller stopped in the middle of the hall for a moment to stare at the odd duo. Glissa was just about to snatch her sword back from Yert, when the controller moved past them. She watched him until he left the Vault.
“Why does nobody question us?” asked Glissa. None of the controllers seemed to want to get involved in Yert’s affairs, but Glissa knew her subterfuge couldn’t be that convincing. She could hear her sword clanking on the ground behind her as well as Yert’s occasional sniffle.
“As I said, we do what we’re told,” replied Yert. “We follow orders. To do less would invite Geth’s wrath. To do more would impose on Geth’s power.”
The controllers weren’t that much different than the nim or reapers, realized Glissa. They only did what they were told to do. “Hasn’t anyone been told to guard against intruders? Doesn’t Geth worry about his own safety?”
“Geth controls the most fearsome beast in the Mephidross,” said Yert. “He has magical protections guarding against intrusion.”
Glissa stopped. “When were you going to tell me about this?” she demanded. Some of the other controllers had stopped to watch the exchange, so she lowered her voice. “What protections? What creature?”
“There is a magical barrier that prevents enemies from entering his quarters bearing weapons.”
“And the creature?”
“A vampire.”
* * * * *
They were almost halfway through the great hall. Nim and controllers meandered back and forth on either side of them. Glissa was too deep into the Vault now to battle her way out … at least not before confronting Geth.
“Fine,” she said. “Where is Geth?”
Yert pointed at a doorway ahead of them, easily twice as large as all the others. Its edges glowed faintly. This, Glissa thought wryly, was what came of being clever. If Yert didn’t make it through the barrier with her sword, she would have to face a vampire with no weapon. She had to risk it. She needed answers, and they were behind that door.
She passed through the doorway, but nothing happened to her or Yert. Before her was what must be Geth.
He was not at all what Glissa had expected. So far, all of the residents of the Dross had looked alike, emaciated with dull gray skin and carapaces or cowls of metal hiding their faces. Those faces she had seen had twisted features and gashes for mouths.
Geth looked nearly human. His skin still had some color and life to it. He wore no cowl, and the only hint of a carapace was a strip of metal that ran down the back of his head into the folds of a gray cloak he wore. He sat on a metal throne smiling and staring at Glissa as if he had expected her.
A large creature stood behind him, gray of skin, thick of neck, with a powerfully built chest. It wore long black robes, and Glissa could see little save the face. Deep-set eyes reflected no light at all. Its bare forehead glowed with a mystic purple emblem. Crimson tubes ran from the sides of its mouth down into its robes. As Glissa approached the throne, the vampire sneered, exposing yellow teeth that looked like sharpened pegs.
“Good, Yert,” said Geth. “I did not expect you to return so soon … and so successfully.”
“Not so successfully as you might think,” said Glissa. In a single fluid movement, she twirled around behind Yert, snatched her sword, and snapped the edge of the long blade against the sniveling man’s neck.
“Do you expect me to be afraid, little elf?” asked Geth. The ruler of the Vault had not even flinched or blinked at the sudden role-reversal.
“No. I expect you to tell me why you want me.”
“And if I don’t?” asked Geth, smiling again.
“If you don’t start talking,” replied Glissa, “I’ll kill Yert.”
Geth leaned forward in his throne and looked straight at Glissa. “Kill him. He is a boil on the surface of the Dross. I have hundreds of Yerts.”
Glissa tried in vain to read Geth’s eyes, but he was either telling the truth or merely cold and calculating. Either way, it mattered little. She stared for a moment more, then shoved the controller into the wall behind her. Yert’s head bounced off the wall, and he slumped to the floor, unconscious. She turned back toward the throne. “How many Geths do you have?”
Geth slapped his hands. The vampire stood sneering behind the ruler. “Well done,” said the ruler of the Vault. “A lesser being might actually be cowed by your display of mercy.”
“He did ask me to kill him,” replied Glissa. “I would have if he deserved it. Do you deserve death? Or will you tell me why you wanted me killed?”
“I did not want you dead,” said Geth. “I had hoped to barter your life for a larger payment, but capturing you has proved too large an inconvenience. It will now be my pleasure to kill you. Do not expect mercy from me.” Geth snapped his fingers, and the green-skinned vampire dropped its robe to the floor. The creature’s chest was indeed broad, but its arms looked like skin stretched across bare bone. The tubes from the vampire’s mouth ran back over its shoulders and wound their way down both arms, ending at metallic scythes on both wrists.
Without warning, the vampire leaped from behind the throne and barreled into Glissa, driving them both to the floor. It pinned her legs together with its knees and slapped at the blade when Glissa swung it at the creature. Before she could bring the sword back up for another attack, the vampire grabbed Glissa’s wrist and squeezed until she dropped the silver blade.