“A hole?” asked Glissa. “A huge hole in the world?”
Slobad nodded.
“Tell me about this Heart Krark found,” the elf said. “It was inside the Mother’s Womb?”
“Yes,” said Slobad. “Krark say he found Heart of the Mother, huh?” Hhe continued, reciting from memory again. “ ‘I stood in sloping chamber with no roof, surrounded by ancient towers of coral. A giant sun hung above me, glowing like Sky Tyrant, and Bringer, and Ingle, and Eye of Doom. I had found Mother’s Heart.’ ”
“Those are the moons, right?” asked Glissa. “This Krark found a chamber inside the world with a fifth moon?”
“Sun,” said Slobad. “Only shines in all colors. That what cult says, huh? Slobad never really believe. But they give me home, so Slobad listen. Every day, Slobad listen.”
“Memnarch,” said Bosh.
Glissa and Slobad both turned and stared at the golem.
“What?”
“Memnarch,” the golem repeated. He paused as if straining to remember something important. “… Lives inside the world.”
Glissa and Slobad stared at each other.
“Bosh,” said Glissa, “is Memnarch a vedalken?”
Bosh concentrated again and stood mute for at least a minute. Glissa worried that she might have overtaxed the metal man. Finally, he looked at her and said, “I do not know. I have never heard of vedalken … before today.”
“Do you remember anything else about the serum or Memnarch?”
“No,” said Bosh. “Not yet.”
Glissa tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I need to speak to the leader of the cult.”
“Why?” asked Slobad.
“Something Chunth said before he died. He said he’d been keeping a secret. He said the world is hollow. The cultists believe Krark went down a hole into a world with a single moon … sun … and Bosh remembers that Memnarch lives inside the world. We need to jog Bosh’s memory. Maybe the cultists can tell us something of Krark’s journey that helps Bosh remember.”
“So we not go to Quicksilver Sea?” asked Slobad.
“Not yet,” replied Glissa. “We don’t know if it’s the vedalken or Memnarch after me. Flare, Memnarch might even be a vedalken.” Glissa remembered something. “Bosh, did Memnarch have four arms?”
“Four arms?” asked Slobad.
Glissa nodded. “The robed figure in the Tangle had four arms and a bald, misshapen head.”
Again Bosh stood silent, for several minutes. Glissa was sure she had broken him this time. Finally he focused on her again and said, “I do not remember.”
Glissa sighed. “We need to see the leader of the cult.”
“It wait until first moon rises, huh?” said Slobad. “You sleep for three rotations, but Slobad need rest. I take you see Dwugget after breakfast, huh? Sleep, food, Dwugget.”
The elf nodded. “I could use some rest as well. I wasn’t exactly relaxing on the way here, either.” Actually, she felt renewed. Her heart was pounding, and she felt completely awake. This changed everything. If Memnarch was below her and there was a hole in the goblins’ lair, they might not have to leave the mountains to leave the mountains.
* * * * *
Despite her excitement Glissa was asleep moments after she lay down, a sleep mercifully devoid of dreams. When she heard Bosh’s voice calling to her and opened her eyes to darkness, she felt a momentary panic, as if she had fallen back into the abyss.
“Slobad, Glissa,” said the golem again. “Wake up. Something is wrong.”
“What is it?” said Glissa, glad to hear her own voice in the darkness. She sat up and squinted, trying to pierce the gloom. She could see two red dots high above her that could only be Bosh’s eyes.
“A battle approaches.”
Glissa heard something that sounded like a small explosion, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. “Aerophuis,” she said. “Bosh, grab Slobad. We’re under attack. We have to get to the cultists.”
Bosh lifted the goblin, who snorted sleepily.
“Wake him,” hissed Glissa. “I need light.”
Glissa crept along the wall toward the door. She could barely see its outline. From down the corridor came a flash of light.
“I’m going to take a look,” she whispered. She inched down the corridor, her back against the wall, and peered around the edge. Pools of light from goblin fire tubes dotted the next corridor. In the dim light, Glissa saw a score of goblins running toward her.
They were being chased by what looked like large, walking aerophins. The creatures had the same blue, bulbous heads, but their silver bodies were much larger-man-sized. Each had two massive arms connected to barrel-shaped bodies. Their legs were mere stubs jutting from the base of the barrels, yet they moved amazingly fast.
One of the silver assassins pointed an arm at the retreating goblins. It had no hands, but a huge metal arrow shot out, impaling, two goblins. Their bodies knocked down several in front of them. A second barbed missile shot out from another creature, taking down a third goblin. Then the goblins were past Glissa, running down the hall. A bolt of lightning came from another beast, blasting the mass of fallen goblins.
Glissa fell to her knees. “No!” she screamed. “Not again!” The silver attackers stopped and searched for the source of the screaming then moved forward. They glided down the corridor, their stubby legs never touching the iron flooring.
She could do nothing but watch in horror as they drew near. In the pile of goblins she saw only the faces of Kane, Rishan, Chunth, and her family. Her grief paralyzed her. Two hovering attackers reached the corner and peered into the darkness. Glissa curled into a ball, half-hoping they wouldn’t see her, half-hoping they would.
Something struck her, hurling her back down the corridor to fall in a heap. She looked up in time to see one of the silver men point its deadly arm at her. The bolt flew toward her. She made no attempt to dodge.
Inches from her face, the harpoon stopped, snatched from the air by Bosh.
The golem flipped the spear over in his hand and flung it back down the corridor. The huge missile slammed into the hovering beast’s crystal head. The resulting explosion knocked the headless creature to the floor and slammed its companion through the wall of the corridor.
“Pick her up,” said Slobad. “Follow. I get us out, huh?”
Bosh snatched Glissa from the floor, cradling her in his arms. The hair on her neck tingled, but she couldn’t even cry out. Bolts of lightning struck the walls and floor behind them as they ran. Bosh stumbled and almost fell. Glissa felt a surge of energy run through her body. The golem regained his balance and kept running.
They raced through dark corridors, twisting back and forth, followed by sounds of lightning cracking and harpoons clanging. At last they halted, and Bosh set Glissa down. She looked up to see Slobad wrestling with a plate on the wall. The goblin grunted as he tried to pry it open with one of his tools. Bosh came forward, pushed two thick fingers behind the cover, and ripped it off the wall.
“In here,” said Slobad. “Quick, huh?”
Glissa crawled into the cramped tunnel.
“Keep moving,” hissed Slobad.
Glissa obeyed. The darkness of the air duct called to her. She welcomed it back into her mind.
Slobad pulled out his fire tube, lit it, and tossed it into the ductwork. Glissa grabbed the light and inched forward. She could see now, but still the darkness closed in on her. The abyss was near, and she could do nothing but crawl toward it. She heard the clanging of harpoons again, as if through a fog, then Bosh’s voice.
“I cannot fit,” said the metal man. “Proceed without me. I will safeguard your escape.”
There was silence. Glissa looked back to see Slobad hug the giant golem’s leg.
“Goodbye, Bosh,” he said.
“Farewell, friend,” said Bosh.
Bosh turned. Two harpoons stuck from his back beside a huge scorch mark. He lumbered down the hallway into the darkness.