*I don't know how it's occurring,1' Jak said at last, his mouth a grim line in a nest of red whiskers. 'But I know that we better stop it. If it gets too big…'
Gale nodded once, firmly. 'Let's go.' Without another word, he turned and strode up the stairs. Jak followed.
Stopping periodically to listen for any sign of ghouls, they made their way up the short stairway and back into the main hall. It stretched before them, dark and threatening. They shared a look and continued on.
After jumping or sidestepping the few gates that stood in their way-all of them also slightly larger than before, Gale observed-they made it back to the door that opened onto the offices.
The hall continued on in the opposite direction, beyond the limits of the glow wand. The pulsing from the gates continued to beat in the rotten smelling air, but Gale had become accustomed to it and barely noticed. At a run, they could be back out on Ariness
Street in less than a minute. They could be out of the guildhouse and out of this insanity. They would be sa? e.
He turned to face Jak. He had to give the little man another chance to get out of here.
There will be more ghouls downstairs,' he announced, and studied Jak's reaction. The little man nodded gravely, but gave no sign of fear. Gale went on, 'Probably more warping too.' He thought of the bleeding wall and the procession of ghouls and couldn't hide his grimace. 'There will be more horrible sights.'
Jak nodded again. 'I understand.'
'You can get out of here, Jak,' Gale said. 'The street's right out there.' He pointed with his blade toward the offices, toward the door out. This will probably be the last chance either of us has to turn back. I won't mention it again.'
Gale didn't really want Jak to leave, he desperately wanted him to stay, but felt obligated to make the offer. The madness would only get worse in the basement, and worse still in the shrine.
To his credit, Jak didn't even took toward the offices. He shook his head emphatically and gave Gale a hard smile. 'We're hip-deep in a pile of dragon dung, Gate. I'm already as dirty as I can get. There ain't no going back.'
Gale smiled and gratefully squeezed Jak's small shoulder. Thanks, my friend.'
They started cautiously down the hall. Gale felt only mild surprise when he realized that his right hand was in his pocket, clutching the felt mask. There ain't no going back, he thought, echoing Jak. Had he already taken some first, hesitant steps toward Mask?
Fifteen paces down the hallway,'the floor grew spongy, like rotten wood. The first signs of increased warping. He held the glow wand close to the floor. With each puke of the gates, the wooden planks flickered between translucence and solidity.
• Paul S. Kemo
'Dark,' Jak observed. This whole place is becoming one giant gate.'
Gale nodded and they continued on. They gingerly trod the increasingly soft floor until they found their path blocked by another swirling hole of emptiness in the floor, this one bigger than any previous.
'I can't jump that, Gale. Too wide.' know,' Gale replied. The jump would be tough even for him, especially with the spongy floor. The sheer walls of the hallway would make climbing around it a difficult option.
'If I can get across and throw back a rope-'
'No need,' Jak interjected. He sheathed his blades, plopped down on the floor, and removed his gloves and soft boots.
'What are you doing?'
'You jump over it,' the little man said. 'Ill climb around it.'
That's a tough climb.'
'Not to worry,' Jak interrupted with a smile. 'I've got a spell.' He shot Gale a mirthful wink. 'Nice to have spells at my disposal on a job, remember?'
Without hesitation, Jak pulled forth his holy symbol and began to chant. When he finished, a whitish paste seeped from the pores on his palms and feet. His feet sucked at the soft floor as he padded to the wall and placed his hands upon it.
'Wall is soft too,' he observed. 'Shouldn't be a problem though.' He placed his feet against the wall'Wait, Jak,' Gale ordered. He inched forward to the edge of the gate, blade held ready, and peered down into it. The seemingly endless void nauseated him but he fought it off and forced himself to search the vacancy for a pair of yellow eyes. He saw nothing. Satisfied, he eased back from the edge. 'AH right.'
Immediately, Jak ascended a few feet. Despite its softness, his hands adhered to the surface of the wall and he moved along easily. Spiderlike, he began to slide sidewise. Beneath him, the emptiness of Hie void beckoned.
Gale watched him nervously for a moment, but the spell seemed to be working. Now nearly hallway across, Jak showed no sign of problems. Gale now had to worry about getting himself across.
He sheathed his blade and backed off a bit. He would need running room to clear the gate. Jak's alarmed voice turned him around.
'Gale! It's bleeding.' The little man's voice trembled with horror.
Gale hurried back to the edge of the gate and held the glow wand high-. -
'Dark,' he breathed.
The little man hung suspended on the wall halfway across the gate. Where Jak had touched the warped wall, the pressure apparently had forced blood from the stone. With each pulse of the gates, a trickle of gore dripped from the wall where he had placed his hands and feet. A path of seeping wounds marked the route behind him.
It's warped more here,' the little man said, his voice rising in sudden alarm. 'It's sticking to me. Dark, Gale, my hands are starting to slip.' He tried to continue Ms move across, but when he attempted to pull free from the wall, the surface adhered to his hand and came away in thick, fleshy strings. Gale caught a disgusting flash of pulsing blue veins and glistening red tissue beneath the warped wall surface before the new tear began to vomit forth a steady gout of blood.
'Burn me!' Caught in the fountain of blood, the little man cursed and tried to slide aside. His abrupt movement only tore open more holes in the wall. Streams of blood ran down to the floor, drained into the gate, and quickly turned its swirls crimson.
'Gale!' Jak peered over his shoulder, spattered with gore, 'Help.' His fearful eyes fell to the churning gate below. 'Help,' he said again.
Gale heard the beginnings of panic creeping into Jak's voice.
'Hold still.' Without another word, Gale backed off, sprinted forward, and leaped the gate. He hit the spongy floor in a ready crouch.
'Don't move,' he again said to Jak.
'I'm not moving.' Jak clung desperately to the warped wall, kept his face down to shield his eyes and mouth from the crimson fall. Gore-soaked, his cloak hung heavily from his small body.
'Don't look into the gate' Gale said. He set down the glow wand, shook free of his pack, and pulled out a coil of silk rope.
'Godsdammit, Gale,' Jak snapped, 'I'm not moving and I'm not looking! Hurry up. This is disgusting.'
Gale smiled despite himself-the having kept his sense of humor even when terrified.
Deftly, Gale tied a slipknot into one end of the thin but strong line. He opened some play ia the loop; gathered it in, and prepared to toss it to Jak.
'Catch this.'
'Catch it!' Jak eyed him incredulously over his shoulder. 'How?'
*Let go with one of your hands.'
'But-Dark and empty!' he said, and nodded in resignation. 'All right.' He gingerly pulled his left hand free of the wall. Despite his care, the wall's skin stuck to his hand and tore loose. Blood spurted from the rip. He hung on the wall with only two sticky feet and a sticky hand.
'Throw itf
Gale stood at the edge of the gate, let eight or so feet of line play out, and swung itup toward Jak. The little man caught it on the first try. He stuck his arm through the loop, draped it over his neck, and tried again to get a
