It was actually quite exhilarating, in a giddy, terrifying sort of way. The wind shifted restlessly, tugging at James' sleeves and pant legs. He knew he shouldn't look down, and yet he couldn't help studying the path, watching for the firmest footing. Occasionally, James saw hints of stonework and large bricks embedded in the path as if it had been shored up in the distant past, perhaps repeatedly. Dry weeds grew sparsely in the rocks, hissing in the incessant, shifting wind. On either side, the surf pounded and boomed against the rocks far below.
'This is insane,' Ralph called in a high, wavering voice. 'What do we do if we fall off the side? Call out, 'Oh Headmaster, I'm plummeting on the right side, a little help when you get a mo'?''
James thought about how Merlin had found him in the halls the previous night, and how he'd known exactly what they were up to. 'I think he has ways of knowing what's going on. Don't worry about it, Ralph.'
Rose, directly behind James, said, 'That's fabulously reassuring.'
Finally, the path began to widen. The cliffs were obscured as they walked through a sort of gate made by a tumble of worn boulders and scree. James finally allowed himself to look around as he stepped into the clearing atop the monstrous monolith. It was indeed covered in long grass and brush, but it wasn't entirely flat. Instead, it was vaguely funnel-shaped, dipping to a hidden depression in the middle. Merlin was standing in a narrow path that threaded down into the center.
'Exhilarating,' he called heartily. He looked grimly happy, his cloak whipping freely about his legs and his beard streaming in the wind.
'Actually,' James answered, 'yeah, it was!'
Rose and Ralph caught up and gathered near the wizard.
'Are we there yet?' Ralph asked, raking his hair out of his eyes with his fingers.
Merlin turned and looked into the middle of the plateau, which dipped out of sight. 'We are. Watch your step from this point. It gets a bit tricky.'
'Oh, good,' Ralph muttered helplessly.
'Buck up, Ralph,' Rose said, tying her hair back with a short length of ribbon. 'This is the best adventure you'll never be able to tell anyone about.'
'I don't know why everyone seems to think I like adventures. I never even read adventure stories.'
'Stay close,' Merlin said again as he began to descend the path.
As the four worked their way down the funnel-shaped plateau, the dry grass began to give way. James stopped for a moment as the true nature of the monolith became apparent. The center grew steeper and steeper, dropping deep into a natural pit fifty feet across. The path transitioned to huge stone steps, and then to a narrow stairway carved around the inside of the pit. The stairs were obviously ancient, rounded and slick with moss. The heart of the pit was filled with ocean water, roiling and heaving in and out of a hundred fissures worn through the stone. The boom of the waves was nearly deafening.
Finally, just above the level of the surf, the stairway met a large cave. Merlin led the three into the dimness. He stopped and tapped his staff on the rocky floor, lighting it. Purplish light filled the space, making hard shadows in every crag and crack.
'Nice hiding place,' James said, whistling.
'It sure is,' Rose agreed, 'considering it's underwater half the day. We're in the middle of low tide right now.'
'Is that where you have your stuff hidden?' Ralph asked, pointing toward a large door-shaped hole in the rear of the cave wall. 'There's writing over the door, but I can't read it.'
Rose peered at it, stepping closer. 'It's Welsh, isn't it?'
'It's an old form of what you'd call Welsh, I suppose,' Merlin said, approaching the door. 'Roughly translated, it reads, 'This is the cache of Merlinus Ambrosius; do not enter on pain of death.''
Ralph squinted at the barely legible letters. 'So much for secret riddles and magical passwords.'
'I do not believe in toying with the lives of treasure seekers,' Merlin replied. 'The mention of my name was enough to repel most who came this far. Those that ventured further deserved fair warning.'
'Isn't there some sort of key or something?' Rose asked.
'No, Miss Weasley. The trick is not to get in. In fact, quite the reverse. Which is why you and Mr. Deedle will wait out here.'
Ralph brightened. 'That's the first good news I've heard since we started this trip. But why?'
'Your wand is a fragment of my staff,' Merlin smiled grimly. 'Thus, it is the only other magical instrument on the earth that can reverse the doorway.'
Ralph nodded, waving his hand. 'Good enough for me. Just tell me what to do when the time comes. Happy pot-holing.'
Rose asked, 'What about me?'
Merlin produced something from the depths of his robes and handed it to her. It was a small mirror with an ornate golden frame. 'Do you know how to make an Occido Beam?'
James saw Rose struggle not to roll her eyes. 'I know how to reflect the sun with a mirror, yes.'
Merlin nodded and looked at James. 'Follow me, Mr. Potter, and stay close.'
With that, he turned and stepped through the doorway. His staff lit the interior of the chamber with its purple glow. James glanced at Ralph and Rose, shrugged, and followed Merlin into the cavern.
Immediately, his footsteps crunched unpleasantly.
'Ugh!' he exclaimed. 'Bones!'
The floor was covered thickly with tiny skeletons. The remains of birds, fish and rodents were piled several inches deep. Merlin didn't pay them any attention.
'An unfortunate cost,' he said, moving deeper into the cavern. 'The one-way stone is rather unforgiving. My rune-warnings are rather less effective now than they were a few centuries ago.'
'You made warnings for the birds and rats?' James asked.
Merlin looked back at him. 'Of course, Mr. Potter. The creatures do not enter to thieve, but merely for shelter and food. I embedded a Hex of Dread in the stone of this place. It told their small minds that there was no good thing to be found here, and to stay away. I underestimated the longevity of those hexes however. I am not happy to be responsible for the loss of these creatures. I will repay the earth for their sacrifice.'
'What do you mean by 'one-way stone'?' James asked, but as he turned back toward the doorway, he saw for himself. The entry was gone, replaced by rough, seamless rock. By all appearances, James and Merlin were trapped inside a sealed cave. He shuddered and hugged himself, glancing around the dark, craggy space. Something caught his eye.
'Er,' he said, trying to keep his voice calm, 'that's not the bones of a bird or a rat, is it?'
Merlin followed James' gaze and saw the human skeleton leaning against a dark alcove. The skeleton was draped with the remains of rough armor. A rusted sword lay near the skeleton's hand.
'I wouldn't get too close, Mr. Potter,' Merlin warned mildly as James took a step nearer the skeleton, morbidly fascinated.
'Wow,' James breathed, 'there are still rings on the fingers. And hair on the skull. Gah, there's the remains of a mustache! Who do you think—'
The skeleton suddenly lunged forward, throwing up its arms and waving the remains of the decrepit sword. James leapt backwards, tumbling into Merlin.
'Avaunt!' the skeleton cried, waving its arms and swiveling its head. 'Reveal yourself lest I run you through for sport!'
