«In about an hour and a half, I believe.»
I glanced at Coral, who shrugged.
«I guess so,» I said.
«Front dining room, upstairs,» he told me. «Shall I pass the word to my sergeant - he's due by soon - and have him deliver it? Or do you want to-»
«Yes,» I said. «Do that.»
«Care to wash up, change clothes…?» I began, as we walked away.
«The Pattern,» she said.
«It would involve a lot more stairs,» I told her.
She turned toward me, her face tightening, but saw that I was smiling.
«This way,» I said, leading her to the main hall and through it.
I didn't recognize the guard at the end of the brief corridor that led up to the stair. He knew who I was, though, glanced curiously at Coral, opened the door, found us a lantern, and lit it.
«I'm told there's a loose step,» he remarked as he passed me the light.
«Which one is it?» He shook his head.
«Prince Gerard's reported it several times,» he said, «but no one else seems to notice it.»
«Okay,» I said. «Thanks.»
This time Coral didn't object to my going first. Of the two, this was more intimidating than the stairway on the cliff face, mainly because you can't see bottom and after a few paces you can't see much of anything beyond the shell of light within which you move as you wind your way down. And there's a heavy sense of vastness all about you. I've never seen the place illuminated, but I gather that the impression is not incorrect. It's a very big cavern, and you go round and round and down in the middle of it, wondering when you'll reach the bottom.
After a time, Coral cleared her throat, then, «Could we stop for a minute?» she asked.
«Sure,» I said, halting. «Out of breath?»
«No,» she said. «How much farther?»
«I don't know,» I replied. «It seems a different distance each time I come this way. If you want to go back and have dinner, we can see it tomorrow. You've had a busy day.»
«No,» she answered. «But I wouldn't mind your holding me for a minute.»
It seemed an awkward place to get romantic, so I cleverly deduced that there was another reason, said nothing, and obliged.
It took me a long while to realize that she was crying.
She was very good at concealing it.
«What's the matter?» I finally asked.
«Nothing,» she replied. «Nervous reaction, maybe. Primitive reflex. Darkness. Claustrophobia. Like that.»
«Let's go back.»
«No»
So we started down again.
About a half minute later I saw something white near the side of a lower step. I slowed. Then I realized that it was only a handkerchief. A little nearer, however, and I saw that it was held in place by a dagger. Also, there were markings upon it. I halted, reached out, flattened it, and read. «THIS ONE, DAMN IT! - GERARD,» It said.
«Careful here,» I said to Coral.
I prepared to step over it, but on an impulse I tested it lightly with one foot. No squeaks. I shifted more weight onto it. Nothing. It felt fine. I stood on it. The same. I shrugged.
«Careful, anyway,» I said.
Nothing happened when she stepped on it either, and we kept going. A little later, I saw a flicker in the distance below. It was moving, and I guessed someone was doing a patrol. What for? I wondered. Were there prisoners to be tended and watched? Were certain cave mouths considered vulnerable points? And what about the business of locking the chamber of the Pattern and hanging the key on the wall near the door? Was there some possible danger from that quarter? How? Why? I realized that I ought to pursue these questions one of these days.
When we reached the bottom the guard was nowhere in sight, however. The table, the racks, and a few foot lockers - which constituted the guard station - were illuminated by a number of lanterns, but the guard was not at his post. Too bad. It would be interesting to ask what the orders called for in the event of an emergency hopefully also specifying the possible natures of various emergencies. For the first time, though, I noticed a rope hanging down from the darkness into the dimness beside a weapons rack. I drew upon it ever so gently and it yielded, to be followed a moment later by a faint metallic sound from somewhere high overhead. Interesting. Obviously, this was the alarm.
«Which… way?» Coral asked.
«Oh, come on,» I said, taking her hand, and I led her off to the right.
I kept waiting for echoes as we moved, but none came. Periodically, I raised the light. The darkness would recede a bit then, but nothing came into view beyond an additional area of floor.
Coral seemed to be slowing now, and I felt a certain tension in her arm as she hung back. I plodded on and she kept moving, however.
Finally, «It shouldn't be too much longer,» I said, as the echoes began, very faintly.
«Good,» she replied, but she did not increase her pace. At last the gray wall of the cavern came into view, and far off to my left was the dark opening of the tunnel mouth I sought: I changed course and headed toward it. When we finally reached it and entered, I felt her flinch.
«If I'd known it would bother you this much-» I began.
«I'm really all right,» she answered, «and I do want to see it. I just didn't realize that getting there would be this… involved.»
«Well, the worst of it is over. Soon now,» I said.
We came to the first side passage to the left fairly quickly and went on by. There was another shortly thereafter, and I slowed and extended the lantern toward it.
«Who knows?» I commented… «That could take you through some strange route back to the beach.»
«I'd rather not check it out.»
We walked for some time before we passed the third opening. I gave it a quick glance. There was a vein of some bright mineral partway back in it.
I speeded up and she kept pace, our footsteps ringing loudly now. We passed the fourth opening. The fifth… From somewhere, it seemed I heard faint strains of music.
She glanced at me inquiringly when we neared the sixth passageway, but I just kept going. It was the seventh that I wanted, and when we finally came to it I turned, took a few paces, halted, and raised the lantern. We stood before a big metal-bound door.
I took the key down from the hook on the wall to my right, inserting it in the lock, turned it, withdrew it, and rehung it. Then I put my shoulder against the door and pushed hard. There followed a long moment of resistance, then slow movement accompanied shortly by a complaint from a tight hinge. Frakir tightened upon my wrist, but I kept pushing till the door was opened wide. Then I stood to the side and held it for Coral.
She moved a few steps past me into that strange chamber and halted. I stepped away and let the door swing shut, then came up beside her.
«So that's it,» she remarked.
Roughly elliptical, the intricately wound oval form of the Pattern glowed blue-white within the floor. I set the lantern aside. It wasn't really necessary, the glow from the Pattern providing more than sufficient illumination. I stroked Frakir, calming her. A jet of sparks rose at the far end of the great design, subsided quickly, occurred again nearer to us. The chamber seemed filled with a half familiar pulsing I had never consciously noted before. On an impulse - to satisfy a long-held point of curiosity - I summoned the Sign of the Logrus.
This was a mistake.
Immediately the image of the Logrus flared before me, sparks erupted along the entire length of the Pattern, and a high-pitched banshee wail rose from somewhere. Frakir went wild, my ears felt as if icicles had been
