Into the Labyrinth (67 page)

¹
I am indebted to the tytans and to my sister, Aleatha, for the translation of Sartan runes.

²
A phrase, peculiar to the Sartan, which means “a perspective from on high” or, in this case, an overview.

³
Paithan adds this for those who live on the high surface of Pryan. There the ground consists of the tops of immense trees whose roots remain unknown to those who are born, live, and die in their boughs.

⁴
“Well of the World” and “Worldgem,” in addition to many other fanciful names in the text, are undoubtedly Paithan’s constructions. While they do reflect his romantic nature, they are not necessarily instructive in terms of the function of the machine itself. The term “Worldgem,” however, may be a mensch rendering of the Sartan
Eort-Batu’h
rune.
Eort
signifies life and power—a cross structure in magic that bridged Fire and Water magicks.
Batu’h
would refer to the concept of “foundation” rather than a crystalline stone. If this is the case, then this “Worldgem” is the focal point of a life or power wave—probably the emissions from the “well.”

⁵
I am still not sure just what these “conditions” might be.

⁶
This is a direct translation of the Sartan rune-structure. I’m not sure what it means. I feel like a child examining with wonder the workings of my father’s old watch and trying to understand how it operates.

⁷
This again is a direct translation from the runes.

⁸
On the other hand, it could be that the Diffusion Ring separates the power drawn up from the roots of the world into more basic wave forms and narrower spectra of energy, which could then be recombined selectively through the Combinant Ring.

⁹
I find no drive or power mechanism for this clockwork which normally would have a weight-and-pendulum arrangement. I surmise that within the mechanism itself is some means of gaining energy from the stream of force coming from the Well of the World. In fact, I suspect that this is the purpose of the Diffusion Field Collector shown in the drawing.

¹⁰
According to the tytans, these conduits link the Sundered Realms to each other.

Wind
—Always crescendo to decrescendo, panning from one speaker to the other. Appears as a whole note G2.

Thunder
—Begins and ends in distance as a rumble. Approaches quickly—by Measure 13 should be a sharp crack. Appears as an oblique diamond on F2 or G2.

Rain
—Hard drops on metal. Use hard mallets on a metal bar or heavy box. Appears as text below third staff.

Metallic moan
—Protesting shriek, as if a large machine is reluctantly starting. Appears as
X
of five dots on C2.

Whistle
—Shrill, suddenly released. Appears as a small
s
on A1.

Whirr
—Similar to a dentist’s drill in the middle range. Appears as a comma on F1.

Scrape
—Use a ratchet or a metal file or grater against something hard. Appears as an oblique 9 on E1 (usually held for two beats).

Balloon
—Let air escape from partially stretched neck, more “phffft” than a whistle. Or get someone good at making raspberries or Bronx cheers. If you opt for the latter, stay out of the performer’s way—this could get damp! Appears as an elongated O on B1.

Clank
—Use the type of metal kitchen bowl with an attached metal hanger (it produces a secondary sound). Strike with wooden dowel, a drum stick, or gently with the side of a hammer or hard rubber mallet. Appears as a flower.

Zizz
—Electricity running up a Jacob’s ladder. Appears as a point-down triangle on either D2 or E2.

Whump
—An occasional unexplainable sound. Should be ominous and hollow, therefore used sparingly. Appears as a square on B1.

Hum
—Starts in Measure 26, continues throughout piece, fading into background at end. Similar to a large electrical generator. Appears as text under third staff.

Factory sounds
—Some synthesizers come equipped with mechanical background noises (on a Kurzweil it’s called Alien Factory). Use these, or come up with your own. Begins in Measure 26 along with the Hum and runs for length of piece. Appears as text beneath third staff.