Liquid Diamond (33 page)

Having reached the other side of the crossing, the Elf was now standing in front of a circular stone room that stood apart from the rest of the Hollow.

He smiled fondly as he remembered days past when he would stand in that room beating, whipping and torturing prisoners and those who had betrayed him.

Finally reaching the other side of the bridge and being the first one off the rungs, Natalia looked over the edge of the cliff.

“
Catalyst, that Elf is just standing there with a really creepy smile on his face,” whispered Natalia.

Catalyst poked his head up just far enough to see over the edge and watched the Elf for a moment wondering what he was doing. He turned to Natalia and raised his finger to his lips, signalling Natalia to be silent.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Catalyst looked back over the edge and saw a cloaked figure descending a stone staircase. He walked up behind the Elf.

“
Just what do you think you’re doing here?” shouted the figure.

The Elf spun around dropping to his knees with a look of fear on his face that meant he was begging for his life. The figure removed the hood that covered his face.

Covering his and Natalia’s mouth so as not to make even the slightest sound, Catalyst couldn't help but watch. Standing before them was an Elf that, if Catalyst didn't know better, he could have sworn was his father. But his father was Human, so it was just a coincidence that he looked similar.

CHAPTER TEN

GOING HOME

Giving Catalyst a nudge and signalling with her eyes, Natalia pointed to another cloaked figure that was approaching from the same staircase as the first.

“
What's he doing here, Sirdis?” His question echoed throughout the Hollow.

“
He's failed us of course, and now he's here to try and clean up his failure at the last moment. And, Pride, don't ever talk to me like that again,” replied Sirdis, reminding him of his place.

“
I do apologize, Sirdis, it's just this vile little creature. I knew it was a mistake to involve him,” said Pride as he looked down at the dirty, bleeding, pus-filled, vile, wretched old Elf and kicked him to the ground.

“
Well it was my mistake to make,” said Sirdis bitterly.

“
They must be members of the Clique,” whispered Catalyst into Natalia’s ear.

“
Well, Pride?” asked Sirdis.

“
Our crystal is safe. I checked it myself,” replied Pride.

“
Good, now leave us. I want to be alone with my friend here. And send me that lazy Basajaunak – I have some work for him,” ordered Sirdis with a smile that looked like vengeance waiting to be unleashed.

“
Right away, Sirdis,” replied Pride, leaving without hesitation.

“
How are we ever going to get to that staircase?” whispered Natalia.

“
We'll have to wait for them to leave or a get chance to sneak past them,” whispered Catalyst, shushing Natalia because he could now hear footsteps so heavy they could only be from the Basajaunak that Sirdis had sent for.

“
You wanted to see me, Sirdis,” said the Basajaunak.

“
Yes I did. I have a job for you. I want Bailey’s old room here made useable again. Get in there and clean it up,” ordered Sirdis.

“
Yes sir,” replied the Basajaunak humiliated.

“
I know that voice,” whispered Catalyst looking over the edge to see who the Basajaunak was.

“
That trader,” whispered Catalyst with a foul look on his face.

“
Who is it?” asked Natalia.

“
Ompst, that's how they knew we were coming, but how? We never met him until we were in the Basajaunak village and even then he was only there for a few minutes. He didn't know anything,” said Catalyst, puzzled. Natalia raised her head for a good look at him.

“
No, Catalyst, that's not true. Think about it – the King’s castle, the guards that had us surrounded – he was one of them,” said Natalia.

Catalyst remembered the one guard that kept a very close watch on them as they stood there with the King and Queen, and then dropped his head when he looked at Natalia.

“
If we get out of this, that's the end of him,” whispered Catalyst with every intention of letting Anastasia know.

“
The room is ready, Sirdis,” said Ompst.

“
Good, get over here and bring this filthy, vile, wretched thing in and put him in his old chair. Home sweet home, huh Bailey?” mocked Sirdis.

“
Why? Why?” cried the old Elf in a fit of panic, knowing the last person he put in that chair didn’t live through the night.

“
I have a few questions for you, that's all, my old friend,” replied Sirdis.

Grabbing Bailey by the throat, Ompst lifted him from the ground and held him face to face while he carried him and threw him into the chair with Sirdis following.

#

“
Now's our chance, Natalia. Let's go,” said Catalyst.

“
No, wait. Look, we won't get past them, not with Ompst at the door like that,” replied Natalia, pointing to the Basajaunak.

“
We'll have to wait then, because that staircase is the only way we're going to get to the crystal,” said Catalyst.

Staring at the room, waiting for a chance to slip past them, Natalia noticed the ledge that looked as though it might wrap around the entire room where Ompst, Sirdis and Bailey now stood.

“
Catalyst, if that ledge goes all the way around to the other side of this cliff, then we can simply sneak along that way. Then when we get to the other side, we can use the back of the room for cover, then slip up the stairs,” said Natalia.

“
It's too far. We'll make too much noise, so if we're not seen we'll be heard. No, it's better to wait,” replied Catalyst.

“
You mean
you
make too much noise. I'm lighter, I walk more softly and I'm smaller than you. I'll go. Just wait here and be ready to move, fast, when I get back,” said Natalia as she took off her shoes.

“
You’re going alone?” asked Catalyst, shaking his head.

“
Yes, it's the only way to get out of here before that crazy Elf tells them we're here,” replied Natalia not knowing that the Clique had known they were there since they climbed in the opening.

“
Besides, it's got to be done, so it may as well be done right. I'm a girl and we can do anything!” said Natalia trying hard not to choke on her words for fear.

Sneaking up and over the cliff, Natalia moved silently around the outside of the room, climbing over blocks and rubble. As Catalyst watched out for Natalia, panic began to set in as he noticed that besides the danger of the spirits flying through the mountain Hollow, the ceiling was full of sleeping Cockatrice.

Moving slowly, Natalia could only hear Bailey’s interrogation, while Catalyst could only see it.

#

As Bailey sat in his chair, it was easy for Sirdis to see the depravity that filled his heart because it reflected in his face so plainly – the dirt, the pus and blood-filled boils and wounds that covered an endless void of sickness and hatred.

“
You used to be so great, Bailey. Whatever happened to you? You used to be the best of us. If it wasn't for you, the Clique wouldn't exist,
her Madero
Clique, the Illuminati – it was you that brought them together to build this whole thing. Now look at you!” said Sirdis, his eyes filled with shame as he grabbed the chair, stared right into the eye of the old Elf and smacked him with an open hand.

“
I can't believe I once held you in such high esteem. I looked up to you. I wanted to be just like you,” continued Sirdis with nothing but disdain in his voice.

“
I guess it was all those poor souls you tortured, and all the pain you enjoyed inflicting upon them as you played God with their lives. It undoubtedly ate away at whatever it was in you that makes any of us a worthwhile being. You’re not the Elf I once admired and respected. You’re simply nothing now,” sighed Sirdis, knowing what he had to do.

#

Natalia made her way around to the other side of the room and back into Catalyst’s sight. Catalyst watched as panic and fear gripped him again when Natalia crept to the staircase and slipped around the corner.

Knowing they would need a fast escape as soon as Natalia returned, Catalyst took his rope dart and shoved the dart into the ground, took the rope in one hand and grabbed a rung with the other and climbed out as far as he could without pulling the dart from the ground, tied it off and climbed back to wait.

#

Sneaking around corners, slipping from one room to the next, dodging one patrol after another, and feeling like a Bond girl, Natalia was surprised at just how easy it was to find the crystal. It was sitting there in a small room all alone and unguarded on its own little pedestal. Simply walking in, Natalia found it was not quite so simple as she had thought. She smacked her nose on the locked door. Looking at the lock, Natalia knew even if she could reach the inside handle through the window, it would do no good, from the inside or out. Once this type of lock was locked it was locked. She'd need a key, but from where? It's not like they kept one over the door like her mother did, or did they? Looking up with no real expectations of seeing anything, Natalia found the next best thing to a key – a small opening just above the door. With her flexible ten-year-old little girl body, Natalia was sure she could wriggle through it. The hole was ten feet above her and the wall was smooth. If she could find anything to stand on it would be a telltale sign that someone was there. She needed to find some way up.

So with her back against the wall, Natalia pushed off running then jumped and kicked off the wall in front of her with a spinning flip and grabbed the lip of the hole. She could hear another patrol coming so she hurried to pull herself through. Dropping quietly to the floor, Natalia waited for the guards to pass.

“
I'll take you,” whispered Natalia as she put the crystal into her pocket and then climbed upon the pedestal to make the jump back to the hole only to see the small release switch on the face of the lock, which with a simple turn would unlock the lock from inside.

“
If I don't tell anybody, they’ll never know,” whispered Natalia choosing to ignore it and jumping for the hole as she made her way back to Catalyst.

Seeing Natalia coming was more than Catalyst could take. If she got caught slipping back around the room, they would both end up dead. The panic and fear set in, coupled with the confusion of how Sirdis could look so much like his father. Without realizing it, Catalyst’s mind screamed out for Anastasia and with Natalia still sneaking her way back, all he could do was watch and wait in silence.

#

The teapot smashed in Anastasia’s hands as the panic and fear from Catalyst’s mind gripped her. Flying out of the door and high into the sky, Anastasia tried to find the direction to head in, but with the confusion Catalyst felt, Anastasia could only circle as she tried to sort through the emotions.

Stopping midair, Anastasia collected her thoughts and focused them while she turned slowly, allowing her mother’s intuition to guide her as she scanned the horizon.

Seeing Ghost Mountain, Anastasia knew exactly where she had to go, but even a Krusnik can only fly so fast, so taking off as fast as she could, Anastasia left a red streak in the sky as she flew to her son.

#

Helping Natalia down off the cliff didn't help ease the panic Catalyst was feeling.

“
I got it, see,” said Natalia, showing Catalyst the crystal and then putting it back in her pocket as Catalyst just stood staring at her, amazed once again with her ability to get things done.

“
Come on, let's get out of here,” whispered Natalia.

#

“
We all ready know you failed us, that's why I have guards posted upstairs circling the crystal right now, you foolish useless old elf!” echoed from Bailey’s interrogation.

Pulling out a sealed crystal no bigger than a pinky, Sirdis stood over Bailey holding it in front of his face.

“
Remember this, Bailey? They’re strange creatures, these drill worms. For whatever reason, they’re comatose within the walls of the Gallows, but get one just a few feet away and they become ravenous, like waking from hibernation,” said Sirdis.

“
Please, no! Give me one more chance. I won't fail you again,” cried the old Elf as he begged for his life.

“
You’re right. You won't fail us again. This is the same drill worm we removed from your head when we helped you escape that prison you were in. And all we asked for in return was that you get rid of two children. We gave you your freedom, and just like one of those Blemmyes you’re so fond of, you got to cannibalize the two of them. But now that you've failed in keeping your end of the agreement, I see no reason to keep ours,” said Sirdis as he broke the crystal and forced it against the old Elf’s temple as Ompst,

Natalia and Catalyst watched.

“
Argh!” cried the old Elf as the drill worm bored its way back into its home and ate its way through its meaty surroundings.