The Curse of the Gloamglozer (35 page)

‘With a horrible scream it fled into the shadows. The terrible smell of burning flesh filled the air. I sat and waited. No sounds came from the lair. I prodded the shapeless bundle. It gave no sign of life. I sat there all night, despondent and brooding, going over and over what had happened. Finally, I left.

‘Back in my bed-chamber, I awoke from dreams filled with monsters and demons. What if the gloamglozer wasn't dead? How could I be certain? I decided I would never have any peace until I returned to the laboratory to make sure. So Quint took me down a second time.

‘The moment I entered the great underground chamber, I sensed that something was wrong. The huddled body beneath the cloak was gone, though the terrible smell of burnt flesh still lingered in the air. Then I heard it – a soft sobbing whimper coming from the far corner of the laboratory. But I wasn't fooled. I knew the creature was simply playing one more of its devious games. I shouted at it to be still. It responded by letting out a loud, defiant wail and demanded that I set it free.

‘Suddenly, a cold shiver of fear pierced my spine and I looked up. There, above me, hovered the horribly disfigured gloamglozer. It screamed in a voice I recognized as my own. “By Gloamglozer! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!”

‘I stumbled back and tripped over a thin wire stretched between two glass pillars at ankle height. A razor-sharp shard of glass flew down, gashing my scalp and almost severing my ear. Blood blinded me, but I managed to stumble to my feet. I brandished the empty ampoule at the hovering creature. Hissing with suppressed fury, it retreated – and I took my chance.

‘I dashed for the door, pressed the Seal into place and leapt through the gap. As the door slammed behind me, I heard the gloamglozer's muffled screams of rage. It thrashed about inside the laboratory. It pounded at the door. It threatened and pleaded – but I was deaf to its entreaties.

‘The gloamglozer had been imprisoned. I could only hope that, in time, its stone jail would become its coffin, and that the threat from the terrible monster would disappear for ever. I, for one, would never return to the Ancient Laboratory, and – by destroying all those clues which had led me to it – I intended to make sure that no-one else could either …’ He clutched at Maris's hand. ‘I didn't think that anyone would ever set foot in there again!’

‘Please, please,’ the creature said softly. ‘Open the door and let me out of this … this torture chamber. Hurry, before he returns.’

‘I'm trying,’ said Quint, as he fumbled with the Great
Seal. He was finding it difficult to hold it in the stone indentation and turn at the same time. ‘Can you give me a hand?’ he suggested.

The creature made no reply. Quint turned, and gasped as he found himself looking into his own eyes. ‘What the… ?’

As the door slid open he stepped back nervously.

‘By Gloamglozer!’ the other Quint smiled. ‘I'll kill you! I'll kill you!’

A glass pillar snapped above his head and crashed down. A scaly hand reached out for the Great Seal as it slipped from Quint's grasp. And everything went black.

· CHAPTER SEVENTEEN ·

REVENGE

L
inius sat up in bed, and hugged his knees to his chest. Having completed his story, he looked drained and haggard. The tears of remorse he'd shed had stopped, leaving his eyes red and his bony cheeks stained with glistening streaks.

‘Oh, Father,’ said Maris softly, and she leant forwards to comfort him.

But Linius pulled away. ‘I don't deserve your sympathy after everything I've done,’ he said. His eyes darted round feverishly. ‘After what I have unleashed on the world…’

‘This is no time for self-pity, old friend,’ said Bungus. ‘You have been reckless and foolhardy, that is true – but if we hurry, we can still avert a catastrophe. It is up to us to ensure that the gloamglozer remains contained in the Ancient Laboratory.’

‘But what if Quint has already released it?’ Linius moaned. ‘Oh, I could never forgive myself if anything has happened to the lad. And neither could Wind Jackal,’
he added softly. ‘He entrusted the youth to my care.’

‘Try to remain calm, Linius,’ said Bungus. ‘There is no point speculating about what
might
have happened.’ He stood up from the bed. ‘I shall return to the stonecomb at once.’

Linius looked up at the old librarian. ‘You would do that for me?’ he said.

‘Of course, Linius,’ said Bungus kindly. ‘For you, and for Sanctaphrax.’

Linius nodded slowly. ‘
You
should have been Most High Academe,’ he said, ‘rather than me.’ Suddenly, he threw back the bedclothes and swung his legs down onto the floor. ‘But I can't allow you to go alone, Bungus. I must come with you.’ He stood up. ‘We …’

‘Father!’ Maris cried out, as Linius stumbled forwards and collapsed to the floor in a heap. She ran round the bed and crouched down beside him. ‘You're still too weak,’ she said.

‘Yes, child,’ he groaned pitifully. ‘I am useless. Hopeless…’

‘
Shush
,’ she said gently. ‘We'll have none of that. You've been through a lot …’ She turned to Bungus. ‘Can you give me a hand?’

Taking an arm each, the pair of them helped Linius up from the floor and placed him gently on the bed. He flopped back heavily against the pillows. His eyes closed.

Bungus leant over the High Academe and spoke softly but urgently. ‘Linius? Can you hear me? Time is short.’

Linius's eyelids flickered.

‘Linius, I need to know how to get to the Ancient Laboratory. The Librarians' Passage leads down from the Great Library into the heartrock, but…’

Linius opened his eyes and frowned. ‘Librarians' Passage?’ he said. ‘What is that?’

‘A vertical tunnel, old and secret,’ said Bungus, ‘constructed by earth-scholars many centuries ago.’

‘I had no idea,’ said Linius and shook his head. ‘If I had, I would never have had to go down in that appalling sky cage.’ He paused. ‘This passageway – does it emerge in a broad horizontal tunnel?’

‘Yes,’ said Bungus eagerly. ‘Yes it does.’

Linius nodded weakly. ‘This is the Great West Tunnel,’ he said, his voice barely a whisper. ‘You must follow the direction where the air glows deepest red.’ He paused a moment. ‘As you continue, you will find that movements in the rock have caused the tunnel to split into various minor passageways at several points. At every junction, you must take the left-hand tunnel.’

‘Always the left-hand tunnel,’ said Bungus, nodding.

‘At the final junction, the correct path looks like a dead-end,’ Linius continued. ‘But it isn't. You'll be able to squeeze through the fallen rocks. The laboratory door lies on the other side.’ He opened his eyes and stared into the distance. ‘Oh, I'm so weary. How I wish to sleep,’ he moaned. ‘Yet when I do, what dreams I am haunted by! Oh, Bungus, you can't imagine…’

Bungus said nothing. He reached into the leather satchel and removed a small phial of purple liquid. He unscrewed the top and handed it to Linius.

‘Drink this,’ he said softly. ‘It will help you sleep.’

‘But the dreams …’ said Linius.

‘It'll take care of the dreams too, old friend,’ said Bungus. ‘You have my word.’

‘Drink it, Father,’ said Maris. ‘Everything will seem different when you wake up.’

Linius reached forwards. He wrapped his fingers round the glass phial, raised it to his lips and swallowed it in one gulp.

‘It tastes good,’ he said, and turned to the old librarian. ‘Now, go, Bungus, as quickly as you can. Sky willing, you are not already too late.’

‘Sky willing, Linius,’ said Bungus. ‘And Earth willing, too.’ He turned away and strode towards the door.

Linius lay back against the pillows. His eyelids grew heavy. ‘Oh, and Bungus,’ he said drowsily. ‘Promise me … you'll … take … care …’ His voice faded away. Moments later, the room echoed with soft, rhythmic breathing.

Bungus smiled. ‘Pleasant dreams, Linius,’ he whispered. Then he turned to Maris. ‘It has been an honour meeting you, Maris, daughter of Linius Pallitax,’ he said. ‘Maybe one day our paths will cross again. Fare you well.’ He turned and opened the door.

‘What?’ Maris exclaimed. Her father sighed in his
sleep and rolled over – but did not wake up. Maris leapt from the bed and ran after Bungus. ‘I'm coming with you,’ she said.

‘No, Maris, you must not,’ said Bungus sternly. ‘Have you heard nothing your father has just told us? Don't you realize the danger? And you are still weakened yourself…’

‘I don't care!’ Maris shouted. ‘It was only because of me that Quint went down there in the first place. I can't just abandon him!’

‘Mistress Maris,’ came a trilling voice from behind her on the landing. ‘Whatever is wrong?’

‘It's Bungus,’ said Maris indignantly. ‘He's returning to the stonecomb – and he doesn't want to take me with him.’

The spindlebug's antennae quivered. ‘I should think not,’ he said. ‘It's a terrible place…’

‘Oh, you're as bad as he is!’ Maris stormed. She turned to Bungus. ‘Well, I
am
going,’ she said defiantly. ‘I
am
strong enough. And if you don't take me, I'll just follow you!’

Bungus's expression softened. ‘You're a stubborn one, aren't you?’ he said. ‘Just like your father.’ He sighed. ‘Is there nothing I can say to make you change your mind?’

Maris shook her head.

‘Come on, then,’ said Bungus. ‘But if you're coming with me, you'd better not slow me down,’ he added gruffly.

There was a stiff breeze blowing when Maris and Bungus stepped out of the Palace of Shadows. It brought
with it the smell of oil-pine incense and the sound of loud cheering voices. As the pair of them ran down the palace steps and through the narrow alleyways which led to the Western Avenue, both the intensity of the incense and the volume of the cheering increased.

‘What's going on?’ asked Maris.

‘The Inauguration Ceremony, at a guess,’ said Bungus. ‘Didn't the Professors of Light and Darkness say a Great Storm was imminent?’

‘Of course,’ said Maris. ‘With all this excitement, I'd quite forgotten. Garlinius Gernix is to set sail for the Twilight Woods in search of stormphrax. I've heard that he's one of the very best scholars ever to have gone through the Knights' Academy.’ They continued to the end of the alley where it joined the avenue. ‘Look,’ she said, and pointed up to the top of the Central Viaduct. ‘There he is now.’

Far above their heads, the newly-dubbed knight sat astride a powerful prowlgrin. As ceremony decreed, they were making their way solemnly across the viaduct
from the Great Hall, where the Inauguration had taken place, to the Loftus Observatory, where a great storm-chasing sky ship, tethered to a ring at the top of its gleaming dome, awaited them. Garlinius was dressed in shining full armour.

‘Gar-lin-ius! Gar-lin-ius!’ the heaving crowd chanted up at them.

‘Good luck, Garlinius!’ a lone voice called out.

‘Sky speed be with you!’ cried another.

Bungus took Maris by the arm. ‘Come,’ he said. ‘As an earth-scholar, I've learnt how to avoid the crowds. Let's double back and go by the side-alleys. It'll be quicker in the long run.’

Maris nodded, and trotted after the gangly librarian as he set off back the way they'd come. They hurried this way and that along the maze of alleyways and twittens, with Bungus leading and Maris following close on his heels. She was just beginning to wonder whether he knew the layout of the floating city quite as well as he claimed when, all at once, they emerged into a deserted square. Before them stood the Great Library.