Read Online Into The Dark Flame (Book 4) by Martin Ash - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Martin Ash
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Dimensions is with us after all!'
Leth was less enthusiastic. He gazed mordantly into the fume. Lakewander and Master Protector had told him that Ascaria, the Kancanitrix of the Dark Flame, guarded a portal which would take him back to his world of Enchantment's Reach, and now here was Urch-Malmain and his living artefact claiming to have created another. Did Urch-Malmain know of Ascaria's portal? Did it truly exist? Leth was in two minds as to whether to speak of it now. He resolved to stay silent for the present, but something else that had just been said bothered him. He asked, 'What of those who stepped through your portal and 'travelled not quite as they should'? What became of them?'
'We do not know,' said one voice.
'Perhaps they arrived as they should, perhaps they did not,' said another.
The remaining entities added their thoughts:
'Perhaps they were transported to the back of a far star in the constellation of Hesque.'
'Or into the bowels of a blind Legfish swimming deep in the sea of Dismality.'
'Perhaps they hover still in uncharted regions of Illusiveness, or were reduced to their constituent atoms and dispersed throughout all the planes of the cosmos.'
'Perhaps--'
'Enough!' shouted Urch-Malmain, almost beside himself. 'Their fate is unimportant. They were subjects to test the function of the machine, nothing more.'
'But who were they?' demanded Leth.
'I would not know who they were.' Urch-Malmain glanced towards the billowing blue-green mist. By his look and posture Leth sensed him to be uneasy. Was he afraid that the entities might reveal something he wished to keep quiet?
Leth turned to the mist within the artefact. 'Aztin, perhaps you or your companions will enlighten me?'
'Bah! You are a meddlesome fellow! Their identities are of no relevance,' Urch-Malmain expostulated.
'Nonetheless. . . .'
'Time has passed. I have forgotten.'
Leth was unconvinced. 'Then let me ask you something else. If you do not know what happened to them, what evidence do you have that they did not pass through the portal and arrive safely on the other side as intended?'
Urch-Malmain drew back his lips and hissed through his teeth. 'One: they sent back no signs. And two: the reciprocity was awry.'
'The reciprocity? What is that?'
'The Law of Reciprocity. There must be a mutual transfer between domains. If I send something from this world to our own, something of similar context must be drawn here. It is a universal balance.'
'And it did not occur?'
'It occurred, but not as it should. On the first attempt it was immediately obvious that something was wrong. The old man I sent through appeared to burst into flame as he passed; in his place there materialised a leather-skinned warrior who promptly expired. Later, after various adjustments had been made, I tried again. The transfer appeared to go well, though I cannot say where the subject ended up. On that occasion I received a dazed young tinker in exchange. At another time I sent the tinker back; in his place came a savage creature, a hybrid of human barbarian warrior and some kind of blue-skinned reptilian-brute. So ferocious was it that, again, I jettisoned it immediately, before it could leap forth and tear the life from me. This time my darling Hellia came through.'
'And you did not think to ask her where she had come from?' asked Leth, incredulously.
'Oh I did, but the poor sweet was hysterical and could barely grasp what had happened to her. She was of our world, though. That much was plain.'
'Then the portal had operated as it should.'
'Perhaps, but I could not be certain. I had no proof, and for reasons which require no explanation I am not prepared to make my own attempt to return while there remains even a scintilla of doubt as to the outcome.'
'What is this proof, these signs that you refer to?' asked Leth.
Leth was less enthusiastic. He gazed mordantly into the fume. Lakewander and Master Protector had told him that Ascaria, the Kancanitrix of the Dark Flame, guarded a portal which would take him back to his world of Enchantment's Reach, and now here was Urch-Malmain and his living artefact claiming to have created another. Did Urch-Malmain know of Ascaria's portal? Did it truly exist? Leth was in two minds as to whether to speak of it now. He resolved to stay silent for the present, but something else that had just been said bothered him. He asked, 'What of those who stepped through your portal and 'travelled not quite as they should'? What became of them?'
'We do not know,' said one voice.
'Perhaps they arrived as they should, perhaps they did not,' said another.
The remaining entities added their thoughts:
'Perhaps they were transported to the back of a far star in the constellation of Hesque.'
'Or into the bowels of a blind Legfish swimming deep in the sea of Dismality.'
'Perhaps they hover still in uncharted regions of Illusiveness, or were reduced to their constituent atoms and dispersed throughout all the planes of the cosmos.'
'Perhaps--'
'Enough!' shouted Urch-Malmain, almost beside himself. 'Their fate is unimportant. They were subjects to test the function of the machine, nothing more.'
'But who were they?' demanded Leth.
'I would not know who they were.' Urch-Malmain glanced towards the billowing blue-green mist. By his look and posture Leth sensed him to be uneasy. Was he afraid that the entities might reveal something he wished to keep quiet?
Leth turned to the mist within the artefact. 'Aztin, perhaps you or your companions will enlighten me?'
'Bah! You are a meddlesome fellow! Their identities are of no relevance,' Urch-Malmain expostulated.
'Nonetheless. . . .'
'Time has passed. I have forgotten.'
Leth was unconvinced. 'Then let me ask you something else. If you do not know what happened to them, what evidence do you have that they did not pass through the portal and arrive safely on the other side as intended?'
Urch-Malmain drew back his lips and hissed through his teeth. 'One: they sent back no signs. And two: the reciprocity was awry.'
'The reciprocity? What is that?'
'The Law of Reciprocity. There must be a mutual transfer between domains. If I send something from this world to our own, something of similar context must be drawn here. It is a universal balance.'
'And it did not occur?'
'It occurred, but not as it should. On the first attempt it was immediately obvious that something was wrong. The old man I sent through appeared to burst into flame as he passed; in his place there materialised a leather-skinned warrior who promptly expired. Later, after various adjustments had been made, I tried again. The transfer appeared to go well, though I cannot say where the subject ended up. On that occasion I received a dazed young tinker in exchange. At another time I sent the tinker back; in his place came a savage creature, a hybrid of human barbarian warrior and some kind of blue-skinned reptilian-brute. So ferocious was it that, again, I jettisoned it immediately, before it could leap forth and tear the life from me. This time my darling Hellia came through.'
'And you did not think to ask her where she had come from?' asked Leth, incredulously.
'Oh I did, but the poor sweet was hysterical and could barely grasp what had happened to her. She was of our world, though. That much was plain.'
'Then the portal had operated as it should.'
'Perhaps, but I could not be certain. I had no proof, and for reasons which require no explanation I am not prepared to make my own attempt to return while there remains even a scintilla of doubt as to the outcome.'
'What is this proof, these signs that you refer to?' asked Leth.
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