Read Online What Lies Within (Book 5) by Martin Ash - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Martin Ash
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environment, he may be overwhelmed.'
It stung her that at the very moment that she had tried to reassure Shenwolf of her support, she had been taken from him. She was aware of the confidence he had placed in her. It had taken courage for him to confess to his fears. She admired him for it. Within herself she was satisfied as to his sincerity and the truth of his tale, as he knew it. Whatever dark purpose might be hidden within him - if any at all - it would be by Urch-Malmain's doing, not his own.
But then the doubts rose: What was he before he came here? Might his whole charming, carefree demeanour, his courage, his skills, be elements created by Urch-Malmain, purely to enable Shenwolf to gain the confidence of others?
Perhaps for the first time Issul understood clearly the evil of Urch-Malmain. The cold crawled over her again.
And if she felt such bewilderment and fear, what must Shenwolf himself be going through?
'He is not the only one who feels concern over what may lie within him,' Orbelon was saying. 'Perhaps by such means we will discover more of who he really is.'
She looked at him dazedly. 'Or he may be driven mad.'
'Well, let us waste no more time. Come. Please follow.'
iii
Triune led the way, with Orbelon just behind, taking Issul through the doorway into a smaller adjacent chamber. Weirdlight entered through three tall, narrow windows, illuminating a circular table of veined green marble, supported by a single central pedestal set in the middle of the chamber. Upon the surface of the table rested a circular tablet of smooth obsidian or similar rock. Suspended on a silver chain hanging from the ceiling directly over the centre of the tablet was a large glass globe filled with a phosphorescent white gaseous substance.
The three Triune-children halted beside the table. Orbelon did likewise, and Issul took her place beside him. She gazed upon the black tablet and experienced a brief dizziness akin to vertigo. The tablet seemed to have no visible surface; she felt she looked down into a limitless black void.
One of the Triune children passed a hand over the tablet. Issul watched in fascination. The void rippled; a strange scene began to materialize before her eyes. She was looking into an unfamiliar chamber where a bent and crooked man with a withered arm, garbed in black robes, hobbled back and forth, apparently in some agitation.
Issul's brow knitted. 'Who is this?'
'This,' answered Triune, 'is Urch-Malmain.'
Issul gasped. 'This is truly him?'
'Truly.'
She stared. Urch-Malmain turned and lurched towards her. She pulled back, troubled by his glittering dark gaze as he drew close. 'Does he know he is observed?'
'It seems not.'
'Where is he?'
'We don’t know.'
'I don't understand.'
'It is quite simple. We have set a seeking device to seek out Urch-Malmain. Previously it has shown us nothing. It is as though he had vanished from the world. Now it shows him, but we are unable to ascertain even an approximation of his whereabouts. Hence we believe that he is not within this world. Does he exist in some other dimension? We cannot say. If it is so we fail to understand how the device has located him, for its questing eyes operate only within this world. An explanation, however, may be at hand. We are drawn to infer that Urch-Malmain's unexpected appearance now is in some wise linked to the arrival here of Orbelon. Orbelon confirms that this is not entirely beyond the pale of possibility.'
Issul looked to Orbelon. 'What brings you to such a conclusion?'
Before Orbelon could reply Triune said, 'The 'coincidence' was sufficient to arouse our curiosity. But Orbelon now tells us of the 'world' he has unwittingly given birth to in the course of his awakening. He augments our speculation with the admission that in recent days he has suffered an uncanny sensation of Urch-Malmain being
It stung her that at the very moment that she had tried to reassure Shenwolf of her support, she had been taken from him. She was aware of the confidence he had placed in her. It had taken courage for him to confess to his fears. She admired him for it. Within herself she was satisfied as to his sincerity and the truth of his tale, as he knew it. Whatever dark purpose might be hidden within him - if any at all - it would be by Urch-Malmain's doing, not his own.
But then the doubts rose: What was he before he came here? Might his whole charming, carefree demeanour, his courage, his skills, be elements created by Urch-Malmain, purely to enable Shenwolf to gain the confidence of others?
Perhaps for the first time Issul understood clearly the evil of Urch-Malmain. The cold crawled over her again.
And if she felt such bewilderment and fear, what must Shenwolf himself be going through?
'He is not the only one who feels concern over what may lie within him,' Orbelon was saying. 'Perhaps by such means we will discover more of who he really is.'
She looked at him dazedly. 'Or he may be driven mad.'
'Well, let us waste no more time. Come. Please follow.'
iii
Triune led the way, with Orbelon just behind, taking Issul through the doorway into a smaller adjacent chamber. Weirdlight entered through three tall, narrow windows, illuminating a circular table of veined green marble, supported by a single central pedestal set in the middle of the chamber. Upon the surface of the table rested a circular tablet of smooth obsidian or similar rock. Suspended on a silver chain hanging from the ceiling directly over the centre of the tablet was a large glass globe filled with a phosphorescent white gaseous substance.
The three Triune-children halted beside the table. Orbelon did likewise, and Issul took her place beside him. She gazed upon the black tablet and experienced a brief dizziness akin to vertigo. The tablet seemed to have no visible surface; she felt she looked down into a limitless black void.
One of the Triune children passed a hand over the tablet. Issul watched in fascination. The void rippled; a strange scene began to materialize before her eyes. She was looking into an unfamiliar chamber where a bent and crooked man with a withered arm, garbed in black robes, hobbled back and forth, apparently in some agitation.
Issul's brow knitted. 'Who is this?'
'This,' answered Triune, 'is Urch-Malmain.'
Issul gasped. 'This is truly him?'
'Truly.'
She stared. Urch-Malmain turned and lurched towards her. She pulled back, troubled by his glittering dark gaze as he drew close. 'Does he know he is observed?'
'It seems not.'
'Where is he?'
'We don’t know.'
'I don't understand.'
'It is quite simple. We have set a seeking device to seek out Urch-Malmain. Previously it has shown us nothing. It is as though he had vanished from the world. Now it shows him, but we are unable to ascertain even an approximation of his whereabouts. Hence we believe that he is not within this world. Does he exist in some other dimension? We cannot say. If it is so we fail to understand how the device has located him, for its questing eyes operate only within this world. An explanation, however, may be at hand. We are drawn to infer that Urch-Malmain's unexpected appearance now is in some wise linked to the arrival here of Orbelon. Orbelon confirms that this is not entirely beyond the pale of possibility.'
Issul looked to Orbelon. 'What brings you to such a conclusion?'
Before Orbelon could reply Triune said, 'The 'coincidence' was sufficient to arouse our curiosity. But Orbelon now tells us of the 'world' he has unwittingly given birth to in the course of his awakening. He augments our speculation with the admission that in recent days he has suffered an uncanny sensation of Urch-Malmain being
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