The Fenimeldiyaan: Displaced Time - Chapter 5

Under cover of an invisibility spell, Maas Lowenstern sneaked into the Punishment Block.  He cringed at the sound of the loud screaming, knowing that it belonged to the Voldinian prisoner.  He sighed, wishing that the woman had exercised more caution and been prepared to wait.

He opened one of the inspection panels and tugged at a few cables, pulling them loose from their connections.  Using a small amount of power, he focused a narrow energy beam at the main control circuit, making it look as though it had burned out.  He also scorched the loose cables and the inside of the inspection cover.

He moved along and repeated the procedure for the next machine, taking great satisfaction from sabotaging the equipment.  The official name for such machinery was “Behaviour Adjustment and Correction Terminal” but most guards and interns referred to it as a torture machine or torture engine.  It had been designed to send electrical pulses into the brain of the misbehaving intern, thus causing intolerable pain and persuading them not to repeat their bad behaviour.  The machines rarely worked as intended.  Far more often, interns receiving such “treatment” died from having their brains literally fried inside their skulls.  Such devices should never have been brought into existence, Maas thought.

There were six of the infernal machines in the Punishment Block.  It would appear far too suspicious if all of them were to burn out, so Maas adopted a different technique for his sabotage of the remaining four.  He changed the way the cables were connected, ensuring that the electrical impulses would feed back to the control units.  This method would reveal no visible damage on inspection, thus it would keep the guards and technicians puzzled for at least a few days.

Satisfied with his work, Maas translocated out of the Punishment Block and back to his tiny apartment in the staff accommodation block.

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Veerna tensed, waiting for the next wave of pain to explode inside her head.  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Gerald being strapped to another table at the far end of the room.  Perhaps there was a rebellious nature lurking inside him after all, she pondered.

The guard pressed the control unit again, wondering why Intern Vold showed no reaction.  The previous three shockwaves had caused her to writhe and thrash, straining against her bonds and yelling at a volume which had threatened to burst his eardrums.  However, much to his dismay, she made no visible reaction, simply laying motionless on the table, an odd smile and a dreamy expression on her pale face.

He examined her to make sure that she was still breathing, then he turned up the intensity and activated the control unit again.  This time, he felt an odd vibration and heard an irritating buzz which seemed to come from inside his head.  The control unit in his hand delivered a shock which sent him crashing to the floor, writhing in pain and yelling almost as loudly as Intern Vold had previously done.

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Gerald sweated beneath his prison overalls, wishing he had the strength to break free of the restraints at his neck, waist, wrists and ankles.  “I bet Andreas could do it” he thought.  “But then Andreas wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place”.

The guard pressed a button on the handheld control unit.  Instead of the electrical current being transmitted to Intern Hunt, it fed back to him, causing him to drop the unit and cradle his head in his badly burned hands.

A few minutes later, more guards arrived.  The first group of them went to Veerna’s table.  One of them undid the restraints while the other shackled her wrists and ankles.  Gerald watched them dragging her away, not understanding their curt guttural remarks to one another.

Soon after Veerna had been taken away, another group of guards came for him.  “Where ye be taking me?” he asked. 

One of them made a gruff comment in the People’s Language.  At the same time, he heard Maas’s calm measured voice speaking inside his head.  “The Cyad’s much vaunted engines of torture seem to have developed a fault and injured the guards instead of the interns.  With much reluctance, the Governor has ordered them to be taken offline awaiting inspection and repairs.  In the meantime, you and Intern Vold will be detained in solitary confinement.  Twill be totally dark in there but at least you’ll be left alone”.

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Maas had not exaggerated about the condition of the solitary cells.  After the guards pushed him inside and locked the door, he stumbled around in total darkness, trying to gauge the size of the cell.  Even after his eyes had tried to adjust, he could see nothing but dull black stone floor and walls.

The cell must have been insulated to block out all sound, for the silence within seemed unnatural.  The sound of his own breathing was the only thing he could hear, accompanied by the scuffling of his boots on the floor as he paced up and down, working the cramps out of his muscles.

He awoke, having heard a rustling sound coming from nearby.  Rats, he decided, and tried to go back to sleep.  At least he was getting plenty of rest.

“Gerald Hunt, wake up!” a voice spoke inside his head.  It was not Maas, but it sounded familiar. 

A hand touched him on the shoulder and the face of Selonicus Linderies loomed over him.  “Get up!” the sorcerer urged silently.  “Maas has created a distraction but it won’t keep them busy for long.  We need to get out of here”.

“What about Veerna?” Gerald asked, keeping his voice to a whisper.

“She’s coming too” Selonicus assured him.  “Along with several others who shouldn’t be here.  Can you stand?”

“Aye”.  Gerald hauled himself up from the thin mattress and stretched.

Before he could say or do anything else, Selonicus took him by the arm and translocated him away.

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“River?” Daren asked.  “Where is she?”

“Tisn’t so much a question of where”.  Andreas twisted his long tail of hair through his fingers.  “She be in this city, but in the past.  In the basement of a building on the Eastside”.

“Will it help if we go there?” Morgan wondered.

Andreas nodded.  “Tis worth a try.  By the way, Anni and Elaine found Elsa.  She were being held captive by a rogue Carpathian, Lord Ambrogino Auguiste.  She’s got a few minor injuries so they be taking her to the Donovan Institute for treatment”.

“Gerald won’t be happy about that” Morgan remarked.  “Wherever — whenever — he is”.

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After translocating Gerald to a private room, Selonicus said he would return shortly and departed. Veerna was already there, sitting in one of the chairs and staring at nothing. Her already-pale skin was ashen, and sweat slid down her face. Her expression was dull. Reluctantly, Gerald sat down beside her, still finding the young woman to be frightening. “Ye alright?” he said after several moments of silence stretched between them.

Her black eyes turned to him, frowning slightly. “You’re lucky,” she snapped, but her voice lacked its usual anger. “They pulled the plug on those machines before you got zapped. I hate torture. It’s a barbaric thing. If you’re going to kill someone, just do it quickly. Don’t draw it out.”

Gerald raised an eyebrow. “Ye got yerself into the mess by attacking the guards,” he pointed out.

“I saw a chance to escape and took it. I’m not one to blindly follow orders and let people shove me around,” she answered flatly. “And how did you end up in the torture chamber, Gerry?”

Gerald flushed. “Ah, I got on the wrong side of some Carpathians. Seems all of them ain’t as nice as Andreas. They got mad that I couldn’t understand them and they started beating me up. Pity I didn’t speak the language of the guards. Could’ve gotten them imprisoned instead of me.”

Veerna stared at nothing again. Perhaps she’d received more of the sedative than Gerald, or she was just in pain. Still, he felt some flicker of pity enter him. She may have been annoyingly patronising, but there was something about her that elicited pity. Her reaction at being tortured showed that she had a breaking point, like everyone else, and he was rather glad Selonicus had pulled her out. It had been his fault, partially at least, that she’d been taken to the prison in the first place.

Veerna glanced over at him, sweeping her long white hair over her shoulder as she did so. “Problem?” she said.

Gerald shook his head. “No. Sorry.”

The two fell silent again as they waited for Selonicus to return.

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Evidently infuriated with Rachel’s and Apollo’s refusal of his offer, Gyul locked them in the room and left them there alone. Rachel spent most of her time poking the window, feeling the peculiar tingle of the sorcery wards there spiral up her fingertips. “I have a feeling we’re going up for auction soon,” she said, her eyes intent on the window.

Apollo was lying face-up on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “I hope you don’t expect me to be happy about that.”

Rachel shrugged. “I trust my friends to come and get me out,” she said, though she didn’t even know if they knew where she was. “Merlin’s familiar with this place, at least.”

That got Apollo’s attention. The healer sat up, looking at her. “Merlin?” he said. “You know Merlin?”

Rachel cocked her head at him. “Yes, I know Merlin. Very well, in fact. He’s a good friend of mine. How do you know him?”

“Long story,” Apollo said. “Involving how I got here.” He considered her carefully. “What sort of magic do you have?”

“Sleep magic. But I can speak in other people’s minds if I try hard.” Rachel returned his stare with a slight frown. “Why?”

Apollo shrugged. “A vain hope that you could get these collars off.” He leaned back again. “Perhaps Merlin will come looking for you. He’s a powerful sorcerer, from my experiences with him.”

“Perhaps,” Rachel said. “But he’s going to be too late.”

“What do you mean?” Apollo asked, sitting up once more.

“I caught a glimpse of Gyul’s mind.” She finally turned away from the window. “He’s going to sell us in the next hour.”

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Anwyn took Elsa and Elaine to a private room in the Donovan Institute, laying Elsa down on the bed gently. “A healer should be here shortly to have a look at her,” Anwyn told Elaine. “Do ye want to come with me or wait here with her?”

Elaine sat down beside her twin, smiling slightly at Anwyn. “I’m sorry. I’ve got to stay here with her,” she said. “I don’t want her to wake up alone.”

Anwyn nodded, taking a step back, but Elaine stopped her. “W-wait. I just wanted to say thank you,” the little thief said softly. “Without you, Elsa would have been sold as a slave and she might have been lost to me forever. I know she probably won’t thank you. She’s too stubborn to admit that she was wrong and that you and Andreas are … are not the reason Gerald is gone. So let me do it for her.”

The girl inclined her head. “Thank you.”

Anwyn smiled and patted her arm. “Ye be most welcome, me dear. I’ll be back when I’ve learned anything useful.”

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Andreas, following River’s mental pattern, translocated himself and the two young men to the building. The instant they were in front of it, Morgan jerked out of the man’s grasp, clutching his head again. “Ahh,” he moaned. “She’s here. Or she was here. Or something. She’s terrified. She feels betrayed. She’s being blocked. She feels like … like she has no one left in the world.”

Daren looked at his friend, concerned. “What’s the matter with him?”

“He be connected to Queen River,” Andreas answered. “Tis a powerful link between them. Morgan, can ye tell why she feels like that?”

Morgan shook his head, his green eyes flashing red briefly. “He’s told her that the four founders were liars … he’s gotten her to agree to kill somebody. She’s doubting. She doubts … she doubts …” He broke off, shaking his head.

Andreas grabbed his arm, sending him reassuring emanations. “Who does she doubt, Morgan?” he pushed quietly.

Morgan raised his eyes to Andreas, a grimace etched onto his face. “You,” he said plainly. “She doubts you.”

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Rachel’s prediction turned out to be correct.  Less than an hour later, Gyul returned, looking extremely pleased with himself.  “I’ve found a buyer for you both.  The auction will be a mere formality.  I have to be seen to be following the correct protocol but tis a foregone conclusion”.

Before either of them could protest, he used a silencing spell on them and translocated them away.

Around a dozen other slaves had already been shackled to benches in an open-sided truck.  Four guards also sat with them.  Gyul got into the front passenger seat and commanded the driver to start the engine.  However, the truck was only for appearance’s sake, since Gyul translocated them most of the way.  He set them down in the street and the driver drove them the short distance to the auction house.

Gyul’s guards pinned lot numbers to each slave’s collar.  Rachel was Lot 14 and Apollo ended up with a tag for Lot 15.  The guards then proceeded to unshackle the slaves and usher them along to the holding cages where they would be kept until it was time for Gyul to show off his merchandise to potential buyers.  Gyul cancelled the silencing spell, allowing the slaves to resume talking amongst themselves.

Buyers ambled around, peering in the cages.  Some walked away after a cursory glance, shaking their heads and sighing.  Others spent longer.  One man in particular — a giant with long curly hair, long sweeping moustache, facial piercings and many tattoos — hung around for several minutes examining the slaves in Gyul’s holding cage.

A gong sounded, indicating the start of the auction.  The chubby white-suited auctioneer ascended to his podium and addressed the assembled throng of buyers, reminding them of the rules.

From her position at the far end of the cage, Rachel craned her neck.  “I wish I could see what’s going on”.

“It’s probably better that we can’t” Apollo remarked.

“Well I want to know who’s bidding for me” Rachel declared.  “I’ve got a bad feeling that the huge brute with the pierced face and the tattoos is going to end up buying me.  Did you see the way he looked at me?”

“I think he’s a Varagan” Apollo informed her.  “I’ve met some of them before when we visited Andreas.  He had some sort of alliance with them so being sold to the Varagan might not be such a bad thing”.

Rachel glared at him.  “In case you’ve forgotten, we’re in the past.  Andreas probably hasn’t even been born yet.  Which means no alliance with the Varagans and no guarantee they’ll treat us decently.  My only hope is that he’ll fall asleep the same as anyone else when I use my powers on him”.

A loud clang interrupted their discussion.  Gyul’s guards unlocked the cage and dragged the slaves out, leading them up to the stage so that they could be paraded in front of the buyers.

From the stage, Rachel had an excellent view of the auction.  She picked out the Varagan, standing off to one side, towering above the other buyers.  Their eyes locked for an instant and he smiled at her, the jewels set into his teeth glinting in the harsh light of the auction room.

Gyul’s merchandise was sold off in short order.  Judging from the smug satisfied expression on his face, Rachel concluded that the slaves had earned him a vast profit.

The bidding started for Rachel.  Buyers made hand signals, nods and flourished their rolled-up auction catalogues to indicate bids.  She kept her eyes on the Varagan, watching his every move.  He remained calm amidst the frenzied gestures of the other buyers, giving the auctioneer a single nod at intervals.

After a while, the bidding slowed and most of the buyers shook their heads, indicating their withdrawal.  The Varagan gave a final nod and the auctioneer’s gavel crashed down.  Rachel could not understand his actual words but the meaning was abundantly clear.  “Lot 14 from Gyul Khrychyt, sold for eighty thousand credits to Lord Vedat Degurmin”.

The Varagan climbed up the steps to the stage, surprisingly nimble for such a large man.  He handed a plastic card over to the auctioneer, who slid it into a machine set into the podium.  The machine beeped and the auctioneer returned the card to its owner.

The Varagan then approached Rachel, dipping his head and smiling before picking her up in his muscular tattooed arms and lifting her down from the stage.  Instead of taking her away like the other buyers did with their purchases, he allowed her to stand with him and watch the other lots being auctioned.  He kept a firm but gentle grip on her arm and gave her cheerful smiles in between viewing the bidding.

The bidding for Apollo was not as fierce but he still managed to fetch a high sum — fifty thousand credits.  To Rachel’s astonishment, Lord Degurmin made the final bid and sealed the deal.  The two companions had not been split up after all.

Outside the auction house, Lord Degurmin removed their collars and helped them into the cab of his truck.  He spoke to them in a rough approximation of the Meldin language, mangling the words but managing to make himself understood.  “I be yer new owner.  Ye may address me as Lord Vedat.  Ye may be wondering why I’ve only bought the two of ye.  I be new to this city, starting up a new business empire here, trading in textiles, not people.  I be unfamiliar with Yttrian customs and I don’t trust the locals, so I’ll be employing ye both to guard me children and household”.  He broke off and gave a hearty chuckle.  “And in case ye want to try any tricks on me, I’ve got built-in wards”.  He pointed to his jewelled teeth, then to the tattoos on his bare chest and muscular arms.  “Ye’d have to cut all of ‘em off me afore yer sorcery would have any effect.  And the chances of ye getting close enough with a blade be narrow indeed!”

While he drove the truck along the city streets, he kept up a constant stream of chatter, telling his new employees all about his home and business premises, his children and the other members of his household.

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“About time too!” Veerna grumbled, catching sight of the eccentric sorcerer, resplendent in a scarlet cape with gold tassels, an orange silk shirt and green checked trousers.  “I hope you brought us something to eat.  I’m starving!”

Selonicus laughed.  “My culinary skills be sorely lacking.  I trained as a healer and I find myself in the midst of a war, running rescue missions and co-ordinating saboteurs.  I’ve had to learn many new skills but cooking wasn’t among them.  However, I don’t believe in letting you go hungry because of my inadequacies in the culinary arts.  I’ll take you to the kitchens shortly.  First, I’d like you to hear my offer”.

“Offer?”  Gerald’s face screwed up in disdain.  “So our freedom comes with a price, eh?”

“Of course not” Selonicus assured them.  “We would hardly go to the trouble of liberating prisoners from the Cyad for the purpose of enslaving them ourselves.  I make you the same offer that we make to all those we rescue.  You were prisoners of the Cyad and suffered at their hands.  You could join us and help strike back at them.  I won’t lie to you.  Being a revolutionary will put you in danger, but you’d be helping in our efforts to overthrow the Cyad.  What do you say?”

“What happens to us if we refuse yer generous offer?” Gerald asked.

“Nothing bad”.  Selonicus smiled.  “You might find it boring having to hang around at this base until someone can take you off-world though.  There won’t be anything in the way of entertainment, unless you count domestic tasks like laundry and cleaning as such”.

“Tisn’t much of a choice” Gerald remarked.  “I were mopping floors and doing laundry at the prison and ye want me to do the same here, or risk me life fighting in yer war.  And when ye say off-world, where exactly do ye mean?”

Selonicus spread his arms wide and smiled again.  “One of the allied worlds — Viria, Malvania, Sartoria or Varathusia.  Tis up to you”.

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Dressed in a dark green trouser suit and with her dreadlocks covered by a black silk scarf, Anwyn looked far more like the formidable Inner Circle Matriarch who she claimed to be.  Ambrogino backed away when she materialised in the sitting room of his safe house.  “Tis good to see ye again, me Lady” he sputtered.  “I weren’t expecting ye to return”.

Anwyn smiled and patted him on the arm, laughing when he squirmed.  “Ye’ve nothing to fear from me, Lord Auguiste.  In fact, I need yer help”.

“An Inner Circle Matriarch needs me help?” Ambrogino sneered.  “A Menehari, no less.  Yer family were directly responsible for ousting us from the Inner Circle, yet ye be asking me for help?”

“Aye, me Lord”.  To his utter astonishment, she sank to her knees and bowed her head low, ceding the social advantage to him, despite the vast difference in their respective rankings.  Still on her knees, she looked up at him.  “This be yer territory.  Ye know the main players who operate in this city.  I need background on them, plus introductions to yer trading partners.  Like I said on me first visit, I be conducting an investigation, tracking down anyone who might lead me to those responsible for abducting important personages who be under Inner Circle protection”.

“I don’t understand”.  Ambrogino stared at the exotic and intimidating woman who knelt before him.

She stood and gave him a dazzling smile.  “Don’t worry, me Lord, all will become clear.  Ye’ll learn on the job.  Tis how I prefer to teach me apprentices.  First off, who were ye intending to sell Elsa Silvereye to?”

“A Virian trader, name of Douglas Muldoon” he answered.  “He be on the list I gave ye”.

“Call him” Anwyn instructed.  “Tell him the Inner Circle wish to do business with him.  He’ll drop everything to accommodate us”.

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Andreas sighed.  “Aye, tis no wonder she has her doubts about me.  She were under me protection and I’ve failed her several times.  Even if she never trusts me again, I be determined to bring her back”.

He toyed with his hair while checking out the disused warehouse complex where the vestiges of River’s emanations had led them.

Daren made a move towards the broken down rusted iron doors.  Andreas grabbed his arm and pulled him back.  “Wait til I’ve scanned for mind signatures.  We need to know if anyone be in there afore we go in”.

“I can’t sense anyone” Morgan commented.

“Neither can I” Andreas concurred.

The interior of the warehouse turned out to be empty apart from a few remnants of machinery.  The three companions spent a few minutes looking around, finding nothing of interest.

“What about the basement?”  Daren lifted up a trapdoor and gestured to a set of worn stone steps leading downwards.

Andreas knelt while Daren held the trapdoor open.  He conjured a mage-light and leaned over, peering into the cavernous space below.  “No-one down here either, but tis worth a look”.

Without waiting for the others, he descended the stone staircase.  Morgan followed after a few minutes and Daren brought up the rear, letting the trapdoor slam down and hoping that they would not be trapped down there.

“Looks like a laboratory of some sort” Daren remarked, noticing the long metal benches and the array of scientific instruments.

Morgan stumbled and clutched at his head.  “River … I can feel her.  She was here.  Her emanations are stronger down here”.

“Aye indeed, me friend”.  Andreas nodded.  “Tis a matter of when.  I must try to follow her time-stream”.

He sat cross-legged on the greasy stone floor, heedless of getting dirt on his checked trousers.  He focused on his granddaughter, recalling the intricate pattern of braids in her hair which represented complex multi-layered temporal equations.  “What would Mazia do?” he murmured, using his forefinger to draw a rectangle in the air in front of him.

“He’ll be like this for ages” Morgan warned Daren.  “Maybe we should leave him to it and go back upstairs in case someone followed us here”.

Daren grinned.  “You’ve got a suspicious mind”.

Morgan grimaced.  “I don’t trust my luck.  I’ve been in situations like this far too many times”.

“It’s a good idea” Daren agreed.  “Besides, it creeps me out watching him do his trance thing”.