Knight of shadows. Chapter 5, 6
V
A half dozen steps later even the impression of walls had vanished. Ditto the roof, for that matter. Looking back, I saw no sign of the corridor or its entrance. There was only a vast dismal area. Fortunately the floor or ground remained firm underfoot. The only manner in which I could distinguish the way I traveled from the surrounding gloom had to do with visibility. I walked a pearl-gray trail through a valley of shadow, though, technically, I supposed, I walked between shadows. Picky-picky. Someone or something had grudgingly spilled a minimum of light to mark my way.
I trudged through the eerie silence, wondering how many shadows I passed among, then wondering whether that was too linear a way of considering the phenomenon. Probably.
At that moment, before I could invoke mathematics, I thought I saw something move off to my right. I halted. A tall ebon pillar had come into view, barely, at the edge of vision. But it was not moving. I concluded that it was my own movement which had given it appearance of motion. Thick, still, smooth-I ran my gaze up that dark shaft until I lost sight of it. There seemed no way of telling how high the thing stood.
I turned away I took a few more paces. I noted another pillar then-ahead of me, to the left. I gave this one only a glance as I continued. Shortly more came into view at either hand. The darkness into which they ascended held nothing resembling stars, positive or negative; my world’s canopy was a simple, uniform blackness. A little later, the pillars occurred in odd groupings, some very near at hand, and their respective sizes no longer seemed uniform.
I halted, reached toward a stand of them to my left which seemed almost within touching range. It wasn’t though. I took a step in that direction.
There came a quick squeeze at my wrist.
I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Frakir observed.
Why not? I inquired.
It might be easy to get lost and into a lot of trouble.
Maybe you’re right.
I broke into a jog. Whatever was going on, my only real desire concerning it was to have it over with as soon as possible, so that I could get back to matters I considered important-like locating Coral, springing Luke, finding a way to deal with Jurt and Julia, looking for my father. . .
The pillars, at varying distances, slid by, and items which were not pillars began occurring among them. Some were squat, asymmetrical; others were tall, tapered; some leaned upon neighbors, bridged them, or lay broken at their bases. It was something of a relief to see that monotonous regularity destroyed, in a way that showed that forces played upon forms.
The ground lost its flatness then, though it retained a stylized geometric quality in the stacked, step, and shelflike appearance of its various levels. My own way remained flat and vaguely lighted as I jogged amid the ruins of a thousand Stonehenges.
I increased my pace, and soon I was running past galleries, amphitheaters, forestlike stands of stone. I seemed to glimpse movement within several of these, but again it could easily have been a function of velocity and poor lighting.
Sense anything alive in the neighborhood? I asked Frakir.
No, came the answer.
Thought I saw something move.
Maybe you did. Doesn’t mean it’s there.
Talking for less than a day, and you’ve already learned sarcasm.
I hate to say it, boss, but anything I learn I pick up from your vibes. Ain’t no one else around to teach me manners and like that.
Touché, I said. Maybe I’d better warn you if there’s trouble.
Touché, boss. Hey, I like these combat metaphors.
Moments later I slowed my pace. Ahead something was flickering off to the right. There were moments of blue and red within the changing light intensities. I halted. These glimpses lasted only a few moments but were more than sufficient to make me wary. I regarded their apparent source for a long while.
Yes, Frakir said after a time. Caution is in order, But don’t ask me what to expect. It is only a general feeling of menace that I have.