Five minutes later the ledge became narrower still, and it struck him that his alarm was endangering his life more than the difficulties of the ascent; thought of the immense drop below flooded his bloodstream with adrenaline, making him feel weak and light-headed. At this point he recalled the thought mirror which he had left behind in his room, and experienced a despairing feeling of regret that he had forgotten to take it. But the thought brought a momentary sense of concentration which was like sudden relief from nausea. He wrinkled his forehead and clenched his fists, trying to recapture the feeling of control induced by the thought mirror. At the same time, he told himself that nothing could be more stupid than terminating his career through weakness and loss of nerve.
Then, in a flash, he saw the answer. What he recognized, with sudden total certainty, was that he was not here by chance. What had led him into his present situation was some kind of destiny — the same destiny that had brought him to the spider city and enabled him to free his fellow humans from their slavery. If he fell now, it would be because he was destined to fall. And that, he saw, was an absurdity. Whatever he was destined for, it was not to die by accident.
The sense of panic evaporated and was replaced by an almost dreamlike feeling of confidence and certainty. Suddenly, it seemed to him that he understood Qisib’s last words — that an unbroken spirit is unconquerable. It was exactly as if a fence had been erected between himself and the abyss. It now seemed to him that the ledge was wide enough for two persons. He ceased to press his back against the wall, and once more began to walk forward in the normal manner.
Asmak said: “We are almost there. If you will excuse me, I will guide your footsteps until the worst part is over.”
At this point, the rock face bulged outwards, and a series of foot- and handholds had been cut into it. But the slope of the bulge meant that these were narrow and inadequate; as Niall climbed up after Asmak, he became aware that the slightest movement toward the left would cause him to lose his grip. Asmak’s guidance was necessary because the holds were at irregular intervals, and it was sometimes necessary to place both feet in the same narrow step to reach the next handhold. Toward the top of the bulge, their movement ceased to be diagonal, and became almost horizontal. But at least Niall felt that he was in Asmak’s hands, and that the spider had no intention of allowing him to fall.
A moment later, they had surmounted the bulge, and Niall’s feet were once again firmly planted on the narrow ledge. It struck him as amusing that he should feel as relieved as if they were back on solid ground.
A hundred yards further on, the ledge suddenly widened. The rock above bulged outward, so that it was necessary to crouch to avoid banging his head, but this was a minor inconvenience. A few yards further, he became aware that there was a rock face on his left as well as his right, and that they had entered a narrow tunnel that smelled of mold. There was another smell which he recognized with relief — that of damp earth. The air also became noticeably warmer. Now the roof of the tunnel was supported by wooden props, and the ground underfoot had been cut into a series of steps, also reinforced with wooden boards. Moments later, his eyes were dazzled by an explosion of light that made him close them tightly; he stumbled on a step and fell to his knees.
Asmak said: “I am sorry, lord. I should have warned you.” The light vanished; when Niall cautiously opened his eyes, they were in a green twilight. Then Asmak again moved aside the curtain of vegetation, and the tunnel entrance was illuminated by the light of the rising sun.
He had to crawl out on his hands and knees — the entrance, which was in a steeply sloping bank, was hidden by bushes that grew close to the ground, and concealed by a large moss-covered stone. The warm air was full of an odor that resembled new-mown hay, mingled with the scent of honeysuckle and gorse. Even before he pushed his way out into the daylight, Niall knew where he was; the sight of the banks of rich vegetation, with their red and yellow flowers, only confirmed it. He was standing at a spot within a hundred yards of the warehouse that Skorbo had used as a larder, and the air was full of the tingling vitality that was like a fine spray of water.
Now, suddenly, Niall understood why the flowers here bloomed in midwinter. It was because this spot stood directly above the sacred cave, and its earth was permeated by the tremendous energies that were stored there. The life-force of the goddess created a kind of permanent springtide. This was also the reason that Skorbo had chosen the site for his larder: its energies kept his paralyzed victims alive.
It came as something of a surprise to find that it was already dawn — although Niall should have realized it when the young spiders were absorbing and storing the life-force of the empress plant. The total darkness of the sacred cave had prevented him from making the connection. Now he realized with astonishment that he had spent the whole night underground. The time had passed so quickly that it seemed no more than two hours.
Asmak said: “Shall I summon a chariot to take you back to your palace?”
“No. It’s such a lovely morning that I think I’ll walk. But first I’d like to rest for a moment.”
“Of course.”
A patch of rich green lawn between the flowering shrubs looked very inviting; the thick, springy grass reminded Niall of the Great Delta. He lay down with his head against the root of a tree, and closed his eyes. The sun seemed to caress the skin of his cheeks and forehead. Buoyed up on a feeling of peace that was like a rising wave, he was carried into sleep.
He was aroused by a vague feeling of discomfort; the sun had moved around a few degrees, leaving him in shadow, and a cool breeze had sprung up from the east. A glance at the sky told him that he had been asleep for at least two hours.
As he sat up, he realized that the spider standing a few feet away was not Asmak, but his son Grel. The glossy black hairs on the young spider’s body shone like ebony in the morning sunlight.
“Where is your father?”
“He apologizes for having to leave. He has to be at work.”
Niall yawned and rubbed his eyes. His stomach rumbled; he had never felt so hungry in his life. “Thank you for waiting.”
“Thanks are unnecessary. It would be unlawful to leave you unguarded.”
“I did not intend to fall asleep — only to close my eyes. Are you not tired?”
“No. The sacred cave always makes me feel more awake.”
“You have been before then?”
“Seven times. But never before have I stood in the presence of Cheb the Mighty, or his counselor Qisib.”
As Niall received these words — transmitted directly, without the encumbrance of language — he was able to see into the young spider’s mind, and to recognize that the experiences of the past few hours had made a profound difference. The Grel of the previous evening had been little more than a thoughtless child; this Grel was almost an adult.
They were walking past Skorbo’s larder, and Niall paused to look in through the open door. The warehouse was completely empty; not even a single strand of web now dangled from the beams that supported the ceiling. Only a red stain on the concrete floor — the blood of the bull spider — remained as a reminder of what had happened so recently.
The air was soft and warm, heavy with the scent of flowers; he realized that the wind was blowing from the south. As they walked back along the sandstone-colored road, which looked as if it had been built only yesterday, past glowing banks of flowers, Niall became aware that his companion was bursting with a desire to ask him a question, but was forbidden by spider protocol to address a superior without being spoken to first. In an older spider, this desire would have been undetectable; but Grel had not yet learned the art of self-concealment. Niall asked: “What is it you want to know?”
If Grel had been a human child, he would have blushed. But the intensity of his curiosity overcame his embarrassment. “Now that you know the history of the enemy, do you intend to seek him out?”