“Enough,” he said.
I saw the passage I was seeking up ahead.
I approached the place and I halted before I entered it.
“Luke,” I said, “I don’t know what you want or why or how you got here, and you don’t seem to care to tell me. I will tell you something for free, though. This could be very dangerous. Maybe you ought to go back to wherever you came from and let me handle it. There’s no reason to place you in jeopardy.”
“I think there is,” he said. “Besides, I might be useful.”
“How?”
He shrugged.
“Let’s get on with it, Merlin. I want to see that thing.”
“Okay. Come on.”
I led the way into the narrow place where the stone had been riven.
CHAPTER, 10
The passage was long and dark and occasionally tight, growing progressively colder as we advanced, but at length we emerged onto the wide, rocky shelf that faced the steaming pit. There was an ammonia-like odor in the air, and my feet were cold and my face flushed, as usual. I blinked hard several times, studying the latest outlines of the maze through the shifting mist. A pearl-gray pall hung over the entire area. Intermittent orange flashes penetrated the gloom.
“Uh-where is it?” Luke inquired.
I gestured straight ahead, toward the site of the latest flicker.
“Out there,” I told him.
Just then, the mists were swept away, revealing isle upon isle of dark, smooth ridges separated by black declivities. The ridges zigged and zagged their way out toward a fortress-like island, a low wall running about it, several metallic structures visible beyond.
“It’s a maze,” he remarked. “Do we travel it down in the passages or up on top of the walls?”
I smiled as he studied it.
“It varies,” I said. “Sometimes up and sometimes down.”
“Well, which way do we go?”
“I don’t know yet. I have to study it each time. You see, it keeps changing, and there’s a trick to it.”
“A trick?” ,.
“Mere than one, actually. The whole damn thing is floating on a lake of liquid hydrogen and helium. The maze moves around. It’s different each time. And then there’s a matter of the atmosphere. If you were to walk upright along the ridges you would be above it in most places. You wouldn’t last long. And the temperature ranges from horribly cold to roasting hot over a range of a few feet in elevation. You have to know when to crawl and when to climb and when to do other things – as well as which way to go.”
“How do you tell?”
“Un-uh,” I said. “I’ll take you in, but I’m not giving you the secret.”
The mists began to rise again from the depths and to collect into small clouds.
“I see now why you can’t make a Trump for it,” he began.
I continued to study the layout.
“All right,” I said then. “This way.”
“What if it attacks us while we’re in the maze?” he asked.
“You can stay behind if you want.”
“No. Are you really going to shut it down?”
“I’m not sure. Come on.”
I took several steps ahead and to the right. A faint circle of light appeared in the air before me; grew brighter. I felt Luke’s hand upon my shoulder.
“What-?” he began.
“No farther!” the voice I now recognized as my own said to me.
“I think we can work something out,” I responded. “I have several ideas and-“
“No!” it answered. “I heard what Random said.”
“I am prepared to disregard his order;” I said, “if there is a better alternative.”
“You’re trying to trick me. You want to shut me down.”
“You’re making things worse with all these power displays,” I said. “I’m coming in now and-“
“No!”
A heavy gust of wind blew out of the circle and struck against me: I was staggered by it. I saw my sleeve turn brown, then orange. It began to fray even as I watched.
“What are you doing? I have to talk to you, explain-”
“Not here! Not now! Never!”
I was hurled back against Luke, who caught me, dropping to one knee as he did so. An arctic blast assailed us and icy crystals danced before my eyes. Bright colors began to flash then, half blinding me.