A Twist of Eternity by P R Glazier
~
We were under way again continuing our journey towards the centre of the city. It wasn’t long before the empty, derelict buildings we had been used to, began to be replaced by very different looking structures. We became aware of increasing habitation within the buildings either side of the roadway along which we walked. These signs of habitation continued to increase and before long we were quite obviously walking within a densely populated part of the city. Pnook people were everywhere; all going about their daily activities as if nothing out of the ordinary had ever happened here. Some stopped to take notice of our procession, but most ignored us and went about whatever business they had in mind.
I knew from stories that the Pnook were the most industrious of peoples. These tales seemed to be true. Always they seemed to be very intent on carrying out some task, completely of one mind in achieving some unknown goal, as if their very existence depended upon it. I was reminded of termites in a termite mound, each individual having a part to play in the greater good of the colony. That is exactly what it seemed like to me, every Pnook, both male and female seemed to be rushing about oblivious to their surroundings, just wanting to get to wherever they were headed and complete the current task at hand without any interruption or inconvenience.
How very different these people were from my own race. Not that the T’Iea are lazy, far from it, but unlike my people the Pnook did not seem to stop for anything. No one stood on a street corner chatting to another, no one had the time it seemed to stop for five minutes to pass the time of day, and no one greeted another in passing. All it seemed just walked swiftly looking straight ahead or at the ground in front of their feet. What seemed initially to be curiously different grew as we walked along into an increasing feeling of discomfort within me.
After another hour or so my attention was drawn to the fact that the road upon which we walked, as well as each of the roads leading off it, were becoming obviously wider and wider and the buildings each side of these roads were getting grander and grander, the number of Pnook actually walking the streets began to grow dramatically until it became quite difficult to walk in a straight line because of having to dodge people. Many a time I had to apologise for accidentally hitting someone with my back pack or my elbow. Yet none acknowledged my apologies, as before they just carried on taking not the slightest notice. When I enquired as to where we were, I was told we were entering the finance district of the city. These were the banks, the financial buildings. The people here were wholly concerned on oiling the cogs and wheels of monetary administration within the Pnook world and their city. As these thoughts were passing through my head, our company suddenly stopped and looking around I saw that we were outside a circular building nestled between the larger buildings that made up most of this district of the city. I immediately thought of the airship hangers we had seen. Our Pnook hosts walked forward and opened a large door in the side of this building and we were ushered within. The inside proved to be a single large room, in the centre lay a large horizontal wheel like device flush with the floor level on which we stood. The wheel must have been at least a hundred metres in diameter and I noticed was rotating very slowly, less than walking pace. It was towards this wheel that we were taken and now we stood right on the edge of the stationary part of the floor right before the great turning wheel. I looked around and noticed that at regular intervals around the wall of the building were circular tunnels.
As we waited I began to feel a slight movement of air, at first a slight breeze that just played with loose hairs hanging around my face. But then after a minute or so it became an unmistakeable gust blowing continuously in one direction. This wind was cool and pleasant but had a strange oily sort of smell about it, the odour of machinery I learnt later. I reached up with my hand to stop the loose fronds of my hair from blowing into my eyes and then saw a large form coming out of one of the tunnels at quite a speed. This form was a cylindrical shape all black and shiny with a rounded front and back. As it fully entered the room it slowed dramatically and eventually ended up sitting upon the slowly rotating wheel with its front end towards the centre and its rear end at the outer edge of the wheel on the circumference, I say front and rear but there was nothing really to make me think either end was the front or the rear as they were identical. It looked like a single spoke on the wheel, but as I was watching another of the cylinders entered the room from another tunnel and like its predecessor ended up stationary on the wheel in the same way but about thirty degrees around the circumference from the first cylinder that had appeared. A hissing noise was heard and the whole of both sides of the first cylinder to arrive on the wheel started to open upwards revealing the interior. Inside were several Pnook all sitting on seats that ran along the length of the inside of the cylinder from front to back. Several of them stood and stepped out from the cylinder and made their way along its sides and off the edge of the wheel, they went out of the door of the building and disappeared. However not all the Pnook got out, one remained seated, he was reading a tablet that he held on his lap, he didn’t look up but just carried on reading.
Our Pnook hosts beckoned us to enter the cylinder and take a seat, as we did so I banged my head on the edge of the open door and suddenly realised that the cylinder was designed for much smaller people than me and it was going to be quite cramped for head room. I then thought about poor Jondris and Teouso, I looked at Jon, he had taken a seat, well three seats actually because of his size he was bent over in what looked a somewhat uncomfortable fashion his elbow leaning upon the seat next to the one upon which he sat and his head overhanging the one next to that. Poor Teouso fared little better. Because of this we all took some time to get on board the cylinder and then get settled to a position where the doors could be closed; two times the doors made to close but opened again automatically when they detected an obstruction to their closing correctly. The first time it was Jon’s foot the second time something of Łĩnwéé’s, although I suspect he was trying to be awkward as he smirked and Serinae who ‘sat’ next to him touched his arm and shook her head in a scolding way. In the end much of our gear had to be stowed separately for it took up too much space otherwise. It took a good ten minutes or so to get settled into the tight space. I was glad that no gnomes turned up to add to our number because by the time we were all on board there was not much room for anything or anyone else. But then again I suspected that if any did come to use this cylinder they would probably take one look at what was going on and abandon the idea!
The Pnook that had remained seated was no longer reading his tablet, but was frowning at us in a most unhelpful manner and shaking his head from side to side a look of distain upon his features, little wonder really since he had been jostled and poked numerous times, with many of us apologising as we tried to settle in. But eventually all was in place and the two doors that had opened up along the sides of the cylinder closed successfully. As soon as the doors had closed a light flickered on and began to glow in the interior of the cylinder and illuminate the inside. The Pnook that had been reading shook his head back and forth and eventually began his reading again. He no longer took any notice of us. Then I felt a jerk and we began to move. I could feel the cylinder moving the opposite way to that upon which it had entered the building from the tunnel. I could not see outside but I guessed that what would probably happen is that we were making our way to another of the tunnels in the wall of the room, or maybe even the same one from which the cylinder sprung forth from earlier, there was no way of telling. Our movement continued slowly, but after a few minutes I could feel a smooth acceleration and I guessed that we must be back in a tunnel. The journey was very smooth, no bumps or vibration and this I was pleased about because I just fitted in the space and it seemed to me that if there was the slightest bump I was going to hurt my head or a knee or something as these parts of me were uncomfortably close to the outside shell of the cylinder.
After a few minutes of this, I fidgeted to get more comfortable in my
She turned and said, “I suspect that we have arrived at our destination.”
I was about to ask where we were when Serinae, nodding towards the little picture on the wall, she seemed to read from it, “the sign says CENTRAL TERMINUS. LINE TERMINATES HERE. ALL PASSENGERS PLEASE DISEMBARK.” Then she added, “we have to get off here. Or I guess return from whence we came.”
I was impressed that she obviously could read Pnook and probably speak the language to, there seemed no end to the surprises that Serinae could still produce even after all this time we had been traveling together. We began to slow and after a slight vibration, the only jolt I felt during the whole journey we came to a standstill and the light inside our cylinder dimmed as the sides again opened up and we were able to exit. We were in another of the buildings very similar to the one where we had started this journey, but this one was vastly bigger.
We disembarked from a large flat wheel similar to the one before, but this building held more than one of the wheels, in fact I counted six such wheels around and either side of the one on which we stood, and I assumed that others were further round from where I could see right around the building to the other side. There were hundreds of people in this building, all walking intently as always, some entering cylinders some exiting cylinders of which there were also many all stationary on the flat, slowly rotating wheels. Traveling cylinders, for that is what I called them until I found out their true name which collectively for the whole travelling system was The City Rapid Transfer System or CaRTS as the Pnook commonly called the system for short. CaRTS cylinders were coming in and out of the building from many tunnels around its edge, but this building also had tunnels sloping downwards through the floor of the building in the centre part.
I stood aghast at this sight. This place and this society were just so different from my own. I thought back to the tree city of my birth, the wide forest covering the whole continent, the peace and tranquillity of that place, the grass under my feet and the swaying boughs above my head. If I needed to go anywhere I had to walk! I did not feel right in this place of metal, glass and stone, glancing at Serinae I got the impression that she felt a similar reserve about the place. She had been right, there was no green here, I had not seen a single tree or even a small shrub since we passed over the Ealle river delta and left Dahl’Ambronis. There was no familiar feel of the tree spirits here; it was if I had gone blind or deaf, that I had lost one of my senses. I felt a feeling of numbness about me and I did not like it one bit.
We were led across this great hall and exited through a door to the outside again. At least it was pleasant to smell the fresh air once more after the cramped journey in the CaRTS, but as I looked around I became amazed at the height of the buildings within the district we were now in, they towered above us until they seemed to almost touch the blue sky high above. The number of floors in the buildings I just couldn’t bring myself to count. Jondris placed a hand upon my shoulder for without knowing it I was about to fall backwards. I assumed this was because I was looking up at the buildings that seemed to be leaning over me, almost falling onto me, a most disconcerting visual trick. I looked back down and shook my head. I shivered as I thought that we were high enough above the red desert already, I did not relish going any higher. But my fears were to be realised when after walking around a corner and down a road for a little way, we came across a grand entrance into one of these buildings. I rejoiced as I saw the portico because either side of the steps leading up there sat a beautiful silver tree, branches growing wide and joining over our heads like an archway, but my joy was dashed when up close I realised that these trees were not virile natural growths but just creations of glass and metal. I shrugged and tried not to show my disappointment to our hosts. Inside was a vast hall full of Pnook and other peoples, all were dressed in finery, and I became a little self-conscious about the travelling clothes I wore and the mud upon my boots and the dust that must have covered me. But none of these fine people seemed to notice us as we were escorted across the floor.
Again I found myself wishing for the forest and the ability to wander alone amongst the trees all day if I wished and not see another soul. But no such luxuries were to be afforded to us here it seemed.
Eventually we were shown to a small sunken area accessed via three broad steps through an opening in the surrounding low glass and metal enclosure. In the centre of this area were several low tables surrounded by soft sumptuous chairs, we were invited to sit. I did so and as I sunk down into the soft cushions of the chair I had chosen it felt like I was sitting on the floor for I was forced to lay my legs out in front of me otherwise the low chair would have me sitting with my knees under my chin.
All of a sudden weariness came over me and the trials of the last few days became fully apparent as my body cried out for rest and recuperation. Serinae I noticed sat on the edge of the table rather in one of the chairs, her bow and quiver again laid across her knees as I had seen her sit so many times before. She had her eyes closed and a look of concentration on her face made me wonder what she was up to.
Łĩnwéé on the other hand, being nearer to the height of the average Pnook, although obviously much broader in stature, was sprawled in his chair one of his legs over the arm of the chair the other on the ground in front of him. He took out his pipe and made to fill and light it. He looked comfortable at least, whereas Jondris and Teouso preferred to stand and not sit in the Pnook sized furniture. I gave a smile because the contrasts between all of us looked most comical.
Captain Nuaton who had escorted us here from the very moment we landed in the outer rim of the city gestured to a couple of his men who approached him; the three of them spoke together in a huddle for a minute or two.
The captain then said, “Tnie, you are under a warrant of arrest, I think it best that we honour that demand, at least for the time being.”
As he spoke these words Tnie slowly stood and nodded his consent. I was taken aback by this, firstly the fact that Tnie was being arrested, secondly that the captain had arrested him in such a manner that obviously hinted at some sympathy perhaps towards Tnie’s plight.
Łĩnwéé however, stood and taking the pipe slowly from his mouth said, “this be preposterous, leavin‘ im be he has done ye nay harm.”
At this Łĩnwéé strode purposefully forward to face the Pnook officer.
Before Łĩnwéé could reach the captain Tnie pushed in between them and placing a hand on Łĩnwéé’s shoulder said, “it’s alright, be at peace. It is probably better that none of you are seen in my company for there are unfriendly eyes in this city that would seek any excuse to have you, all of you, viewed unfavourably, or worse. Let me go, we will do this the cities way, for now at least.”
When he was sure that Łĩnwéé was calmed even though he continued his growling and muttering beneath his beard Tnie turned and said, “lead on Captain Nuaton.”
We all watched Tnie, the captain and one of
But then a loud voice called out a greeting. "My friends may I be the first to welcome you to the City of Scienocropolis and to the High Counsel Chambers.”
At this I turned as did all the party and there standing on the top step leading to our little area stood a Pnook in magnificent garb, wielding some kind of odd looking device across his folded arms, by his side stood a Pnook guard in bright red livery of the ceremonial type.
Immediately the remaining Pnook guard in our company dropped to one knee and bowed his head in the direction of this new comer. My immediate thoughts were that this was the king, and I wondered if I to should bow in deep respect.
“Please accept my warm welcome to you all. My name is Don Trynacs, I am advisor to the king who has assigned me to greet you this day and be at your bidding, if you wish anything then please do not hesitate to ask.”
At this he moved down the steps and started to move amongst us shaking hands and tipping his head slightly to all that he addressed. When he came to Serinae she stood and took his hand, but she did not bow but just held his gaze. A few words passed between them I could not tell what was said. Eventually he came to me and I stood he reached for my hand and shook it.
“Another of the fair folk, we are certainly blessed this day.”
He then moved on towards Jondris. I looked after him, I couldn’t help wonder at the slight sneering expression on his face when he had spoken to me, the hairs on the back of my neck crawled and I decided that even though I had just met with Don Trynacs I would not trust him ever.
Once these formalities had been finished, our Pnook guard who had escorted us from the moment we had first landed in the city was dismissed with a wave of the hand. We were led from the vast entrance hall of the building and escorted down many corridors, this time in the company of Don Trynacs and his personal guard. For some inexplicable reason this made me feel uncomfortable, as if the dismissing of that last remaining guard of Prince Resen's also saw the dismissal of something friendly and familiar in this alien of places.
The further away from the entrance hall we travelled the less activity was to be seen until eventually we were led to a hall off which many doors led, presumably giving entrance into as many rooms. We stopped outside one of the doors and Don Trynacs waved a hand nonchalantly in front of a small box by the side of the door, as he did so the door slid sideways into the wall and disappeared revealing the inside of a tiny room. He ushered us in, and there was just enough room to accommodate all our party plus Don Trynacs and his guard. The door slid back and suddenly we started to move, I stifled a scream and felt a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach just like the feeling I experienced at time whilst travelling in the air ship across the Trad Ocean. Surely we weren’t flying again inside this little box. The feeling subsided however to my great relief and the door opened as before, we all left the small room only to step out into a very similar hallway as before. I thought that we may even be in the same place for it was identical and I wondered at what possible purpose the small room was designed for. But we walked from this hall and entered another wing of the building. As before this corridor was lined with doors all identical in the way that they looked. I felt quite giddy and somewhat disorientated as no landmark or natural way points were at all obvious.
We passed many of these entrance ways, but eventually we stopped outside a door and Don Trynacs again passed his hand in front of a similar small box set into the wall beside the door. As before this door slid into the wall and the interior of this room could be seen. He bowed low and ushered me inside, so I walked forward closely scrutinizing the door frame, but I could not see any clue as to where the door had gone. Once inside he bowed to me once more and said that this was to be my room for the duration of our visit, and that he would be back later to fetch me. At this he turned on his heal and strode out through the doorway. I was about to follow to see where the others would go, when the door suddenly appeared again barring my way. I looked for a handle, none could be seen, then remembering the little box he had passed his hand in front of I looked for one on this side, but no luck, again nothing of the sort existed. I searched and felt around the door but could not find any way to open it. At last I resigned myself to the fact that in actuality this room, however nice it may look was in fact a prison cell. I could only guess that my companions perhaps also found themselves imprisoned in a similar fashion. So much for Pnook hospitality I thought.
I walked across the room to where I could see wide windows set into the wall. All I could see through the window was blue sky and I wanted to see what else there was outside, however as I walked towards the window I continued to only see blue sky. It was only when I stepped right up to the window and looked down that I could view any part of the city. I involuntarily stepped back from the window a cold sweat on my brow, I stifled a small scream. It was a minute or two before I could pluck up the courage to again slowly approach the window, this time I was on my hands and knees.
The streets and most of the buildings were far below the level where I stood. We were so very high up in this building, I wondered if we were actually at the top or if there were other floors above us still. On looking around only a handful of other buildings seemed to be this tall and those were quite distant, many other buildings rose high up in this district of the city, but none were of the same height as the level from which I looked out over the city now. I backed away from the window still on all fours. I was very tired by now and removing my boots I lay back upon the sofa that was positioned in the centre of the room, I was thankful that the sofa faced into the room, not looking out of the windows. I was soon fast asleep.
I don’t know how long I slept for, I dreamt of hideous chasms of sheer rock, bottomless voids into which I kept falling. In my dreams it seemed whatever direction I walked led to a sheer drop into nothingness. But, besides these dreams I awoke feeling refreshed and ready for whatever the day had to bring. I felt even better after indulging in a hot bath which I found in a separate smaller room of the one in which I slept. A further room held a massive bed, far too big for me alone, I hoped I wouldn’t be sharing it with anyone. Once I had figured out how to fill the bath from two water spouts or taps as they were called. I lay there soaking until the water became quite chill, I must admit I did on a couple of occasions let some of the cooler water out of the tub through a little hole in the bottom made for that purpose and refill it using the hot water from a one of the taps. But eventually I felt the need to abandon the watery comfort and prepare myself for whatever lay ahead. I was presuming something was going to happen today and I wasn’t going to spend the whole day and night, or longer alone here in this room at the convenience of Don Trynacs.
Sure enough soon after I had gotten dressed and readied myself for whatever the day would bring I heard a bell ring somewhere within my room and turning towards the sound became aware that a small area of the doorway was slightly translucent from this side, I had not noticed this before, but now I could see Don Trynacs standing outside with Jon and Łĩnwéé. I waved at them but they did not seem to notice me. I shouted my greetings but oddly they didn’t seem to hear. It was then that I noticed a little sliding door had opened in the wall by the side of the door exposing one of the little boxes that seemed to control the door opening and closing. I waved my hand in front of the box and the door slid open. Intriguing, I thought, they lock me into the room but when they want me to come out they allow me to choose whether or not I wish to do so.
Don Trynacs bowed but kept eye contact with me as he did so, he greeted me and bid me follow him and my companions so I walked forward and enthusiastically greeted Jon and Łĩnwéé who both greeted me in return. We proceeded to walk down the corridor alerting our other companions to our presence; all opened similar doors to similar rooms as my own and joined us. Serinae was last to join t
She smiled at me and greeted me with a kiss on the cheek. She seemed in high spirits, and as if to answer my question whispered, “amazing what a nice hot bath can do eh, Mini?”
I smiled being used to her second guessing things like that and nodded to her.
Before long we were back in the main hall of the building which seemed pretty much the same as we left it yesterday, assuming that I had slept all night, for the daylight could be seen shining through the window of the building and the shadows were short so I estimated the time as being pretty close one side or other of midday. We walked across the entrance area of the building into a glass tunnel that led off one side. This tunnel I could see ran for a short distance and lead into a second building a little way away.
So we walked into this second buildings entrance hall. This entrance hall had seating in a similar arrangement, but there were far fewer people in this one, and what people there were looked heavily armed and appeared to be elite guards of some kind. I turned to ask Serinae where we could possibly be heading, she just gazed forward, so I left her to her thoughts and looked at my other fellow travellers, all the rest didn’t seem to be perturbed by our surroundings and this at least put me back at ease a little.
We were told to sit in a seating area, and Don Trynacs after nodding to his guards left our group and walked through a doorway which closed behind him. After around fifteen minutes or so the doorway opened and he returned accompanied by a Pnook guard and to our great joy and surprise Tnie. After allowing Tnie to sit with the rest of us Don Trynacs then went to a large door in one wall where he knocked a number of times with his staff. After a while two guards slowly pushed the door open from the inside and after a brief exchange of words Don Trynacs waved to us, we were beckoned to enter. I just had time to notice that Tnie at this point seemed to be shivering, but it was not cold here, I touched him gently on the shoulder and he immediately jumped sideways as if stung by a wasp or bee. He looked at me with sullen eyes, I noticed his pupils were large and I detected a distinct look of fear in his face. This I found most unsettling, but still my other fellows did not seem to feel any fear and I wondered exactly what we were being led into.
The inside of the chamber we entered was the most sumptuous yet. Gold furniture was everywhere and I could see Łĩnwéé looking greedily at the shining metal all around. There were also a number of alcoves set into the walls; each had a statue mounted within set upon a dais also made of gold or at least gold leaf or some kind of plating. I didn’t think for one minute that each of these was solid gold. I didn’t think there could be enough of the metal in the whole world to make all of the dais’s' present here. My attention switched to the statues as we passed them on the way to another large doorway at the other end of the chamber. Each statue was of a Pnook but very big at least five times life size judging from my experience of the race. Each held a staff across his chest and had a coronet upon his brow. They all looked very stately.
After a while the alcoves became empty, as if the occupants had retired for some reason, or perhaps they had not been filled yet. Anyway eventually we came to the door at the end of the hall. To my surprise it opened inwards to reveal yet another hall, but this one had no alcoves either side, just tall pillars reaching from the floor to the ceiling which looked to be perhaps over fifty metres distant. I smiled at myself thinking that the gnomes being such a small people certainly made up for that in their constructions and creations. There must have been a smile on my face because Jon nudged me, as I looked at him he gave me a grave look as if to say wipe that silly smile of your face. I obliged by making a fake glum look back at him, never the less this seemed to satisfy him and he looked away, I nudged him back and he glanced at me just so I could stick my tongue out at him. Then I bumped into something, it was Don Trynacs who had come to a stop and I hadn’t noticed. He turned and glared at me, I felt my features glowing red in embarrassment. Jon I noticed was now smirking and Serinae had her hand over her mouth hiding her shoulders were jumping up and down.
But then a line of robed Pnook appeared from between two pillars, they marched across in front of us and after around twenty or so had appeared a Pnook dressed differently from the rest, his hands clasped behind his back strode into the room. He was looking down it seemed at the heels of the Pnook in robes he was following. When this differently dressed Pnook was directly in front of us the procession stopped and as one all turned to face us. The Pnook in the centre looked up, his eyes sweeping across all of our faces; they lingered longer on Tnie who was still looking at his feet I noticed. He then spun on his heels and walked away from where we stood, the rest of the robed Pnook remained where they were. But the one who had walked away climbed several wide stairs that I had not noticed before, and on reaching the top a large golden seat seemed to rise from the floor and when it was in its final resting place the Pnook sat upon it.