PART II

CHAPTER 4

They struck metal an hour before dawn. Paul was standing waste deep in his pit, the sweat running down hisgrimy face and down his toned, scarred torso. His face was a mask of determination, disappointment and anger. Thiswas taking far too long! They should have found it by now. And where was Clasus? He was way, way beyond late!
Suddenly, he heard a cry. 'We got something here, Boss!' he heard Fox yelling. 'We got something!'
Paul hauled himself out of the muddy hole and ran across the hole-strewn dig site towards the excited rabble ofmen who had gathered around one of the holes. Elbowing his workers aside he forced his way to the front of thecrowd. Paul was confronted with alarge pit, very much like the one he had dug except shining at the bottom therecould be seen a metallic floor lightly covered in part by loose purple dirt.
'Lights!' he shouted. 'Get some light here!'
The huge searchlights were swung around onto the pit. The poor man still standing at the bottom held his hand upto his eyes and winced. He was a poor wretch. Clad only in raggedy trousers and a torn woolly sweater. He didn'teven wear any shoes in this freezing climate. Paul regretted having to hire such poor examples of humanity.
'What have we got here?' Paul asked.
The exhausted looking man in the pit dropped his shovel. A loud clang reverberated from the hole. It was definitelymetal they had struck and it sounded decidedly hollow!
Paul was unsure what to do. His mind was a veritable cocktail of emotions. He felt elation that they had foundwhat they were looking for (and what was that? he wondered - Clasus had been more than a little vague on that point).Paul also felt great suspicion. Why wasn't Clasus here? He was supposed to have met Paul here over four hours ago.It wasn't like a Cocytan to be tardy; yet Clasus was unlike other Cocytan's in many respects.
Paul made a decision. 'You and you,' he gestured at two large black workers. 'Get in there and clear off the dirt.'
The two men looked at each other and then jumped down to join the poor man in the deep, wide hole.
'Use your hands,' Paul ordered, aware of the slight tinge of hysteria in his voice. 'Clear the edges! Let's geta good look at this thing!'
The men got down on their knees and began to plough into the Cocytan dirt. Soon they had uncovered the entire floorof the hole. Paul was looking down at a floor of polished yellow metal. 'Is it?' he asked.
The shoeless digger ran his fingernail across the surface of the metal floor. 'Gold!' he grinned with his yellowstained mouth. 'Goddam gold!'
Paul was speechless. He had never been told what they would find in this wind blasted valley, but he had neverquite dared hope to find something like this. Now he had only one impulse - to get as much of this treasure awayfrom here before that bastard Clasus arrived to claim the booty for himself.
He ran a hand down his grainy cheek. 'Fox, get the laser cutters from the supply tent. We're gonna start carvingthis thing.'
Fox's eyes glinted with avarice. 'Sure thing, boss.' He turned and ran, knocking men over like nine pins in hispath.
'Hey, boss Knight!' one of the black men in the pit cried. 'There something here!'
Paul looked down at the man. 'Yeah?'
'It looks like some kind of diamond or something'
Paul's interest was instantly piqued. 'Where?' he demanded.
The man got down on one knee and pointed. 'Here. Near the edge of the pit.'
Paul saw it. It was a small, eye-like protrusion inlaid into the golden floor of the pit. The black man surprisedPaul by pulling out a large bowie knife from under his woollen shirt - Paul had emphatically told the men thatno weapons would be tolerated on this trip.
'I think I can get it out!' the man declared.
His partner who took a step back. 'I got a bad feeling about this,' he whispered.
The man with the knife drove it into the crack where the diamond met the floor.
Suddenly Paul didn't feel so good. The air began to feel charged with a strange energy. Paul felt giddy, as ifhe were standing on the edge of a very tall cliff.
'Almost out…' the black man informed the spectators. 'Almost got it.'
It seemed, to Paul, as if time slowed to a crawl. Fox bustled through the crowd carrying the larger of their threelaser diggers. 'I've got it,' he grinned.
With a 'Pop' the black man succeed in forcing the diamond from its nook. A high-pitched whine filled the air. Theman held the diamond above his head in triumph. A low, ominous humming filled the air.
'Hey,' cried the bare footed digger dancing from bare foot to bare foot like a performing chimp. 'This things gettingwarm!'
Suddenly, dawn broke over the hills on the horizon. A ray of light illuminated the scene, making the spotlightssuddenly redundant. The humming jumped up a notch and began to hurt Paul's ears.
The bare footed man screamed. Thick black smoke had begun to rise from his feet. He fell onto his side and blacksmoke billowed from his side where he fell. Paul could smell burning cloth and rubber and flesh.
'Get them out of there,' he yelled. 'Quick!'
Hands were swiftly offered to the screaming men. The floor of the pit glowed yellow, then red, and then white asthe three men continued to twist and burn in agony. The humming became a high pitched scream. Men fell to the floorclutching their ears, all thoughts of helping their burning comrades forgotten.
Suddenly, the floor of the pit just disappeared entirely, like water evaporating in the hot morning sun. The threeburning men, screaming like banshees, fell from sight down into an all-consuming inky blackness leaving nothingput smoky vapours. The sides of the pit gave way and with a great rush of soil, four of the men nearest the edgewhere dragged screaming into the blackness of the pit.
Paul was pushed roughly to the ground as the remainder of his men hastily sprinted from the quickly eroding edgesof the pit. Paul found himself siting dazed and alone. Petrified with fear he was unable to move as the expandingdarkness rushed to claim him utterly.

CHAPTER 5

'Are you OK?'
Paul reluctantly opened his eyes.
'You blacked out for a while back there.'
A vague dark shape hung over Paul's body. He felt the cold hardness of his bunk beneath him.
'What happened?' he asked.
'We almost lost you, boss.' Paul narrowed his eyes and the dark shape sprang into focus.
'Fox!' Paul croaked, almost happy to see the pox-riddled, weasel faced little man.
'It's me, boss,' Fox said smiling.
Paul groaned. 'What happened to the men?'
'W - we don't know,' Fox stammered. 'Seven men fell into the hole and we ain't heard squat from them again. Allwe heard where their screams and then silence. That hole must be damn deep. Nobody heard 'em hit the bottom.'
Paul closed his eyes. He felt heartily sick. This was supposed to be a simple operation. They come in, dig, findClasus's treasure and then leave with everything Clasus promised them. Nobody was supposed to die.
Fox's slight girlish hand touched Paul's arm and Paul couldn't help but flinch and push it roughly away. He didnot like to be touched.
'Er, boss,' Fox said meekly. 'You've, er, got a visitor.'
Paul sat up quickly. Looming in the corner of the ten was the unmistakable figure of Clasus.
'Where were you?' spat Paul.
Clasus strode forward on his strange footpads. He looked down on Paul like a man looking at a particularly repulsivecockroach. 'I was here all along Mr Knight,' he said, in his peculiar even tones.
Paul swung his legs over the bed and stood swaying before the Cocytan. He did not care to continue lying down inthe creature's presence.
'Liar!' he hissed with real venom in his voice.
Clasus whipped his horse-like head back and made an odd gurgle, which may have been a laugh. 'Mr Knight, I havebeen monitoring everything that has transpired here from a geo-synchronous orbit above the planet. I could notrisk a landing until I was sure that your little expedition had found … the things I seek.'
Paul was incensed. His whole body was trembling as he fought the urge to throttle this grotesque monster.
'And how many people would you have watched die before you landed?
'Mr Knight…' Clasus began.
'HOW MANY?' Paul screamed.
Clasus said nothing for a long while. The wind outside had died completely with the coming of the weak Cocytandawn. In the near distance Paul could hear the movement and whisperings of his workers as, attracted by the commotion,they gathered inquisitively around the tent.
'Mr Knight,' Clasus said at last. 'At present you have little idea of what we are seeking…'
'You said you could get me into Aquilaria!' Paul interrupted.
'Indeed I did…'
'You didn't say that I would have to see seven men die to get there.' Paul interrupted again.
Clasus made his strange throaty gurgling laugh again. 'You are a criminal, Mr Knight.'
'I'm not a murderer!'
'Others would disagree.'
'Screw 'em,' he spat. 'I ain't never done a crime I didn't have to do.'
'Mr Knight, you do not see the whole picture yet. I said I could get you inside Aquailaria. This is true. But whatif I told you that I could give you more? Much, much more...'
Paul's anger was spent and he was exhausted. He realised he had not slept in over 48 hours. He flopped down ontothe bed.
'What are you talking about?'
Clasus eyes glowed as Paul had seen them do before when what passed for his emotions were aroused.
'Mr Knight. What if I could offer you the throne of Aquilaria?'
'What?' Paul said, disbelieving.
'I, Clasus of Cocytan, son of Clhavah the wise, offer you, Paul Knight of Earth the city of Aquilaria to rule asyou will.'
Paul's mind reeled. He did not believe a word Clasus said, yet could he afford not to believe.
'I don't believe you,' Paul said flatly.
'Mr Knight, when you enter the heart of darkness you will believe. You… will… believe.'

CHAPTER 6

The crystal ship had already obtained a thin layer of Cocytan dust. Paul briefly stopped to examine itsbeautifulmulti-faceted surface. The vessel looked something like a huge, frozen teardrop: Perhaps a tear from a long-forgottenCocytan god, weeping for the human's brutal rape of his beloved world? Wiping the grime away, Paul looked deepwithin the shining hull and saw a reflection himself staring back. 'Christ, do I really look that old?' he thought,staring at the weather-beaten vagabond he saw. Looking closer he realised that there were a number of scuffs andchip marks around the base of the ship. He guessed (correctly) that this was where his men had tried to chip offpieces of the precious crystal.
Clasus, realising he had lost his companion, stopped and turned. 'My ship interests you?' he asked, leaning heavilyon his huge walking staff.
Paul didn't reply immediately. 'It's expensive?' he asked eventually.
Clasus did not understand the question. 'Expensive? All value is relative, Mr Knight. What may have value to mecould be nothing but meaningless junk in your eyes.'
Paul snorted. 'Is that what we'll find down that damn hole, Clasus - meaningless junk?'
'No,' Clasus said, sharply. 'Be assured that we will all find… what we are looking for.'
They had reached the chasm. The sunlight, now rising quickly above the hills, failed to impregnate the darkness,which seemed to emanate from the ravine. Paul gestured for Fox to bring him a torch, which he shone into the depths.He saw nothing.
'Deep,' he said.
'Indeed,' Clasus agreed.
Paul began organising his men. A rusty motorised winch was brought out and set up beside the hole. Paul pickedup the thick length of rope.
'OK, lets go,' he said to Clasus.
'I beg your pardon?' said Clasus.
Paul stared. 'What? Do you want to go first or should I?'
Clasus took two steps back on his long, dinosoid legs. 'You misunderstand me, human. I will not be descending intothe interior of this…' he paused. 'Thing.'
Paul dropped the rope with some force. 'What?' he snapped angrily.
'I cannot go into that place!' Clasus cried. For the first time since Paul had met him he sounded genuinely alarmed.
'And why not?'
Clasus looked to the ground. He wrung his claws together. 'Mr Knight… I can not go down there. I… I am…'
'Spit it out, Clasus,' said Paul.
Clasus hung his head again. Paul could almost sense he wave of shame emanating from the creature. 'I have a terriblefear of the dark,' Clasus whispered.
Paul gaped, amazed by the uncharacteristic display of emotion. His mouth began to curl into a smile, the smileturned into a grin and then he laughed. The laugh soon became a torrent, a raging river of mirth. Paul couldn'tstop himself from slipping to the floor. He gripped his stomach as he laughed a huge belly laugh that could curlyour hair. When had he last laughed like this? When had he last laughed at all? He couldn't remember and he didn'tcare!
Clasus ran over to him. 'What is happening?' he asked, alarmed. 'Are you OK? Are you ill? Mr Knight… Mr Knight!'Paul shook with a renewed force as the Cocytan skipped lightly around him in alarm. 'Paul! Paul!' Clasus cried.
The use of his own first name forced Paul's laughter to splutter and die like a broken motor. 'Y-you called mePaul!' he gasped.
Clasus looked abashed. 'I apologise Mr Knight.'
Paul chuckled and then sighing he held out his hand. 'Help me up,' he sighed.
The Cocytan reached out and gently hauled the Earthling to his feet. Paul grinned to himself - god it had feltgood to laugh again! 'Lets do this thing,' he smiled. He quickly and expertly wrapped the rope around his bodyand under his legs. Paul sat himself next to the chasm and slowly pulled his great tree trunk legs over the edge.They looked very small, hanging in space. Looking up, he took one last look at a sun much different than his own.How long would it be until he saw such a sight again?
Fox looked at him expectantly. 'Ready boss?' he asked.
Paul's face was grave, his laughter already seemed a dim memory. 'Lower me down,' he said. Fox pulled a lever andwith a violent judder the descent began.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Copyright DBurr 2000

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