Chapter 21 – Where's Vili?
Aagog had the smell of Vili fixed in her brain from our tour of his quarters. If he walked away, rather than Apparating, she would track him. As we left Vili's 'aristocratic cell' it was immediately evident that he had simply walked away. Aagog picked up the trail immediately, leading us to the door at the very end of the corridor of cells. I asked her to crawl to the ceiling atop the door and be ready to scurry through when we opened the door. We were prepared for anything as we opened the door.
We were in a guardroom without guards. There were weapons mounted on the wall, bunks for four guards, a round wooden table with four chairs, a big ring of keys, a spyglass, and nobody. Well, nobody right now. Almost as soon as Aagog scurried into the room and dropped from the ceiling, an excited message jolted my mind.
I smell Frijjo. Vili too.
I wondered who had died out on the frozen surface of this world. I also wondered how Frijjo had managed to bypass Odin's defences while carrying a stone designed to lead its bearer to destruction, rather than admit them to this fortress.
I headed to the opposite door, but Odin sat in one of the chairs and called us all to the table. "we must think. We shall instruct the fortress to reject Vili and Frijjo and to detain them for us. I must understand how the fortress worked against my purpose. Its intelligence is linked to Yggdrasil. We must ask Yggdrasil's help. I don't see how what has happened is even possible. It is unbelievably dangerous. We learn, we think, we plan. No more wander blindly through fortress, not knowing what is behind door. I know a trap lies ahead. Frijjo and Vili have been allies for many centuries. They are devious. All of this was carefully planned. We have one chance not to die."
Hermione and I were to speak with the fortress, while Odin reached for Yggdrasil He would work through the Black Stone in the pyramid between worlds. He didn't think the relatively minor fortress intelligence could listen in to his conversation. If I occupied its attention, he was very certain of that.
I established contact with the fortress and asked its intelligence "How did Frijjo gain access without the proper stone?"
The one allowed entry carried the proper stone.
"I thought you told me that the attempted visitor was killed by your defences and that all of the prisoners were killed"
The one who came after the visitor with the stone was killed. You saw her body. The three prisoners were killed in their cells. This is the rule, when a false stone approaches me.
"I've been to Vili's cell. He is not dead. He is somewhere inside this fortress."
Vili was not a prisoner, when the invader appeared. The visitor with the official stone ordered that he be freed. I freed him. That is the rule.
"Okay. But then Odin, I, and my friends arrived with the actual official stone. You admitted us to yourself and allowed us to open doors, with and without the stone."
That is my duty. Once you use the stone to open an important door, you may freely open lesser doors. What would be the point in requiring the stone each time. I do not understand how the one whom you call Frijjo gave the official stone to you. She hasn't left the fortress since she arrived."
"Odin gave me this stone months ago and he had carried it for many years. It seems there are two different stones which you recognise as official. Odin said that he made only one stone. Yggdrasil made it for Odin. How can there be a second official stone, which Odin does not know exists?"
I don't know. It is not my place to know. I was taught how to recognise an official stone. I have just checked. You are correct. There are now two official stones inside the fortress. A false stone lies upon the corpse of the invader. That is all I know. You and Frijjo are both my mistresses and I recognise Odin's authority, also.
"I'm confused. You were built by Ve. You just killed Ve."
"Ve was a prisoner. The rules required me to kill all the prisoners. Ve and his friends built the physical shell of the fortress. I was made by Odin and Yggdrasil. I am a piece of Yggdrasil.'
"Did Ve build this fortress without an intelligence?"
He put a most inferior intelligence in charge. Odin destroyed it and put me in charge.
"Who were the other two prisoners?"
Friends of Ve who were brought here with him. I was not told their names.
Where are Frijjo and Vili right now?"
Top floor of the tower beyond this room. Be warned, the rule requires that I prevent either group from harming the other. You each carry an authenticated stone. Tell this to Odin. He will try to break that rule and harm Frijjo and Vili. He does not follow rules. That is most dangerous.
I was surprised. That was a bit more subtle understanding than I expected from this piece of Yggdrasil. I glanced at Odin and saw he had finished talking to Yggdrasil. I thanked the fortress intelligence and told it that we would peacefully visit the others.
I relayed all of this to Odin. I stressed the seriousness of the intelligence's warning not to try to harm Frijjo or Vili. Odin seemed intent upon and eager to do exactly that. I was very curious, but also sought to derail Odin's quest for revenge, by asking: "what did Yggdrasil tell you. Can it gain us complete control of the intelligence?"
"It can, but it is going to take a while. I do understand the warning. I'm willing to calmly talk with them, for now, but we are close to the time for severe action. I left Frijjo and Vili in charge for too much time when I wandered. They had every opportunity to learn most of my secrets, including the stone. There was more than one bad stone. I thought I had them and all knowledge of them very well hidden. I carried the real stone with me, even in spirit form. It is a polished specially instructed piece of the White Columns of Vanir, which I destroyed. I kept the broken pieces. They have many uses. The identification stone, the fake stones, and the Stone which is the intelligence are very closely linked - Yggdrasil and I made them at the same time. I have no idea how Frijjo learned of that secret. Yggdrasil swears it did not tell either her or Vili. I believe it. She is clever. She could have studied both the real stone and a copy while I slept. I was not always as safe as I should have been in checking for potions in my wine, when she shared my bed. She is far cleverer than I imagined. Yggdrasil is checking whether or not Frijjo had help from any of its off-spring Stones."
"Thank you for that explanation. Should we visit the intelligence in person, before seeking Frijjo?'
"That is the most desirable approach, but Yggdrasil and the intelligence agree that approach to the intelligence is barred to all, until it and Yggdrasil agree upon who has a right to command it. Meanwhile, the intelligence will host and protect all of us. The fortress grows its own vegetables and there is meat, if you don't want more than fish or fowl. Every spice you could want, from every one of my worlds, grows here. We will neither starve nor be forced to endure awful food. Your purpose is served. I am now calmed. We must go visit Frijjo and Vili. Keep your protective charms at maximum and be ready for anything. The intelligence will do its best to keep us safe, but our foes are devious. Don't assume we are walking into a safe meeting."
There was an elevator. Odin felt the stairs were safer, as they gave more flexibility and didn't trap us inside a little box, poised for a long fall. There were very many stairs and the vertical height between them was larger than is comfortable for me. I felt pooped as we reached one floor below our destination: floor ten. I quietly opened the door to that floor and led us in search of comfortable seats and, hopefully, refreshments. This floor held multiple living quarters. I led us to the apartment in the middle of the floor and plopped into the padded furniture in the very large sitting view. We had a stark starlit view of this dead world, through one wall, which was all transparent crystal. I intended to linger here. I needed a good half hour to regain my strength. I could tell that Hermione needed longer than that.
"You are both so young. I am disappointed in your lack of vigor, compared to ancient Odin."
"I sort of am also, but please, just be useful and see if you can order some food and especially some non-intoxicating drink."
This was possible. Two mechanical elves delivered trays of food and drink, placing them on tables in front of us. I thanked them and they rolled away, shutting the apartment's door behind them.
Why did you stop? Frijjo and Vili are anxious to speak with you. They await - impatiently. You could have used the elevator, if you tire so easily."
Thanks. I told the intelligence that I would happily have chosen the elevator, but Odin did not regard it as adequately safe. I think the intelligence was offended. I promised we would appear in half an hour.
Odin didn't lie. The food and drink were excellent. The fish was probably the finest I have ever eaten. It was spiced to perfection. Fresh orange juice was a treat, but I drank mainly water. It was a tasty mineral water.
I convinced Odin that it would now be a surprise to arrive by elevator. Hermione's smile thanked me.
"Well, nice of you to finally join us. I was afraid I had frightened you too badly. I understand you all were greatly surprised to learn that I still live. I don't know if it's favor or not, but I will answer one burning question and tell you that your frenemy Narcissa Malfoy is the charred heap on the bottom level. She was oh so eager to get a jump on you by visiting this fortress before you did. She was certain a great prize awaited her here and that she could bypass all the travails of Quest, by boldly coming here. That last part proved true, in a way. I gave her the stone you gave me. That was a filthy trick by the way. You wanted me dead."
We sat. "Not a filthy trick. I didn't give you the stone, you stole it from me. I didn't expect you to do that. I thought but wanted to confirm that it would unlock the box. Odin had told me it would open many of his special places, except for this fortress, where it was a deadly trap. If you had stayed for a few seconds, I might have warned you. When you just vanished, I thought this is where you had gone. You needed a new protector."
"Vili has been my ally for a very long time. I don't need a protector. I'm stronger than Vili and probably Odin. I'm certainly stronger than you. At least I was before your spider bit me, but I will be full strength very soon."
Odin was annoyed. "Not full strength, you traitor. I killed yourself in that long-ago time. I walled off your favorite version of that time. I believe the great forest fire became a much smaller thing. Why do you do this?" He spat that last question.
"That's easy. I want to survive and live a life of purpose. I want to be treated as equal. I want my people to thrive. I want to rid my life of the cursed spiders. They are primitive, lacking in magic, just barely above the bar to count as intelligent, and murderous. They seem to take a disliking to me. I think it a great crime for you to have unleashed them upon Asgard and seid-space. Now you have apparently given them their own world. What could possibly go wrong? They almost wiped out both of our people in the past. I tried to change the past to improve the present. You have lost interest in your worlds. Vili and I have not. I did not wish to fight you. I was willing to wait for you to become a spirit and abandon us. You pushed me to this. It was not fair to deny me Vili. At least you couldn't bring yourself to kill your brother.
"You have been very stupid. The spiders on Asgard and in seid-space are from Terra. I killed the one egg carrier. You've brought the second with you. Kill her and there will be no Acromantula on Terra. That means none anywhere except their own world. That world can be isolated, and the contagion ended."
She pointed a finger at Boldgog. Aagog swung in front of Boldgog, to shield her. It wasn't necessary. It was as if an invisible shield separated our two groups. Frijjo's curse harmed neither spider.
You must talk, not fight. Fighting is against the rules. I will stop it. That was your only warning.
Frijjo looked surprised but lowered her arm and clasped her hands in her lap. "It appears we are forced to compromise. You and your friends can have this place, if Vili and I can leave safely with a good head start. Is that acceptable?"
Before any of us could respond, Vili rejected that deal. "No, I want my child and the lovely Adrienne. Ginny is correct that Adrienne matters. She matters to me. She and my child must be part of our deal."
"You expect me to surrender Professor Celine and her baby to you?"
I must have sounded as incredulous as I felt, because Vili instantly contradicted me. "No. I don't need that. I need sufficient head start to harvest them myself."
Surely, he knew a better, kinder word than harvest.
"Am I to share you with Adrienne?"
"The prophecy says this is necessary for our future. I had to share you with Odin. Fair is fair."
"Odin and I are God and Goddess. You are only a near-God. Adrienne is a not especially well educated mortal."
"That never stopped you from sharing my bed or coming to me for protection and help with your plans. If what Odin says about the death of your other self is true, you are now only near-Goddess, yourself. Let's not quarrel as we stand before our ultimate victory. Odin will leave. We will rule Asgard and Vanaheimer as married Gods. We will be Gods. Who that remains on those worlds will be our equal? We can all have what we want. You enjoyed Adrienne every bit as much as I did. Admit it."
"I don't have to leave right away," Odin told us.
"Yes, you do. Your time is past. You make mistakes. You have become more obstacle than help. I will give you a month, and then your spirit must fly away, my love."
That was far and away the nastiest 'my love' I have ever heard.
"We accept your deal and will give you a day," Odin told her. "I shall decide how soon I will depart as spirit. That is my decision, not yours."
"Don't delay. I don't guarantee your life beyond a month. As for the rest of you, you have a month to finish your business on Asgard and return to your home worlds. If I see you in Asgard after that time, or in seid-space or on Vanaheimer, other than to pack up your people and things and return home, I won't guarantee your lives, either. That goes double for the spiders.
Vili and I shall eat, sleep, and be gone in what passes for morning here. You can have it. This is the gloomiest place I've ever seen. The distant stars are brighter than its own. I don't know why you thought Ve didn't tell me he was building this place. He brought me here twice. I felt no desire to return, until you and your friends forced this trip."
