This was beyond ridiculous.
Melody folded her arms and frowned darkly. This was the third time she had entered an Age and had been immediately captured. The spot where she had linked to had been surrounded by gold bars, making a very narrow cage. Melody drummed her fingers on her arm in annoyance. Things were getting out of hand. She found herself missing the Ages on Myst Island. Sure they'd been deserted and lonely. At least she could link in and out of the Ages without something bad happening.
She looked around the room beyond the bars.
There was a table right in front of her with a light over it. On the table was a goblet, a plate with a fork and some bones, an inkwell, a blank book and a kettle. A large stove looking thing with a fire underneath was on the other side of the room beside a large glass sphere that looked like it contained water. A desk had several scientific tools scattered on it. A ladder led downward into a hole in the floor.
That was all she discovered before the door leading outside opened, blowing a gust of dry wind at her.
A tall, lean grey-haired man in fine robes entered the room. He caught sight of her and smiled.
"I apologize for the cage," he said kindly. "I'm afraid this situation has often required of me a more primitive code of conduct than I might otherwise have chosen."
Melody watched him as he approached the cage. "You're Gehn," she stated.
His smile wavered. "I see you've heard of me. Indeed," he nodded. "I suspect you have acquired some false information of who I am now. Not that my son would have lied to you about me," he said quickly. "No, not Atrus. It's just that I'm sure he still believes me to be the depraved father I once was. I even tried to kill him once," he said, shaking his head shamefully. "If I had accomplished that, who knows what I would have become."
Melody eyed him. He wasn't how she had expected Gehn to be. He seemed old and remorseful, completely at odds with the man she had seen glimpses of on Riven. "So, you're not upset at all that Atrus trapped you here for thirty years?" she asked suspiciously.
"No sentence could be too harsh for the man I was," he insisted, he lifted his head and smiled gently. "But I have changed. To be sure, the deeds of my past can never be completely atoned for, but my mission was an honorable one." He trailed off and stared at her for so long she began to shift uncomfortably. "I'm sorry," he told her finally, shaking his head. "This is all very awkward. Something about the curious look in your eyes, the way you cock your head when you are listening, even the way you speak all remind me of my beloved wife Keta."
Melody suppressed the urge to arch an eyebrow. Keta? So that had been his wife? Was he serious or was he trying to butter her up?
When she didn't respond, he sighed. "It's been a long time since I have tried to persuade anyone of my intentions. Most of the people have already made their minds up about me, one way or another. I myself do not trust the words of most men, so I do not expect you to believe me. In the end though," he said with a smile, "you may discover that I have more than mere words to offer." He turned and moved to look out the window. "Atrus' choice of punishment has been hard on the people of Riven. Many have suffered because of it."
Melody had to bite her tongue to keep from blurting that he was the reason for most of the suffering.
"Did Atrus tell you of the danger the 5th Age is in?" Gehn asked her.
Melody nodded slowly. "He told me that the Age is going to collapse."
"According to my most recent measurements," Gehn told her, turning back to face her. "The 5th Age has entered it's final days. Unless the villagers can be relocated soon, everyone will perish. It has taken me a long time to do it, but it appears as though I will finally be able to make some amends to my past sins."
Melody frowned slightly in thought. He certainly sounded sincere. Had Gehn really changed? But what about everything she had seen in Riven? All of the god-like worship and feeding the villagers to his monsters? And what about Catherine?
As if he was reading her mind, Gehn said. "I'm afraid I have had some trouble with Catherine."
Melody tensed. "Where is she?"
Gehn looked grave. "In any society there will always be a small percentage of the population with rebellious tendencies. Before Catherine appeared the Moiety had been relatively harmless. She has become some sort of religious savior to them. As far as I can tell she has come to believe this herself. So..." he shook his head sadly. "I had to separate her from her people. The actions of Catherine and the Moiety have put not only her life at risk, but my own as well." He looked at her sharply. "Therefore I must ask you to refrain from any attempts to free her."
"Atrus wants his wife back," Melody told him. "Surely you can understand that."
Gehn nodded. "I'm sure Atrus desires it with all his heart. But he is completely unaware of her recent state. Which brings me to the point of all this," he said in a sudden brisk tone. "The linking book you brought with you. May I?" he asked, reaching for the book.
Melody hesitated only a moment before handing it to him. He opened it. The picture of D'ni brought excitement to his eyes. But his excitement slowly turned to a frown.
Melody's heart was in her throat. Did he realize it was a trap? Could he tell it wasn't a real linking book?
Gehn closed the book and looked back at her thoughtfully. Then he smiled. "Perhaps it would be best if you went through first," he said, holding the book open to her.
Melody eyed the moving picture of D'ni, trying not to betray her panic. This was going all wrong. She wasn't supposed to use to trap book, Gehn was. He was suspicious. What if after she entered he realized it was a trap book and left her in there forever? What hope did she have that he would follow her and free her by trapping himself? And she had hoped to discover where Catherine was before capturing Gehn.
"I'd like to see Catherine first," she requested, hoping she sounded as confident as she hoped. "So I can tell Atrus that I have seen with my own eyes that she is not hurt."
Gehn eyed her for a moment, then closed the book and set it aside. "Of course. That is reasonable," he turned and went to his desk. He came back with a book. "This will take you to Prison Island. It is one of the Islands of Riven, but has drifted a small distance away over time. Once you have spoken to Catherine and satisfied your curiosity, return here." He paused a moment, as if unsure about something. "Please believe there is nothing I want more than for a chance to resolve things between Atrus and myself, but unless you are willing to demonstrate to me that your intentions are honorable I cannot risk it. Use the horn to signal me once you have decided to use to book."
After he left, Melody released the breath she had been holding. Had she convinced him, or was he just messing with her? He had agreed to let her see Catherine so easily she wondered if he was setting her up. She'd have to be very careful what she said to Catherine.
Opening the book, she watched the fly-over of an island that looked like it was made from the trunk of a massive tree. She felt a surge of excitement. She was finally going to meet her.
Atrus' wife.
Melody had longed to meet the woman whom Atrus loved so much.
Placing her hand on the page, she linked to Prison Island.
The spot she linked to was inside the book dome on the island. A button next to the book opened the dome and recovered the book. At least she had finally linked to a place without being captured.
Looking out over the water that surrounded the small island, Melody could see the other islands of Riven a short distance away. She wondered why Prison Island had drifted so far from the others.
A walkway lead up and into the trunk. At the end of a short hall was an elevator with bars around one side. Melody pulled the handle and the elevator rose.
It stopped at a small room that Melody recognized as the room she had seen in the viewer in the whark tank.
Catherine must have heard the elevator, because she entered from the enclosed balcony moments later.
Her eyes went wide with shock when she spotted Melody. "You made it!" she exclaimed in surprise. "How did you get past Gehn?"
Melody stared at Catherine with wide eyes. "He... I asked to see you and he let me come."
Catherine looked puzzled, then concerned. "He must really believe I've gone mad..." she suddenly looked at Melody sharply. "I know what he's doing," her eyes scanned the room. "He's watching you, waiting for you to make a mistake. He's hoping you'll lead him back to D'ni. No matter what he's told you, if Gehn gets to D'ni he'll kill Atrus."
Melody started to agree with her, but remembered that Gehn might be watching. "I am Melody," she said instead in a normal tone. "Atrus sent me here to rescue you," she dropped her voice lower. "How do I get you out of here?"
Catherine dropped her voice as well. "I know how to signal Atrus, but it will take both of us. You'll have to trap Gehn before you can get the combination. Be careful."
When Melody nodded her understanding Catherine pulled back and said in an impatient voice. "Are you going to help me or not?"
Melody put on her best confused face. "I... I'm not sure Catherine. You seem... different than Atrus described you..."
Catherine turned away sharply. "Go then. If you won't help me, I have nothing more to say."
The two woman shared a meaningful look as Melody rode the elevator back down. As she made her way back to the linking book, a plan formed in her mind. She knew what she had to do.
It was incredibly risky and there were a thousand ways it could fail, but it was the only thing she could do. The lives of many people depended on her plan working.
Nothing like a little pressure, right?
Melody linked back inside the cage and pulled the lever for the horn. The door opened and Gehn smiled when he saw her. "I'm relieved you have returned. I thought perhaps you had decided against it."
Melody nodded. "You're right. Catherine has become disturbed. Atrus is going to be heartbroken, but maybe if he could reunite with you it will ease some of his pain."
Gehn inclined his head with a satisfied smile. Opening the prison book, he held it out to her. "Here. I shall follow you directly.
This was it. The moment of truth.
Melody forced herself to look unconcerned as she linked into the prison book.
At first everything was dark. Moments later an image of Gehn appeared before her. He was looking down at her from outside the book. It felt so strange, like she was watching a TV in a pitch black room. Was this the view that Sirrus and Achenar had from their prisons? No wonder they had been so desperate to escape.
Gehn looked unsure, like he sensed that something was wrong. She wasn't sure if he could see her, so she smiled and motioned him to come.
He seemed to make a decision and moved to the side. Melody's eyes widened when he returned with some type of gun. So he had been lying when he'd claimed that he wanted to make amends with Atrus! He really wanted to kill him, his own son, in cold blood! Melody shook her head. This was some family Atrus had. A tyrannical father with delusions of godhood and two ambitious murderous sons.
After a few more tense moments of indecision, Gehn finally placed his hand on the page. Melody felt a rush of air as she was propelled forward and out of the book.
When she opened her eyes she was outside the cage. The book lay on the floor. She picked it up and opened it carefully.
Gehn glared up at her, rage turning his face into something twisted and evil.
Melody shut the book with a snap. She really didn't want to be around if he ever got loose.
The sound of someone linking into the room made her squeak in alarm. What if it was one of Gehn's followers? How was she going to keep him from finding out that Gehn was gone?
A surge of relief washed over her as she recognized the figure. "Trace! What are you doing here?!"
"I came in case you needed help," he replied. "Gehn is a very cruel man. I was concerned that he might have captured you along with Catherine."
"Your timing couldn't be better," she said. "A few seconds earlier and you would have blown the whole thing!" she opened the book and showed him Gehn trapped inside.
He looked stunned. "I can't believe you actually accomplished it."
Melody snorted and shut the book. "Contrary to what you may think, I can take care of myself."
A few minutes of searching and she found the lever that lowered the bars of the cage. "Catherine said that Gehn kept the combination to her prison around here somewhere," she told him. "We have to find it and free Catherine quickly before Gehn's followers realize that he is gone."
Trace agreed and began to search the room. Melody climbed down the ladder she had seen before. It turned out that it led to Gehn's bedroom.
Two portraits hung on the wall next to the ladder. One was inscribed 'Keta'. Gehn's wife and Atrus' mother. Melody studied the kind and pretty face. She wondered what happened to the young woman. The second portrait was of a stern older man with pale irises. It was inscribed 'Atrus'. Most likely Gehn's father, whom the Atrus she knew had been named after. It wasn't that strange to be named after your grandfather.
A bed had been carved into the rock wall. The expensive looking blanket had Gehn's symbol on it, the five pen-tips arranged to look like a star. On a table next to the bed, Melody found another journal and a piece of paper with several D'ni number printed on it : 4, 4, 1, 1.
The journal was written in D'ni so she didn't bother with it. As she turned to leave, she noticed an imager like the one she had seen at the school. Curious, she turned the crank.
Keta's face appeared. She was laughing lightly, like she was embarrassed about something.
"I don't know what to say," she said, laughing again.
"Say anything," Gehn's voice encouraged lovingly.
The young woman laughed lightly once more before staring into the viewer. "I love you." she said tenderly. "I love you."
Melody didn't realize she was crying until Trace laid a hand on her shoulder. "Catherine told me that Keta died not long after Atrus was born," he told her. "Other than his father, his wife was the only person Gehn respected and loved more than anything else."
"It's not that I feel sorry for him," Melody said, wiping her tears away. "It's just that... if he hadn't lost her... maybe he wouldn't have become so cruel... maybe it was her loss that made him the way he was..."
Trace led her gently back toward the ladder. "Who can know for sure? Come. Now that we have the combination we must hurry."
So we met and dealt with Gehn in one chapter. :D Next chapter : the final minutes of Riven. I will try to keep to a regular schedule of uploading from now on.
Don't forget to review pretty please.