Chapter 2: New Gwandala
Arkham. Sunday, October 16, 1976.
Due to the time difference between Kyiv and Arkham, it was still afternoon when the group beamed back to Mozzie's lab. But Henry's plans to surprise Eric had to be put on hold. Lavinia was back from the interdimensional library and she bore a gift—the dossier for a new mission.
"So that dragon Neal saw in his vision really was a messenger," Henry said. Even though Neal's description hadn't sounded like a summons, Henry had a feeling that's what it would turn out to be.
"Coppelia is convinced that's the case," Lavinia confirmed.
"If dragons want us to help, why don't they communicate through her instead of planting vague dreams in my head?" Neal huffed. "That would be so much more straightforward. Have I mentioned how much I dislike having a dragon radio in my head?"
"I'm well aware of your views on the subject," Lavinia said calmly. "I addressed the matter with Coppelia. She explained that dragons rarely tolerate outsiders in their discussions, and by outsiders, they mean anyone who isn't a dragon."
Meaning Neal was? Henry didn't share Neal's grumbles. From his perspective, the new alliance with Coppelia's galaxy provided new opportunities. The presence of dragons was a positive.
"You have a couple of advantages over dragons in that universe," Mozzie added. "Your ability to detect the presence of algolnium is one. Another is that you presumably don't get sick when confronted by elevated levels of chaos." He turned to Sara. "None of us became ill during the recent chaos infection in Arkham. Lavinia asserts that if a dragon had been present, it likely would have been incapacitated."
"They become physically ill?" Henry asked, making a mental note. This was the first vulnerability he'd heard about.
Lavinia nodded. "The higher the level of chaos, the more extreme their symptoms. That's yet another reason we've been called in to assist with contaminated worlds."
"If a dragon observes an infection in one of the worlds they don't rule, up to now, their only choice was to contact the Library," Mozzie said. "They do so only grudgingly, often waiting till the damage is so severe it can no longer be ignored. Now they believe they have a better option." He smiled complacently at Neal. "You."
Neal glared at him. "I'm no dragon."
"True, but your Celaenian blood makes you the next best thing," Henry said bluntly. "I get that you're not thrilled about having fire-breathers in your family tree, but it could be a hell of a lot worse. What if your ancestors were a gang of criminals?"
"I bet many would love to be related to dragons," Sara said. "I know I would."
"Just wait till your skin turns to scales, then you may sing a different tune," Neal retorted, probably more sharply than he would have wished. Henry hadn't realized it was such a sensitive subject. Had it become an issue with Sara?
"Skipping over the messenger part, what is it that we're supposed to do?" Henry asked, directing the discussion onto a safer topic.
"Coppelia identified the city based on Neal's drawing," Mozzie said. "It's one of the alternate worlds monitored by the library. What I found particularly fascinating was that aliens resembling the Elnath established a colony there."
"Perhaps they're the same species," Neal said, excitement replacing frustration.
"A possibility I'd also like to explore," Mozzie agreed. "Alas, you won't be able to interview them. They departed from the planet thousands of years ago. Reportedly they left behind a wealth of archaeological evidence. The planet's continents resemble Earth's. The capital city is in the same geographic location as Kyiv but it's known as New Gwandala. Dragons suspect that the Ymar are trying to infect the world with chaos to establish a beachhead in Coppelia's galaxy."
Neal's mouth dropped. "Gwandala is the name the Elnath used for their city in the Antarctic cave. We may be able to find confirmation that they also settled on this other planet!" Any reluctance he'd had about the mission appeared to have vanished.
"Did Coppelia mention why dragons are concerned about the Ymar?" Sara asked.
"A new cult surfaced a few months ago," Lavinia replied. "You're familiar with what they call themselves—the Order of the Yellow Hand. Coppelia believes a contaminated artifact is the probable cause. She's alerted the resident librarian. He'll assist you and provide you with further details."
"Any ideas on what that artifact is?" Henry asked. "This could rapidly turn into a needle in a haystack."
"Coppelia believes the orb that Neal saw in your vision was deliberately planted to alert us," Lavinia said.
"Don't you find it strange that we're supposed to investigate a city that's in the same location as Kyiv?" Sara asked.
"A point I raised with Coppelia," Mozzie said. "She wasn't aware of our interest in Kyiv."
"I suppose we have the enchanted dagger to thank for it," Henry said. Discovering it had been purchased in Kyiv led them to the Order of the Yellow Hand. The cult was already well-established there.
"But that doesn't explain a connection to this alternate world," Sara pointed out.
"We believe it does," Lavinia said. "And Coppelia agrees. We suspect the Ymar are interested in her galaxy because they hope that chaos contamination will eventually lead to the presence of algolnium deposits essential to the growth of Elnath crystals. Since Alberich can travel freely between worlds and has an intimate knowledge of the Library's database, he can select sites that are the most likely candidates."
"Think about what you discovered in Kyiv," Mozzie urged. "You believed a portal might be present in the tomb. We know cult members were involved in looting it. They found the dagger. Wouldn't that make the tomb a good candidate for a portal? Chad probably reported the cult's findings back to the Ymar. Under those circumstances, New Gwandala could have jumped to the top of the list as a candidate for chaos contamination."
"The technology of this world is more advanced than yours but not enough to cause many issues," Lavinia said. "Coppelia provided basic information on the inhabitants so you'll be able to blend in. You'll leave tomorrow."
So much for helping Tracy with the brewpub. Henry hoped Eric didn't plan to get in any sleep tonight. They'd need to make every second count before the scheduled departure.
#
The next day, Sara and her fellow travelers returned to Mozzie's lab. She'd spent the morning with Milly and Lavinia, planning their attire. The dossier provided by Coppelia included several photos of the inhabitants. Women wore pants along with men. The clothes looked futuristic with sleek fabrics and jumpsuits commonplace. Men's hairstyles were a little longer than Neal and Henry's but not enough to make a noticeable difference. Women tended to wear short bobs. They reminded Sara of Mary Quant and hairstyles in the sixties. She'd wear a wig to achieve the effect.
The graviton tunnels used by the interdimensional Library were unlike the Celaenian wormholes they'd grown accustomed to. Milly was unable to use them to alter their physical appearance. Graviton tunnels also didn't possess healing properties, something Lavinia lectured about extensively.
The coordinates Coppelia supplied would take them to a bookstore run by the embedded librarian-in-residence, Robert Orlik.
When the time came to depart, they took their places in front of a wall of glowing instruments in Mozzie's lab. The next instant, they were in the back room of the bookstore. They'd seemingly emerged from a wall of books.
"Everyone okay?" Neal asked.
"I'm good," Henry said, gazing around the room and then paused, looking startled at the man standing in front of them.
"Welcome to New Gwandala! Coppelia sent me photos of you. My name is Robert Orlik."
Robert was a handsome man. His light brown hair was frosted with a little silver. Like them, he wore a jumpsuit.
Neal provided the introductions although they weren't really necessary. Sara was curious to know just how much Robert had been told about them. He seemed particularly interested in Neal. Was he able to detect his aura? Coppelia had mentioned that senior librarians could see the aura dragons projected. Did he wonder if Neal was a dragon?
And what was up with Henry? Why was he studying Robert so closely?
"You arrived in the evening," Robert said. "The bookstore is closed. We can talk freely in my office."
"What do you suspect?" Sara whispered to Henry as they followed him into the public area of the bookstore.
"I'll explain later. How long have you lived in New Gwandala?" Henry asked Robert in a louder voice.
"Three years. It's been a peaceful assignment up to recently."
The architectural style was unlike anything Sara had seen. The bookcases had curved lines and were pale green. For some reason, they reminded her of ferns. Even the walls of the room curved outward. The books themselves didn't look different from those in their world.
Robert's office was entered through a bulbous-shaped door. The desk and chairs were of a pewter-colored metal.
"Coppelia told us the Order of the Yellow Hand has become established in the city," Neal prompted.
"Yes, and that's a curious thing. Please take a seat." Robert went over to his desk and retrieved a folder from a drawer. Opening it, he held up a sheet of paper. "I gather you're familiar with this sign?"
Neal nodded at the image depicting a stick with five prongs. Henry had first found it in Kyiv. "It's the mark of the cult."
"Until this year, it was unknown on this planet," Robert said. "The Order of the Yellow Hand has quickly infiltrated society at all levels. They are also responsible for much of the criminal activity occurring in Kyiv. So far, their influence has been restricted to this continent, but we're concerned the infection will spread. Coppelia told me you suspect a contaminated artifact is responsible."
Henry nodded. "An onyx orb made by a hostile species has been tied to the cult in our world. It may have been planted here as well."
"Some of the Fae are in league with them," Sara said. "Do you know of any who've acted suspiciously?"
"There aren't many Fae on this planet, but one is making quite a name for herself," Robert said. "Her name is Phyllida Vetva. She's an astronomer and has been spearheading an effort to reconnect with the Elnath. She works at the Gwandala Space Institute. The program is called SETI—the Strategic Elnath Tracking Initiative."
Sara couldn't wait to tell Mozzie. He'd told them of a new SETI project started in Ohio called the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. On this planet, they already knew of at least one species—the Elnath.
"How will you go about finding the orb?" Robert asked.
"We think it could be linked to an ancient tomb." Neal pulled a map out of his pocket. "Could you tell us if one is found at these coordinates?"
Robert didn't even need to check a reference. "The tomb is well-documented and a popular tourist attraction."
"Do you have any photos of the interior?" Henry asked.
"Of course." Robert smiled in amusement. "This is a bookstore after all. I'll only be a minute." He exited the office and headed for the bookcases.
Sara took advantage of his departure to ask Henry, "Did you sense something about Robert?"
"Nothing relevant to this case."
How could he know? And didn't that imply he did sense something? Sara was on the point of quizzing him further when Neal murmured, "Robert's returning."
The librarian placed a book with a glossy cover on his desk and opened it. "Locals call the tomb the Shrine of the Ancients. It's believed the Elnath themselves decorated the walls."
Sara stared at the photos in amazement. The murals were as Neal had described in his vision. The same city that was shown in the ice cave was depicted in murals but this time they were in brilliant colors. Surely this was definitive proof that dragons were somehow communicating with Neal—either directly or via the Celaenians. In Neal's vision, the dragon showed him the way just like the winged serpent had on earlier occasions. Didn't that imply that the tomb also contained a portal?
"The photos confirm the tomb is our objective," Neal said, nodding slowly at the truth he could no longer ignore. "We suspect a portal opens from it that possibly leads to Antarctica."
Robert frowned. "What is Antarctica?"
"A continent on the South Polar Ice Cap in our world," Neal explained. "We discovered an underground ice cave there that has murals similar to those in your tomb. The accompanying text explains that the scenes are of Gwandala. The architecture is similar to that of New Gwandala."
"Fascinating," Robert said, stroking his chin. "Such a continent doesn't exist on this planet. As for the name of Gwandala, the inhabitants believe it is the capital city of the Elnath on their homeworld."
"Do you know why the Elnath left?" Sara asked.
"Scientists suspect it is because of a chemical element known as algolnium. The Elnath were originally attracted to the element. They arrived when humans were at a primitive stage of development. They'd yet to create a written language. They readily traded the element away since it wasn't known to have any value. In exchange, the Elnath jumpstarted the planet's technology."
"When did the Elnath leave?" Henry asked.
"Thousands of years ago, once the supply of algolnium was depleted."
"Do you know if any algolnium is currently present?" Neal asked.
"Scientists have long searched for it, but can't find any deposits. The Elnath never revealed what they did with it. Does algolnium have any relation to the cult?"
"We believe it does," Henry said. "Alberich probably implanted the artifact to inject chaos into this world because he hoped new deposits would be the result."
"Algolnium is an essential element for the Elnath to construct wormholes," Neal clarified.
"Then the cult could be linked to SETI," Robert said. "Alberich's allies may hope to lure the Elnath back with a fresh supply."
Sara was surprised but grateful he didn't question them about the orb. Still, he must have wondered. Coppelia said that in their galaxy, books were normally used to introduce chaos into a world.
When something brushed her hair, she flinched. She caught a glimpse of an insect in flight. "Is that a bee?" she demanded.
Robert smiled. "Of sorts." He held out his hand and what appeared to be a bumblebee lit on his palm. "This friend is an animatronic robot. I have several in the shop and use them as monitors."
"You have bugs to perform surveillance?" Henry said, staring at the critter. It appeared completely lifelike. Sara wouldn't have been able to distinguish it from the real thing.
"That and other duties," Robert confirmed. "They guard the shop while I'm out. Don't be fooled by their small size. They can render you unconscious in an instant."
She looked at it with new respect. The technology necessary to create something so small was far more advanced than anything she'd seen on Earth. She wondered what Lavinia would think of it.
"How would you like me to assist?" Robert asked.
"A lift to the tomb would be helpful," Henry promptly suggested. "We shouldn't need to stay long. If our suspicions are correct, we'll collect the orb and then be on our way. Do you think it will be difficult to break into the tomb?"
Robert smiled. "Not for a librarian. We can leave now if you like."
#
During the drive to the site, Robert told them of a special language only librarians of the interdimensional library possessed. It reminded Neal of Sara's enchanted dagger. Librarians could command objects—both inanimate and animate—to obey them. The effect didn't last long and was of varying grades of difficulty. Commanding people was the most challenging.
The language was magical. To non-librarians, it sounded like their native tongue. Neal didn't think he'd ever been as frustrated as when he watched Robert tell the iron gate protecting the tomb entrance to unlock. This was a language he didn't have a chance of comprehending.
Henry's look was comical. "Man, that's enough to make me a book-lover. Can you teach me the language?"
"Sorry, kid. Only librarians have the ability. You'd have to apprentice yourself to the library, spend at least five years within its confines, and then work as an apprentice for several more years."
Henry grimaced. "In that case, I'll stick with my lockpicks."
Was Sara thinking about her enchanted dagger? They assumed it had been made by Yidhra, one of the Ymar. Perhaps the Ymar copied the librarians' ability to influence minds. The dagger was ancient, but no one knew for how long it had been enchanted. Alberich could have stolen the secrets of the language and enchanted the dagger for the cult's use.
The tomb didn't have an elaborate security system. Robert explained that the artifacts had all been moved to a museum. The only items of value were the murals and they were protected by glass.
A modern door closed the opening to the tomb. Robert spoke a simple phrase: Lock on the door in front of me, unlock. A faint snick alerted them that the electronic lock had been released. Neal glanced at Henry for his reaction and was surprised to see him scrutinizing the surrounding hillside.
"Something wrong?" Neal asked.
"Just a feeling ..." Henry frowned. "It's probably nothing, but after seeing those bee robots, I could easily suspect those moths have an ulterior motive." He glanced at Neal and shrugged. "Don't mind me. Robert's already going inside."
Once they'd closed the door behind them, Robert flicked on the overhead lights. Doubts assailed Neal as he gazed at the vibrant murals. They were relying on his vision having been accurate, but had it simply been wishful thinking?
Then he felt it—the unmistakable buzz of algolnium. Robert believed this world didn't have any. Whatever contained the rare element had to be the source of contamination.
Sara approached him. "You've turned into a firefly," she murmured. "I assume that's good news."
"Yeah, I'm sensing algolnium. The artifact has to be here. It's not necessarily an orb. It could be a crystal."
"Assuming Alberich planted it, he probably thought it would be safe," she said. "No librarian would have the ability to detect it."
Neal nodded in agreement as he focused on finding the source. The glass shields weren't a hindrance. They were no more solid than the mural-covered wall—simply another layer to penetrate. The source was strongest next to a scene depicting an Elnath in flight. He'd seen that image in his vision. Was that another clue?
He gently brushed the glass covering the painting as the Celaenian text surfaced on the back of his hand. An instant later a niche appeared in the wall just like in the ice cavern. And within it was nestled an orb. This one was the size of a large orange—about half the size of the first one they'd found.
"Can everyone see the orb?" Neal asked, especially eager to hear Robert's response.
"It looks like an onyx sphere," Robert said. "Is that the source of contamination?"
"Yes, and it's potentially a link to another realm," Neal said. "Sara, do you have the cloth ready?" He didn't take his eyes off the orb. So far, it hadn't turned translucent, probably indicating it wasn't active.
"I already got it out," she said, stepping next to him and handing him the wrap.
They hoped to avoid tripping any alarms by not touching it with their hands, Neal dropped the black insulated cloth over the orb and then carefully picked it up, wrapping it in several layers. Sara held a lead-lined pouch open to receive it.
"We'll take this back with us," Henry told Robert. "Once it's removed, the world shouldn't experience any additional contamination, but you'll still have the cult to deal with."
Robert shrugged. "They're not the only criminal element. As for contamination, Coppelia has set up a special protocol to monitor effects."
They'd accomplished their mission. Once they returned to the bookstore, they could return home where the orb would be placed in quarantine along with the first orb. This mission had been more routine than Neal expected. But he reminded himself not to celebrate prematurely. They weren't home yet. No need to jinx anything.