The Seventh Seal (The Chronicles of Daniel Stone Book 1) Page 17

  ‘The clearer one of the two large planets is Earth; the other is Arthe. Thera is the smaller one that links both.’

  ‘Wow, that is truly amazing, but why can’t we see it on Earth?’ said Daniel inquisitively.

  ‘Ahh, that’s all part of the regulogical science, Daniel, not my strong point, I’m afraid. You should probably ask the Professor about that. I’m more of a fighter than a man of science,’ said James, trying to cover up his years of missing school lessons.

  The carriage now began to move towards Thera at lightning speed and long streaks of light from the stars started whizzing past him. As the carriage entered the outer space of Thera, he could feel his feet warming up with the friction of re-entry and he suddenly thought, This is just too real. The carriage swooped down through the clouds at a steep angle.

  ‘Hold on, Daniel… whhoooo,’ shouted James from behind him.

  Between the clouds Daniel could once again see the massive timber structure he was atop and was able to convert a little of the fear back to excitement; it was a ride, this wasn’t real. The carriage cleared the clouds and he could now clearly see the track in front of him and the land below. He could make out a large lake and as they gathered speed and headed steeply down the track he could feel his stomach dancing inside – that fine balance of fear and excitement that brings out the child in everyone. The carriage reached the bottom of the steep loop and slowed. They both relaxed with big gulps of air.

  They pulled to a stop over the lake and the carriage turned 180 degrees. Daniel looked down mesmerised by the gently rippling water below and had to blink several times; he tried unsuccessfully to touch it. His focus on the lake, however, was short lived as he heard the distant sounds of voices from the hill next to the lake.

  As he looked up he could see the mound erupting like a volcano, except it was not spewing lava, it was erupting with colour, colours so complex he had never seen anything like them in his life. He could make out the outline of people as the carriage once again began to move in on the scene. As they got closer the voices grew louder and he could see Tolemak Castle starting to build out of the ground at an accelerated speed. Scaffold and construction workers could be seen building walls and dressing stone and Daniel started laughing at the sheer scale of the experience he was having. Within a few moments they were looking at the grandeur of the completed castle and once again the carriage began to move, heading at speed towards the newly completed wall. This time, however, Daniel just smiled, but couldn’t help closing his eyes as he once again passed through the concealed wall gate.

  Once inside the castle the carriage started its journey back to the inner courtyard, back to where he got on the ride; he smiled at this subtle joke by Fawkes and Spokes. A nice touch, he thought. The scene around him was exactly as it was in real life — whatever that was. Within a few moments he was in the large chamber in the central courtyard looking on at a group of people dressed in a similar manner to the current Keepers sitting around the great table arguing.

  ‘We do not need to forge this Arcanum,’ said the one at the head of the table slamming his fists down to emphasise his point.

  ‘Yes, we do! The people of Earth and Arthe are killing themselves in their thousands; we need to exert more authority over them than we currently do. They will destroy themselves; they cannot live together in a civilised way,’ argued the one at the opposite end with equal conviction and emotion.

  ‘It is too far, my friend, we cannot create such power; it could undo all that we are,’ said the first man, anger now turned to disappointment.

  ‘We don’t have a choice… it is a risk we have to take,’ said a more composed third man. Everyone around the table nodded in agreement.

  ‘Very well, let it be so,’ said the first man dejectedly.

  The carriage left the chamber and entered the laboratory to see a man holding two large metal tongs embedded in the flame of the regulus. Light danced and sparkled as he manipulated the tongs before removing them and adding the final piece to a large golden casket in front of him. He stood back to admire his work as the other men materialised into the laboratory to congratulate him. They stood proudly together as if preparing for a photograph, all smiles, bar one who looked ashen faced with fear. This was the end of the ride and the carriage left and returned to the dark tunnel where he and James had started.

  ‘What a ride,’ said Daniel excitedly.

  ‘They never let you down,’ said James proudly.

  ‘Well, my friends, did you enjoy that?’ said Bernard Spokes who ran over to them excitedly.

  ‘Unbelievable, Mr Spokes, thank you. I don’t know how on Earth you managed to do all that,’ said Daniel, still flushed with adrenalin.

  ‘Ahhh, now that would be telling. Just remember, Daniel, all that you see, feel, touch and hear is what your brain tells you it is; we just take advantage of those limitations. When you are a Keeper you will understand more. Now go and enjoy the rest of the Fawkes and Spokes extravaganza. It is after all in celebration of your arrival.’

  As they left Bernard Spokes and the amazing Arcanum ride, Daniel turned to James.

  ‘This place doesn’t get any less weird does it?’

  James looked at him with a wry smile. ‘Weird is what life is, Daniel. It brings joy and pain, confusion and clarity. It is our role to maintain the balance; this is our fate and this is your fate.’

  For the rest of the day they lost themselves in the joy and excitement of the carnival. Daniel made many new friends as he relaxed and let the people of Thera embrace him and he embraced them. Albertus and I were conspicuous in our absence but we had to prepare for the recovery of the Seventh Seal.

  20th September 2012, Thera

  It was a cold September morning when we all left for the Northern Ice Fields to recover the missing Seventh Seal. To be honest not one of us knew what to expect and there was a degree of excitement amongst us all to see what was going to happen. It was time, certainly for Albertus and me, for some poignant reflection as we returned to the place where Michael had died, but it was not a time of tears. Daniel did not ask and we did not offer up any discussion about his father’s death; it was a focus on the job in hand that led the events of the day.

  Daniel was standing amazed, not only by the scenery but by the ability of his min-ed clothing to keep him warm. His head was telling him that in this frozen ice land he should be jumping up and down, shivering in the cold, but he was quite comfortable, the only indicator from his own body of the low temperature being his steamy breath.

  We had materialised at the southern end of the lake, next to a large wooden building. This was elevated on wooden piles and accessed from landside by a dog-legged staircase, with a sturdy V-shaped ramp leading from the lakeside elevation down into the water. At the centre of the ramp was a single metal groove; this was the guide rail for the contents of the building.

  We were outside the bathyscaphe enclosure: a submersible machine that was once used to collect gold deposits from the bottom of the lake. The gold had now all gone, but the bathyscaphe and the building were maintained out of habit more than necessity. Today, however, it had a specific use and Albertus was glad we had it; without the Professor, we had no other means of recovering the seal. Albertus now stood before us at the entrance.

  ‘Can I have your attention please?’ he shouted. ‘Thank you. The bathyscaphe can only take two people, but I will need to borrow one of your seals in case of emergency, you understand.’

  What was interesting about the request was the reaction from the Keepers. This was Albertus Magnus, Keeper of Peace at Tolemak, the most trusted of all people, yet everyone instinctively placed their hands on that part of their min-ed cloaks that contained their seals and paused. Perhaps that trust had been dented by recent events but one thing was certain the connection of the seal to its owner was absolute and under no circumstances was it comfortable to give up. James was looking sheepish in the back of the group, feeling the same reaction and self-que
stioning how on Thera he could have lost his seal.

  In the end it was Jade who brought the uncomfortable feelings to an end.

  ‘Here you go, Albertus… take care down there.’

  ‘Thank you, Jade… don’t worry, we will.’

  Albertus and Daniel turned and headed up the staircase into the building.

  The timber building was large, the size of a family home, and inside you could clearly see the beautiful craftsmanship of the carpenters who had built it: the majestic frame, a complex array of beams and rafters called crucks formed an arched tunnel and if it were not for the object that they housed, Daniel would have stared at it for hours. But the intricate timbers were just the frame for the picture before him. The bathyscaphe looked like a giant bug, three large bronze-coloured globes each formed from individual strips of metal riveted together and arranged at the apices of an upside-down triangle, interconnected by a series of beams. It only stayed upright due to it being locked into a metal channel in the floor and a similar supporting V-shaped timber structure on either side, the same as that found on the ramp. The bottom globe was punctured by portholes and Daniel stood open mouthed.

  ‘Well, my boy, what do you think of her? Isn’t she beautiful?’ said Albertus proudly.

  ‘I was going to say it is quite unbelievable… but I’m starting to realise unbelievable no longer has any meaning.’

  Albertus laughed. ‘Very true, young Daniel, now shall we get on?’

  Albertus gestured with his arm toward the bathyscaphe. He opened a small hatch on the lower globe and let Daniel get in.

  Once inside Daniel could see two side-by-side leather-covered seats in front of a simple control panel with four dials and several buttons. A half-circle brass control wheel mounted on the left-hand side of the control panel and a lever that looked like a brake on an old-fashioned car, Daniel thought, indicated the pilot’s seat.

  ‘Sit down, sit down,’ said Albertus as he squeezed through the opening and half fell, half sat onto the pilot’s seat. ‘There’s not as much room in here as I remember, either that or I’m getting plump in my old age… I fear it is not my memory that’s failing me,’ he said with a smile.

  ‘Well, let’s get this show on the road, shall we? I think that is the Earth phrase, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yep,’ said Daniel nervously.

  Albertus flicked a switch on the control panel and the two doors in front of them started to slide open revealing the vista of the lake beyond. The tunnelling effect of the arch and the supporting timber structure made Daniel feel uneasy, like he was about to be launched at high speed.

  ‘Don’t worry, Daniel, relax,’ said Albertus as he pressed a large green button on the control panel. There was a clunking sound of gears and a slight jolt as the bathyscaphe started to gently move along its channel.

  As they reached the exit doors, Daniel gripped the arms of the seat, fearing a sudden slide forward down the ramp. The vessel, however, stayed in the vertical position as it gently made its way forward, almost floating as if it was already on the water. Albertus pulled the lever to his side back one notch and the craft disengaged from its underbelly gearing and now floated gently, half in, half out of the water.

  ‘That wasn’t so bad,’ said Daniel with a sigh of relief.

  Albertus smiled and now moved the lever forward one notch. There was a swooshing sound of water as he adjusted the buoyancy of the craft and they slid away into the murky depths of Akgrada.

  ‘What do we do now, Albertus? How do we find Dad’s seal?’ said Daniel.

  ‘You mean your seal,’ corrected Albertus.

  ‘I guess,’ said Daniel, a little reluctantly.

  ‘Well, the funny thing about the Seventh Seal, Daniel, is that it will find you. All we have to do is have a nice gentle ride down here for a while… you’ll see,’ said Albertus jauntily.

  Their only light on the front of the craft did little to pierce the muddy water and only created strange shadows and light effects. After an hour of staring into the gloom, Daniel’s eyes were struggling to focus. His imagination was running wild, thinking he was seeing things, including his father’s face in the shadowy water and he was constantly rubbing his eyes.

  ‘Are you alright, my boy?’ said Albertus.

  ‘Yes… where is it, Albertus?’ said Daniel frustrated.

  ‘Be patient, we will find it…’ said Albertus comfortingly.

  ‘Aaarrrrgggggghhhh.’

  Without warning Daniel screamed out in pain, clutching his side. Albertus jumped with shock and moved the steering wheel sharply to the right, tipping the craft over at an acute angle and spilling Daniel from his seat. The bathyscaphe, now out of control, continued on its current path, and then crashed.

  Albertus was tossed out of his chair and hit the floor with a thud, catching his head hard on the way down on the edge of the seat. The bathyscaphe moaned and groaned as the metal capsule, now bent and deformed, was caught in an underwater rock formation. The craft had slammed sideways into the rocks and one of the upper capsules was now crushed and wedged into two opposing rock faces. The capsule they were in had hit the base of the rocks and several of the rivets had popped. Water was leaking in.

  Albertus recovered slightly, clutching his bleeding head.

  ‘Daniel, are you alright?’

  Daniel was still in agony and seemed a little oblivious to their current predicament.

  ‘I think… I’ve been… stabbed… What’s… happened?’ he said.

  ‘We crashed and are now taking on water,’ said Albertus.

  ‘Get us… out… the seal,’ said Daniel, now struggling to cope with the pain.

  Albertus sighed. ‘Daniel, I can’t, we have to get the Seventh Seal.’

  ‘You’re… bleeding,’ said Daniel.

  ‘Don’t worry about that. Listen to me, Daniel, you are not hurt. The pain you are feeling is your father’s pain… it’s… it’s like an echo. We must be close to the Seventh Seal. Look at yourself; there is no wound. The pain is in your mind. You need to concentrate, we don’t have much time.’

  Daniel winced as he moved to view his wounds and, as Albertus had said, there were none. He could feel it; he could feel the cold steel of a blade. He could feel the emotion of the person holding the blade coursing through his body like a poison, but he could also feel his father. He stood up and focused.

  The pain dissipated and he ignored the water now rising rapidly and just short of his knees. Albertus was dizzy with pain from the knock on his head and had to struggle upright to avoid being consumed by the rapidly rising water. He looked at Daniel and smiled and sat himself back into the pilot’s seat to steady himself. Daniel focused on the porthole in front, ignoring the rising water now up to his waist.

  Within a few moments the capsule was filled with bright, blinding light. Albertus winced and covered his eyes, but Daniel stood, eyes wide open, seeing clearly the Seventh Seal now approaching him like a lost child running to its mother. The seal smashed through the porthole glass, filling the capsule instantly with water. Daniel, now with the Seventh Seal, looked commandingly at Albertus, nodded to him and was gone. Albertus followed the new Keeper of the Seventh Seal.

  7 – To Earth!

  15th September 2012, Earth

  Lucius was keeping a reasonable distance from Elizabeth Shurman, Sam Summerhill and Simean James as they continued to head away from the apartment. After running hard, he had slowed to a jog and then to a walk as they got further from the scene of the crime and they attempted to blend in with the crowds.

  Lucius followed the trio for a good half-hour before they turned off into a small mews. At one end of the U-shaped suite of houses was a large arched wooden garage door. Set within it was a smaller door and it was on this they knocked. Lucius listened intently to the combination; this was no random knock: two rapid taps, two long thumps followed by three more rapid taps. Not exactly sophisticated, he thought, but then again, no one knew they were here; they didn’t need to
be sophisticated with security. Lucius made a mental note of his position and returned to the EP headquarters to meet up with the Professor and Paris.

  *

  Inside the garage Simean and his two companions, sweating and still catching their breath, were confronted by Smee.

  ‘Did you get it, Simean?’ he barked.

  ‘Yes… but—’

  ‘But what, man… you have got it?’ said Smee impatiently and a little concerned.

  ‘Yes, we have it, but we ran into some trouble… the police were there… we had to kill them,’ said Simean.

  ‘That is of no concern to me, as long as you have the Arcanum… give it,’ said Smee, like an ill-mannered and heartless child.

  ‘You’ve got what you want, Smee, now what about what I want?’ said Elizabeth.

  ‘My dear lady, all in good time,’ said Smee, now much calmer.

  ‘Your little escapade at the house has complicated matters. Your son must have reported you missing to the police.’

  Smee was thinking and speaking at the same time. ‘He must also have given them or told them something about you… why would the police be watching the house otherwise? London is a big city; people go missing all of the time…’ Smee, now concerned, looked angrily at Elizabeth.

  ‘What does your son know about us?’ he shouted.

  ‘Nothing… nothing at all, I kept my work from him… unless…’ Elizabeth, now employing the same technique of thinking out loud, was processing the events.

  ‘Unless what, woman?’ demanded Smee.

  ‘Unless he found my records,’ she said meekly.

  ‘I kept records of the organisation, for protection really, just in case what they were doing was illegal and I needed to clear my name. I kept records of everything…’

  Smee, silent in thought, paced around the gloomy garage for a few moments before turning back to face the three of them.