Chapter seventy A

The Exotic Stack Library, Kinspit University

Nigel had already examined the door, ‘Very fine engineering, Ang’ he had said ‘but a bit out of my area’. ‘And mine’ Angharad  had agreed. They had spent a long time staring at it, but neither of them seemed willing to touch it.

Bentley had had enough. She knocked on the door. It swung open.  A slender elf in a pale toga stood behind the door.

‘Who are you?’ she asked.

There was no time to answer.  Military footfalls echoed down the steps behind them. A troop of soldiers, perhaps twenty strong, came marching down the stairs. They wore  uniforms, but with cloaks bearing a black panther insignia. Bentley thought they looked rather smart; particularly one tall, very dark haired, female soldier who held herself particularly erect. Bentley was too astonished to be afraid.

‘Let us through – we’re the city guard’ announced their leader, a much rounder female elf with  a booming voice.

‘Are you really?’ asked Bentley, ‘you’re dressed a bit strangely…’

The leader elf stopped and stared at her. The others in her group stopped too; dutifully behind her. The slender elf took a step through the doorway.

‘You’re not the city guard’ said Bentley

‘Yes we are…’ insisted the round elf, ‘…new dispensation’

‘Are you from Helios?’ asked the Naga

There was a murmur of surprise that spread round the guards; even their leader joined in. Bentley felt she had to intervene.

‘I’m not sure where that is, but it seems that they are from there’

The tall soldier, her leader and another troop member went into a little huddle. At least this time, though, their deliberations were brief.

‘Originally, yes’ answered the leader, ‘but now we are part of the Queen’s city guard and loyal to our new country’

‘Helios…’ murmured Angharad, ‘…that was the place where John ended up’

The naga flashed green. It was a split second thing but it was striking enough to make everyone shut up.

‘Are you subjects of the Basilieus in Epipelagia?’ she asked

They all shook their heads synchronously.

‘No’ announced their leader, ‘we are subjects of Queen Sophia and citizens of Skiophos, her realm’

‘Citizens of Skiophos – is that a thing?’ asked Bentley, despite her strict self-admonishment to try to keep quiet.

There was another buzz of conversation, but no-one attempted an answer. The naga stood with her hands on her hips, exasperated.

‘Can you help me get rid of the Basilieus’s troops, then?’

‘Yes, ma’am’ the leader barked without hesitation.

‘They’re in here’ indicated the naga.

‘And who are you?’ asked Angharad, as the troops made their way into the stack room.

‘I’m a Naga’ she said, ‘we guard the lost things that are not meant to be found’

After that, things progressed surprisingly slowly. Queen Sophia’s troops marched in and there was am extended stony stand-off between the Queen’s troops and the Emperor’s. There were about a dozen soldiers from the other place standing around the stairs leading into the extradimensional space. Neither side really knew what was going on and elves loathe fighting elves, so they stood there awkwardly saying nothing; one of the Helian elves even began to light up a pipe, banging it against the nearest wall to clean it.

The naga stepped forward.

 ‘Be gone’ she said, ‘you are not wanted here; this is my space’.  This was probably directed at everyone in general, but the overall feeling was that it was for the Helian’s in particular.  The out-world guards, more disciplined than Sophia’s troops, said nothing, but their hands twitched on the handles of their swords. Bentley hoped fervently that bloodshed could be avoided.

Nigel had had enough. He fished his ontological plunger out of his bag.

‘I have an extra-dimensional rent to plug; so you’d better stand aside’

Three times the size of the average elf, Nigel, an entirely gentle soul, looked quite terrifying with his large black plunger in his huge hands. The Helian’s struggled to escape; tumbling down the stairs en masse. Muffled shouts and exhortations came up from below the stairs.

Nigel took no notice. He tilted the suckered end of the plunger so that it sat on top of the hole, where the strange pentangle had been. He pressed a button on the side of the apparatus so that the disc of the sucker expanded slightly to form a seal over the hole. He put all of his weight on it.

‘All yours, Ang’ he said

Angharad began to chant in the old tongue. It sounded like an ancient song. Her chanting voice was far more musical than her speaking one.

‘Magecraft’ murmured the naga, swaying, with an almost serpentine sinuosity, to the hidden rhythm of the chant.

‘Whatever works’ said Nigel, ‘that’s our way’

The edges of the sucker began to glow with a hard bright light. Nigel clambered on to the plunger.

‘Oh no’ he said, ‘they’re pushing back below’

Even his considerable weight and strength weren’t enough to stop the seal from bowing in the middle, protruding upwards as he pushed down. They could still hear – as if far away -  the sounds of the soldiers below.

‘Leave it to us’ shouted the leader of Sophia’s soldiers. They jumped on to the seal one at a time, with admirable and unexpected discipline, After a minute or two of this the seal fell flat. Where the hole had been was now a flat black disc, with the long handle of the plunger sticking up. Nigel unscrewed the handle and held it, rather ruefully.

‘Fixed’ said Bentley, delighted.

‘But now we’ll have to buy another seal’ moaned Nigel

Angharad laughed.

‘I don’t think that will be a problem’ she said

Nigel shrugged and smiled.

‘Whatever you say, boss’

He took a step back and examined the seal. He nodded with satisfaction.

‘Good piece of work that, Ang’ he announced, ‘very nice’

‘Thank you; it really is isn’t it: one of my best’ responded Angharad without a trace of modesty.

She turned to face the snake elf. She stuck her hand out.

‘So you’re a naga, are you – I’m delighted to meet you’