~
That evening we found ourselves back in Dĩmmĩ’s house once again enjoying her hospitality. Serinae had returned from the king’s court an hour before, she went straight upstairs to her rooms refusing to answer any of our questions. But we had all now gathered in the parlour room before dinner and were all chatting together about many things. Serinae would still not discuss anything about her private meeting with the king Théøndrĩn and no amount of asking would get her to open up. She just sat deep in thought.
Dĩmmĩ entered the room and walking up to Łĩnwéé bent and whispered something in his ear. Łĩnwéé stood quickly and looked towards the door that entered to the hallway of the house. He straightened his beard and smoothed his hair then he made his way around the table and out into the hall shutting the door behind him. After about ten minute’s Łĩnwéé returned he entered in sombre mood and quietly shut the door.
He looked up and clapped his hands loudly for attention, then he said, “please my friends someone be ‘ere, someone o’ great importance t’ me and I would like ye t’ meet ‘im, if ye would honour me wit’ an unexpected visitor?”
We all nodded or voiced our agreement, for any friend of Łĩnwéé was indeed a friend to us also. So Łĩnwéé went back through the door this time leaving it open, Dĩmmĩ stood to one side her hands clasped together with a slightly nervous look upon her face. I was expecting Łĩnwéé to return once more through the door, but instead in came two finely dressed Grûndén in some sort of smart uniform livery who carried between them a kind of chair with two long handles extending front and back, it was with these handles that the two carried the chair. They positioned the chair centrally in the room and after placing it so that its four legs were on the floor they slide the two handles out from the chair and both left without a word taking the handles with them. All eyes were then on the chair on which there appeared to be a pile of rich looking cloth. All of a sudden the cloths moved and two gnarled hands appeared from within the folds. These hands reached up and slowly started to unravel cloth from around the highest point of the pile on the chair. By this time Łĩnwéé had also returned to the room, he made his way around to the front of the chair and bowing low he knelt on one knee before the chair and kept his head down looking at the floor. Dĩmmĩ also came to the front of the chair and took up a similar pose to Łĩnwéé.
My eyes reverted back to the cloths, there slowly being revealed was an ancient looking Grûndén. Eventually, all the cloths were removed and handed to Dĩmmĩ, whereupon she folded them with some reverence and took them from the room. Łĩnwéé was still kneeling in front of the new arrival. The figure in the chair appeared to be advanced in years even for a Grûndén. His skin hung loose on his jowls and across his forehead, it hung down over his eyes making him seem although he had a permanent frown upon his face. His hands were like leather, cracked and dried in the sun. But he was never the less richly dressed. His long grey beard was so long it was tucked beneath the belt of his tunic and still it made it to his knees. The hair upon his head had thinned to the extent that it was just a thin wispy covering on the top of his scalp, the speckled skin of his skull could clearly be seen through this hair. To each side his hair fared slightly better for it hung long and much thicker from just above his ears down the sides of his head and he gathered it in fronds upon his lap. He was still looking at Łĩnwéé, but eventually he slowly raised his eyes and looked at each of us in turn. As he looked at me I could see his eyes although dimmed by age were also calculating and intensely intelligent. Eventually he grasped hold of a walking stick from somewhere by his side and shakily raised it towards Łĩnwéé, whereupon he placed the end onto Łĩnwéé’s shoulder and gave it quite a hard shove. Łĩnwéé looked up shocked as if someone had awakened him suddenly. The old figure smiled, well at least his eyes did for you could not see much of his mouth through his beard and moustache.
He then said in a cracked and croaky voice, “Wéévél, are ye going to go to sleep on me or do I get an introduction to y’ur friends here eh? Now if you would be s’ kind before I expire on the spot. I don’t have that many a’year left in me Wéévél and I’ll die and wither away at this rate afore ye gets to the point.”
Łĩnwéé jumped to his feet.
I was thinking, ‘Wéévél’?
Łĩnwéé spluttered and said, “ach, aye master, I’m be sorry master, I didn’t think.”
“Oh for Øédréll’s sake, dunny ye begin the thinking now Wéévél or we’ll be here all night.”
Łĩnwéé spluttered some more, he appeared to be going to say something but then just bowed his head once more mumbling to himself.
“Bah! I’ll do it m’self.” The old Grûndén breathed in and drew himself up in the chair as high as he could and said, “my name is Ĝørtmûnd …”
But before he could continue, Łĩnwéé seemed to gather himself and raising his hand said, “My, my friends, please, I have the greatest pleasure in introducin’ all o’ ye to Héaréa Ĝørtmûnd Fløwsélld.”
At this the elderly Grûndén again pushed Łĩnwéé in the back with his walking stick, and said after raising his eyes to the ceiling, “just call me Ĝørtmûnd, for Øédréll’s sake. Less of the formalities please Wéévél.”
I couldn’t help smile at this spectacle and I hid my smile behind my hand, but my eyes gave me away I think, for Ĝørtmûnd looking at me said, “aha at least one o’ ye has a sense o’ humour, come here young lassie and let me see ye closer.”
He beckoned to me with his hand, so still smiling I walked over to the chair on which Ĝørtmûnd sat. He didn’t hesitate to take my hand and kissing it held onto it and looking into my eyes said, “beautiful, beautiful.”
I know I blushed for I felt the hotness rise in my cheeks. He then spied Serinae and still holding my hand, he gestured with his other hand after placing his stick by his side, called her to him, she smiled as well and obliging approached his chair on the other side. He grasped her hand and kissed it, then holding onto both our hands looked from one of us to the other a number of times and said, “two o’ ye and in one room! Beautiful. Beautiful. By the Lord Øédréll I need to get out more. I nat be used to such excitement!”
At this he dropped our hands and giving a deep sigh gestured that we should sit down again. We did so and looking back towards him saw that he was looking form Serinae to me and then back again. Finally he said, “Stunning, stunning.”
I think Łĩnwéé at this stage was so embarrassed he wanted the floor to open and swallow him whole, for his eyes were looking so intently at it.
Ĝørtmûnd then looked at Łĩnwéé and said, “Wéévél for Øédréll’s sake get up I don’t have all night, I know I’m an embarrassin’ old gaff, but I can afford to be at my age, what else do I have eh?”
At this Wéévél, I mean Łĩnwéé stood and gathering himself together introduced the rest of us to Ĝørtmûnd.
Łĩnwéé then said, “friends I have known Ĝørtmûnd for many years, he was, and still is,” at this he bowed again towards Ĝørtmûnd and continued, “m’ law master, m’ Héaréa of old, since I were a wee sprat.”
At this Ĝørtmûnd laughed and looking towards us he winked and said, “I know him better than his own mother.”
I looked at Seri who was forming a wicked smile upon her features, obviously enjoying this comic turn of events. I will admit I also found the whole thing highly amusing.
Łĩnwéé coughed and said, “well, aye, that maybe, but never the less Ĝørtmûnd has seen many things.”
He was interrupted again by Ĝørtmûnd who whispered to us, “Oh yes, he certainly has.” He winked at us. Then before Łĩnwéé could continue added, “and seen many years to.”
I smiled unable to stop myself admiring the old Grûndén, for he seemed more like a T’Iea in nature than one of Łĩnwéé’s people.
Łĩnwéé continued un-phased by all the interruptions and seemed determined to say his piece. “Héaréa Ĝørtmûnd has great know
ledge and I am honoured that he has come to see us this evening for I know he will have great things to share with us.”
At this Ĝørtmûnd covered his mouth in a theatrical manner and said, “eh? What things, I’m just here ‘cause Wéévél here owes me a good few ales is all.”
At this I couldn’t hold myself back any longer and I burst into fits of laughter, as did Serinae. After a few minutes we managed to calm ourselves, only to burst into laughter again as Ĝørtmûnd made an amusing face towards us. “But it doesn’t look like I’ll be getting’ any this night at this rate eh?”
Eventually we did manage to calm ourselves, I apologised to Łĩnwéé as did Serinae, he just gave us both a black look.
Then a change came over Ĝørtmûnd, he became more serious, and he to apologised to Łĩnwéé saying, “I’m sorry Wéévél, but I couldn’t help m’self, I do not get many visitors these days, least of all two pretty long-ears eh? Retirement does not sit well with me and I can’t help trying t’ prove to myself that still be life in the old dog yet. Please my old friend sit down and listen to what I have to say, for it affects us all and hopefully will be useful for your onward journey.”
So we all settled down, including Łĩnwéé, whom I continued to feel slightly sorry for.
But what we heard next was astonishing, for what Ĝørtmûnd told us was this:
“As ye can plainly see I have lived many years o’ man. I have seen much in my long years. But now after all that time, all of a sudden events are stepping up a notch and for all my time in this world I can no longer keep up with such things, they have overtaken me at last. So I need to tell others young’r than me, those who still have the energy to take in my words and act upon them in the appropriate manner.” He sighed and smiled at Łĩnwéé. Then he began to speak once again. “I am a scholar, of sorts, amongst my people, I have seen much and lived probably far too long in this world. I long for the Lord Øédréll t’ take me back home and give me rest. I am weary and spent, but I cannot go yet, not until I have fulfilled a promise I made many, many years ago.”
I was really intrigued now, my curiosity had overtaken all my thoughts.
“For ye see I have knowledge, secret knowledge. This knowledge I have kept to m’self through the long ages, yes, even kept from my own people, and quite frankly it relieves me to be rid of it at long last.”
I hoped this was not some joke he had concocted as seemed his way earlier.”
He continued. “My family is one o’ the oldest in the Grûndén realm, and we have kept meticulous records goin’ way back to the days of the creation and construction of the city of Gwéldølĩn. We were involved in the design of the city and we were well represented throughout in its forming, m’ family being architects and artisans. The design o’ the city and the knowledge o’ its construction were two fold. Firstly, it was the greatest undertaking of the Grûndén, for it was to be our home from home for ever more. But there was a second reason for this undertaking, a secret reason, one which my family has held in readiness for just such a time as this. A time we knew would come.”
Here he paused looking at each of our faces before he drew in a deep breath and continued. “As you know Old Ones visited the Grâumin recently, they carried a telling stone within which was played out a tale, the Grâumin showed this to me also. A tale of an event of which I know not, at least not directly. But, I hear you ask, why should they show this? Well because it is a part of our history and along with recent events it does show a part of a story.”
I noticed he glanced at Serinae at this point, something passed between them. But I suspected that these two perhaps knew of each other before this meeting, after all Serinae had spent some considerable time in the employ of the city, why should she have not met this old man before.
The revelation continued. “But the Old Ones also needed an excuse to see me without causing questions to be asked. So while two Old Ones showed the telling stone to the Graumin, a third made his way in secret to visit me. I was ready for him, as had all the generations of my family, through time immemorial. But it has fallen upon me to start events rolling, for the Old Ones message was simple. He told me of a company of mixed races that would visit Gwéldølĩn, and he released me from my burden by requesting that I tell that company the secrets that my family have held for so many generations.” He extended his hand towards us. “For you see my friends the second reason for the design and building of the cavern of Gwéldølĩn was that a second place, another cavern the same in design was to be built in secret, but this place was not intended for a habitable city, at least not for the elder races, this place was to hold something else, city sized but not houses and halls and other places of habitation. So while Gwéldølĩn was being built so to was this second cavern, not here on this world but somewhere else, somewhere within the domains of the Old Ones. I know some of my family went to this place, as did others of the elder races, but its location I do not know, or indeed, how to get there. That information I was not entrusted with. I suspect only the Old Ones themselves hold such knowledge.”
At this he grew quiet and the next voice we heard was Łĩnwéé who said, “Héaréa Ĝørtmûnd. The twelve Brĩschlåûndérgré, the twelve great globes, six wer’ meant for here in Gwéldølĩn and hang to this day above the city, the other six ……...”
“Aye Łĩnwéé the other six now hang in the other cavern wherever it is.”
The room fell silent for a while, then Ĝørtmûnd again breathed deeply and said, “there is one other thing.”
Our attentions were focused back upon the old Grûndén man while he said. “On one occasion whilst the work of excavation was being carried out in the main hall o’ that secret place, my family witnessed a group the visitation by a group of Pnook. These Pnook were met by the overseeing group of Old Ones in the outer hall. The outer hall was large in itself for here were stored the six Brĩschlåûndérgré that were eventually to hang in the main hall. It transpired these Pnook were there to deliver a small package, it was described to me as an insignificant leather wallet, but what it contained where some small objects that caught the light and reflected such colours that my ancestor described them as being like dragon scales.”
I think we all grasped the significance of these words. Ĝørtmûnd smiled. “I see you have your own experiences of these things, it is thus why you came here is it not?”
Tnie spoke, “Yes, we have long suspected that these Biplextor chips, to give them their proper name, are missing from an important machine and as a result this machine may be malfunctioning. Or even worse someone is trying to adjust the way the machine works probably to cause events to unfold of their own desire.”
Ĝørtmûnd nodded slowly. “Aye the Dark T’Iea, ye can bet they’d be a plottin’ something.”
Serinae shot him a glance, it looked like a warning of some sort, she also made a tiny shake of her head.
Ĝørtmûnd definitely noticed, but he looked away. “They always be aplottin’, the machine it was because o’ them that it was built to start with for Øédréll’s sake!”
I was dumbfounded. Ĝørtmûnd obviously had knowledge that none of us had, I pressed him for more information, I wanted to know about these dark T’Iea, they were supposed to be a myth, a legend to scare small children. But he would not elaborate, he kept an eye on Serinae, she just stared at him.
Instead Jon asked, “so, what happened to these errr dragon scales, the Biplextor chips of which Tnie spoke of?”
Ĝørtmûnd pursed his lips and raising his eyebrows looked at Serinae with a tilted head. “I believe the Old Ones accepted and kept them, for what purpose my family did not record, possibly they didn’t know.”
Tnie then stood, he walked around the table to where Ĝørtmûnd sat, “Héaréa Ĝørtmûnd, please this is important, do you know how many Biplextors? How many did my people hand over to the Old Ones, the keepers? Please if you know tell us?”
Ĝørtmûnd looked at him and said, “do not fear my lad
die I know how many, I just didn’t mention it because I didn’t think it important. It were four. Four dragon scales they gave to the Old Ones.”
Serinae spoke for the first time in many minutes. “We know of one such chip and what it contains.” She left the room and came back five minutes later with the chip that she had persuaded master Letin to give her in Scienocropolis. This she showed to Ĝørtmûnd.
The elderly Grûndén took it eagerly; turning it in his shaking hands he inspected it closely. “Yes, yes, this be such a device, it fits the descriptions given me.”
“So there are three others then,” Jondris spoke.
I added, “three others and a machine somewhere that they control.”
Ĝørtmûnd nodded, he said as if voicing his thoughts, “a city sized machine perhaps?” He then breathed in deeply and extending his hand gave the chip back into Serinae’s safe keeping. He winked at her, “I will wager milady, ye will find such a machine within the other cavern in which the missing six Brĩschlåûndérgré hang.” He then settled back into his chair and seemed to sink down. “But I tire, ye’ll forgive me if I makes m’way home. I had enough excitement for one day it seems.” He thumbed his indication towards Łĩnwéé, “Wéévél here knows were t’ find me should ye need me again.”
The old Grûndén was wrapped up once more in his travelling garb and the two who carried him in carried him back out again and we spent the rest of the evening chatting once more.