The Wonderground

36 - The Only Way Out is Through

Charlie raced up the inexorable winding corridor passing door after door. If he could distract Kaiata for long enough his friends would be safe. He would choose a door and hope for the best. He looked over his shoulder one more time to check... Bang! He slammed into a patrolling Gatekeeper, knocking them both to the ground. He scrambled to free himself from the iron grip of Acar Dier who wrestled with him on the floor.

"This is a restricted area young man," informed the Gatekeeper. "Members of the public are not permitted in the Portal Gate corridors." Acar dragged Charlie to his feet. "You?" he said with a puzzled expression. "You were to return to the Upworld. Where are your friends?"

"Let go of me!" screamed Charlie as Kaiata jogged around the corner.

"Well done, Dier," she said breathlessly. "I will take it from here."

"What is going on?" asked Acar. "Why are you chasing him?"

"She's not who she says she is!" squealed Charlie.

"Ridiculous," snorted Kaiata. "This is one imaginative little boy."

"She's got a tattoo between her finger and thumb," spluttered Charlie. "We've seen it on others who were trying to kidnap us. Ask her to show her hands."

"What is he talking about?" asked Acar in confusion.

"He is deluded," reassured Kaiata. "Too many Lowdown adventures. He sees conspiracy everywhere."

"They have suffered enough, that much is true," Acer conceded. "But it was Clavis' wish that they be protected above all else. So, I shall humour the child. Show me your hands."

Kaiata snorted again. "This is preposterous," she grunted angrily. "I do not take orders from you. Give me the boy."

Acar Dier took two steps backwards and hauled Charlie to the edge of the balcony. "Show me your hands," he repeated.

Kaiata unsheathed her dagger from the small of the back. "Give me the boy!" she screamed.

Acar grabbed Charlie by his belt and jacket collar. He whispered something in Charlie's ear that Kaiata could not hear. She lunged forward with the knife just as Charlie was hoisted off his feet by Acar and thrown over the balcony. Charlie stretched for the rope that was dangling in front of him. He hugged the thick cord and slid downwards. His palms burned as he tried to arrest his descent. His knees screamed in complaint and buckled under his weight as he landed awkwardly on the western point of the compass design on the ground floor.

A sentry Gatekeeper was seated on a carver chair over the centre of the compass. The woman did not stir with Charlie's impromptu arrival. She looked to be asleep on the job, slumped in her seat. As Charlie approached her, he saw a large red stain spreading across her chest. He reeled away in horror at the dead body. What had Kaiata done?

He tried to get his breath back and compose himself when a terrible, crunching thud punctured the silence. He spun around to see Acar's broken, lifeless body sprawled across the compass. The bloodied handle of Kaiata's dagger was sticking out of his neck. He hobbled over to the Gatekeeper. It was too late. He was dead. Charlie felt sick. He didn't think he'd seen a dead body up close before. Once on TV maybe? And now he was standing over two of them.

He swallowed down the anger and shook himself into action. He looked up and saw Kaiata grabbing for the rope ten floors above him. She would be upon him in seconds. He limped to the bottom of the winding corridor. He heard Kaiata's boots slap on the floor behind him but did not look back.

Kaiata knelt beside Acar. "For the glory of the true King," she spat in Acar's ear. She grabbed the knife handle and wrangled the blade free. She wiped it clean across the dead man's chest and re-sheathed it at her belt. She peeled off her bloodied gloves and tossed them away.