V
A half dozen steps later even the impression of walls had vanished. Ditto the roof, for that matter. Looking back, I saw no sign of the corridor or its entrance. There was only a vast dismal area. Fortunately the floor or ground remained firm underfoot. The only manner in which I could distinguish the way I traveled from the surrounding gloom had to do with visibility. I walked a pearl-gray trail through a valley of shadow, though, technically, I supposed, I walked between shadows. Picky-picky. Someone or something had grudgingly spilled a minimum of light to mark my way.
I trudged through the eerie silence, wondering how many shadows I passed among, then wondering whether that was too linear a way of considering the phenomenon. Probably.
At that moment, before I could invoke mathematics, I thought I saw something move off to my right. I halted. A tall ebon pillar had come into view, barely, at the edge of vision. But it was not moving. I concluded that it was my own movement which had given it appearance of motion. Thick, still, smooth-I ran my gaze up that dark shaft until I lost sight of it. There seemed no way of telling how high the thing stood.
I turned away I took a few more paces. I noted another pillar then-ahead of me, to the left. I gave this one only a glance as I continued. Shortly more came into view at either hand. The darkness into which they ascended held nothing resembling stars, positive or negative; my world's canopy was a simple, uniform blackness. A little later, the pillars occurred in odd groupings, some very near at hand, and their respective sizes no longer seemed uniform.
I halted, reached toward a stand of them to my left which seemed almost within touching range. It wasn't though. I took a step in that direction.
There came a quick squeeze at my wrist.
I wouldn't do that if I were you, Frakir observed.
Why not? I inquired.
It might be easy to get lost and into a lot of trouble.
Maybe you're right.
I broke into a jog. Whatever was going on, my only real desire concerning it was to have it over with as soon as possible, so that I could get back to matters I considered important-like locating Coral, springing Luke, finding a way to deal with Jurt and Julia, looking for my father...
The pillars, at varying distances, slid by, and items which were not pillars began occurring among them. Some were squat, asymmetrical; others were tall, tapered; some leaned upon neighbors, bridged them, or lay broken at their bases. It was something of a relief to see that monotonous regularity destroyed, in a way that showed that forces played upon forms.
The ground lost its flatness then, though it retained a stylized geometric quality in the stacked, step, and shelflike appearance of its various levels. My own way remained flat and vaguely lighted as I jogged amid the ruins of a thousand Stonehenges.
I increased my pace, and soon I was running past galleries, amphitheaters, forestlike stands of stone. I seemed to glimpse movement within several of these, but again it could easily have been a function of velocity and poor lighting.
Sense anything alive in the neighborhood? I asked Frakir.
No, came the answer.
Thought I saw something move.
Maybe you did. Doesn't mean it's there.
Talking for less than a day, and you've already learned sarcasm.
I hate to say it, boss, but anything I learn I pick up from your vibes. Ain't no one else around to teach me manners and like that.
Touch|, I said. Maybe I'd better warn you if there's trouble.
Touch|, boss. Hey, I like these combat metaphors.
Moments later I slowed my pace. Ahead something was flickering off to the right. There were moments of blue and red within the changing light intensities. I halted. These glimpses lasted only a few moments but were more than sufficient to make me wary. I regarded their apparent source for a long while.
Yes, Frakir said after a time. Caution is in order, But don't ask me what to expect. …
