The Ice People 46 - The Black Water. Margit Sandemo

come to try to reach the source of the clear water. But he hadn’t been sufficiently pure-hearted and had been killed on the way. He had not been permitted to take his fine sword into the Grotto of Purity, so he placed it in one of the others. It had stood there ever since, until Tan-ghil came. The spirits told me that it was forged in times immemorial. It hasn’t anything to do with evil or goodness. Instead, I suppose it’s a symbol of valour and strength. It also possesses a secret power or force, which neither Tan-ghil nor Targenor had the chance to find out anything about.”

      “Well, that sounds promising,” said Ian. “And Targenor wanted us to have it now?”

      “Yes, but I don’t know why.”

      Nataniel had squatted down by the treasure.

      “I would like to know why on earth we got that vision in our heads.”

      “Wasn’t it Heike who just contacted you telepathically?”

      “Yes,” replied Nataniel. “About ... the mountain ridge above Graastensholm.”

      “Are we to believe that there’s a link there? Between Heike breaking through into the grey world and this wall?”

      Tova shuddered. “Ugh. I don’t want the grey people to come up!”

      “Are they the ones who are outside guarding us?” asked Gabriel breathlessly.

      “No, not at all,” said Marco. “The creatures outside are the same as the ones as we saw on the moor. Tall, dressed in black.”

      Nataniel had been lost in his own thoughts. “I think you’re right that there’s a connection, Marco. Between the glade in the mountain ridge and this wall. We can only enter here through magic.”

      “But Heike and Vinga spent several weeks preparing themselves,” Tova protested. “We haven’t got time for that!”

      “No. Let’s consider carefully what we saw, and then choose the most important things from our train of thoughts.”

      Everybody in the crypt fell silent. In order to save their batteries, they switched off their torches. But Nataniel’s aura shone anyway, even if it gave the others a pale bluish glow.

      Tova was stubborn. “Nataniel, I’m serious about this. I have no wish to meet the grey people. They’ve never done the Ice People any good.”

      Marco replied instead of Nataniel. “We’ve no idea what’s hidden behind this wall.”

      “No,” said Nataniel. “We don’t know for sure that the grey people live behind it.”

      “Then why did we receive all these things?” hissed Tova. “And why is Heike reminding you of his experiment that time?”

      Nataniel was tired. “I don’t know. All I know is that we haven’t got time to argue with one another. And how else would you get out of this death trap, Tova?”

      She looked around. “No, you certainly have a point there,” she muttered.

      Gabriel felt a bit lonely in his corner, so he took a few steps towards the others. He stumbled on something and fell forward.

      The others immediately switched on their torches.

      “The horns,” said Ian. “You tripped on them, Gabriel. Are you all right?”

      The boy put his hand on one knee and rubbed the other. “Oh, I’m fine. I’m not hurt. But do you know, one of the horns is loose.”

      “Is it really?” said Nataniel. “That must have happened during the fall.”

      “The demons don’t make such mistakes,” said Marco. He was on his knees next to the horns. “Yes, I thought so. The horn isn’t broken. It’s been loosened deliberately.”

      “Why?” asked Tova stupidly. “Who did that?”

      Neither Marco nor Nataniel answered her. They were focused on the horn.

      The huge yak horn took up a lot of space on the stone floor. The other one was still stuck in the animal’s skull.

      “Here’s the hole that the flute was placed in once,” said Marco. “And where it fell out, by Eldafjord.”

      “Oh, wait.” Nataniel was breathless. “Here’s another hole, and I swear it wasn’t here the last time we saw the horns. Here, look! At the tip.”

      Ian whistled. “Wow!”

      “So you can blow into it,” said Tova, impressed. “But aren’t yak horns difficult to get a sound out of?”

      “Not if you know how to,” said Marco. “But I’m afraid I don’t.”

      “Neither do I,” said Nataniel.

      “I played the trumpet once,” Ian admitted humbly. “But it won’t be the same ...”

      “Won’t it?” Marco asked challengingly.

      “You never forget the technique. But such a primitive instrument ... Of course, I could always give it a try.”

      “I think you should,” said Nataniel calmly.

      “Please do,” said Tova. “At least, you’re bound to make those who blocked our exit wet their pants. They’ll be shocked!”

      Ian put the horn to his mouth. He had to move right up to the entrance to have enough room.

      “That’s right, Ian,” said Nataniel. “You should turn towards the mystical wall!”

      Ian filled his lungs and pressed his lips to the tip of the horn.

      A roar filled the tiny crypt. Gabriel put his hands to his ears and the others moaned.

      Ian blew for a long time and held the tone indefinitely.

      When the sound had died out, not a sound could be heard. They all feared that they had gone deaf when the terrible roar, which had made the wall shake, had disappeared. But a thin, vibrating tone was left. It was so high and piercing that they hadn’t registered it at first. As they listened, its tone became deeper until the echo resounded, weaker now but like the sustained lowest C of an organ.

      The walls began to shake once more. At first vaguely, hardly noticeably, then so much that the five had to hold on.

      Up slid the short far wall, and a gate opened with a roar.

      Afterwards they understood that the roar had come not only from the cliff itself moving. It was also the very distant whirr that had risen to a howling roar as it came much closer to them.

      Inside the newly opened gate – which was shockingly narrow – there was complete darkness.

      They looked at one another.

      “Could Tengel the Evil have predicted this?” asked Nataniel doubtfully.

      “With the horn?” asked Marco. “I believe he took enormous care of the horns in the Valley of the Ice People. He fumed when the first Jolin ran away with them and the whole treasure. But I don’t think he would have used our method of getting in here. You must remember that he was very skilled in witchcraft. I’m sure he had other ways of entering this crypt. I’m sure that we’ve been able to get in now because our friends, who are no doubt gathered in the Demon’s Mountain, figured out that this would work in an emergency situation, which it did.”

      “Switch on your torches,” said Nataniel curtly. “We’re going in.” He was the first to enter. Marco signalled his thanks with a squeeze of Ian’s shoulder. This was praise that Tova and Ian appreciated.

      Each of them took a portion of the Ice People’s treasure with them.

      As soon as all five were inside, the cliff door slammed shut with a roar.

      “There’s no way back,” Tova muttered. “I think this must be how Shira felt in the grottos.”

      “Yes,”