Emilie & the Hollow World Read online

  “No, we would have to swim underwater, amid a small fleet of people who live underwater part of the time; I think we would be as obvious as if we painted our boat red and beat a drum as we sailed right up to them.”

  She was probably right. “So we're going to try the island?” The other plan was to locate Dr. Marlende and the Cirathi, and try to rescue them. It was a broad, vague plan, at best. “And hope the Queen hasn't attacked the nomads yet?”

  “We try the island,” Rani agreed, as their little boat sped toward it. “And hope.”

  Several hours later, they dragged their boat up onto the narrow strip of beach below the short sandy cliff. Emilie stumbled a little and had to stop and stretch. They had been stopping briefly on the low islands, sometimes to look for springs, sometimes just to answer calls of nature and stretch their legs. Last night was the longest interval they had gone without stopping. She helped Rani take down the sail and clip the poles to the side again, and they pulled the boat up behind some rocks to hide it if any Sealands' or nomads' ships patrolled past this shore. The sand was soft, and their feet and the boat kept sinking into it. Emilie fell down a few times, but they managed it.

  They left their straw hats in the boat, but Rani took the bag with their dwindling supply of food and filled a waterskin from the clay jar in the boat. She also had a knife to tuck into her sash, a long one made from bone that she had picked up along the city's dock with the rest of their supplies. It was a good weapon, though Emilie still wished they had been able to get one of the rifles.

  Getting up the cliff was easier. It was about twenty-five feet high, with tall trees that had large palm leaves below crowns of red spiny clumps, and tall grassy bushes. Rani found a spot with lots of rocks and weeds, and told Emilie to climb onto her back. Then she dug her hard claw-like nails into the clumps of weed and scaled the cliff.

  Emilie had brought her boots, tied together and slung over one shoulder. When they reached the top, she sat down to hastily put them on as Rani scouted around. As Emilie was tying the laces, she noticed the ground was unexpectedly hard. It was sandy, with clumps of green-yellow grass between the thick ropy tree roots. She scraped at a bare patch, and, after only a half inch or so, encountered stone. It was flat and smooth, and there was a straight groove through it, too straight to be natural.

  She looked at the nearest tree, feeling the roots, and saw they had burrowed down right through the stone. Like weeds, she thought. Very big weeds. As if sand from the other islands had washed up here over the years, the seeds for the grass and trees carried with it or blown here by strong winds.

  Rani returned, saying, “No one around here, at least. What are you looking at?”

  Emilie pushed to her feet, dusting her hands off on her shirt. “I think we're on top of a wall, or a roof, or a plaza or something. Part of one of the old Sealands cities.”

  A thoughtful “Hmm,” was Rani's only comment.

  They made their way forward through the trees and tall bushes. There were birdcalls, the hum of insects, the rush of waves and the wind, but no sound of voices. Keeping her own voice low, Emilie said, “If the Queen's ships came straight here, they would have started fighting already, wouldn't they? Maybe they've already defeated the nomads.”

  “Maybe. If not, I wonder what they are waiting for.” Rani was distracted, listening. “Do you hear that water?”

  Emilie had heard it, but she had thought it was the sea. Now that she thought about it, the waves hadn't been that loud down on the beach itself. “A waterfall?” But she had trouble imagining a big waterfall on this island. She couldn't see any sign of rocky cliffs or hills above the trees.

  With a frustrated grimace, Rani shook her head. “This place gets odder and odder.”

  They pushed forward for a time, and Emilie began to see more light through the trees ahead, as if they were coming to an open area. Or the other side of the island, she thought. The sound of rushing, falling water grew steadily louder as they walked.

  Rani was just ahead of her, pushing through the last stand of bushes, when she made a soft exclamation of surprise and stopped abruptly. Emilie bounced with impatience, then Rani reached back and drew her forward.

  They were standing not far from the edge of a cliff, looking out over a giant canyon. It was at least two hundred feet deep, and surely more than a mile across. Past the drifts of mist that laced the air, Emilie saw the far side had the waterfall, running the entire length of the cliff. It didn't come from a river, but from a slot in the cliff rock itself, about twenty feet below the top, which was lined with a forest similar to the one they were standing in. “That's not possible,” Emilie said, baffled. She had to raise her voice to be heard over the din. “It's deeper than the island is tall.”

  “I know.” Rani pulled her down and they crawled toward the edge. Peering over, Emilie saw the waterfall ran down this side too, and the air was heavy with its spray. It fell down the rock wall to a canal far below, running all along the base of the cliff. The canyon was a huge oval, and must take up the whole center of the island. The mist obscured much of the view below, but what Emilie could see was a green forest, more lush than the one up here, dotted with streams and ponds.

  Rani scraped at the dirt and grass on the edge, sending it crumbling down into the rush of water. “You were right, Emilie.” She tapped the hard gray-white surface under the dirt. “This place was built, ages ago.”

  “The water is coming from the sea?” Emilie wondered. “If we fell off the boat in the water around the island, would we be sucked under into this waterfall?”

  Rani gave her a dry look. “You have a very interesting imagination, but this water is fresh. Maybe it comes from underground.”

  “Or the surface? My surface, I mean.” She imagined a subterranean river, wending its way down through the earth, until it was tapped by the ancient builders of the Sealands.

  “At the moment anything is a possibility...” Rani sat up a little, saying with satisfaction, “Aha, there's our airship!”

  Emilie craned her neck, trying to see. “Where?” Rani pointed. A drift of mist was shifting with the wind, and as it cleared, the gray bullet shape of an airship's balloon was visible above the trees. The shape and color was just different enough from Lord Ivers' balloon to make this one distinct. There might be some buildings near it, obscured by leaves and branches. It certainly wasn't a city, unless it was buried underground, which seemed very unlike the merpeople. She bet the nomads used this place as a temporary refuge, or meeting place. “This is why the Nomads were so suspicious of the airship, so afraid the Queen would use it. If this is their fortress, it would be a perfect way to attack it.”

  “So perfect, I wonder why she let Lord Ivers go,” Rani said, with wry emphasis.

  Emilie blinked, thinking it over. It was an excellent point. “You think it was a trick, that she stopped him somehow, after he left the city?”

  “It's a possibility, though I'm not sure how she would do it. At least we haven't seen him around here yet.” Rani crawled back from the cliff edge, withdrawing into the stands of grass, and Emilie followed her.

  They sat in the shelter of the brush, and Emilie said, “There has to be a way down there, beside airships. Maybe stairs under the waterfalls, or a ladder- Ooh, that's a good idea.”

  Rani was holding Dr. Marlende's compass, rubbing her thumb over the smooth surface. “Yes, I hope it works the way we think it does.”

  Meaning it would lead them to the way to find Dr. Marlende, not just point directly toward the airship. Emilie held her breath.

  The arrow pointed not toward the canyon, but parallel to it, in the antidarkward direction. “Ha,” Rani muttered in satisfaction, pushing to her feet.

  They followed the arrow through the spiny palm forest, having to stop frequently and rub spit on the stone again, then adjust their course. Emilie had been expecting to find something right away, but after about an hour of walking on the hard sandy ground, finding their way among the tal
l curving trunks and the clinging grass-bushes, the excitement started to pall.

  They stopped briefly to eat the last of the fruit, and a little dried fish, and drink some water. As they started again, Rani admitted, “I hope this thing isn't confused, and is not just telling us to circumnavigate this island.”

  Emilie hoped not, too. If it was, she didn't know what they were going to do next, except perhaps try to get past the merpeople to the Sovereign. Somehow.

  But after another long time of walking, the compass suddenly pointed away from the canyon wall, back toward the beach. They exchanged a look, and Rani cautioned, “Don't get too excited. It could be telling us to go jump in the sea and stop bothering it.”

  Emilie couldn't take that advice. Forgetting all about her sore feet, she hurried after Rani.

  They had just passed a big mound of grass-bushes when the compass abruptly started to point back the other way. “It means in here!” Emilie plunged into the bushes, stopping just as abruptly when Rani grabbed her belt and hauled her back.

  “Me first,” Rani said. “And remember, we're looking for a way down, so watch the ground and don't fall down any holes.”

  “Oh, good point,” Emilie muttered, and went more carefully, testing the ground first with each step, the way Rani did.

  A moment later Rani started to take a step, and jolted forward, flailing an arm for balance. Emilie grabbed her arm to steady her. Looking down, she saw Rani's foot had broken through a crust of dirt over a perfectly round hole. “I meant that to happen,” Rani said breathlessly, freed her foot, then crouched down to knock away the rest of the dirt. Emilie hurried to help, beating at the hardened dirt until it fell away.

  Her scaly brow furrowed, Rani said, “This is clearly not the way the nomads use to get down there. That worries me.”

  She was right, this wasn't a disguised entrance. The dirt plug had been formed by time and weather. “But the compass did point to it,” Emilie said.

  “I wonder at the compass' judgment,” Rani said wryly.

  Soon they had the hole clear. It plunged straight down through the earth, a dark stone-lined pipe. Steps had been cut into it, like the rungs of a ladder, a good indication that it led somewhere. And cool air flowed up from it, a sign that the bottom, wherever it was, wasn't blocked up. It smelled of dirt and damp stone.

  Rani muttered a Cirathi curse. “I should have brought the boat lamp.”

  “It was bright daylight and we certainly didn't know there'd be any caves or tunnels,” Emilie said. It would be too long a walk back to get it. “But you've got the matches?”

  “Yes, that will have to do.” Rani checked her bag, making sure they were still there. “Here, take some in case we are separated.”

  Emilie took the matches, tucking them into the pocket of her bloomers. Though the idea of being separated from Rani down in that underground space was frankly terrifying.

  Rani leaned down, running her hand around the inside of the pipe. “Emilie, can your little claws manage this? I think you must stay here.”

  “No, I can manage it.” The ladder looked sturdy and she could get her hands all the way around the rungs, which would make it easier to climb. It was the dark she was rather more worried about. The open dark of a moonless night, or the Hollow World's eclipse, didn't bother her. This enclosed darkness was different.

  Rani leaned down, trying to get a better view of Emilie's expression. “Are you sure?”

  Emilie made her chin firm and nodded. “Yes.”

  Rani sighed. “I wonder about both of us.” She eased down, got a foot on a lower rung, then started to climb down. Emilie gathered her courage and followed.

  The rungs were roughened slightly, in a way Emilie thought was deliberate, to help keep your hands from slipping off. As they climbed further and further down, she was very glad of the light from the opening overhead. Below them the pipe was utterly black. At least she could still look up at the sky and know it was there.

  The circle of light that marked the opening was much smaller when Rani said suddenly, “Oof! I think we're there.”

  Emilie stopped, wiping sweat off her face onto her sleeve. “What?”

  “There's a floor here.” Rani's hand patted her ankle. “Come on down.”

  Emilie climbed down, and even though she was prepared for it, it was still a bit of a jolt when her foot hit the solid stone floor. She leaned against the ladder in relief, taking a deep breath. Now that she had stopped, her shoulders were shaking, her hands ached, and her stomach felt loopy. It was from pure nerves, and from gripping the ladder rungs too tightly, but knowing that didn't help.

  The darkness was nearly absolute, but she could hear Rani running her claws over the walls. “Doorway here,” Rani reported. “A passage. Here is where it gets interesting.”

  “Actually I haven't been at all bored up to now.” Emilie stepped over to her, hands out, and bumped into Rani, who steered her to the wall. She felt the slightly rough stone walls, finding it was a good-sized doorway, stretching up above her head and about three feet wide.

  Rani said, “Here, Emilie, keep your hand on my back so we stay together. I don't want to use the matches unless it gets worse.”

  Emilie wondered how the intrepid Rani was going to define “worse.” After some fumbling, she took a firm grip on the strap of the supply bag. “Ready.”

  They made their way along, stumbling a little, leaving the faint light from the opening at the top of the pipe behind. Emilie forced herself not to think about walls closing in. The air was still flowing down the passage, heavily scented with earth and water, and she tried to imagine they were passing down a wide open road over a dark plateau. It almost worked.

  But then Emilie began to hear the rush of the waterfall, vibrating through the stone, and the sense that they were close to their goal made the enclosed darkness easier to bear. We're so close, she thought. She just hoped the way wasn't blocked somewhere. She hoped the compass knew the difference between a tiny gap that aether could pass through and an opening big enough for people.

  Not long later, Rani stopped suddenly. As Emilie bumped into her, she said, “Light ahead.”

  “Oh, good,” Emilie breathed.

  As they moved on, Emilie started to see it too, a faint lightening at the end of the passage. It grew gradually lighter, and she was able to let go of Rani and walk beside her. The rush of the waterfall grew louder, until she could almost taste the spray in the air.

  They reached the opening, a narrow slot about two feet wide, lined with flat smooth stones. Past it they could see a curtain of falling water. Cautiously poking their heads out, they saw the doorway opened onto a narrow stone walkway that ran along the base of the cliff, behind the waterfall. The water itself was falling into a stone channel, far too regular to be natural.

  Emilie followed Rani out onto the walkway. The din was too loud to hear anything, including each other's attempts to talk, and the walkway seemed empty as far as they could see. The curtain of falling water extended as far as they could see as well. Emilie couldn't make out much of what lay past it, except for glimpses of rich green vegetation.

  Rani checked the compass again. Emilie stood on tiptoes to see it; it was pointing straight through the water. Rani looked up and down the walkway, her expression vexed. Emilie thought she understood: the nomads must not know about this way down, or the top of the pipe wouldn't have been blocked with dirt. But they had to know about this walkway, and if the Queen's forces hadn't found a way down here yet, they would surely be patrolling it. Rani made her decision and motioned for Emilie to follow her.

  They climbed down to the flat stone edge of the channel, and Rani paced along it a short distance. She stopped at a spot where the water seemed to be falling less heavily; at least, Emilie could see a bit more of what was on the other side: the opposite edge of the channel, and another walkway. Rani, with waving gestures and pointing, managed to communicate that they were going to swim under it, and that Emilie should hol
d onto her very tightly. Emilie nodded, and sat down to pull her boots off.

  Rani took off her own boots, tucked them and Emilie's into the bag and tied up the neck of it tightly, took off the thong holding the compass and tied it tightly to her wrist. Then she mouthed, “Ready?”

  Emilie wrapped her arms around Rani's waist, and took a deep breath. They jumped, and Rani pulled them under, swimming strongly.

  Emilie helped her kick against the rough current, thinking it would be easy because Rani was so strong. Then they hit the water under the fall, and suddenly they were in a pounding, churning void. She tightened her hold on Rani, knowing she was holding on for her life. The force of it was like blows raining down, Emilie lost her last breath and inhaled water, choked, and thought they would both die.

  They surfaced, Emilie choking and gasping. Then she realized Rani was limp, barely moving, starting to slip under again. Panicked, Emilie kicked out, letting go with one arm so she could paddle, dragging her toward the edge, saying, “Rani, Rani, wake up!”

  Fortunately the water came right up to the flat rim of the channel, spilling over it, so Emilie was able to heave Rani and herself partially up onto the edge. She pounded Rani on the back, until Rani choked, pushed her off and spat out water. Rani collapsed over the edge, but she was breathing, and groggily conscious.

  Emilie sank against the stone for a moment, relieved and too exhausted to move. But they were out in the open, there was a wide area of low moss-like grass between the channel and the forest. A white stone path ran through it, and anyone coming along it could see them for a long distance. “Rani, we have to get into the forest.” The trees were tall and slender, with green trunks and darker green leaves sprouting out in big fan shapes. Tall ferns grew between them. It would provide good cover, if they could just get there.