Doctor Who_ Lungbarrow - Marc Platt [21]
Innocet did not dare take her concentration from the hovering card. 'It's a long way back to your room,' she said.
'You stay here and I'll take you home once candledark is over.'
Jobiska shook her teary head. 'No, no. I don't mean that home. I mean Home home.'
To Innocet's relief, the door opened and Cousin Owis appeared. If he was polite, she knew that he had been up to no good, but there was no point in arguing now.
He rested his chin on the tall table and eyed the card mansion. 'I thought you'd given up doing those things,' he said. 'They always fall down.'
'The House is disturbed tonight,' replied Innocet.
Owis giggled. 'Is that more disturbed than usual?'
'Arkhew? Is that you?' called Jobiska from her chair.
Owis turned with a grin. 'Hel o, granny,' he said condescendingly. 'I'm Owis, remember?'
'You don't have to shout,' retaliated the old woman. 'I'm four thousand, three hundred and thirty-two, you know.
Fifth regeneration.'
'Owis,' insisted Innocet, 'employ yourself purposefully and give her a game of Sepulchasm.'
Jobiska chortled with delight as a square pedestal trundled itself across the room. On it sat the model of a hilly landscape. A winding path travelled between several miniature houses. Owis produced a die and some coloured tokens, three for each player.
Ignoring their excited shouts, Innocet began to raise the final cards on the mansion. She set the Two of Deeps and the Twelve of Owls in place and was willing the final card, the Hand of Souls, into the air when there was uproar from the game.
'He's cheating!' shrieked Jobiska. 'He's willing his counters to change colour so he's got more points!'
35
'I did not!' Owis exclaimed.
'I saw you!'
Owis flopped back in his chair. 'This is boring. The board hasn't chasmed yet.'
Innocet shivered as a sudden chil took her. The card mansion teetered slightly. 'Where's Arkhew?' she said sternly.
Owis shrugged none too convincingly. 'Haven't seen him for candledays,' he lied.
With a manufactured boom, the top of the game board cracked across and gaped wide.
'Sepulchasm!' called Jobiska triumphantly.
Owis, frowning absurdly, struggled to wil his counters to hover over the miniature abyss. He failed hopelessly. Al the counters tumbled slowly out of sight into the pedestal.
A fresh judder trembled through the House. Innocet teetered on her perch. The mansion of cards slid and clattered across the table. She stared at the configuration they had made.
The same shape they fell into every time she tried to divine the future by this method. Every time since the dark disgrace had begun. They always fell in the ancient red/black circle symbol of Death.
But this time there was a difference.
Above the table in the air, where it had been resting as the topmost card, spun the Hand of Souls. But it was no longer that card at all. At every turn it was a different sign - a Cloud, a Tear, then an Owl. Innocet cursed. The card was the Rogue - always hidden, changing suits as it moved through the pack - and she had not recognized it.
She started to tremble. In the spinning and winking of the candlelit card, she saw a great disaster approaching.
Again, the House shuddered in anticipation.
There was a tock, followed by a tick.
Inside the clock's eye, Arkhew felt the clank of ancient wheels starting to turn. He scrambled to force a way out, but the gap closed as the spheres began to turn slowly inside each other. Through the crossing lattices, he saw the little planets of Gallifrey's solar system start to travel along their orbital wires in the false sky. The frozen gas giant Polarfrey came into conjunction with its fiery opposite Karn. An astrological figure gal oped along the rising ring of the asteroid archipelago. It was Kasterborous the Fibster, the mythological Hero himself, pul ing the chariot of silver fire to which he had been yoked by the Gods.
Ancient dust, thrown up by the sudden movement, clagged in the terrified Arkhew's throat and started to choke him.
***
Innocet felt the fit take its hold. She saw Owis peering down