Strange Attractors - Kim Falconer [52]
Selene gasped beside him, snapping shut her mouth as he gripped her arm. He could feel her fear through his hand.
‘See anything you recognise?’ May asked.
Her voice was as entreating as ever, as if she’d simply said, fancy a cup of tea?
‘Not exactly,’ Shane said, though his eye caught the bag in the far corner—his bag, with his flutes and whistle from Los Loma poking out the top. Their swords were next to it, on a chest of gold.
‘Have a good look around.’ May flung her arms wide open. ‘While there’s time.’
‘I think I’ve seen enough,’ he said, backing towards the door. He kept Selene by his side. She didn’t resist.
‘No, no. Look harder. You stay too, Tamin.’ She pushed the boy back when he tried to leave. ‘See if you can find something that you want to take with you.’ She left, slamming the door behind her. Her laughter echoed as she retreated down the stairs, boards creaking and groaning under her weight. They all stood looking at each other in silence.
‘What is this place?’ Selene finally said.
‘It’s what the river brings,’ Tamin answered. His voice was clear, like a small-town bell. The sound of it surprised Shane though he couldn’t give it full consideration. His eyes were riveted to the bodies. They were in poses of struggle, some clutching the gold with bony fingers, some scratching at the barred windows, tags of flesh falling from their hands and elbows.
‘I think we’d best go while we can,’ Selene said. ‘May’s not in a right frame of mind.’
Shane nodded, reaching for the nearest chest to scoop up a handful of gold. ‘We might as well have something to trade when we find our way back to Tensar. This is weighty gold. A temple full of instruments in one hand alone.’
Tamin grabbed his sleeve, pulling him back; the coins fell through his fingers. ‘Don’t touch.’
‘Why, lad? We’ve an unknown journey ahead and she clearly offered it. I’ll get my pack as well, and the swords.’
Tamin shook his head. ‘That’s what she always says, but she doesn’t mean well.’
Shane looked again at the corpse nearest him. The gold coins had slid from its skeleton hand, down the arm, to pile high in a hollow ribcage.
‘Best not to touch,’ Tamin said again.
Shane shook his hand as if spiders had crawled over it, brushing away the memory of the gold. ‘Who is she, Tamin?’
‘May’s the River Queen. We have to do what she asks.’
Shane attempted a smile to keep the child from fear but it went crooked. ‘And what has she asked of you?’
‘To play her the fiddle, of course. And not say a word.’
‘I think it’s time we all leave.’ He gripped the door knob. It moved a quarter turn but no more. He leaned his shoulder into it and shoved. It didn’t budge.
‘Too late,’ Tamin said.
‘Is there any other way out?’
‘None that’s ever been found, as far as I can see.’
‘But you’ve managed. She’s sent you here more than once and you’ve come trotting back.’
The boy shook his head. ‘She’s never closed me in before.’
‘There’re swords here, heavy blades. We can cut our way out and…’ Selene faltered.
‘You think they didn’t try?’ Shane pointed to the marks on the door and walls.
‘They grabbed the booty, is what stopped them.’ Selene’s voice gained confidence. ‘Forget the gold. Forget the treasures. Don’t look at it. Don’t touch a thing. There has to be another way out.’
‘What makes you think that?’ Shane asked, his eyes going to the barred window high above.
‘Because I’m not going to die here in this stinking room. Come on. Give me a boost. There’s a chink of light behind that wardrobe. Lift me up.’
There was no way out there but Selene didn’t stop searching. They all fell to inspecting the walls, going over them inch by inch. Shane applied himself to the search. Maybe if they ignored the treasures, they would find what the others had missed.
CHAPTER 8
BORDERLANDS, EARTH & CORSANON, GAELA
Everett hacked at the woody vines. His arms were aching,