The Sword of Retribution

The Wyrmhole - Part 4

     They all went over to the slaver and stood around it, whereupon it turned and looked down at them, its alien face as unreadable as ever. “We think we can get down to the Underworld through the wyrmhole,” said the wizard. “What do you think?”

     “Yes, that is the easiest course,” replied the cthillian, and Thomas was suddenly certain that it had known it all along. It had wanted to wait, aloof and superior, while they busted their brains trying to think of a way to get past the wyrmhole so that they could continue along the tunnel, and when they’d all given up, concluding that it was impossible, it would have stepped in and smugly told them of the plan they’d just worked out for themselves, thereby proving once and for all how superior it was and how stupid and inferior the surface dwellers were. Is it annoyed now? wondered the wizard. Have we angered it? Oh to hell with it, I’m tired of having to pussyfoot around the damned creature! All we’ve done is proved that we’re brainier than it expected us to be.

     “Provided, of course, that it does indeed lead to the Underworld,” continued the slaver, wanting to knock holes in the idea now that their positions were reversed. It had to prove its superiority somehow.

     “It leads somewhere,” pointed out Jerry, “or there wouldn’t be a breeze blowing through it.”

     “Somewhere, certainly, but not necessarily the Underworld. There are many caves, caverns and chambers in this part of the world, excavated by the Strakin and others down through the ages. The same geological stability that made the Llanoks build the Underworld here has attracted many races of subterranean creatures.”

     “Well, the only way to find out is to go and look,” said Thomas. “Since you can levitate, ambassador, could you float down there and see where the breeze’s coming from?”

     “Yes,” replied the cthillian. “I shall return in an hour or so.”

     Without another word, he went over to the hole, squeezed through it and disappeared, leaving the others to stare at each other at the abruptness of its departure.

     “Not one for long goodbyes, is he?” said Jerry in amusement.

     “Hey, I’ve just thought of something,” said Lirenna suddenly. “Suppose it does go down to the Underworld. Gelrad said that it was about a hundred yards between floor and ceiling, so we’re going to end up dangling from a hole in the ceiling a hundred yards above the ground!”

     “No we won’t,” replied Matthew. “Look, wyrms are like giant earthworms, right? Well, what would happen if it was coming up from the centre of the world and suddenly found itself in the Underworld? It wouldn’t be able to go straight up through the ceiling, would it? It would have to slither around on the floor of the Underworld until it came to the nearest wall, or one of the pillars holding the ceiling up, so that it could continue upwards, so if we follow the wyrmhole down, it’ll eventually curve around until it’s running horizontally and open out level with the Underworld’s floor.”

     “Unless the wyrm that made this hole was going downwards at the time,” pointed out Shaun.

     “Oh yeah,” said the young soldier, embarrassed. “I never thought of that. What do they do it for, anyway? Migrate between the core and the crust, I mean?”

     “Nobody really knows for certain,” replied Angus. “The best theory is that their ability to make rock go as soft as butter is magical in nature. There’s no magic deep underground, though, so they have to go up near the surface now and again to soak up enough magic into their bodies to last them for their next journey down to the core and back, the core being the only place where their eggs’ll hatch.”