The Lost Animas (The Ammonite Galaxy Series, Book 5)

Chapter 21

IT TOOK SIX and Ledin another three hours to reach the entrance to the deep cleft in the rocks. When they did, their mouths dropped open in awe.

It was a huge fissure, and now they were there they could see that it did, indeed, lead into a cave. The rift was majestically flanked on either side by huge natural columns, and the floor was littered with the hexagonal stepping stones so typical of Pyraklion. They led to the back of the fault, where the passageway twisted, then opened up into a cave. This still admitted light, so that it was almost magical, with huge columns surrounding the waiting ortholiquid. Everything had a still, timeless feel to it.

"Why are you puffing so much?" The visitor and the trimorphs had appeared effortlessly from the ortholiquid pool.

"Well, hello? We have just climbed down a third of a mile, remember?"

"What has that to do with making so much noise when you exhale?"

"We need to get our breath back."

"Why? Did you lose it on the climb?"

"Of course we didn't!" Six rolled his eyes at Ledin. "—Oh, never mind."

The bimorph looked confused. "Why should I mind? It is you that is making all the noise."

Six decided to ignore that. The two Kwaidians checked out the fissure, and then made their way to the entrance. It was time to let Diva know that they were ready. Ledin took out a flare which he had carefully carried down with him, and pulled at the ring with one fluid motion, before holding it out away from him hurriedly.

There was a pause, and then a small rocket shot out of the end of the cylinder, powering up towards the sun. Ledin tracked it up, until it burst into a shower of red miniature stars, which in turn fell gently to land as they burnt themselves out.

"Even Diva couldn't miss that." Six sounded pleased. "Phase two!"

"There was no need for the fireworks; I could have told Diva you were ready." They could see the visitor was peeved; he was spinning crossly.

"I suppose you could. We just couldn't be sure you would be here, when we were planning everything. Anyway, Ledin didn't want to miss the pyrotechnics."

Ledin looked at his friend, raised a surprised eyebrow, and then grinned.

They sat on the edge of the cleft, their feet dangling over the gulf below them, until they finally heard the sound of the shuttle engines approaching. Six began to fix the small, portable grapnel to the end of one of the ropes, testing its weight in his hands. He gave a couple of practice swings of the rope with its heavy appendage.

"Here! Watch out! You nearly took my head off," complained Ledin.

"Sorry. This thing is deceptive. It should work well."

"Yes? Well if you don't mind, I would appreciate some warning next time you are hurling metal anchors around in here – you nearly knocked me off the rock!"

Six sat down repentantly. "Sorry. I guess I got a bit carried away."

"You don't seem very experienced at this type of thing."

"No. First time. But it can't be hard to do, surely?"

"We'd better hope not."

They fell into a silence, listening to the noise of the shuttle getting louder and louder, until they wouldn't have been able to make themselves heard over the noise anyway. The thrust of the heavy engines was throbbing through the rock, and they were forced to retreat from the edge, where eddies of high velocity air were beginning to whip around.