The Prophesy: Book 3 - The Hammer of Atlantis

 

The process of recovering the Crystal continued. The cable finally reached the bottom and, after a lot of hard work, the ends were tied to the straps that held the net. The next step was simple: put tension on the cable. It was pulled taut before Harp, using a laser light, began trimming the base of the column. It progressed rapidly until they had reached four-fifth of the radius of the column. It then appeared that the Crystal extended slightly below the base of the column, an unexpected issue.

«Paschal, we need an optic fibre; it must be capable of carrying six Megajoules, so I can cut the rock matrix that is holding the tip of the Crystal. Adjust it so it fits to Bata.»

«Ok. I have only to prepare the feeder. You'll get it in fifteen minutes.»

Right on time, a nine hundred foot long optic fibre appeared right under the nose of the Spider. Harp connected Bata and the cable via the appropriate socket, and then began pushing the cable under the Crystal and its encasing column. An hour later, Harp began the delicate work of removing the enclosing matrix from around the protruding crystal apex. After four hours, he had done one-eight of the circumference and decided to rest rather then risk damaging anything.

«Have you found by how much the Crystal extends below the base of the column?» asked Enron.

«It extends about four feet below the base. It was within the tolerance of our sensory capacities.»

«Do we need to adjust the ballast?»

«Yes, by about two tons. Can you drop down two hundred pounds lead bells with an eye-lock at the top? Paschal will handle that part in order to maintain the buoyancy neutral.»

After ninety-six hours of work interspersed with eight-hour rest periods, the Crystal was finally free, with a negative buoyancy of five tons, well within the capacity of the cable and the winch. The delicate process of lifting the Crystal began, as the Spiders gripped the net to tie the bottom part and wrap the Crystal's base in a set of overlapping webs. Even if the Crystal slipped, the net's web would retain it. Another twelve days were required to bring the tip of the Crystal near the surface. By then, the ship and its protecting ring of Dragons had begun moving back to the shore, heading for Ginia Beach. Within twenty-three days, the docks that had seen the birth of the ship were in sight. The Crystal was lifted as much as possible out of the water by the winch, but it still would have hit bottom well before entering the port.

"Ok, now comes the next delicate part. We cannot use magic to lift it, because for each application of force there must be an equivalent application of a counter-force. If we did, we would pass right through the hull, or sink the ship. What we will do is simply build a floating dock. If we displace a lot more water then our cargo weights, the dock will float. We will put the Crystal on its side, thus increasing the contact area. Given the five-ton weight, I think that just putting the Crystal on its side will do a lot in making it float. It certainly displaces more then five tons of water in that position."

"I did some maths. The total displacement of the cylinder and the Crystal is around fourteen thousand tons. It will be like a cork on a saline pool," replied Harp. "If my maths is correct, the necessary draught is a foot and a half. We will be able to bring it right near the beach. The floating dock may be unnecessary, Paschal."

"That's good. To make it lean on the side, I suggest we simply displace the additional ballasts we added. For now it is perfectly balanced, but by displacing two, maybe four ballasts delicately to change the position of the centre of gravity, we would have it tip over slowly. We still have one hundred and fifty feet of water under the keel. At worse we will get a big splash when it capsizes."

The process began, and, half an hour later, the column fell on the side, its speed controlled by the winch. The next part of the trip to the beach progressed apace, and, by vespers, the Crystal was beached.

"Everyone rest. Tomorrow, we put it on the carrier and the trip to the mountains begins," said Harold. "Just don't forget to tie it to the tree line, the tide will come in early and we are not at full tide. In fact, I want to see four guys monitoring the Crystal all night. If it starts floating pull it in as the tide rises."

***

The next morning, slightly before prime, the tide reached its peak and the Crystal was pulled on the beach. The next process was simple: ties were inserted inside the net and the ballasts were tied to the ropes before being released from the net. As each of the forty ballasts were released, the Crystal's balance changed, until it floated freely above the water. It was pulled into the carrier before the ballasts were retied to the net, thus immobilizing it in place.

"Ok. We're ready to move. Theresa, you have command of the rear escort! Yamato, you have advanced units under your command! Dunbar, you have convoy overall command! Typhoon, you have air command! Paschal, verify mechanical aspects! Thorsten, verify road integrity as we progress! Williams, you inspect the carrier! Harp, you deal with security along the sides with the mages and the wolves! Ian, recover the Spiders and reprogram them for a new task."

"What task, dad?"

Harold looked around for suggestions.

"I suggest you set half to fast patrol and kill on sight of cockroaches and ants, and the other half to resume the undersea search. They would be a welcomed addition to the South Atlantic Fleet, if only to close the Magellan gap," suggested Paschal.

"I'll do that. They are waiting in the shallows, a mile off shore. It should be done within the hour."

Things went fine until they began progressing in the forests of the foothills. It seemed the vibrations caused by the heavy cart made the cockroaches mad and they came charging from every side. At first, the reaction was to set the forest on fire on both sides of the road, but this became impractical as the heat became unbearable. Installing a shield only lasted so long, before it too became problematic. Even a magic wall was useless, as the cockroaches tunnelled under it to reach their target.

"Forget the cart!" ordered Harp. "Untie the ballasts, and let's fly this over the mountain range! Everyone that is unnecessary, port to the Kingdom! Paschal, port the ballasts to our next waypoint, in the Kuiper Pass."

As the ballasts were released, the Crystal lost weight and finally was manageable. The only issue was inertia, but that was handled by the Mages, who combined together to gently nudge it along the road and up the slope at a sedate twenty-five miles per hour on straight lines and sometimes a few miles per hour on hair-pin curves. The cart was ported to the next planned resting position for the crystal, eight hours away and an hour before sunset.

"Why not continue during the night?" asked Samson.

"We need a clear view of what we are doing, my friend. We have enough trouble already with the smoke. And things won't improve as we move up to the pass, believe me," replied Dunbar.

"I just hope the camp tonight won't be infested by ants and cockroaches!" William said.

"Don't give me nightmares!"

Unfortunately, William's comment proved to be a warning amply justified. Even as the Crystal floated ten feet above the treetops, the cockroaches followed its progression as if they were attracted by its presence.

"We won't be able to stop tonight if that continues. We just can't leave that Crystal drift, since the wind is coming down the mountain and pushing us back to the sea. And I'm sure if we anchor it, the damn insects will climb to it, making its handling a pain," commented Ian, as he eyed disapprovingly at the advancing insect column.

"Where are the ants when you need them!" Typhoon moaned.

"That's an idea! Let's look for an anthill or two!"

"Typhoon, while you look for that with Ian, I'll try to flood the area. Cockroaches do not swim well, as we have seen. I've seen a glacier up valley that could be of use."

"Harp, don't overdo the flooding, we need the valley to reach the pass, and one of our waypoints is in the valley!"

"Don't worry, Dunbar. You know I'm always reasonable."

That comment sent shivers down Dunbar's back. He had an image of a reasonable Harp and just couldn't fathom where reason came into play.

An hour later, the roar of water could be heard coming from up the valley. As the Crystal team negotiated yet another hairpin turn, they saw water cascade down below them. First it was a thick cloud of dust, and then the sixty-foot wall of water came into view!

"Pull the Crystal up forty feet!" ordered Dunbar.

The mages, with the help of the Dragons, managed to bring it to one hundred feet just as the wave reached their position.

"I'll whip his ass!" thundered Dunbar, as he saw the flood under his position.

"Good luck catching me!" Harp said as he took off in a flash.

The result was as expected: the advancing cockroaches were pushed back right to the sea, some two hundred miles down slope. The entire vegetation cover was uprooted, and the valley scraped to bedrock.

"I wonder what happened to the waypoint campsite?" Harold wondered.

«I moved it to the next valley before unleashing this. It's now back in place, but don't look for firewood. You won't find any!» replied Harp, still out of reach of Dunbar's bad mood.

"Ian, did you find any ants?"

"Not within usable distance, dad. And with Harp's solution, we won't need any for a while."

***

The waypoint reached, the giant Crystal was brought down to rest on the cart for the night. The cart itself had been put on a flat, polished rock surface, and Harp set a ward preventing any unwanted life form from coming close. The moon's weaning light reflected on the visible parts of the Crystal, making it shine in the night with an eerie, milky light that could be seen from a considerable distance. Ian took a look from a hundred miles up and he could see the pinpoint light in the darkness of the continental mass, standing out several miles ahead of the ice cliff like the lost pearl of a necklace.

The night passed well, and, by morning, everyone was ready for another long day.

"Where to, Dunbar? I notice the road was washed out by Harp's flood."

"I need to check what's ahead. The slope is getting steeper, and it will be difficult to negotiate. It was already difficult with the road in place, we will have more trouble now."

"Why bother hugging the planet's surface Dunbar?"

"Ah, there you are Harp! Don't believe I've forgotten yesterday! But considering our situation, what is your suggestion? I'll deal with you when we are out of this mess!"

"What is the next waypoint's altitude?"

"Five thousand feet or so, with a pass at five thousand five hundred feet before we reach the waypoint. It is one hundred and fifty miles away, a bit south of here, since we must keep a mountain or two between us and the Washton Hole."

"I see. We must stay below the mountain ridge, that means it is impossible to just lift the crystal to six thousand feet and move it directly to the next waypoint. Paschal! I need a topographic map of the valley marked with isometric bars every twenty-five feet!"

"Give me an hour. I need to pop to Thebes and make it from a quick flight!" replied Paschal, as he shifted to a dragon shape. «What scale do you need it in?»

«Military metric, 1:10,000, in feet. Make it in manageable size sheets, say, six feet by eight, with peaks and overly topographic keys.»

«I'll be right back.»

«GTP⁴³⁴³ ("Chip: Carpenter.")?» snickered Ian.

«Ian!» hollered the other princes.

«What?»

«That way of talking disappeared with the Ancients, so don't start getting lazy!" replied Harp.

Paschal was back an hour later with the requested maps, in all, over three hundred and fifty sheets.

"Dunbar, Harp, I suggest we move south along that secondary valley. It will move us away from Washton's radioactive wastes."

"That's an idea. I just wish there was another thing we could do to add to safety," replied Thorsten.

"I read that water was used as a coolant for reactors by the ancients."

"I read about that too Harp, but they used heavy water, DO₂, which we do not have."

"We aren't interested in controlling the reaction Paschal. It's too late for that, far too late; however we would benefit if something could be dumped in the hole to reduce the atmospheric contamination by radioactive dust."

"I see. Well, let's just flood it with normal water. At least, wet mud won't get blown by wind all over the place!" suggested Enron.

"Yes! It's my turn to flood something!" exclaimed Ian, jumping all around like a kid in a candy store.

"Wait!" exclaimed the other princes, but it was too late! Ian had vanished up and reached the glacial ice sheet up the mountain valley that led to Washton. A few minutes later, a series of ear-shattering explosions could be heard.

"I thought the tidal waves had cleared the issue?" said Harold.

"Apparently not, it's as hot as ever," answered Enron.

"How far is that glacier?" Harp asked.

"It is two hundred miles off!" replied Paschal, as he looked at Harp with worry in his face.

"If the sound we hear is any indication, it's not only a flood Washton will get, but the entire glacier!" moaned Enron.

"Can't you guys ever do anything without blowing it out of proportions?" wondered Thorsten.

"Sorry, blowing up things runs in the family!" replied Harp.

"I suggest we go up and monitor the progress of that disaster. Ian's powerful, but he may not have a full grasp of what the consequences may be."

Everyone except those in charge of watching the Crystal took off and headed for the sound, a roar that kept amplifying as they came closer to its source.

«What the fuck?» exploded Harp as he saw Ian ride a giant wave of ice on what looked like a long slab of rock. It was moving down the valley at breakneck speed, and the Heir was riding the advancing wave, doing some fancy figures to evade falling ice floes, and staying as far inside the collapsing wave crest as he could.

«He's lost his marbles!» exclaimed Harold, as he watched his first-born move the slab of rock to skip over an incoming ice sheet.

«Was there any doubt about that?» asked Harp.

«What do we do?» asked a very worried Samson.

«Nothing!» replied Harp. «He shielded himself with magic, and nothing will happen to him. You see that blue glow? It's radiation hitting the primary shield and slowing down to a stop, converting its excited energy state into visible light. Just watch that rock block over there. It skirted the shield and literally melted instantly on impact.»

The onlookers watched Ian surf an impossible wave, and then the Heir ported out, joining them in dragon form.

«Were you tired of surfing?»

«No, dad, but the wave is nearing Washton, and I do not know how to surf steam yet.»

«Steam?»

«Just watch.»

As the flood and its lead wave reached the Washton sink, it exploded violently, water fighting with the residual lava at the bottom of the huge cavity before the water finally won the battle and the hole filled up to overflowing and the flood resumed its progress down toward the sea.

«The Washton sinkhole is dead! Long lives the Washton Lake!» said Ian as the water vapour slowly drifted down to the sea, creating a series of local thunderstorms in the process.

«What's the radiation level?»

«It's been dropping exponentially as the water removes the dust and the heavy elements downriver,» replied Paschal. «We should be able to speed the progress of the Crystal to the kingdom in two days.»

«Finally, some good news,» said Harold, relieved.

***

The next two days were tense. Everyone expected an army of cockroaches to crest over the foothills south of their position at any time, or ants to wake up and begin to hunt them down like livestock on sandals, but nothing of the sort materialized. The morning when the Crystal's progression was to resume came out, foggy and with a low ceiling, hiding the mountains south and west of their position in a thick layer of clouds. Winds were gusty, reaching well above thirty miles per hour at some point. It was going to be a hard task to keep control on the Crystal's movements, especially in crosswind conditions.

"Let's keep the Crystal at slightly below neutral, so it tends to sink. I don't want to need to hunt it down if we lose control!" declared Harp, as the ballasts were slowly removed.

"By how much?"

"Five hundred pounds should be enough, but keep the rest handy. If the wind picks up, we may need to increase the weight."

The process of unballasting the Crystal was slow and painstaking, as wind gusts kept twisting it one way or another. Finally, the ballast load reached the requisite minus five hundred pounds, and the royals, assisted by a cohort of mages, lifted the massive object to about three hundred feet AGL and began moving according to the new path Paschal, Dunbar, Harp and Ian had planned over the past two days.

Things were rough going, as the topography caused unexpected changes in wind directions, with an occasional down draft or updraft depending on the terrain below. As with any mountain flying, the wind's behaviour was erratic and shifted relative to the terrain's features, making the reading difficult.

«The wind's speed is increasing Harp. What should we do?»

«Compensate. What matters is ground speed, not air speed. As long as we maintain ground speed at twenty-five miles per hour, the Crystal's load will not over-react.»

«All right Harp, you are the specialist in these things,» replied Dunbar.

As the party climbed ever higher in the mountains, the weather deteriorated as well as visibility. Finally, Dunbar called for a meeting.

«The visibility is so poor we could hit a mountainside any time. Given the mass of the Crystal, even at twenty-five miles per hour, we could have a lot of damage. What do we do?»

«What is our current location relative to the Washton radioactive wastes?»

«About one hundred miles southwest of it, Harp.»

«What is the dominant wind vector?»

«West with north gusts up to about two thousand feet. The interface between wind patterns is dependent on topography. Above that, the dragons report mostly westerly. The weather worsens as we go up, with winds reaching over sixty miles per hour in gusts,» said Typhoon.

«Has anyone observed a pattern in the gusts at lower altitudes?»

«The gusts come every ten to fifteen minutes.»

«And what is the cloud floor?» asked Dunbar as he looked at Typhoon.

«It is at twenty thousand feet for the second layer.»

«Ok. After the next gust, we climb to thirty thousand feet, which should bring us above cloud cover. We have ten minutes to reach that altitude and clear the lower atmosphere turbulence,» decided Dunbar. «Meanwhile continue on the planned path, but let's slow down to five miles per hour.»

The Crystal progressed further and then suddenly a strong gust buffeted the party. Less then five minutes later, the gust vanished.

«Climb! Climb! Climb! Slope at forty-five degrees! Speed twenty-five miles per hour GS⁴⁴⁴⁴ ("GS: Ground Speed.")!

Ten minutes later they had reached eleven thousand feet, and after about thirty minutes of climb, the Crystal levelled off at thirty-three thousand feet.

«Forego following the terrain. Let's head west as fast as possible. We still have a good four hours of flying ahead of us, and that would push us another hundred miles further away from the Washton Wastes. If anyone has no objection, I would like to fly by night this time. How many mages are involved at any one time in controlling the Crystal's displacement?»

«A third Dunbar.»

«Good. Harp; please assign mages in three eight-hour shifts. We fly to our capital non-stop from now on.»

«OK, I'll be back with the roster later.»

***

The next four hours went smoothly, and, as night fell over the mountain range, the next shift of mages came to replace their colleagues that had been handling the day shift.

«What is the weather ahead?» asked Dunbar.

«There is a violent crosswind, and the mountains' fall to the sea creates violent downdrafts along with powerful swirls in the glaciers' cirques. It sucks the cold air and flows down in winds of up to one hundred miles per hour. We have to keep slaloming between them. It will be difficult to detect them at night, Dunbar. During the day, the snow swirls acts as telltale sign, but at night it's going to be another story,» replied Typhoon, the official meteorologist for this expedition.

«How high do these swirls reach?»

«At least to the top of the troposphere, and sometimes even higher."

«Black White-Wing! Get the Pegasuses to fly in the lead, ten miles ahead of the Crystal. Inform us of the presence of a swirl as soon as you detect one!»

«At your service, Dunbar.»

«What is the forecast for the next few days?»

«I was hoping that the colder arctic air would be more stable, but it's meeting with a warm front from the south further inland, so we will have terrible conditions: snow, sleet, icing rain, and, further south, rainstorms and thunderstorms. Since we cannot reach the stratosphere with the Crystal, we are bound to have a rough ride,» replied Typhoon.

«Now I know why the meteorologists of the Ancients were called harbingers of bad news!»

«Hey! I just report the weather, I don't make it!»

«I know Typhoon. You were just convenient to dump my frustration on. Paschal, What is the estimated path length?»

«I calculated five hundred and five miles to reach Thebes. However this estimate is based on straight-line travel from waypoint to waypoint. We all know this is impossible. So double that. We have been travelling at a very slow speed so far, well below the twenty-five miles per hour ceiling imposed by the Crystal, so we are still quite close to the sea. At best, I think we have a good twenty days of travel, if we manage to even do it in that time!»

«What do we know about long-range weather forecasting?»

«Nothing much! All I can say is that the weather will only get less stable as spring nears, if that is possible. Even the Ancients noticed that a season change was always accompanied by less predictable weather, and they did not have to compose with an ice age.»

«Harp, what is the worse condition you and the mages can handle while flying the Crystal?»

«The worse would be a tornado, which is unlikely in these conditions at least were we are now. Hurricane-force winds are also unlikely. Gales, on the other hand, are very likely."

«So, short of a force-ten gale, we fly?»

«Sort of, I would prefer we went down if the winds reached force seven or more. Flying and handling the Crystal is tiring, Dunbar.»

«So be it. Typhoon, monitor wind, if the conditions reach force six, tell me, and Paschal will start to look for a safe heaven for the Crystal. Until then we fly! Williams, you have the next twelve hours. I'm in need of rest.»

«We might as well stop now. The wind is already in the near gale range!»

«Are there calmer atmospheric strata?»

«Yes, Dunbar, in the stratosphere, five thousand feet above us!»

«I'm sick and tired of bad weather!»

«Aren't we all? Anyway, Dunbar, it's still your call!»

«What's the topography below, Paschal?»

«It is not very favourable. We have begun flying over the glacier for about two hours, and it is filled with seracs and it is very unstable. We need to continue to fly for at least an hour before we get out of the crevasses.»

«Ian, lead a group of dragons to build a nest for the Crystal a mile above the crevasses. We land in an hour! This time, Williams, you really take over, I'm almost flying asleep.»

An hour later, the Crystal was lowered in between two imposing cliff faces and came to rest on its berth, arse first in an artificial cave dug in by the dragons. The carriage specifically designed to carry the Crystal earlier had its wheels replaced with skis so it could be moved in and out of the cave easily.

«Cover the ice cave's entrance with packed ice! We will stay in here for as long as the storm lasts!» decided Williams. «Does anyone know how long mountain storms last?»

«According to the Ancients, that kind of storm lasted from two to five days, with short breaks of three to five days. But as Typhoon mentioned, they never handled an ice age, so this is not very trustworthy.»

***

It took eleven days for the weather to calm down. By then the cave had to be adjusted several times, as the glacier moved downhill, and things were getting ever more difficult for the Atlanteans. As the moon climbed over the coast and the night sky cleared, Williams decided that night flying was in order. They had lost enough time as it was. As the air calmed, and the stars stopped sparkling, indicating an abnormally calm atmosphere, the cave entrance was cleared, the sled carrying the Crystal was pulled out, and the mages began the arduous process of bringing the massive object to the expected cruising altitude. A couple of mage ported the sled for storage to Thebes until such time as it might become necessary to use it again.

The calm helped and as dawn coloured the ice below in a magnificent set of purples, pinks, and reds, the Crystal passed another peak. Behind them, the mages could see the ugly glows of Washton Lake, a hundred and fifty miles away by bird flight. Things progressed smoothly for the next eight days, before another ugly storm began to brew.

«How far until we reach Thebes?» asked Dunbar.

«We are still two hundred and fifty miles away from our destination. If things hold, we should reach it in two and a half days, since we are now inside the kingdom. Should we need to rest, there is a fresh lava bed dating from our fight with the orcs below us.»

«What is the snow thickness?»

«The lava is still too hot for snow to take hold. But it is a comfortable 78° F on the surface. I would not dig below. In some places, the crust is too thin for even a man to walk on it, but other areas can withstand the Crystal's weight with a sufficient safety margin.»

«Mark the safe areas, just in case we need them. We continue flying as long as the weather allows.»

***

As the Crystal neared its destination, an ominous black cloud became visible north of Thebes. Its dark, bluish hues bode for a terrible storm.

«Look at what's coming! It's a race between that shit and us!» said Enron.

«It's worse then that! This is a cloud of ash, my lord, not something related to weather. There has been another volcanic eruption on the northern frontier, and the wind is pushing the ash our way. It is still two hundred and fifty miles away, but Yamato has ordered a lockdown on Thebes. That kind of dust cuts through lungs like knife through fat,» Typhoon informed them.

«Will we reach Thebes in time?» Dunbar asked.

«Yes, with barely ten minutes to spare.»

«Harp and Thorsten, move forward and ready the entrance for the Crystal under Thebes.»

«The entrance for that Crystal is at the intersection of the lines marking the apexes of the Blue, Black and Red Pyramids, in the Aztec Plaza. I'll open the doors on arrival. Fly in directly. There is enough space to lodge the Crystal and the cylinder gangue,» directed Harp. «Dad, bring the carrier to the chamber; Samson handle the ballast. They should be in the room on the side of our destination. Thorsten, verify the locks on the lift. Paschal, get the tools required to remove the granitic matrix from around the Crystal. Dunbar, I will be there to guide you when you reach the entrance with the Crystal. Use the red and green markers to navigate the city to reach the entrance safely.»

The next few hours were frenetic. In the silent, abandoned exterior of Thebes, the Crystal moved along the pathway marked by Harp. As the northern edge of Thebes began feeling the effects of the ash storm, some one hundred and fifty miles away, the Crystal made its entry along one of the numerous peripheral passages. The disposition of Thebes was such that along its bizarre periphery were wide gaps in what was thought to be defensive walls. It was through one of these gaps that the crystal assed, hovering barely a foot above the ground. After passing through a long series of paths and repeated changes, it was finally aligned with the tip of one of the canals that crossed the entire city, supplying it with proper waterways. As it passed between the Blue and Black pyramid, it took a sharp turn north and progressed until it was lifted out of the canal and moved to the Aztec Plaza.

Harp was there, waiting.

«Rotate the Crystal ninety degrees and back up in the opening. Clearance is six inches on each side. I want eyes along all the way. Lift the Crystal two feet! Dad, use magic to push the cart under it. Good. Move the ballasts in place. Add them slowly Samson, very slowly. That's it. Ian I need ice for the skis. That's good. Typhoon, push it in. Slow it down, it's gaining speed on the slope!»

The sled began to speed up but the sudden disappearance of the ice slowed the sled. Unfortunately the Crystal had acquired momentum and continued to slide downward, threatening to fall off! Only Ian's fast reactions saved the day as he put in place a net anchored in the walls. The Crystal pushed hard on the net, and a few strands broke, but the Crystal halted its progress.

«Reposition the carrier!» ordered Harp, white as a sheet.

The Crystal was lifted barely an inch above the sled. The sled was then pushed down further until it was aligned properly again.

«We have another twenty feet to move in before we can close the double doors! Move it! Let's lift the sled along with the Crystal.»

The process resumed, with even more care. Ian kept placing stopper nets every three feet just in case things went out of control again. After thirty minutes the tip of the Crystal slid inside and the doors closed.

«Everyone still outside port at the end of the room! The storm is reaching us and we are starting to see the ash blow across the plaza,» Typhoon ordered.

The closing of the doors created a sepulctural silence, and Harp lit the giant room.

"Ok, Typhoon, you get some rest, we need monitoring of the weather outside as soon as the ash cloud is out of the way. Enron, you take the job of balancing the Crystal with ballasts as Thorsten and I chip off the gangue around the Crystal. Ian, I need a lot of light, from all directions. Can you do that?"

"That won't be difficult."

"Sitar, get back to training our brothers. Everyone else, go home. Moving the Crystal is finished, now is time for precision work. We will keep you informed of progress. We have time to do this before we need to move it out into its final resting place."

"Better obey bossy Harp, boys! You know what he does to disobedient kids!"

"Feed them to ogres?" asked a wide-eyed Jefferson, which had managed to coerce Greywolf into bringing him to the huge room from his royal suite as he had learned that Paschal was back from his expedition.

"No, he dunks them in cold water!" replied one of Harp's victims.

"I prefer ogres."

The last comment made everyone laugh, and the sombre mood was swept away.

"Come on, Jefferson, let's leave them to their work. I'll race you to the stairs, replied Alexander, as he sat perched on his black wolf.

"You always win with the wolf. It's not fair!"

"I'll change that," replied Timor, as he shifted to his giant wolf shape, much to the amazement of Alexander and Jefferson.

"Yes! Get me up!" asked an ecstatic Jefferson, and Ian obliged by levitating him onto the huge furry back of Timor's wolf shape.

"The first one at my living room wins!" said Harold as he ported to his apartments.

The race was on! Timor was fast on straight lines, but had trouble negotiating sharp turns, especially staircases, while Alexander's wolf, while slower, could turn on a dime. The race's lead switched from one wolf to the other, as they ran down hallways, negotiated stairs, and otherwise made their way to Harold's suite as quickly as they could manage it. Along the way, a hedge of supporters hollered their encouragement to either Alexander or Jefferson, as hallways cleared to let the living missiles run their course.

Everywhere could be heard shouts of "Go Jefferson!" or "Go Alexander!" and bets of all sorts were taken on who would win the race. The race had come just in time to give the Atlanteans a good fun, a well-needed change from the gloom of the past few weeks, with the bad weather, and now the ash cloud falling on their city. The race was so close it was impossible to tell who would win as the two racers negotiated the last few curves leading to the royal suite. Finally, as Alexander thought he had it bagged, a giant leap from Timor propelled Jefferson in the lead for the first time since the two boys had been racing each other on the last level.

"The winner is Jefferson Davis! Long hail Jefferson Davis, the king of corridor racing!" proclaimed Harold, laughing his arse off at the miserable look of Alexander.

"Alexander, you usually win those races don't you? Learn to be graceful in defeat, son."

"I just don't like losing!"

"Nobody does; neither did Jefferson, and yet he kept playing these race things with you even if you had an unfair advantage by riding your wolf. He finally voiced his frustration today, which showed he has matured enough to take a stand for himself. Jefferson, we have been waiting to render justice to your uncle the Usurper for this to occur. You will have to confront him and deal with him. Either one of the royals or I will handle the axe that will behead the man, but you, and only you, can render the decision."

"I thought he was dead?"

"No, we got rid of his toadies, some time back, as per your decision, but we held to him all this time because we believe you needed a better understanding of the consequences of your decision."

"What if I think he deserves something less then death?"

"We will stand by that decision as well, Jefferson. Remember, you have the power of Atlantis behind you. You are not alone. In fact, to make it very clear to your uncle, that court will be held in the Great Court, with all royals present. Your job will be to judge the facts and decide the fate of your uncle. We will do the rest, whatever the decision you take."

"Will I have counsel?"

"Yes, everyone there is on call to counsel you. Also, my boys will bear witness to what they have seen, so you know exactly what your uncle has ordered, condoned, and condemned."

"That is acceptable. When will this High Court be held?"

"Harp tells me he wishes this to be held in a month. By then the last Crystal will be in place and operational. Meanwhile we are going to continue the process of integrating your people within the framework of Atlantis, and clean up the seedy individuals by incorporating them in conscript units under wolf guards. So far there has been about two hundred conscripted centuries added, for a total of twenty-two thousand two hundred conscripts, a relatively moderate number. The process has been slow because of all the activity, including the orc war and the recovery of the Crystal. Now we can get back to business."

"What about the courtesans?"

"If you are talking about the profiteers that tried to gain favours from you while you were sick, they are part of the conscripts. We tried to implement your suggestion of putting them into low jobs but they were too disruptive. They ended up in disciplinary units. Their passage at latrine work was only a detour."

"I just can imagine some of these perfumed hall rats scrubbing latrines! It must have been hilarious! Did they know which end to hold the brush?"

"Actually," said Viola, one of the lads in the cow barns described the event as a defining moment in humour: they had one of them shovel chicken poop and he kept slipping in it, falling on his arse or face first. It was like the floor was giving him a rodeo ride."

"Cool!"

"What the lad didn't know is I was practicing precise teleportation with the floor planks as the guy worked... Each step he took, the plank would lift, shift, or otherwise do him in one way or another. I never had so much fun in my life."

"And I thought Harp was bad, Viola. You are really one of ours. I think we should have a holiday tomorrow, a day of rejoicing. The Crystal can wait."

"Why?"

"The people have been working non-stop for months. We simply need a break."

***

The next day was a day of rejoicing. First the Crystal had been found, and safely brought back to the city; second, it was a day of recognition for everyone's hard work. The day was declared an official holiday for everyone except those on patrol at the border, and even then, their tour was reduced to an hour, which gave them an almost full day of fun.

The royals organized the party in such a way that it would start at dawn and end at dawn the next day. Meals were available to fit all taste, games were organized, showing out abilities in different crafts and weapons. Even some fun games were organized, such as foot races, vaulting, swimming races, and object throwing from the hammer to the javelin. The funniest game was catching the bubbling apples with the teeth as they floated in water. Others showed prowesses with ice and roller-skating, while others demonstrated acrobatics, both on the mat and on the slopes of an especially arranged tessaract. Even surfing competitions were set along one of the sandy beaches of the oceanic tessaract. Vespers found the entire population of Thebes, minus the yet to be vetted members of the United Kingdoms, in the huge amphitheatre that had been used for Ian's birthday. As the lights shone, the king read the Royal proclamations making the rescued people officially part of the Atlantean kingdoms, and officially proclaiming Jefferson king of his people with the royal assent of the Atlanteans for those who had not heard of the news. The adoption decrees were re-read, confirming for all that they indeed were all part of the Royal Family of Atlantis. Those for Piano and Violin were signed into law. Even Jefferson's membership was reaffirmed:

"By royal consent of all the princes of Atlantis, we, Harold Thor Horus Pharaoh of Atlantis reaffirm and proclaim Jefferson Davis, king of the United Kingdoms of Atlanticus, a member of our family and a prince of Atlantis! You can call me dad, Jefferson, son of mine."

It took Jefferson some time to register what Harold had said, but it finally percolated through his emotionally fogged brain. He had a dad! He really had a dad! Someone loved him enough to be his dad! He knew he had been adopted earlier but given the events and the speed of things prior to that day of rejoicing, it had not really registered with the boy. Things had gone off to the deep end before he could really grasp the full extent of the initial proclamation some months back, as the royals ran a war and then collected that beautiful Crystal, whose purpose remained a total mystery to him. Then he realized he also had a mom and brothers and sisters! That was just too much for the poor boy and he cried out his joy hugging to Harold so tightly the Atlantean thought he would get strangled on the spot. Finally, the emotions took their toll, and Jefferson fainted in the safety of Harold's strong arms. As the reality slipped into blissful darkness, Jefferson could only hear a repeating call:

"Long lives King Harold!"

Jefferson was laid to rest amongst the furry coats of the canine guards, and he sucked his thumb, oblivious to the ongoing party. Huge fireworks shook the amphitheatre, but the poor boy slept though it all. By dawn the next morning, he awoke in the nest, with his younger brothers, and wondering if it had not all been a dream. It was only the presence of a magical ring on his middle right hand finger to the colours and crest of the House of Atlantis that confirmed it was all too real. As he became more aware of his surroundings, he noticed he was with his brothers by adoption, in a pile of canines of all sorts and sizes. A pup was busy licking his face to wake him up. After giggling gently and scratching the pesky pup between the ears, he turned to look around. Everyone was watching him silently.

"Did I do anything wrong?" he asked as he noticed he was nude, sporting a stiffy to drill a hole, and immediately realizing he needed to pee badly.

"No, Jefferson, we watched the pup accept you as his companion. He will stay with you for life, protect you, and see to it that you behave according to the rules of the pack. No king of the Wolves is above the Pack's laws and Conscience. The pup has accepted to be your spirit guide. Do you accept him as such?"

"Is he not young for that? I'm sure he is not even house-broken!"

"No, he is as old as the Canines, and has access to the Conscience, therefore to the Wolf Throne, that is to us. As far as housebreaking, you have as much to learn as he does. The Wolf Pack has its own rule insofar as den behaviour is concerned."

"I need to pee bad! Where's the bathroom?"

"To the left! Bring the pup with you, so he can relieve himself in the shower. You can wash down the urine while you shower. The wolf pup will not like it that much but he will stay with you nonetheless. This is part of teaching him house rules within the confines of the city. You will learn the rules of the den with the wolves as well. Do not worry; they aren't that much different from the city rule. The canines do not like littering in their den no more then we do. Only, it's the technique of cleaning that changes!"

"Where are my clothes?"

"You do not need any unless you plan on going outside. I would not recommend it, since the ash storm is still in full swing. We will need to clean up the city after it's over, and it's going to be a mess. We managed to isolate the water system from the ash, and the fisheries are safe, but they and their immediate vicinity will be the first to be cleansed. Then we do the rest. If you go into a tessaract, please make sure you are accompanied. Some do have weather systems running that would not be safe for you."

The prince, which had been dancing on the spot while Harp explained things, ran out to the loo, his cute lily butt shining in the artificial lights magic supplied in that gloomy morning, a wolf pup in hot pursuit.

"So many things to explain. I wonder if Jefferson will adapt?" wondered Paschal, as he stood up, ready to go join their parents for breakfast.

"Who knows? Probably, he is young, and easily adaptable. The only question is, how long will it take for him to gain confidence in himself? He has the power, does things when asked, but never takes the initiative," replied Harp.

"He is a mage. Shouldn't that help?"

"You know quite well that ability and confidence in one's ability are two things! I cannot infuse him with confidence, sadly. Anyway that would require in-depth scanning of his memories and I need his permission. Jefferson was taken by surprise during the tests. He fails when he starts thinking things out."

"Harp showing restraint? Where has the world fallen into?"

"Shut up Enron!"

"Anyway, Paschal, can you take him to the laboratory today? We need to work on freeing the Crystal and that is both boring, requires a lot of attention, and is not that interesting for someone to watch as we pick the Crystal clean of its gangue."

"I was planning to anyway. We have to check on the Spiders' progress, and I've called on Yamato, Dunbar and Williams to resume the Ark project and search."

"And I'm to organize the diplomatic mission to the small humans and orcs in the jungles of South America. I wonder why dad picked me for that? I thought he had picked mom. Mom for logistics, you for execution."

"For your diminutive size, Ian. You will look less threatening to them," replied Enron.

"If they only knew how size can be deceptive," piped up Thorsten.

"If only dad knew the definition Ian has of diplomacy, he would send the army first!"

"I am not that bad, Sitar. I just don't like to be taken on a ride."

"It doesn't show. You practically sleep on Silver Moon when you are not in the nest!" Timor said from one end of the room.

"Jealous?"

"I got my little princess sleeping on me all the time!" replied the Troll king, as a musical giggle could be heard from his collarbone and princess Iridia peeked through the fur.

***

Harp and Thorsten spent the next month cleaning up the Crystal, and finally, it was ready, shining brightly under the light. It began its final journey to its resting berth, progressing slowly down ever further into the underground of Thebes, and closer to its core. Finally, the giant energy room was reached. Much to Paschal, Harp and Thorsten's surprise, the berth was designed to take into account the extra growth the Crystal had accreted during its long undersea stay. The Crystal was laid to rest on a horizontal support that could rotate at its base. Huge leather straps were tied to hold it in place. Then, very slowly, the crystal was brought to a vertical position and rolled above the main support ring. Then the temporary berth was lowered until the Crystal's widest point came to rest on the ring's rectangular support. The next step was the descent of the upper ring, which effectively encased the Crystal in its mobile berth. The straps holding the Crystal to the temporary berth were removed. The berth backed away freeing the huge Crystal to undertake its trip to the interior of the core. Before that could be undertaken, the power cables were connected one by one to the Crystal and tested by Thorsten and Harp. It took another month before both declared themselves satisfied with the result. At last, the Crystal descended into its resting position, as the boys monitored the cables to prevent any getting bent out of its predicted shape or getting caught.

"Finally. It's done. Let's activate the controls!" said Harp as the Crystal came to rest at the bottom of the pit with a gentle click. "Thorsten, trigger the cover's move!"

As Thorsten pressed a series of keys, the lid that would cover the huge hole containing the Crystal slid into place and came to rest.

"I'm doing a visual inspection of alignment. Can you check too?"

"Coherent light alignment is optimal, Harp. All report in phase."

"Trigger the locking mechanism."

The huge cover slid down and rotated several times as the troughs of the screw engaged their counterpart on the static component.

"Mechanism locked. Optical alignment is perfect," Thorsten reported, as Harp made his way to another part of the control complex.

"Vacuum?"

"I'm starting the pump. We should have 90 % vacuum in an hour, and near perfect vacuum in three."

The boys watched the vacuum report progress as one green light after another turned first yellow then red. As the last light turned red, another on the desk turned green and then the vacuum lights went out.

"The pump has stopped. There are no leaks."

"Ok, I'm activating the energy load to the grid."

As the power flowed into the grid, more and more lights came to life, indicating that the flow of energy was distributed according to plan.

"OK, I'm locking the controls here and transferring them to the control centre top deck. That will open the last control banks in that room. Let's get out of here, and I'll seal it, replace the oxygen atmosphere with nitrogen and we're done."

"That isn't too soon."

"No it's not. I wonder where things are with Paschal and Ian. We have been too busy here to keep track."

"We'll know shortly. It's almost vespers."