Impossible Dreamers

Chapter 37 (mektwi-ir): In the caves

The Seren climbers were treated with great respect, and were encouraged to rest by their new hosts. But they were not allowed to leave their chamber. Karema told them that at this time there was nothing else that could be done, and that they should not worry about the rest of the world.

Of course, they did worry, and they were still anxious to accomplish their mission of reaching Bartyronis. For the rest of that first day, the group saw nothing of Karema, but they were looked after by polite but uncommunicative Shadowlander people. They were being held prisoner, their freedom curtailed in a way that would have been unthinkable in their own land. They were brought food and drink, most of it unfamiliar to them, but it tasted good and gave them strength. They asked those who brought them their meals when they would be allowed to go on their way, but the people they spoke to seemed not to have a very good grasp of the Seren-ilian language, and they would only say 'wait'.

They slept that night in a dormitory cave with soft mattresses made from some sort of vegetation which they had never seen before. It was comfortable and warm, and the walls were painted with decoration like that found in Seren-ila, so there was something familiar about the surroundings. There were books on shelves fixed to one of the walls, but most of them were in a language that they didn't understand. A few were in the Seren-ilian language, but they were old, classical texts which they all knew, and which didn't tell them anything about their present surroundings. They looked at these with some interest and pleasure, but they did not learn anything from them.

They discussed their options. Falera raised the possibility that they could try to escape, but they all knew that there was no realistic chance of this. Even if they crept past the Shadowlanders somehow, and got into the complicated network of tunnels, none of them had even a faint idea of how to reach the outside world. Not to mention the need to navigate the flooded tunnel that had caused such difficulty for Mertingo. Would Jengara once again be able to remove his fear? Perhaps, but Jengara was by no means sure. And then there were great stones blocking every entranceway. Bolseno thought he knew ways to remove the stones using some sort of levers, but there were just too many other obstacles. They discussed the possibility of Bolseno, the strongest member of the group, escaping alone, but this seemed little more practicable.

No, if they were going to get out of this place, if they were going to reach the Bartyronians, it could only be with the help of the Shadowlanders. They would have to talk to the Shadowland Counsel of the Wise.

In the morning, after they had slept fitfully on their comfortable beds, Trentaya asked the young man who brought them their food, whether they could speak with Karema. He did not understand.

'Contor Karema,' Trentaya said, firmly. 'Contor Karema here.' She pointed down at the ground, hoping to signify that the Counsellor should come here and the man looked puzzled.

'Food? Water?' the man asked.

Mertingo stepped forward. 'Let me try something,' he said. He started to move his hands in elaborate patterns. The Shadowlander watched with great interest and some concern, and then moved his own hands in a similar way. Mertingo responded with more movements. The man made a general bow to all in the room, and went away, quickly.

'What was that?' asked Bolseno.

'The old Seren signing language. I studied it when I was young – you know I was always interested in the history of our culture. Hardly anybody uses the signing nowadays, but it must still be known here, I suppose.'

'What did you say?' asked Falera.

'I told him that we needed to talk about what was going to happen to us. He asked if we were angry at the way we were being treated, and I told him we were not angry, but very worried. We wished to speak with somebody from the Counsel of the Wise – somebody who spoke the Seren language.'

Within a few minutes, Karema entered the dormitory room, greeting all with formal politeness. She was accompanied by the man with whom Mertingo had communicated in sign language.

'Bregan says that you wish to see me,' Karema said 'I understand that you have communicated in signs. Our people also use the signs. There are times when the rumbling of the mountain makes it impossible for us to hear one another, so the signing is the best way to talk.'

'Respected Contor,' Trentaya said, with a certain hardness, 'We still know nothing about what is happening or what is planned for us. Do you intend to keep us prisoner here? The members of your community that we have met are very pleasant, and you are treating us well, but we must know what the plan is for us.'

'Yes,' said Bolseno quickly, and with more irritation than he intended, 'when you first spoke to us, you seemed to say that bad things were happening in Seren-ila. We should be told about those things, and be given a chance to correct them. This may not be how things are done in your Shadowlands, but it is the Seren Way, and it is what we expect.'

'I should apologise to all of you,' Karema said. 'I understand your feelings, and would feel the same if I was in your position. However, it is for your own good that we have acted in the way we have.'

'This is hard for us to understand,' said Mertingo.

'Friends,' Karema said, addressing the whole group, 'we wished to give you time to rest from what must have been the most strenuous of journeys. There are things we need to tell you, and some of them will undoubtedly cause you grief.' Karema spoke some words in the Shadowland tongue to Bregan, who quickly left the dormitory. Then she continued speaking to the Seren-ilians. 'We thought you needed a twil-day for your recovery...'

Trentaya interrupted. 'We need not a day more. Nothing you tell us can cause us more pain than we have felt already in leaving our beautiful land. We need to go to Bartyronis ...'

'No, you cannot go to Bartyronis. I must introduce you to somebody who can explain why this is.'

As she spoke, Bregan returned. There was somebody with him.