The Infernal Aether (First Draft)

Chapter 27 - Revelations

I lay, my head on a soft pillow and my hair being caressed by an Angel. Everything about me ached, not just my head and my body, but somehow the very core of my being. 'What a hangover,' I thought. 'What on Earth did I do last night?'

Memories returned; of the Aether, of running, being confronted by Andras and then that terrible, all-consuming pain. I must be dead, I reasoned. But then surely Andras has stolen my soul? Either the Demon's view of eternal torment was surprisingly benign, it had failed in its attempt, or I had just had another one of those terrible dreams.

I opened my eyes and stared straight up into two eyes which gazed down at me with an affection which I could not help but reciprocate. There was a smile, which I returned. There were sounds, words which rang around me like music.

Everything coalesced with a sickening thump as I became aware of the mist and the blankness around us. We were still in the Aether.

"He's coming round," said Kate, looking up to the others. I shifted my head, which was resting in her lap, to see Maxwell, N'yotsu and Andras standing round the device once more. Maxwell started to walk toward us and then stopped as Andras glared at him.

"Thank God," said Maxwell. "Are you all right?"

"I think so," I said and looked back up at Kate, who was absently stroking my hair. We looked at each other for a moment and then as one recoiled, social embarrassment and awareness reinstating itself over...whatever it was that had passed between us.

I sat up and immediately regretted it, my head spinning. Kate put a soft hand on my shoulder. I looked at it and then gave her a quick smile. "What happened?" I asked.

She stood and helped me to my feet. "That thing," she nodded at Andras. "Had a go at stealing your soul. It looked horrible, the look on your face, the sound..."

I grunted. "It was a bit unpleasant from my side too." In response to her look of concern I added: "I am all right. Comparatively speaking, in any case. So Max caved in then?"

She nodded. "He didn't have much choice. He couldn't let you go through that."

"Well, I am grateful," I said. "But at what cost?"

We both looked over at the others. "Let's hope they've got a plan," Kate whispered.

We stepped over so we could see and hear better. Maxwell was hard at work on the device, which had been brought from the laboratory to the particular part of the void in which we stood. It was a bizarre landmark, its ugliness somehow comforting in its familiarity. N'yotsu stood by him, muttering questions and comments, while Andras stood to his other side, a leering reminder of our plight.

"I am intrigued," said the Demon. "So this portal machine came from your experiments with communicating via the Aether? That really is quite ingenious. I always knew you had it in you."

Maxwell turned and glared at the creature. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"How about a deal?" continued Andras. "Work for me. Apply your talents in my service. In return I would give you all the resources you could ever need. The knowledge of all ages. Just think of the things we could create and discover together!"

Maxwell stared at him and for a moment I feared that he would accept. Finally he turned away. "I have seen how your deals work out," he said.

"So is that a 'Yes'?"

"No," said Maxwell. I could not see his face but there was something about his tone which made me wonder whether he truly meant it.

He reached into the device and pulled, straining with effort. There was a click and the machine started to hum. The mists retreated from around us as colours started to coalesce from within the machine, starting with a point directly in front of it and projected by the funnel which stretched out from the centre. This point grew and grew until it was tall enough for a man to walk through.