Crystal Doors #1 by Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta Page A

their way to the sage’s laboratory watchtower, which stood on one of the highest points in the city. Lyssandra met them outside. Vic beamed when he saw her.
    “Sage Rubicas and Orpheon are preparing to meet with the Pentumvirate,” the telepathic girl said.
    The twin cousins explained their hope that Rubicas would ask the Pentumvirate to assist them.
    “Do you think they’ll agree to help us?” Gwen asked.
    “The Master Sage will certainly present your unusual case to the five virs.” Lyssandra frowned. “But I must caution you that they may be more concerned about the merlon threat.”
    “Sure, who needs to worry about two misplaced teenagers?” Gwen said.
    While the three teens talked, the bearded sage and his assistant bustled out. Overhearing their conversation, Rubicas waved a finger at Gwen. “Hmm, now do not worry. I will ask the virs to help you. Do not underestimate the significance of your arrival. Mysterious strangers should not be able to come from a world whose crystal door was sealed in the Great Closure. The magical and scientific issues are most intriguing.”
    “We will see what the Pentumvirate has to say,” Orpheon added, pushing past them.
    “Wait here for us. You can… hmm, find something to occupy yourselves.”
    “And do not cause further damage,” Orpheon warned; then the two men hurried down the steep street.
    Entering the main chamber, the three looked at the disordered laboratory room. The sage’s chambers were still in need of repair from the smoke damage, flash explosions, and crystal meltdowns. “Wow, did we do all this?” Vic asked.
    Gwen said, “We should help clean up the mess. It was our fault… sort of.”
    “What if Rubicas has this junk organized in a special way?” Vic asked. “The, uh, randomizer technique of organization.”
    “Just like your room, Dr. Distracto.”
    “Hey, I know where everything is.”
    Gwen picked up one of the blackened shards of crystal. A faint whiff of exotic smoke still hung in the air. “I want to help. I feel like we should be doing something.”
    Lyssandra sorted through the singed scrolls strewn on thefloor and across the table. “I am certain Sage Rubicas would not mind.”
    Together, Gwen, Vic, and Lyssandra reassembled and polished the magical equipment, cleaned the windows and shelves, and scrubbed scorch marks from the marble walls and floors.
    “So… what kind of troubles have you had with the merlons before?” Gwen asked. It seemed like something they needed to know.
    Lyssandra looked at her. “Month by month, their acts of aggression grow more bold. Our fishermen’s nets have been slashed, anchor lines cut, and docks undermined. In the last year we have had to bring in large shipments of lumber to rebuild three docks.”
    “What have they got against you?” Vic asked. “This place is practically a Utopia.”
    “Save for Elantya, the rest of this world is ocean. The merlons resent our presence and would gladly leave the crystal doors unguarded and available to any conquering tyrant who can find a Key. Although for many generations the merlons tolerated and ignored us, they have recently resorted to overt violence, such as the attack on Captain Argo’s ship.”
    “So what ticked them off?” Vic asked. “Did somebody dump toxic waste into the sea?”
    “We do not know. We have had very little contact with the merlons. But something must have changed to incite them to this bloodshed.”
    The three friends had most of the clutter cleaned up by thetime Rubicas and Orpheon returned from the Pentumvirate meeting, talking intensely about defensive options, new spell ideas, and potential weapons.
    Gwen and Vic met them with hopeful eyes. Rubicas seemed startled, as if he had forgotten all about the two newcomers. “Ah, hmm, when I told them about your amazing arrival, the five virs were mystified to hear of a new crystal door to a world we had thought cut off from us by the Great Closure!”
    Orpheon was stern.