of the basin.
They waited a few moments while a few more men boarded the platform, standing as far away from the wizards and their chaperone as they could. Then, silently, the platform started working its way up the side of the city.
Martin looked down at the platform on which he stood. It was milky white and translucent, and it had a grid pattern cut into its surface. For traction , he supposed.
Martin stamped his foot, listening to and feeling the vibration . He muttered, “More diamond?”
“Maybe,” Phillip said. “Or maybe a toughened glass, like Pyrex or something. I’ve seen a few different materials here, but they all seem to be crystalline.”
“Makes sense. It would be easy to produce using her molecular construction method, and the structures she builds would be perfectly monolithic.”
“Yes,” Phillip said, seeing what Martin meant. “Then she could use the shell, or whatever her version of it is called, to move them around at will without any fear of them losing their structural integrity.”
“It’s . . . it’s brilliant,” Martin said.
“Yes, I have to admit, it is,” Phillip said.
Martin and Phillip became aware that the guard was looking down at them, his face a mask of undisguised loathing. Martin changed the subject.
“So,” Martin said, using his best nonchalant voice, “you say Gwen hasn’t chosen a servant.”
“Yes,” the guard said, looking away. “That is what I said.”
“And she’s the only sorceress who hasn’t?”
“Yes.”
“I see. Have many of you tried to become Gwen’s servant?”
“We have all tried to become her servant. We are all still trying to become her servant. She is the most sought-after woman in all of Atlantis.”
Martin said, “Well, I can understand that. She is adorable.”
The guard laughed. “If by adorable you mean that she is short and strange and that she talks in gibberish, like you two. She is sought after solely because she is the only sorceress who has not chosen a servant. That is all. Someday, she will choose a servant, and if that servant is me, it means that the most difficult work I’ll ever need to do is pretending to enjoy her company.”
They rode in uncomfortable silence for a moment as the platform followed the contour of Atlantis’ massive bowl. Now that he was looking for it, the walls of the buildings were clearly some crystalline matter, colored a uniform milky white. Palm trees, footpaths, and small rooftop patches of soft grass broke up the jumble of buildings clinging to the wall’s permanent incline.
For the first time, the guard spoke without being asked a direct question. “Gwen came from wherever you live. Tell me, was there a male there whom Gwen found attractive?”
Martin chose to ignore the question.
“Yes,” Phillip said. “Yes, there was. Why do you ask?”
The guard looked around, then said, quietly, “If you were to tell me what this man that Gwen was attracted to was like, I might act more like him, and perhaps become her servant.”
“I see,” Phillip said, almost giggling with glee. “That’s an interesting idea.”
“Then will you help me?”
“Yes,” Phillip said, “but before I can help you, you should at least tell me your name.”
“I’m sorry,” the guard said. He stood straight, and puffed out his chest as if he were about to say the most momentous thing Phillip had ever heard. “My name,” the guard said in a deep, resonant voice, “is Ampyx.”
Phillip said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ampyx. My name is Phillip.” Martin kept looking at the city moving past and shook his head.
“So, Phillip,” Ampyx asked, “what can you tell me about this man that Gwen found attractive?”
“I don’t have to tell you anything. You’ve met him. It’s my friend, Martin.” Phillip put a hand on Martin’s shoulder, and gestured toward him with the other hand like a game show spokesmodel displaying a new car. Ampyx looked at Martin with an undisguised
They waited a few moments while a few more men boarded the platform, standing as far away from the wizards and their chaperone as they could. Then, silently, the platform started working its way up the side of the city.
Martin looked down at the platform on which he stood. It was milky white and translucent, and it had a grid pattern cut into its surface. For traction , he supposed.
Martin stamped his foot, listening to and feeling the vibration . He muttered, “More diamond?”
“Maybe,” Phillip said. “Or maybe a toughened glass, like Pyrex or something. I’ve seen a few different materials here, but they all seem to be crystalline.”
“Makes sense. It would be easy to produce using her molecular construction method, and the structures she builds would be perfectly monolithic.”
“Yes,” Phillip said, seeing what Martin meant. “Then she could use the shell, or whatever her version of it is called, to move them around at will without any fear of them losing their structural integrity.”
“It’s . . . it’s brilliant,” Martin said.
“Yes, I have to admit, it is,” Phillip said.
Martin and Phillip became aware that the guard was looking down at them, his face a mask of undisguised loathing. Martin changed the subject.
“So,” Martin said, using his best nonchalant voice, “you say Gwen hasn’t chosen a servant.”
“Yes,” the guard said, looking away. “That is what I said.”
“And she’s the only sorceress who hasn’t?”
“Yes.”
“I see. Have many of you tried to become Gwen’s servant?”
“We have all tried to become her servant. We are all still trying to become her servant. She is the most sought-after woman in all of Atlantis.”
Martin said, “Well, I can understand that. She is adorable.”
The guard laughed. “If by adorable you mean that she is short and strange and that she talks in gibberish, like you two. She is sought after solely because she is the only sorceress who has not chosen a servant. That is all. Someday, she will choose a servant, and if that servant is me, it means that the most difficult work I’ll ever need to do is pretending to enjoy her company.”
They rode in uncomfortable silence for a moment as the platform followed the contour of Atlantis’ massive bowl. Now that he was looking for it, the walls of the buildings were clearly some crystalline matter, colored a uniform milky white. Palm trees, footpaths, and small rooftop patches of soft grass broke up the jumble of buildings clinging to the wall’s permanent incline.
For the first time, the guard spoke without being asked a direct question. “Gwen came from wherever you live. Tell me, was there a male there whom Gwen found attractive?”
Martin chose to ignore the question.
“Yes,” Phillip said. “Yes, there was. Why do you ask?”
The guard looked around, then said, quietly, “If you were to tell me what this man that Gwen was attracted to was like, I might act more like him, and perhaps become her servant.”
“I see,” Phillip said, almost giggling with glee. “That’s an interesting idea.”
“Then will you help me?”
“Yes,” Phillip said, “but before I can help you, you should at least tell me your name.”
“I’m sorry,” the guard said. He stood straight, and puffed out his chest as if he were about to say the most momentous thing Phillip had ever heard. “My name,” the guard said in a deep, resonant voice, “is Ampyx.”
Phillip said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ampyx. My name is Phillip.” Martin kept looking at the city moving past and shook his head.
“So, Phillip,” Ampyx asked, “what can you tell me about this man that Gwen found attractive?”
“I don’t have to tell you anything. You’ve met him. It’s my friend, Martin.” Phillip put a hand on Martin’s shoulder, and gestured toward him with the other hand like a game show spokesmodel displaying a new car. Ampyx looked at Martin with an undisguised
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