Rusch, Kristine Kathryn - Diving Universe SS3 by The Spires Of Denon (v5.0) Page A
Book: Rusch, Kristine Kathryn - Diving Universe SS3 by The Spires Of Denon (v5.0)
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Authors: The Spires Of Denon (v5.0)
Tags: Science-Fiction
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finger and swam away from her.
The water swirled where he had been. There was definitely more sediment in it now, and that intrigued her. It meant something, although she wasn't sure what.
She waited, holding her breath until she realized what she was doing. When she finally released it, she saw him swimming back toward her. He was nodding. It looked like his eyes were crinkling in the corners. Did that mean he was grinning? He mimed swimming, then pointed behind him. Then he pointed behind her. She nodded.
They were each going to swim away from the barrier. Obviously as far as he could scan, there were no detectable barriers. She doubted there were any on her side either.
But if there were, she would wait near one of them for him to come get her. Because once they got out of this godforsaken underground lair, they'd communicate with each other, Spires be damned. And then they'd get the hell out of here.
He waved at her. She waved back. Then he whirled and swam away from the barrier. After a moment, she did the same thing, swimming back the way they had come.
* * * *
31
Meklos went down the ancient steps five at a time, until he slipped and had to catch himself with a hand on the ice-cold wall. The steps were covered with white dust, which was as slick as water.
He made his way down the remaining steps carefully until he reached the cavern where Yusef was waiting for the divers to return. For a moment, Meklos didn't see Yusef. He didn't see the packs either, and thought he was in the wrong place. Then he realized they were all covered in dust.
He hurried across the floor. Yusef leaned against the wall, his heavy coat white, his face so dust-covered it looked like it was coated in ice.
“You all right?” Meklos asked.
Yusef opened his eyes. He focused on Meklos and then his eyes filled with tears.
“My ears,” Yusef said too loudly. He reached toward them with his uncovered hand. The fingertips were black. Why wasn't he wearing gloves?
Meklos turned Yusef's head. Blood had oozed out of his ears and frozen onto the side of his head. His fingertips were probably not frostbitten; they were covered in blood.
“Can't stand,” Yusef said, again speaking much too loud. “I'm so dizzy.”
The siren must have been particularly loud in here. Whether the cavern was the source or whether the sound had just echoed off the enclosed space—and the water—Meklos didn't know. “I'll get you out,” Meklos said.
He didn't want to. He wanted to make sure the divers were all right. But he had to take care of this man first.
“Can you stand?” Meklos asked.
Yusef put a finger up toward his ear again. “I can't hear you.”
His eardrums must have ruptured. Meklos didn't even want to think about that kind of pain.
“Can you stand?” Meklos asked slowly, making sure his mouth formed each word carefully.
“I think so,” Yusef said. He struggled to his feet, using the wall to brace himself.
Meklos slipped his arm around Yusef's back and half-carried him toward the stairs. The slippery stairs. This would take longer than he wanted it to. But he had to do it. Then he would come back for the divers. If it wasn't too late.
* * * *
32
Navi swam into the larger cavern, happy to be out of the passageways. She didn't try to walk this time. She wasn't moving slowly. She was swimming as hard as she could.
The cavern looked bigger than it had on the way in, but that was probably because Roye wasn't with her. His presence had put the place into perspective, giving her something to concentrate on besides the snowy water and the curving walls.
She had nothing to concentrate on now except getting the hell out of here.
She slowed as she reached the first archway and gingerly extended her hand toward it.
They had both touched the walls in here, looking for niches or anything that could be valuable, and they hadn't set anything off. So either that other cavern had been more valuable or the barriers didn't exist this far
The water swirled where he had been. There was definitely more sediment in it now, and that intrigued her. It meant something, although she wasn't sure what.
She waited, holding her breath until she realized what she was doing. When she finally released it, she saw him swimming back toward her. He was nodding. It looked like his eyes were crinkling in the corners. Did that mean he was grinning? He mimed swimming, then pointed behind him. Then he pointed behind her. She nodded.
They were each going to swim away from the barrier. Obviously as far as he could scan, there were no detectable barriers. She doubted there were any on her side either.
But if there were, she would wait near one of them for him to come get her. Because once they got out of this godforsaken underground lair, they'd communicate with each other, Spires be damned. And then they'd get the hell out of here.
He waved at her. She waved back. Then he whirled and swam away from the barrier. After a moment, she did the same thing, swimming back the way they had come.
* * * *
31
Meklos went down the ancient steps five at a time, until he slipped and had to catch himself with a hand on the ice-cold wall. The steps were covered with white dust, which was as slick as water.
He made his way down the remaining steps carefully until he reached the cavern where Yusef was waiting for the divers to return. For a moment, Meklos didn't see Yusef. He didn't see the packs either, and thought he was in the wrong place. Then he realized they were all covered in dust.
He hurried across the floor. Yusef leaned against the wall, his heavy coat white, his face so dust-covered it looked like it was coated in ice.
“You all right?” Meklos asked.
Yusef opened his eyes. He focused on Meklos and then his eyes filled with tears.
“My ears,” Yusef said too loudly. He reached toward them with his uncovered hand. The fingertips were black. Why wasn't he wearing gloves?
Meklos turned Yusef's head. Blood had oozed out of his ears and frozen onto the side of his head. His fingertips were probably not frostbitten; they were covered in blood.
“Can't stand,” Yusef said, again speaking much too loud. “I'm so dizzy.”
The siren must have been particularly loud in here. Whether the cavern was the source or whether the sound had just echoed off the enclosed space—and the water—Meklos didn't know. “I'll get you out,” Meklos said.
He didn't want to. He wanted to make sure the divers were all right. But he had to take care of this man first.
“Can you stand?” Meklos asked.
Yusef put a finger up toward his ear again. “I can't hear you.”
His eardrums must have ruptured. Meklos didn't even want to think about that kind of pain.
“Can you stand?” Meklos asked slowly, making sure his mouth formed each word carefully.
“I think so,” Yusef said. He struggled to his feet, using the wall to brace himself.
Meklos slipped his arm around Yusef's back and half-carried him toward the stairs. The slippery stairs. This would take longer than he wanted it to. But he had to do it. Then he would come back for the divers. If it wasn't too late.
* * * *
32
Navi swam into the larger cavern, happy to be out of the passageways. She didn't try to walk this time. She wasn't moving slowly. She was swimming as hard as she could.
The cavern looked bigger than it had on the way in, but that was probably because Roye wasn't with her. His presence had put the place into perspective, giving her something to concentrate on besides the snowy water and the curving walls.
She had nothing to concentrate on now except getting the hell out of here.
She slowed as she reached the first archway and gingerly extended her hand toward it.
They had both touched the walls in here, looking for niches or anything that could be valuable, and they hadn't set anything off. So either that other cavern had been more valuable or the barriers didn't exist this far
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