people had been doing for centuries…creating clay
automatons that would do the bidding of the one who brought them to life.”
“Blasphemy!”
the priest said. “Only God can create life. For anyone else to even attempt it
would be…”
“Disastrous,”
the physician said. “Catastrophic. As Solomon himself discovered.”
“Only because
he had no way to know of his wife’s plan,” protested the baron. “By the time he
realized what was happening, it was too late. She’d already given her creations
their instructions and there was nothing anyone could do.”
Al-Dula stepped
in between Gregory and the others.
“You didn’t
answer my question, Lord Gregory,” he said. “Are they active?”
The baron
smiled at the Saracen for several seconds without saying a word, then shrugged.
“Yes,” he finally said. “In a manner of speaking, the golems you see before you
are awake even now.”
“In a manner of speaking?” Al-Dula asked. “What is that
supposed to mean?”
“It means that
they’ve been active since they were first animated. They do not die. They do
not sleep. They are, as far as I know, fully aware of us and our presence
within their prison.”
“Then why
aren’t they moving? Why not command them to do something so that we might know
the truth of the matter?”
Gregory let out
frustrated laugh. “Because I do not have the power to command
them just yet. Rakeesha , the wife of Solomon who
created them, was their last master. They would only respond to her
instructions. I am still attempting to discover the means to wrest control of
them. I have no doubt that a scroll I’m currently searching for, the Sefer Yetzhirah , or
Book of Creation, will provide me with an incredible fount of information on
this subject. This book is said to have been kept in a secret library within
these very walls and contains specific details on how to construct these
creatures. Until I find those instructions, I’m afraid, the golems are—”
“Excuse me,
sir,” came Horatio’s grating voice. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but has anyone
seen Samuel?”
They all turned
to face the knight with looks of incredulity on their faces. Gregory glared at
Horatio. He wasn’t sure how much more of this imbecile and his idiot cousin he
could take. What did he care where Samuel had wandered
off…
Oh no .
“Where is he?”
said Gregory, suddenly anxious over the chilling thought that had just occurred
to him. “Find him! We must find him now.”
Gerard bolted
toward far left passage in the opposite end of the chamber from which they’d
entered. The rest of the group waved their torches in front of them, peering
into any dark recesses they could find within the vast Hub.
“Samuel!”
Horatio’s voice echoed through miles of tunnel. No response. “Samuel! This
isn’t funny now.”
Still nothing.
Gregory turned
on the knight, grabbing him by the arms and pulling him close. His foul breath
and spit flew into Horatio’s face.
“Tell me now,
fool, did you not tell me that your squire was captured for a time by the demon?”
the baron hissed, trying to keep the others from hearing. Waiting for the
knight to respond, Gregory scanned the chamber to account for each member of
their party.
Gerard was
nowhere to be seen, but then, he’d gone off in search of the squire. Al-Dula
and the Saracen cleric were to his right. The priest from the Vatican was
behind him.
Wait. Where was
the physician? He was missing as well. This could not be happening. Not now.
“Tell me!” he
shouted, drawing the attention of the would-be Caliph.
“Um, yes sir.
He was taken by the creature…but only for a bit. I found him soon enough. No
harm done.”
Pushing the
knight away, Gregory spun around, spittle flying from his lips as he yelled.
“If that whelp finds it…” the baron’s thought was interrupted by the sound of Tufic’s voice coming from their original tunnel.
“He didn’t go
back the way we came,” the
automatons that would do the bidding of the one who brought them to life.”
“Blasphemy!”
the priest said. “Only God can create life. For anyone else to even attempt it
would be…”
“Disastrous,”
the physician said. “Catastrophic. As Solomon himself discovered.”
“Only because
he had no way to know of his wife’s plan,” protested the baron. “By the time he
realized what was happening, it was too late. She’d already given her creations
their instructions and there was nothing anyone could do.”
Al-Dula stepped
in between Gregory and the others.
“You didn’t
answer my question, Lord Gregory,” he said. “Are they active?”
The baron
smiled at the Saracen for several seconds without saying a word, then shrugged.
“Yes,” he finally said. “In a manner of speaking, the golems you see before you
are awake even now.”
“In a manner of speaking?” Al-Dula asked. “What is that
supposed to mean?”
“It means that
they’ve been active since they were first animated. They do not die. They do
not sleep. They are, as far as I know, fully aware of us and our presence
within their prison.”
“Then why
aren’t they moving? Why not command them to do something so that we might know
the truth of the matter?”
Gregory let out
frustrated laugh. “Because I do not have the power to command
them just yet. Rakeesha , the wife of Solomon who
created them, was their last master. They would only respond to her
instructions. I am still attempting to discover the means to wrest control of
them. I have no doubt that a scroll I’m currently searching for, the Sefer Yetzhirah , or
Book of Creation, will provide me with an incredible fount of information on
this subject. This book is said to have been kept in a secret library within
these very walls and contains specific details on how to construct these
creatures. Until I find those instructions, I’m afraid, the golems are—”
“Excuse me,
sir,” came Horatio’s grating voice. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but has anyone
seen Samuel?”
They all turned
to face the knight with looks of incredulity on their faces. Gregory glared at
Horatio. He wasn’t sure how much more of this imbecile and his idiot cousin he
could take. What did he care where Samuel had wandered
off…
Oh no .
“Where is he?”
said Gregory, suddenly anxious over the chilling thought that had just occurred
to him. “Find him! We must find him now.”
Gerard bolted
toward far left passage in the opposite end of the chamber from which they’d
entered. The rest of the group waved their torches in front of them, peering
into any dark recesses they could find within the vast Hub.
“Samuel!”
Horatio’s voice echoed through miles of tunnel. No response. “Samuel! This
isn’t funny now.”
Still nothing.
Gregory turned
on the knight, grabbing him by the arms and pulling him close. His foul breath
and spit flew into Horatio’s face.
“Tell me now,
fool, did you not tell me that your squire was captured for a time by the demon?”
the baron hissed, trying to keep the others from hearing. Waiting for the
knight to respond, Gregory scanned the chamber to account for each member of
their party.
Gerard was
nowhere to be seen, but then, he’d gone off in search of the squire. Al-Dula
and the Saracen cleric were to his right. The priest from the Vatican was
behind him.
Wait. Where was
the physician? He was missing as well. This could not be happening. Not now.
“Tell me!” he
shouted, drawing the attention of the would-be Caliph.
“Um, yes sir.
He was taken by the creature…but only for a bit. I found him soon enough. No
harm done.”
Pushing the
knight away, Gregory spun around, spittle flying from his lips as he yelled.
“If that whelp finds it…” the baron’s thought was interrupted by the sound of Tufic’s voice coming from their original tunnel.
“He didn’t go
back the way we came,” the
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