The Crystal Clipper by B. Roman Read Free Book Online Page B

plunges helplessly into the depths of the volcano, screaming screams that David now wishes he could not hear. The drums and chants crescendo, echoing throughout the valley, vibrating through David's body, then cease when the volcano is appeased.
    Heart pounding fiercely, terror reflected in his eyes, David turns to run, but is surprisingly overtaken by two men. As David struggles to fight them off, he drops the lantern, which emblazons the clothing of one of his assailants. The flames flare dangerously close to David's own clothing, but he breaks free.
    His feet flying over the seed crystals, David runs back down the path to Ishtar's camp.

Nine
    David comes crashing into Ishtar's cave, his lungs near exploding. Ishtar and Dorinda have been eating by a small cook fire. Alarmed, Ishtar jumps to his feet and spills his plate of food in Dorinda's lap. “David! What's happened?”
    David's voice barely breaks through the panting and wheezing. He leans forward, hands on knees to force out the words. “Two men - ambushed me -”
    “Take a moment. Calm yourself.” Ishtar leads David to the bench and urges him to sit. David takes large gulping breaths, but his words still come out spastically.
    “I was following the path - Judiah cleared for me. I saw this glow - just ahead. I followed it - and it led me to a clearing. I saw the Palace across the valley -”
    One final deep intake of breath and David's voice relaxes enough to speak fluently. “A volcano and all these people around performing some sort of ritual. They sacrificed one of the men to the volcano, but instead of fire, there was all this electro-magnetic energy. I don't even think I could explain what actually happened.”
    Ishtar grimaces. “No need to. I have seen the ghastly ritual.”
    “Who are those people? Why are they making sacrifices? Who -
what
- are they making sacrifices to?”
    Ishtar hesitates, a ruminating expression on his face. He looks questioningly to Dorinda, who is efficiently wiping the food stains from her skirt. She nods her approval.
    “All of those people,” Ishtar begins his story, “once inhabited this island, free and proud, with hope and promise for a bright tomorrow. But now they are slaves to the serpent ruler, the Glass Snake as we call him, because his promises have all shattered like fragile crystal.”
    David is thinking that this entire situation is incomprehensible. A dozen questions whirl in his head at once:
Serpent ruler? Who would worship a snake? Is he actually made of glass? What is his power over these people? How did he get it in the first place?
But he asks none of them, rendered momentarily speechless by both fascination and fear. Dorinda pours a soothing drink and offers it to David. He accepts it with trembling hands and sips it gratefully.
    “Like all sacrificial rites, this one is merely a ploy to subjugate the people to stay in the Palace and do the Snake's work, too frightened to rise up and mutiny against him.”
    “But I didn't see any glass snake or whatever it is,” David says, finding his voice again. “Just some high priestess or something.”
    Ishtar walks to his worktable, retrieves a small silver chest, then joins David again by the fire. From the chest, Ishtar removes a set of drawings.
    “Few have actually seen the monster. With Jaycina as the Glass Snake's mediator, the people were enticed by the promise of a life of abundance instead of austerity. They worked slavishly to build a new city, with temples of learning, healing and worship, a City of Light where all could bask in the glow.”
    David peruses the intricate renderings that Ishtar has unfolded for him, and points to a specific spot on one of the drawings. “This is the Palace I saw. But it isn't like any ordinary castle. It's not stone. There's no turrets.”
    “You're right. It's far from a traditional structure. The Prism Palace is made of the finest, strongest crystal formations in the earth, skillfully sculptured and