Prince of chaos

And so I came, again, into the Ways of Sawall. I had emerged from the red and yellow starburst design painted high upon the gateside wall of the front courtyard, descended the Invisible Stair, and peered for long moments down into the great central pit, with its view of black turbulence beyond the Rim. A falling star burned its way down the purple sky as I turned away, headed for the copper-chased door and the low Maze of Art beyond it.

Within, I recalled the many times I had been lost in that maze as a child. The House of Sawall had been a serious collector of art for ages, and the collection was so vast that there were several ways into which one was cast within the maze itself, leading one through tunnels, a huge spiral, and what seemed an old train station before being shunted back to miss the next turn. I had been lost in it for days on one occasion, and was finally found crying before an assemblage of blue shoes nailed to a board. I walked it now, slowly, looking at old monstrosities, and some newer ones. There were also strikingly lovely pieces mixed in, such as the huge vase that looked as if it had been carved from a single fire opal, and a set of odd enameled tablets from a distant shadow whose meaning and function no one in the family could be found to recall. I had to stop and see both again, rather than shortcutting the gallery, the tablets being a particular favorite of mine.

I was humming an old tune Gryll had taught me as I came up to the fiery vase and regarded it. I seemed to hear a small chafing noise, but glances up and down the corridor revealed no one else in the vicinity. The almost sensual curves of the vase begged to be touched. I could remember all of the times I had been forbidden to do so as a child. I put my left hand forward slowly, rested it upon it. It was warmer than I'd thought it might be. I slid my hand along its side. It was like a frozen flame.

«Hello,» I muttered, remembering an adventure we'd shared. «It's been a long time…»

«Merlin?» came a small voice.

I withdrew my hand immediately. It was as if the vase had spoken.

«Yes,» I said then. «Yes.»

Again, the chafing sound, and a bit of shadow stirred within the creamy opening, above the fire.

«Ss,» said the shadow, rising.

«Glait?» I asked.

«Yess.»

«It can't be. You've been dead for years.»

«Not dead. Ssleeping.»

«I haven't seen you since I was a kid. You were injured. You disappeared. I thought you'd died.»

«I ssleep. I ssleep to heal. I ssleep to forget. I ssleep to renew mysself.»

I extended my arm. The shaggy snake head rose higher, extended itself, fell upon my forearm, climbed, wrapped itself.

«You certainly chose elegant sleeping quarters.»

«I knew the jug to be a favorite of yourss. If I waited long enough I knew you would come by again, sstop to admire it. And I would know and rise up in my ssplendor to greet you. My, you have grown!»

«You look pretty much the same. A little thin, perhaps…»

I stroked her head gently.

«It is good to know you are with us still, like some honored family spirit. You and Gryll and Kergma made my childhood a better thing than it might have been.»

She raised her head high, stroked my cheek with her nose.

«It warmss my cold blood to ssee you again, dear boy. You've traveled far?»

«I have. Very.»

«One night we shall eat mice and lie besside a fire. You will warm me a ssaucer of milk and tell me of your adventuress ssince you left the Wayss of Ssawall. We will find ssome marrow boness for Gryll, if he be sstill about-»

«He seems to serve my uncle Suhuy these days. What of Kergma?»

«I do not know. It hass been sso long.»

I held her close to warm her.

«Thank you for waiting here for me in your great drowse, to greet me-»

«Iss more than friendliess, helloss.»

«More? What then, Glait? What is it?»

«A thing to show. Walk that way.»

She gestured with her head. I moved in the direction she indicated - the way I had been heading anyhow, to where the corridors widened. I could feel her vibrating against my arm with the barely audible purring sound she sometimes made.

Suddenly, she stiffened and her head rose, swaying slightly.

«What is it?» I asked.

«Mi-ice,» she said. «Mi-ice nearby. I musst go hunting - after I show you - the thing. Breakfasst…»

«If you would dine first, I will wait.»

«No, Merlin. You musst not be late for whatever brought you here. There is importance in the air. Later feast - vermin…»

We came into a wide, high, skylighted section of the gallery. Four large pieces of metal statuary-bronze and copper, mostly-stood in an asymmetrical arrangement about us.

«Onward,» Glait said. «Not here.»

I turned right at the next corner and plunged ahead. Shortly, we came to another display-this one resembling a metal forest.

«Sslow now. Sslow, dear demon child.»