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'Show us your light again, Alseiass!' Te
Halt saw the crouching figure at the lantern move slightly, preparing to send another flash of light across the cavern. Then Will rose behind him. The young Ranger's arm went up, then down, as he crashed the brass striker into the man's head, behind the ear. Te
'Alseiass!' Te
Hidden among the rocks, Will raised the polished metal mirror the man had been using as a reflector and pointed to it, looking interrogatively at Halt. Did the senior Ranger want him to send light flashing across the cavern, the gesture said. Halt shook his head. He had another idea in mind and this seemed to be a perfect opportunity to put it into effect.
'Alseiass! We need to see your light!' Te
Halt leaned close to Malcolm and indicated a large boulder a few metres away on their left.
'I'm going to move over to that boulder,' he said. 'When I call out to Te
Malcolm readied the ball for an underarm toss. At that moment, Te
'Alseiass! Show us a sign, we beg you!'
Halt took a deep breath, then shouted in a voice that rang through the cavern, waking the echoes.
'Te
Heads turned, seeking the source of the words. As they did, Malcolm tossed the ball underarm, lobbing it high in the air to land on the spot just in front of Halt. The sand covering the cavern floor was relatively soft. But the ball came down from a considerable height and, as Malcolm had pointed out, it was extremely volatile.
There was a loud BANG! followed by a giant cloud of yellow-brown smoke. A trickle of sand and pebbles, loosened by the vibrations set up by the explosion, slithered down from the ceiling of the cave.
Then Halt stepped forward, passing through the cloud, and people gasped as he appeared to materialise out of the smoke.
'Te
Te
'You!' he cried, before he could stop himself. 'But you're dead! I k-' He stopped, just a little too late.
'You killed me?' said the figure. 'Yes, you did. But I've come back. And I want my revenge.'
'No!' Te
'Say my name, Te
'It can't be you!' Te
Halt moved forward, forcing his way through the assembled worshippers. They moved back from him, clearing a path, as they sensed Te
'Say my name!' Halt demanded. As he advanced, Te
'Stop him!' he cried, his voice breaking in fear.
His henchman started forward, the mace rising in his right hand. Then his face contorted with pain as his right leg collapsed underneath him. The weapon dropped from his hand as he fell awkwardly to the sand, clutching at the arrow that had suddenly appeared in his thigh.
'Good boy, Will,' Halt muttered to himself. The people around him whispered fearfully and drew back further. In the dim light of the cavern, none of them had seen the arrow in flight. And only a few of them could see it now. All they knew was that the white robe had suddenly been struck down in agony. Te
'Ferris?' he said, uncertainly, 'Please… I didn't…'
Whatever he was about to say, he didn't get the chance to finish. Halt stopped and threw his arms wide.
'You want to stop me, Te
Te
'You won't ask him?' Halt said. 'Well, I'll do it for you! Come on, Alseiass! You're a fake and a fraud and you don't exist! Prove me wrong and strike me down!'
A frightened ripple ran through the crowd and those nearest Halt shrank back further, half fearful that Alseiass might in fact strike him with a bolt of lightning. But, as nothing happened, as there was no answer to his blasphemous challenge, they began to look suspiciously towards the prophet who had come among them preaching the word of Alseiass.
They began to mutter among themselves. The atmosphere in the cavern was suddenly thick with suspicion. Sensing that the moment was right, Halt addressed them directly now, turning his back on the heavy-set figure on the altar.
'If Alseiass is real, let him strike me now! Let him show his power. Te
An expectant hush fell over the people in the cavern. They waited, but nothing happened. Finally, Halt shook his head and looked around the people watching him. He dropped the thick Hibernian brogue he had been using and spoke in his normal voice.