Ellen Under The Stairs Read Free Page A

said in her
tiny voice.
    Weak and sweating.
    If John could crawl into the living
room and get a lamp switched on, he felt he could get a grip on the
situation. ... But he couldn't.
    "Band sickness. You've had it before."
John thought he saw the girl nod, a hefty increase of weight more
difficult to overcome for someone reared in light gravity. "You get
used to it."
    Again, the slight nod of her
head.
    John was already getting
stronger.
    "The Mage ... Pfnaravin?" said the
girl, Platinia at least feeling well enough to ask a
question.
    "Don't worry. He won't follow us here.
We beat him."
    "Beat ...?" Platinia gave a feeble
gesture of puzzlement.
    "Escaped. By plugging the hallway with
furniture and setting the tables and chairs on fire, I bought the
time we needed." His memory getting better, John recalled playing
fire-bug with his most modern cigarette lighter. "Coluth, Golden,
and the others went out the roof," he explained, thinking she might
be as disorientated in her thought processes as he; might need a
memory jolt. "I got the static-electric generator out of the room's
hiding place. Then cranked it up to get the both of us here before
Pfnaravin's soldiers could catch us."
    "I cannot stay ... here." Said with
rising panic.
    "You've got nothing to be afraid of. I
know how to get back. I'll take you home. Don't worry. But we ought
to wait until Pfnaravin stops hunting us."
    When was the question. Particularly
since there seemed to be a time-warp between worlds, days - months
- years spend there equaling not much time passing here, the
reverse also seeming to be true.
    For now, John and Platinia had to get
some sleep.
    Climbing the stairs was out. In their
condition, the second floor bedrooms were beyond reach, John's plan
of the moment to have Platinia sleep on the living room couch, John
on the rug, John so tired a bed of bricks would feel
soft.
    Looking over at the girl, John
realized that another odd thing had happened. Reaching the tower
room, getting out the generator, he'd turned to see Platinia
walking toward him. Solemn looking as usual. Black hair. Darkly
pretty face. At that moment, feeling a sudden passion for her!
Before realizing it, had her in his arms!
    As they'd kissed, John had the
overpowering sensation that he loved her like he'd never loved
anyone; that he could never leave her; that he had to bring
her to his world.
    Bizarre ... since looking at Platinia
now, John felt no ... love ... for her. Concern, yes. But not love
..........
    An inconsistency in his emotions to be
considered later.
    For now, John was too tired to think
about anything -- sleep the first step toward the solution of all
future problems. Sleep ... and more sleep.
     
    * * * * *
     
Chapter 3
     
    Muttering to herself, Zwicia hunched
over the unstable bench as she continued to stroke her
Weird-Crystal with her eagle-claw hands. The Crystal's iron chain
off her wattled neck, she'd placed the flat Disk on the rough
table. Looking down, she saw only herself -- Zwicia, the Weird of
Bice -- rotted to an old woman with ice-clear eyes, age reducing
her to a wrinkled face and frizzy, iron grey hair.
    At first stopped by the reflection of
the crone, she began again to stroke the Crystal near its rim,
fingering the smooth glass where it curved down slightly to fit
into its circular, iron collar.
    Caressing the Disk slowly, she could
feel Crystal power build: a dry sensation crawling up her fingers,
spreading to the backs of her hands and arms.
    As the Crystal's force built, her
likeness fading in the glass, the disk's surface changed from deep
magenta -- to mauve -- to violet. As she rubbed faster, to bleach
to a purple amethyst, then to heliotrope, to pale lavender, and
light hyacinth. Finally to become clear, madder grey, the surface
of the glass shimmering like liquid, the Crystal glowing with an
inner light.
    Fear swelled her throat! She must be
on guard for Crystal-traps!
    In spite of the danger, the fading
outline of her face had showed a