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iopenthingsThe darkened valley looked familiar, although Door couldn't quite place it. She had vague memories of riding on her father's shoulders, of the valley washed with sunlight, but she couldn't remember who they had met there. A sharp nudge in her lower back sent her sprawling, and she rolled over, groaning slightly, and froze immediately.
She was surrounded by horses - huge, ugly, terrifying mares that were regarding her through red-rimmed eyes.
She was in Shepherd's Bush.
She glanced around, looking for an escape route, and scrambled towards the one gap in the line. Before she had moved even a foot, it was filled, black hooves churning the dirt only inches away from her. Door thought furiously, her mind whirling, but before she had even begun to think of a plan, one of the horses darted forward. She threw up her arms in a futile attempt to protect herself, and there was a sudden blinding, searing pain in her left hand.
Door screamed, and the pain was suddenly everywhere, running through her whole body, every nerve on fire. Door heard feet pounding towards her, and then she collapsed.
When she came to, she was lying on the grass, surrounded by huge legs. Door looked up slowly, knowing what she would see. The Shepherds. Cyclopses, the children of Poseidon, sworn to guard the horses of Diomedes. Door struggled to her feet and almost cried out when she put weight onto her right leg. Looking down, she realized that there was a jagged hole in her jeans, and she was bleedingly steadily from a shallow gash beneath it. Choking back her tears, she glared up at the giants, speaking as regally as possible.
"I am the Lady Door, of the House of Arch. I have been granted free passage through your lands. I demand you let me go."
The cyclopses looked at her in surprise, then held a muttered conversation far above her head. Door's terror momentarily overrode her pain. She didn't recognize any of this group. If they didn't believe her, they could very well kill her on the spot, or feed her live to their horses. Finally one of them reached down and grabbed Door around the waist, pulling her up to their level.
"We take you to the elders," he growled. "They will decide."
Three of the giants - the one holding Door and two others - peeled away from the main group and ran off towards the eastern mountain. Door winced as every step jolted her severely, and she was soon in tears despite her efforts to hold them back. After about a quarter of an hour, the group finally slowed, and Door was deposited unceremoniously in the middle of a clearing.
Looking up, she discovered that she was surrounded by a solemn-looking group of cyclopses, each half again as large as those in the first group. Each was regarding her balefully with a huge eye. Door quailed inwardly, but she knew that if she showed any fear, they would kill her instantly. She once again pushed herself to her feet - noticing with dull, detatched surprise as she did so that her left pinky finger was missing - and stood as straight as she could.
"I am the Lady Door, of the House of Arch. This treatment is not acceptable. My family has a peace with you. You must let me pass through your lands."
A female, the largest of the group, replied after some deliberation. "I knew Lord Portico," she growled, "and I met his daughter when he brought her to us. It was many years ago. You do not look like her."
Door closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the giantess to pronounce her sentence.
"But," the cyclops continued, "We have a box we cannot open. If you are the Lady Door, you will be able to open it. If you cannot, you will be fed to the horses. They have not tasted flesh in a long time. They are hungry."
This was even worse, Door decided. When she had been stabbed by Croup and Vandemar's goon, she had barely managed to open a door into London Above. Now, with one finger missing and a gouge in her leg, almost blinded by the pain, she was not sure she would be able to open anything at all, regardless of her need.
The cyclops who had carried her went into a cave, and returned a few moments later, cradling a large trunk in his hands. He set it down before Door. Door raised her right hand and placed it gently on the trunk's lock, willing it to open. Nothing happened.
"You are no Opener!" the female cyclops growled. "You cannot open the box!"
"I am a very young Opener," Door bluffed frantically. "It takes me longer than it took my father. Give me a moment."
They settled down again, and Door studied the trunk frantically, still willing it open with half of her mind.
Then she saw it - a tiny latch, far too small for the cyclopses to manipulate, hidden amidst the intricate carvings on the lid. Door pushed it surreptitiously and the trunk sprang open.
The circle of cyclopses were immediately on their knees. "I am sorry, my lady," the female said, contrition in every line of her body. "I did not realize it was you. Next time, we will know."
One cyclops hurried up to Door and handed her a large jar of ointment. She spread some of it on her still-bleeding wounds. The bleeding and a good deal of the pain stopped immediately.
Still forcing herself to look and sound regal, Door responded. "I will forgive you this time," she said, "but see that it does not happen again. I now require transport to the nearest exit from your lands."
Five minutes later, Door was deposited at a sewer grate which opened into a sheer cliff. She strode through it and around a corner, and then collapsed against the wall.
She was surrounded by horses - huge, ugly, terrifying mares that were regarding her through red-rimmed eyes.
She was in Shepherd's Bush.
She glanced around, looking for an escape route, and scrambled towards the one gap in the line. Before she had moved even a foot, it was filled, black hooves churning the dirt only inches away from her. Door thought furiously, her mind whirling, but before she had even begun to think of a plan, one of the horses darted forward. She threw up her arms in a futile attempt to protect herself, and there was a sudden blinding, searing pain in her left hand.
Door screamed, and the pain was suddenly everywhere, running through her whole body, every nerve on fire. Door heard feet pounding towards her, and then she collapsed.
When she came to, she was lying on the grass, surrounded by huge legs. Door looked up slowly, knowing what she would see. The Shepherds. Cyclopses, the children of Poseidon, sworn to guard the horses of Diomedes. Door struggled to her feet and almost cried out when she put weight onto her right leg. Looking down, she realized that there was a jagged hole in her jeans, and she was bleedingly steadily from a shallow gash beneath it. Choking back her tears, she glared up at the giants, speaking as regally as possible.
"I am the Lady Door, of the House of Arch. I have been granted free passage through your lands. I demand you let me go."
The cyclopses looked at her in surprise, then held a muttered conversation far above her head. Door's terror momentarily overrode her pain. She didn't recognize any of this group. If they didn't believe her, they could very well kill her on the spot, or feed her live to their horses. Finally one of them reached down and grabbed Door around the waist, pulling her up to their level.
"We take you to the elders," he growled. "They will decide."
Three of the giants - the one holding Door and two others - peeled away from the main group and ran off towards the eastern mountain. Door winced as every step jolted her severely, and she was soon in tears despite her efforts to hold them back. After about a quarter of an hour, the group finally slowed, and Door was deposited unceremoniously in the middle of a clearing.
Looking up, she discovered that she was surrounded by a solemn-looking group of cyclopses, each half again as large as those in the first group. Each was regarding her balefully with a huge eye. Door quailed inwardly, but she knew that if she showed any fear, they would kill her instantly. She once again pushed herself to her feet - noticing with dull, detatched surprise as she did so that her left pinky finger was missing - and stood as straight as she could.
"I am the Lady Door, of the House of Arch. This treatment is not acceptable. My family has a peace with you. You must let me pass through your lands."
A female, the largest of the group, replied after some deliberation. "I knew Lord Portico," she growled, "and I met his daughter when he brought her to us. It was many years ago. You do not look like her."
Door closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the giantess to pronounce her sentence.
"But," the cyclops continued, "We have a box we cannot open. If you are the Lady Door, you will be able to open it. If you cannot, you will be fed to the horses. They have not tasted flesh in a long time. They are hungry."
This was even worse, Door decided. When she had been stabbed by Croup and Vandemar's goon, she had barely managed to open a door into London Above. Now, with one finger missing and a gouge in her leg, almost blinded by the pain, she was not sure she would be able to open anything at all, regardless of her need.
The cyclops who had carried her went into a cave, and returned a few moments later, cradling a large trunk in his hands. He set it down before Door. Door raised her right hand and placed it gently on the trunk's lock, willing it to open. Nothing happened.
"You are no Opener!" the female cyclops growled. "You cannot open the box!"
"I am a very young Opener," Door bluffed frantically. "It takes me longer than it took my father. Give me a moment."
They settled down again, and Door studied the trunk frantically, still willing it open with half of her mind.
Then she saw it - a tiny latch, far too small for the cyclopses to manipulate, hidden amidst the intricate carvings on the lid. Door pushed it surreptitiously and the trunk sprang open.
The circle of cyclopses were immediately on their knees. "I am sorry, my lady," the female said, contrition in every line of her body. "I did not realize it was you. Next time, we will know."
One cyclops hurried up to Door and handed her a large jar of ointment. She spread some of it on her still-bleeding wounds. The bleeding and a good deal of the pain stopped immediately.
Still forcing herself to look and sound regal, Door responded. "I will forgive you this time," she said, "but see that it does not happen again. I now require transport to the nearest exit from your lands."
Five minutes later, Door was deposited at a sewer grate which opened into a sheer cliff. She strode through it and around a corner, and then collapsed against the wall.
