Page 6 of Spectral Seas (Spectral Worlds #2)

A BBY GENTLY RAPPED his knuckles against Leta’s bedroom door. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” she said from the other side. “Just a minute.”

Abby faced the glass wall across the hall from her room and adjusted his tie in the reflection. The hall running the outside length of the habitat appeared to have been a long, open balcony before it was converted to a glass tunnel. From outside of Leta’s door, he could see to the edge of the city below and out to the faint cliffs of the crater wall beyond. Mid-air traffic lanes of brightly lit, hovering elliptical craft weaved through the crisscrossing structures, an emerald hued version of the NorEast Meg. It was when he gazed upward—at the void of darkness where the unspeakable behemoths roamed, those tentacled creatures depicted in the great hall—that his stomach tightened.

“There you go again,” Leta said as she joined him. “What now? Counting the buildings?”

“Oh, you’re funny,” said Abby, breaking away from the window. “Ha, ha.” Then he paused. “Well look at you in that party dress. Looks like they guessed your size right. ”

Leta smiled and acknowledged in an exaggerated curtsy. “It’s called a gown,” she said. “And your suit doesn’t look half bad either.”

Abby returned her curtsy with a deep bow. “Why thank you. But I believe this attire is referred to as a tuxedo.”

They both laughed.

“I’m glad to see you smile,” said Leta.

“What do you mean?” asked Abby. “I smile all the time.”

“No. You’re polite all the time. But I haven’t seen you smile since we lost—”

“Since we lost Jazz. No. I guess not.”

Leta stepped to the glass to take in the twisted skyline for herself. “We’ll find him, you know.”

“I know,” said Abby. Then he added, “And we’ll look good doing it. In fact, we should be on our way. Our hosts await.”

“Do you know where we’re supposed to go?”

“Yeah. I walked through the habitat before I came for you. The entrance to the dining hall is this way.”

“After you,” said Leta.

“No. I insist,” Abby said, extending an arm for her to go first.

As Leta passed him, she dragged her finger across the glass lining the outer wall of the habitat. Peering out at the nightlife of the emerald city, she asked, “How old do you think this city is?”

“I don’t know.”

“What? The professor doesn’t know the history of the citadel?”

“I know the history,” said Abby. “What there is to know anyway. Ghrauk is older than the memories of the Viridians.”

“Older than the Viridians?”

“No. Older than they remember. According to the Viridians, Ghrauk has always been here. It’s part of their creation story. They believe that at a point in time not remembered, the ancient ones brought them to life, and—in return for their faithful servitude—built Ghrauk as their home.”

“Built by the ancient ones, eh.”

“The city was most likely an Atlantean colony.”

“That’s your theory?” Leta asked.

“Well,” said Abby. “We don’t really know.”

“That would explain the architecture. Do you believe they served the ancient ones?”

“I’ve no doubt they worshipped them, long ago anyway.”

“Long ago?”

“Not for several millennia. Don’t let the archaic surroundings fool you, they’re actually quite technologically advanced. The syndicates learned most of what they know about monatomic crystals from the Viridians.”

“I admit I was surprised to find such a fine dress in my room. I thought we’d have to suit up again.”

“And how exactly would we eat?”

“I thought we’d simply be sitting at a table in our suits while they ate.”

“No,” said Abby. “We’ll be eating as well.”

At the end of the balcony, where the stone rail and glass curved in to meet the outer wall, were two large wooden doors. A deeply carved tentacle relief adorned each, the tips of which were ivory tusks that served as door handles. Abby grabbed the tusk, gave the door a tug, then pulled it open to reveal a glass chamber within a larger chandelier-lit grand dining hall.

“See?” he said. “We have our own space to the side. ”

Leta’s eyes went wide.

“ Our own space? ” she chin-chipped. “ We’re center stage . There has to be three hundred Viridians in here .”

Abby and Leta stepped into the glass-domed chamber and found themselves perched midway up the side of a grand arena. Tiers of undulating ribbon balconies circled the cavernous hall, rising over high curtained archways then flowing down to nearly meet the tiers below. Lining the length of each hill and valley of the balconies, thin white-clothed banquet tables, and seated along the outer edge of the infinity tables, in their finest togas of blue, emerald, and gold, were the Ggwa—the Viridian elite.

From within the glass chamber, speakers relaying the gurgling of the mass elite went silent. Through the pane, Abby and Leta heard a single gurgle fill the hall.

Almost simultaneously, the herald’s translation came through the speaker.

“Presenting Benediximus Abernathy Squire and Captain Leta Serene.”

“ Smile ,” said Abby. “ They’re all here to see us .”

Leta smiled and waved. When she did, the Viridians all stood and a chorus of clicks, gurgles, and applause filled the room.

Another voice, subtle and faint, came through the speakers. “Welcome, Abernathy Squire and Leta Serene. Please be seated.” It was Uhggwa. Abby scanned the faces of the Viridians across the room, focusing on those standing at the raised sections.

“I’m beside you,” said Uhggwa.

Abby turned to the right, past Leta, and there, seated next to the glass habitat, clapping the long-clawed fingers of one hand into the palm of the other, was Uhggwa. The Viridian bowed his head and repeated, “Please. Be seated. ”

Before Abby and Leta was their portion of their tier’s white-clothed infinity table, with two chairs, place settings facing the dining hall, and two crystal goblets full of what appeared to be white wine. The two sat, the Viridians followed suit, and the gurgling chatter resumed.

“Your father will be joining us?” asked Abby.

“Certainly, Abernathy Squire. He is tending to some last-minute tasks. He still enjoys the honor of an entrance.”

“Ah. Excellent. I wish to thank him for the accommodations.”

“You can thank the syndicates,” said Uhggwa.

“How so?”

“The Viridian upper class is heavily compensated by the syndicates. The habitat is to insure the highest degree of comfort upon their visitation.”

Abby met eyes with Leta.

“ Condemnation or sarcasm? ” she chin-chipped.

Abby replied with a subtle shrug. The statement may have been nothing more than a fact to Uhggwa, but before he could inquire, the fanfare of a heralding trumpet filled the chamber.

As the room quieted, a set of tall stone doors slowly creaked open on the floor below.

Then, nothing.

Abby could see the Viridians growing impatient throughout the royal hall, leaning into each other, whispering amongst themselves until the chatter became a low noise.

Then from the dark void behind the doors came a series of wet smacks against the marble floor—footfalls of someone approaching. The someone was to be the Herald himself—a thin, emerald robed Viridian, his long-trained cape of the same color flowing behind him. In his hand, he held a tall golden staff that bounced in time with his long, barefoot strides, each footfall another of the long series of slaps.

When he reached the center of the great hall, he immediately pounded the marble stone floor with the bottom tip of the golden rod, sending a loud, echoing clank through the hall that quieted any of the still mumbling guests. Then he raised his chin high and wailed a wail that sent the tendril arms and tentacles of his face aflutter. The mass of Viridians responded with a joint wail of their own which set the glass wall of the habitat to rumbling. In response, the Herald raised his arms, staff in hand, to bask in the wail of the crowd. When the room settled, he let out a series of gurgles.

“Behold,” the habitat translation began. “First of the Ggwa, first lord of Ghrauk, first emperor of Viridis, first before the Ancients, his excellency, Elggwa the magnificent.”

“ Your friend Elggwa is King Elggwa? ” Leta chin-chipped as they stood.

“ Yep. ”

“ And Uhggwa is— ”

“ His eminence Prince Uhggwa .”

~*~