“Oh, hell!” said Tova, expressing what they all felt.
Nataniel pulled himself together. “There’s nothing for it but to continue with our task.”
“No, wait a moment,” said Marco. “How could it happen that none of the five of us remembered something so obvious as those huge horns?”
“You’re right,” said Tova, collecting her thoughts. “None of us noticed them. I think our helpers didn’t want us to drag them with us. They had done what they were supposed to do for this task.”
These remarks soothed them. Then they began to take a closer look at their surroundings.
Compared to the primitive crypt they had left, this cave was more finished. Perhaps that wasn’t the right word, but the walls were smoother, and they immediately discovered some decorations on one of them.
“A new gate,” said Gabriel.
“Yes, this one is clear,” said Nataniel. “Tengel the Evil must have done a lot during the thirty days and nights he was here.”
“We must remember that he was skilled in witchcraft even then,” Marco pointed out. “He hardly dug out these grottos with his own hands.”
“No, of course he didn’t. But the question is, did he have help doing it.”
“From whom? Who was his helper?”
“Why not ask who his helpers were!”
They focused on the pattern on the new gate. It seemed to be an inscription ...?
“The signs are impossible to decipher,” said Marco, after examining it for a while.
Nataniel stood in thought, then he said: “I’d love to have Benedikte here so that she could decipher them for us.”
“Could she do that?” asked Tova.
“Not literally. But perhaps she could decipher them intuitively.”
Marco shook his head. “You know perfectly well that Benedikte can’t be here. She can only advise you. Via telepathy.”
“Well, let’s get her advice, then!”
“That sounds sensible.”
They concentrated on Benedikte, and a moment later her thoughts came to them.
Marco frowned. “She’s suggesting Sigleik to me.”
“Yes,” said Tova. “And Heike.”
Nataniel looked up. “You’re right. Let’s get in touch with both of them. If you take Sigleik, I’ll get in touch with Heike.”
The room was quiet again. Ian and Gabriel listened anxiously to the loud noise coming from behind the decorated door.
“I’ve got Heike now,” Nataniel said quietly.
The other two were silent. It was obviously more difficult to reach Sigleik, who wasn’t so used to the Ice People making contact between spirits and the living.
“We must wait,” said Marco. “What kind of signals are you picking up from Heike, Nataniel?”
“He’s telling us that we must find everything that he and Vinga used when he wanted to break through the wall into the parallel world.”
“Ugh!” said Tova.
“No,” said Nataniel. “Heike assures us that this has nothing to do with the grey people.
Ian wanted to know: “Do the spirits of the Ice People know what’s on the other side of these gates that we’re walking through?”
“No. All they know is how we can possibly get through.”
“I see,” said Tova. “Wait ... I believe Sigleik is getting through to me.”
“Now please be quiet everybody,” said Marco, “because he’s not so good at this.”
They waited.
Marco turned visibly pale. Tova’s eyes became bigger and bigger.
“Oh, no!” she whispered:
“What does Sigleik say?”
“He’s deciphering the inscription,” said Marco calmly.
“How exciting,” said Nataniel. “Let’s hear it!”
“It’s not at all exciting,” replied Marco. “It’s simply frightening.”
All five were silent again.
At last, Marco and Tova relaxed. “Thank you, Sigleik,” said Marco. “Now we have it.”
“Well?” asked Nataniel impatiently.
Tova sighed. Both she and Marco seemed very tired. Spiritually tired.
“As soon as we have a moment,” she said, “we must get in touch with Ulvhedin.”
“Ulvhedin? Why?”
“When you’ve heard Sigleik’s interpretation of the signs on the door, you’ll understand.”
“Well, what do they say?”
Marco sighed. “Don’t you remember what Sigleik told us in the Demon’s Mountain? About how Tengel the Evil had impressed upon him what he had to learn by heart?”
Gabriel shuddered violently. “No, not that again!”
“Yes, Gabriel. That’s what it says on the door: ‘Sgignat va pche urhosgat mnene ijstja vot.’”
Nobody spoke.
Then Nataniel said, matter-of-fact: “Well, now we know who is outside guarding us. The pale men dressed in black that we saw on the moor.”
“Yes,” said Tova. “The bog men. This is their realm. They are the ones who helped Tengel the Evil build these grottos.”
“So why didn’t they attack us?” Gabriel exclaimed.
“I think I can answer that,” said Nataniel. “They are beings of the earth, aren’t they? But we, the chosen ones, are protected by the spirit of Earth! They can’t strike us!”
“Blessed be the spirits of Taran-gai,” murmured Tova.
“Yes, but we have to get on,” said Nataniel urgently. “Time is moving fast for us and Tan-ghil is approaching. Hurry, help me with the treasure. I must follow the same procedure as Heike to get in here!”
They unpacked the treasure feverishly. While they dug out all the components needed, Ian asked: “What did you mean about Ulvhedin? Is he needed?”
“Ulvhedin conjured the bog men back down into the earth,” Tova explained. “He’ll need to do so again, because these are definitely not the same bog men as the ones in Denmark. But right now, they don’t pose a danger to us. We’ll have to summon him later on. If there is a ‘later on’.”
“Now, now. Don’t be pessimistic,” Nataniel warned. “We need to stay positive.”
“Don’t I know it! Sorry! Anyway, you’re right. Tan-ghil meant to teach Sigleik some signs, but nothing came of it.”
Marco held up a small book. “Here’s the description of Heike’s preparation. But as you know, Heike and Vinga spoiled all the descriptions of how to raise the grey people ...”
“They’re not the ones we need now,” said Nataniel. “What does it say in the book? What rituals have they left us?”
“Only which signs are to be inscribed on the body. They must be the ones that are necessary to traverse the border between the two worlds, the real and the parallel.”
“Good