Volodimir Vladko - Descendants of the Scythians

“Climb on top of the broken stalagmites! The flow of the gas will probably decrease!” Ivan Semenovich called out. “The quantity of gas beyond that wall cannot be unlimited! Quick!”

It was the only thing left to do now — to move higher and higher, away from the dreaded waves of gas! Maybe it would all settle in the lowest part of the cave… But Ivan Semenovich realized now that this was a futile hope. To see it, all one had to do was to look around. The gas was pouring in much faster than it was settling in the bottom of the cave; its level was continuously rising. The bases of the stalagmites were already covered with the dense gray fog. The fog was rising inexorably and soon it would reach the people who had climbed onto the tops of the broken stalagmites. Evidently there was no hope that its flow would decrease since the gas was spurting from the hole with greater intensity than before.

Artem was supporting Lida, who had fainted, with one arm and holding on to the tip of the stalagmite with his other hand. Disconnected, confused thoughts flashed one after the other through his mind:

How can we get ourselves out of this mess?.. We’re lost, we can’t do anything!… The gas is pouring in… How heavy Lida is. I can’t support her for much longer… My arm has gone to sleep… I mustn’t let her fall… All right, even if I don’t drop her, the damned gas will get us sooner or later anyway … And there’s no way up from here! .. We’ll all suffocate … Diana is evidently still alive though she’s lower than we are … barking …

The situation seemed hopeless indeed. The gas was rising slowly but steadily, and there was something terrifying in this implacable movement…

One of the lamps that had been put on top of the stalagmite threw an even, undisturbed light on the sad picture: the people clinging to the cold, shiny, hard surface of the stalagmites to the last, and the big tawny dog, already covered almost completely by the gray blanket of horrible gas. Diana still gave occasional frightened barks, but they grew less and less frequent. Gray surging waves of gas rose, filling the cave, cutting off all paths of retreat. The gas had already reached the feet of the people perched on top of the stalagmites.

A way out of the desperate situation is found which leads to an unexpected and incomprehensible source of subterranean light; the explorers escape through a hole to find woods, steep cliffs and a Scythian arrow; then they discover a crowd of exotically dressed people and witness a confrontation between the chieftain and the soothsayer; Artem interferes to stop the sacrifice but is captured along with his friends .

It seemed to Artem that he had been unconscious for some time. A strange weekness and despair had overwhelmed him. His eyes had closed quite by themselves; his head drooped lower and lower. But with his trembling hand that had gone numb, he was still holding tight to Lida whose limp body seemed heavier and heavier. The only one of his senses that remained fully alert was his hearing, and what is more it even seemed sharper. Artem heard every word the two older men said very distinctly; every little sound around him came in loud and clear; but he could neither respond nor move. It looked as though a thick covering had been thrown over everything. Under this covering were he and Lida whom he was holding… but no… she was moving away… And at some indefinite distance apart were the rest. Then Artem heard the voice of Ivan Semenovich:

“The gas is pouring over Diana… She’ll probably be the first to go…”

To go where? Artem tried to understand what the geologist meant but in vain: Ivan Semenovich’s words remained incomprehensible to him. Meanwhile, another voice reached Artem. This time it was Dmitro Borisovich speaking:

“Artem, hold on! There’s still a chance! Maybe…”

Maybe what? What did Dmitro Borisovich have in mind? Gathering all the strength left in him, Artem called back in a stiff led voice:

“I’m hanging on… I’ll hold on as long as… as long as J can… and I’ll be holding…”

Meaning that he would be holding Lida. He was holding her and would go on doing so… But what would happen when all his strength had ebbed away? What then? The hoarse barking of the dog was reflected in the multiple echo from the stalagmites. Why was she barking in such a strange way? The sound seemed muffled by a blanket. She stopped only to give another bark, but even hoarser this,time. No more sounds came from her afterwards. Then a voice:

“I think the dog has fallen from the stalagmite. Do you see her, Dmitro Borisovich?”

“No, I don’t,” the archeologist replied gravely. “Artem, keep your head up! The gas is getting closer to you. Keep your head up at all costs!”

Artem tried to raise his head — there was so much reproach in the archeologist’s voice… But, no, he couldn’t do it; his head was drooping down and he couldn’t do anything about it! Not just his head, but his entire body was being pulled down by some irresistible force. And how heavy Lida had become!…

The only thing Artem managed to do with great effort was open his eyes. Where were his friends? Oh, there they were. What was Ivan Semenovich up to, holding the safety matches and two dynamite charges? Was it really dynamite? And a fuse… What was he going to do?

“Attention, my friends!” the firm voice of the geologist resounded through the cave. “We have only one last chance of survival left… Only because it is our final chance I am going to try it, Dmitro Borisovich… The opening through which the gas is coming in is not too big. I’m going to throw these two charges into the hole. I hope the explosion will seal the opening. Do you follow me? I’m hoping there will be enough earth to seal the opening…”

“And.what if the explosion only makes the hole bigger? What then?”

“It won’t make our situation worse… Now… Watch it, everybody! Hide behind the stalagmites! Here it goes!”

A small flash from a lighted match. The fuse began hissing. A ring of smoke ran along the thick cord, accompanied with tiny sparks scattering around, getting ever closer to the charges. Artem gathered enough strength to watch all Ivan Semenovich’s movements closely. The explosion was their last hope. If they were lucky, the opening would be sealed off by the falling earth, the flow of the gas would be cut off, and consequently, its level will not rise, to drown them…

The geologist swung broadly, aiming the charges at the opening. With his other hand, he was holding on to the stalagmite. Another moment and…

But at the very last instant his foot in its heavy boot slipped on the slick surface of the stalagmite. Ivan Semenovich tottered just as he was tossing the charges and the fuses were burning out.

“Oh blast it!”

The charges, a smoke tail trailing behind them, whizzed through the air and disappeared in the gray gas. They landed not at the opening but much further to the left, at the foot of big rock that jutted out from the wall. What a stroke of bad luck! Now there was no telling what would happen.

For another moment, the hissing of the burning fuse could be heard; the gas did not prevent it from burning, as it would burn even under water. Then a powerful explosion sent big pieces of rock flying high up into the air. Yellow flames billowed. The rocks tumbled down with singularly lethal force. A thunderous, continuous noise enveloped everything, and it seemed that the blasts were coming from all sides and would never stop. The stones kept raining down with a deafening rattle, bombarding and hitting the stalagmites.

But the gazes of the people were fixed not on the falling stones but on the place in the wall where the explosion had taken place. Now the picture had changed radically.