Margit Sandemo - The Ice People 46 - The Black Water

Nataniel touched it. “Dear child, we don't want to destroy it. Only borrow it. Although this is only an ordinary little root – not like Rune, who was the world’s first mandrake.”

“It has emotions,” said Gabriel quietly. “I believe Rune did something with it. Gave it some extra properties ...”

“I think so too. I’ll just hold it up against the door. Then we’ll see how much power it has.”

“Wait a bit,” said Marco. “I don’t think we were given all this treasure for us to use only a few things. Let’s lay them out on the floor in magical circles. In front of the door.”

“That’s a good idea,” said Tova cautiously.

“Marco is quite right,” agreed Nataniel. “That’s what they’re for.”

All five helped to form the unique patterns of the various objects of the treasure on the floor. They were in no doubt as to how all the objects had to be placed.

“How do we know all this?” Tova wanted to know.

Nataniel giggled. “We’re using our intelligence. No, quite honestly I think it has something to do with the drink we all had in the Demon’s Mountain. You remember, the drink was to give us resistance stronger than steel, love of ancestry that invigorates and strengthens, the ability to see what should be hidden, sufficient endurance to defy death, the ability to see in darkness, swiftness, boldness, valour and humour, power over other creatures and also enough firmness to be able to kill, if necessary. We’ll certainly need all these!”

“Yes, really we ought to have been dead long ago,” said Tova eagerly. “But we aren’t there yet. We don’t know what awaits us.”

“No, you’re right,” said Nataniel. “Ugh, if only I didn’t feel so naked – and ridiculous!”

“But you don’t seem naked,” said Tova. “All those signs on your body are like a whole suit of clothes. It’s true!”

“Yes,” said Marco. “You’ve nothing to be ashamed about.”

“Thanks. Still, I wish we were all equally naked. But that’s probably asking too much. Well, if we’ve finished the magical patterns on the floor, we’ll try again, right?”

They were all fully concentrated. They knew that if they didn’t achieve anything this time, they had no more suggestions.

Nataniel had already lifted the mandrake towards the 'gate' when he turned once more. “Before I do this ... I want to thank you all for all you’ve done for me. If we don’t see each other again, I mean.”

“Please shut up or we’ll begin to weep,” said Tova. She sounded as if she might do that at any moment. “Go ahead!”

Nataniel turned back to the inscriptions. He recited with a loud voice while holding the small mandrake towards the mystical signs.

At the very next moment, they were all groping for something to hold on to. The whole mountain shook beneath them. It sounded as if the wall let out a sigh as the cliff reluctantly divided itself to create an opening.

But the next thing took them by such complete surprise that they could do nothing but let out yells of horror.

At the very moment the door slid open, a roaring suction dragged them into the opening. Nataniel, who was standing closest to it, was sucked in so quickly that the door hadn’t even opened fully. He was hurt as he hit the hard stone edges.

This was the whirr that they had heard at first, which rose to a roar as they got closer. Now everything was one furious roar, a hurricane that nobody could withstand.

In that instant, all five were catapulted into a howling vacuum, in which Nataniel’s body whirled onwards in front of them like a torch of blue lighting.

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