Trumps of doom

«Mere than one, actually. The whole damn thing is floating on a lake of liquid hydrogen and helium. The maze moves around. It's different each time. And then there's a matter of the atmosphere. If you were to walk upright along the ridges you would be above it in most places. You wouldn't last long. And the temperature ranges from horribly cold to roasting hot over a range of a few feet in elevation. You have to know when to crawl and when to climb and when to do other things - as well as which way to go.»

«How do you tell?»

«Un-uh,» I said. «I'll take you in, but I'm not giving you the secret.»

The mists began to rise again from the depths and to collect into small clouds.

«I see now why you can't make a Trump for it,» he began.

I continued to study the layout.

«All right,» I said then. «This way.»

«What if it attacks us while we're in the maze?» he asked.

«You can stay behind if you want.»

«No. Are you really going to shut it down?»

«I'm not sure. Come on.»

I took several steps ahead and to the right. A faint circle of light appeared in the air before me; grew brighter. I felt Luke's hand upon my shoulder.

«What -?» he began.

«No farther!» the voice I now recognized as my own said to me.

«I think we can work something out,» I responded. «I have several ideas and -»

«No!» it answered. «I heard what Random said.»

«I am prepared to disregard his order;» I said, «if there is a better alternative.»

«You're trying to trick me. You want to shut me down.»

«You're making things worse with all these power displays,» I said. «I'm coming in now and -»

«No!»

A heavy gust of wind blew out of the circle and struck against me: I was staggered by it. I saw my sleeve turn brown, then orange. It began to fray even as I watched.

«What are you doing? I have to talk to you, explain -»

«Not here! Not now! Never!»

I was hurled back against Luke, who caught me, dropping to one knee as he did so. An arctic blast assailed us and icy crystals danced before my eyes. Bright colors began to flash then, half blinding me.

«Stop!» I cried, but nothing did.

The ground seemed to tilt beneath us and suddenly there was no ground. It did not feel as if we were falling, however. It seemed rather as if we hung suspended in the midst of a blizzard of light.

«Stop!» I called out once again, but the words were swept away.

The circle of light vanished, as if retreating down a long tunnel. I realized, however, through the sensory overload, that it was Luke and I who were receding from the light, that we had already been blasted a great enough distance to drive us halfway through the hill. But there was nothing solid in any direction about us.

A faint buzzing sound began. It grew into a humming, then a dull roar. In the distance, I seemed to see a tiny steam locomotive negotiating a mountainside at an impossible angle, then an upside-down waterfall, a skyline beneath green waters. A park bench passed us quickly, a blue-skinned woman seated upon it, clutching at it, a horrified expression on her face.

I dug frantically within my pocket, knowing we might be destroyed at any moment.

«What,» Luke screamed into my ear, his grip now almost dislocating my arm, «is it?».

«Shadow-storm!» I cried back. «Hang on!» I added unnecessarily.

A batlike creature was blown into my face, was gone an instant later, leading a wet slash upon my right cheek. Something struck against my left foot.

An inverted mountain range flowed past us, buckling and rippling. The roaring increased in volume. The light seemed to pulse by us now, in wide bands of color, touching us with a near-physical force. Heat lamps and wind chimes…

I heard Luke cry out as if he had been struck, but I was unable to turn to his aid. We traversed a region of lightninglike flashes where my hair stood on end and my skin ringled.

I gripped the packet of cards within my pocket and withdrew it. At this point we were beginning to spin and I was afraid they would be torn from my hand. I held them tightly, fearing to sort through them, keeping them close to my body. I drew them upward slowly, carefully. Whichever one lay on top would have to be our exit.

Dark bubbles formed and broke about us, discharging noxious fumes.

I saw, as I raised my hand, that my skin was gray in appearance, sparkling with fluorescent swirls. Luke's hand upon my arm looked cadaverous, and when I glanced back at him a grinning death's head met my gaze.

I looked away, turned my attention back to the cards. It was hard to focus my vision, through the grayness, through a peculiar distancing effect. But it finally came clear: It was the grassy spit of land I had regarded- how long ago? - quiet waters about it, the edge of something- crystalline and bright jutting into view off toward the right.