Five-Oh-Six-Three (Part Three)

©2012 David Jasmin-Green

Blain grudgingly followed his guide into the passage that meandered down into the bedrock. It was quite narrow in places and exceedingly dark, as caves are wont to be, and he clung onto the wet, uneven wall so that he wouldn't lose his footing on the slippery floor. After what seemed like an inordinately long time he was about to ask Fathom how much further they had to travel when he spied a flicker of orange light as they rounded a tight bend. “'Oo goes dere?” a squeaky voice said. “'Oo der fuck iz you? Identify yerselves, or prepare to pay the muther-fuckin' consequences.”

“It is I, Fathom,” the snake said to the tiny figure blocking his path, “Fathom Confucious Watermelon. It's been a long time since I visited your humble abode, Vacant, my old buddy, but surely you remember me. I've brought along a guest, a newbie. Blain, he says his name is.” The knee high guardian of the cavern, an anorexic midget with a bloated insect's head, was holding a burning torch in one hand and a short, spiked cudgel in the other.

“You better come in, then,” said the creature. “You 'ave my permission to bring your pet worm along, Fathom, on the understandin' that 'e's entirely your responsibility.” Vacant disappeared around a bend on his short, stick like legs and relegated his guests to the inky darkness once more.

“That was Vacant,” the serpent said in a low voice. “He and his kind are employed to guard this sanctuary and others like it. Vacant Osteoporosis Archetype, his full title is, or perhaps he is a she, I've never been able to figure it out. He – I'll refer to the creature as a 'he' from now on to avoid confusion - is the boss of this establishment, this small oasis in the vast, unforgiving moist desert above us. Try not to upset Vacant because he's much harder than he looks, and he has an awful lot of, um, friends, comrades, hive-mates, children, call them what you will. You're unlikely to see the rest of his extensive family unless serious trouble erupts, in which case they'll swarm in from all directions in their hundreds of thousands and proficiently lull the storm..... Vacant and his tribe can be a trifle nasty at times like that, but basically they're good 'uns. Well, about as good as they come around here.

Blain, try not to be too alarmed by what you're about to witness; try not to appear overtly frightened of the jumble of unfortunates that you're about to meet, and don't take their empty talk too seriously. You'll find that hard, I suppose, but you have to be strong. You're with me, remember, and I'll look after you as well as I possibly can..... Actually I have no idea what awaits us, I don't know who hangs out here nowadays because I haven't visited this cavern for quite some time. There could be just a dozen or so waifs and strays quietly sheltering from the rain and sharing a little relatively safe company or the joint might be bursting at the seams and the clientèle singing their hearts out and dancing the light fantastic - you never know with places like this.”

“Yeah, right,” Blain said, leaving the impenetrable gloom behind as he followed Fathom through a set of double doors into a huge space illuminated by camp fires, oil lanterns and fat tallow candles.