“So tell me, Ed, what do you know about the Viking? I assume from the fact that you’re here and aware of him, that you have been around the cycle a few times and that you know about the time deadlines?”
“Yes, I’m bang up to date with all that. I just want to make a few more trips before I commit to anything, although this place looks as though it could seduce an impromptu decision for many travellers to stay?”
“Yes, you’re right. A lot of people do choose to stay, around fifteen percent I guess. However, I think you’re right in wanting to find out a little more before deciding. I sometimes wish I’d gone round a few times. Mind you, I might not have ever ended up back here. We rarely see the same Transient twice. There must be a lot of portals along the way.”
“Yes, I definitely won’t stay this time. Anyway, how far is it to get to the Viking? It was a few days’ journey from the last place?” enquired Ed.
“Not too bad, probably around a day or so. A little tricky though. There are a couple of obstacles to overcome on the way. It’s not without danger.”
“What sort of danger?” enquired Ed.
“Let’s leave, I’ll tell you about it on the way. It’s nothing to be scared of. You’re a big boy,” replied Yedida reassuringly as she got up and moved over towards the door.
“Come on. We should get on our way now. Better to have too much time than too little. I hate rushing.”
“Okay,” replied Ed, as he got up and followed her out of the doorway, excited to finally be on his way to the Viking, cautiously optimistic for some positives, even if it was to give him a ‘Koan’ revelation.
They set off along the curving spiral pathway around the edge of the hall. Yedida proceeded over to the edge of the walkway and looked down at the open hallway below and the dome above. The hall was once again filling with people. She stood for a second with her hands on the top of the wall.
“They’re going to sing again, Ed. Perfection isn’t it?” stated Yedida.
“Yes, although it doesn’t seem that long since the last performance, unless I slept longer than I thought,” replied Ed, as the waves of melody began to drift around the extensive open space.
“This is a different group. There are a few. Sometimes they all sing at once, arranged around the walkways in the hall. It’s really something. Anyway, are you scared of heights, Ed?”
“A bit, why?”
“We have to go up there,” replied the young lady, pointing to what looked like a rope ladder which ran from the top walkway up and around the curved ceiling until about two thirds from the top. At this point, virtually horizontal, it disappeared into a small trap door.
“You’re kidding right?” exclaimed Ed nervously.
“No, I’m not kidding. You’ll be fine. Just hold on and don’t panic. Let’s go around there and start climbing.”
“Okay then, it looks scary though.”
“Another thing, Ed, this is a one-way trip. Once you get past a certain point on this journey, you can’t come back. You have to go all the way and take your next transience from there. I’ll let you know when we reach that point,” said Yedida.
“But how will you get back?”
“I’m not going to go the whole way with you. I can only go so far or else I can’t come back. There’s a point of no return. Don’t worry though I can go most of the way.”
“Decisions, decisions, everywhere in this lifecycle eh,” exclaimed Ed, as they reached the bottom of the cloth ladder.
“Is this safe?” enquired Ed, as he shook the tatty-looking item made from old clothes.
“Perfectly fine, come on, let’s go.”
“Okay, let’s go,” replied Ed, as he looked down at his watch to see that he’d been in this new location less than a day.
“You have enough time to get to the point of no return and change your mind to get back here. Don’t worry. Watch me go up and when I disappear into the hole, then you follow me,” stated Yedida.
“Okay then,” replied Ed, as she leapt up the ladder with agility, hanging virtually upside down as she progressed towards the hole.
“Don’t look down,” she shouted, as she disappeared up and through the hole and out of sight.
Trepidations and fears gripped Ed as he grabbed the ladder with both hands and began to pull himself skywards. It felt surprisingly secure for a rope ladder, bearing in mind it was tied to little bits of the vine that covered the whole dome structure. The soothing waves of choral music washed over and around him, warming his soul and calming him from the increasing vertigo. He got more cautious and nervous with every grab and step as he felt his body getting worryingly horizontal. He continued to look up, clawing his way further towards the hole, the weight of his body feeling heavier by the second. Then he heard a voice from above.