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1 - The Ivory Plain |
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2 - The Journey Begins |
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3 - The City of Princes |
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4 - The Mountain Village |
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5 - The Road Divides |
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6 - Comrades in Arms |
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7 - The Pass of Silence |
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8 - The Ivory Towers |
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9 - The Union |
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8 - The Ivory Towers
Chapter 8: The Ivory Towers
Beyond the gates was a large forecourt. Two paths branched from the wide main track which had been gravelled and ran round the circumference of the outer wall of the castle itself, indicating that there were gardens and other grounds somewhere behind the palace. To the left of the forecourt and slightly in the shadow of the actual main Towers was a long, low range of buildings that stood deserted. The doors were half doors and there were ancient hay nets still hanging in the stalls showing that it had once been the palace stables. To the right of the castle and, like the stables, slightly behind so that at first glance it was not noticeable, there was a high hedge that bore no leaves, with a sturdy wooden door in the centre. Eldar deduced that this must be the kitchen gardens and quarters. The forecourt itself was enormous, with lawns on either side of the main path that led straight up to the cream, shallow marble steps that gave access to the castle. Eldar, who had paused just within the gates, stared open mouthed at her surroundings. She had not expected beauty, she had expected the dank blackness and stink of evil. But the Ivory Towers appeared like a family mansion, with an atmosphere of sadness rather than evil. The heavy gates clanged behind her causing Eldar to jump and her heart to miss a beat. Taking a large gulp of air, Eldar squared her shoulders and set her feet on the gravelled path, walking slowly she approached the marble steps.
At either side of the entrance stood two tall ivory pillars their heads crowned with an ornate design of leaves and fruit and the occasional wild animal peeking from among the foliage. A pair of doors stood closed at the top of the flight of steps. These doors were made of heavy oak and banded with metal, studded with copper knobs shaped like acorns. In the middle of the door was a large copper knocker cast in the shape of a lion’s head. Eldar noticed that there were large empty hollows in the creature’s face where the eyes should have been. Resolutely she picked up the knocker and banged it hard against the oak. The sound reverberated through the wood and echoed dully in the main hallway. As it died away the doors creaked opened before her face and she walked hesitantly forward into the grand hall. The doors, like the gates before them, slammed shut behind her, causing Eldar to feel trapped, rather like an animal that senses danger but is almost enticed by the risk. Slowly Eldar advanced into the hall.
Huge tapestries depicting hunting scenes and romantic episodes adorned the walls. A magnificent chandelier with drops of diamond and the finest crystal Eldar had ever seen glittered like shimmering rain amidst the gaudy paintings on the ceiling. The floor was made of large slabs of pale cream ivory and grey marble. Expensive, hand woven rugs lay scattered on the floor gathering dust beneath empty flower plinths.
Leading off from the hall were three doors and a staircase. One entrance was a grand pair of polished mahogany, one a smaller door that did not appear imposing and probably led to the kitchens, and the third was a carved wooden door with initials of gold leaf painted on it. Eldar looked at all three and then glanced up the broad sweep of stairs that stretched four storeys above her. The house was deathly quiet. Then, taking a deep breath, she went over to the double mahogany door and put her hands on the wood. They flew open revealing a huge ballroom. The floor was of a light, polished wood that gleamed as brightly as a silver mirror. Tall, patterned glass windows circled the room making it light and airy. It was a beautiful ballroom and Eldar could imagine it filled with glittering, laughing people and music. Around the walls placed in between the windows were full-length portraits of the House of Ancarar from which Aldin and Eldar were descended. Curious, Eldar went up to the first painting, her feet in the hard, leather peasant boots resounding like clogs on the wooden floor. The portrait showed a man dressed in finery dating back almost eight hundred years. Eldar was surprised to see that she had a likeness in her own features to the gentleman in the portrait. In the bottom left hand corner of the picture was the signature of the artist and a name, Jocelin Ancarar, the founder of the dynasty.
Quickly Eldar traversed the huge room and took stock of all the pictures that graced its walls. One long side was complete with ancestral portraits and the far end of the ballroom sported busts of long dead members of the family. The right hand side of the wall was only half full of portraits and the last one was the present King, Aldin. Eldar knew the portrait was of her father because the face was too much like her own for her not to know. The bright hazel eyes were hers, and the dark lashes and auburn hair were hers. The picture showed a young man, perhaps in his mid twenties, and Eldar could have cried at the waste of such a man. The face that smiled gently down at her held strength and a depth of purpose, the character showing determination in the strong jaw and upright posture. A man who would have made a good and fair King had it not been for his desperation to have a son. A desperation so encompassing that he was prepared to sell his soul to ensure his dynasty lived on. Eldar brushed her sleeve across her wet eyes and turned away from the portrait. As she left the ballroom, Eldar did not close the doors behind her she didn’t want to feel that trapped fear again.
Across the hallway she faced the smaller door that had not appeared interesting. More apprehensive now she knocked and waited, straining her ears for a sound beyond the wood. When nothing answered her knock she pushed the door open. Eldar found herself in a small dining room that held a table large enough to seat twenty comfortably. In the middle of the table was an empty crystal vase and the surface of the table was coated with a fine layer of charcoal coloured dust. A door beyond the table revealed a small drawing room decorated in warm rose shades accented by the cream of the ivory. Eldar ran her finger over the furniture and shuddered at the black line that appeared on her skin. The air smelt musty and stale as if no one used the rooms any more. Yet strangely nothing was decaying, it was almost as it time was standing still in the Ivory Towers. Eldar shivered as she felt a strange chill enter the room, it was markedly colder than it had been when she first entered. The hairs on the back of her neck began to rise and she felt her heart begin to beat harder and faster as fear started the adrenalin pumping in her veins.
Silently she closed the door and went back into the dining room. The chill seemed to be following her. Frightened she stepped out hurriedly into the hallway and then stopped. Now she had to make the decision of whether to try the wide crimson carpeted stairs to the next floor, or trying the door with the gold symbols. Quickly, her mind made up, she rapped on the third door in the hall and opened it cautiously. The floor was carpeted in a thick, bright red carpet. Eldar hated the carpet on sight, it was the dense colour of blood. Like the cloaks of the Demons of Shadray. The light in the room came from black wax candles that burnt with a red flame illuminating everything with an odd rosy tinge. The large sash window at the far end of the room was covered with heavy black curtains of satin. All the furniture was black and the light was red. The room affected Eldar dramatically, lowering her spirits and causing her legs to shake with trepidation as she peered in.
The horrible blood-red light made it intensely difficult for her to see anything, and the sombre, black nothingness of the black furnishings and curtains caused her to feel very empty and vulnerable. Even her spirit shrank at the nothingness the room generated but she felt her Lord stand at her shoulder as her heart and spirit shrank from the coming encounter. A fire burnt in a black marble grate with scarlet flames. A huge, black wing chair was drawn up in front of it. Eldar could see an arm resting on the padded chair rest, slowly she walked forward. Her feet made no sound on the crimson carpet only her breathing sounded in the room with the crackle of the flames. When she was but a few yards from the chair, she spoke softly,
“Father?”
There was no movement, but from the depths of the chair a voice spoke,
“Welcome home Ferindor, we have been waiting for you”.
The voice was harsh and guttural and had an odd sound as if several men had spoken together. Eldar swallowed nervously feeling her hands grow slick with sweat and fear. Hesitantly she went towards the fire and faced her father for the first time in her life. That first sight of him made her throw her hands across her face and she cried out in pain. For the face of her father was still human, but so warped and twisted that she would not have recognised it as Aldin, but for the fact that she could see own likeness in the distorted features. Eldar found her fingers scrabbling at her neck until they clasped the wooden cross she wore. It had become a habit that comforted her when she was frightened and wanted strength. The flicker of surprise and unease on the face opposite showed her instantly the power her God would have over this evil that possessed her father. With an effort she tried to recall all that her Bible had said about the banishment of demons.
Under her breath Eldar began to pray in the strange language given her from God. She had only said a few words when the Demon barked at her,
“Stop that! I hate it! Are you trying to frighten me? Do you not realise I could kill you now if I wanted to. That you are nothing to me?”
Eldar answered the evil being evenly, though her heart quaked with fear within her,
“I am a believer of Jesus. I belong to Him. I know that you are afraid of Him, and it is in His name that I am here today. Not to claim the Towers and not to join you. I want to save my father’s soul if I can. And if you kill me I will spend eternal life with my Lord so I still will have won. With the power of Christ I will send you back to the pit of Hell that you came from”.
Eldar’s voice was quiet but so filled with confidence that the Demon shook in the winged chair. Then, recovering its poise, the Demon gestured towards a chair opposite him that inclined towards the fire,
“Pull up a seat my dear, we have a great deal to discuss”.
Warily Eldar turned the chair to face the Demon and sat rather unwillingly in it.
“Something to drink?” Enquired the creature. Eldar shook her head vehemently, she knew that she could not share any of the food or drink that this creature provided, it may be poisoned and may enslave her. As a tray of food appeared on the table at the Demons side, she smelt the appetising hot cooked chicken and felt her mouth water. Again she shook her head. The demon sighed and leaned back in his chair, twirling a crystal goblet with red liquid in it between his fingers. Eldar watched him wondering if she could keep her wits about her when they started to debate. Yet had Eldar known whom the creature was that faced her she would never have attempted to pit her strength against it for she would have realised that alone she could not prevail against it. For this was no ordinary Demon, Eldar was battling against Beelzebub, the Lord of Hell himself.
They talked long into the night. The Devil answering her attempts to best him with logic for the things that she had heard and read of in her Bible but did not understand. He sat and watched her as she struggled to keep thinking, a slight mocking smile on his lips that only goaded Eldar to keep trying.
“So why did your Lord permit himself to die upon the Cross?”
“Because he loves mankind, because we are made in his image and he loves all of us”.
“Don’t you think that’s a strange way to show love, to let yourself be killed?”
“But that was the way it had to be, by giving himself for us, we have life in him, new life now and for all eternity”.
“All eternity! How can you be so sure of this?”
Eldar paused, her head spinning,
“Because of faith, I believe in what He did, and I believe in Heaven, just as much as I believe you are the Devil”.
“Why should there be evil in the earth just because you think Heaven exists?”
“I don’t know”, Eldar sobbed at last, “I just know that there is. Jesus says that Satan tempted Him and if Jesus can be tempted then so can we. I believe in the holy grace of Jesus and I know the evilness of you.”
Gradually the Devil had Eldar so tied in knots that he was beginning to undermine her belief in herself and her Lord and the battle swung in the favour of Hell. Eldar did not know what to do. She had begun this battle believing she was fighting to save her father’s soul, now she understood that she was fighting for her own.
In a corner of her mind, Eldar recognised that this was her nightmare, the game of chess that she had dreamed she played with the Devil. Dimly she understood that the board upon which they played and cast their moves was the very land of Craymar and the world of Middle Earth. She knew that his Black King represented death, deceit and the agonising emptiness of being alienated from God, while her White King represented faith, love and trust. Beyond the black draped windows the sky darkened as the sun faded over the horizon. With the coming of the stars and the fading of daylight, the Devil stretched and said,
“Enough for today. You are confused and that’s a start. We will talk again tomorrow.”
Eldar rubbed a sleepy hand across her eyes and yawned,
“What are you trying to do to me?” She asked, “You can never make me believe that God does not exist or does not love me, my faith is too strong to be broken.”
“Peter also said that he would never betray his Christ, but he did, three times. And so will you before I’m done. Once you have denounced him there will be no protection for you and you will be mine”. The devil’s voice gloated in Eldar’s ear.
Eldar was silent for a moment that said ruefully,
“I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?”
“Plenty, but you said you did not want anything.”
Eldar shrugged,
“I can change my mind can’t I?”
The Devil chuckled, a deep unpleasant sound,
“So you can, my Ferindor, and so you will.”
He opened the door and led Eldar to the dining room that she had already seen, the table was laid for two and laden with platters with food. Eldar looked and was tempted, she sat down at the place laid for her as the Devil poured her a glass of wine. Suspiciously she sniffed the wine but could smell nothing wrong. Taking a large gulp she reached for the food. After they had eaten and drunk, Eldar felt so full and comfortable that for a few minutes she forgot why she was there, what she had come to do. It was with a struggle that she remembered the earlier debate and her confused feelings. Starting she lifted her eyes from her contemplation of the peach kernel that lay on her plate and looked straight at the Devil. His eyes were full of malicious laughter he was amused by her and her petty attempts to best him. Eldar realised sadly that she was not equipped to deal with him, and with the realisation came a deep longing to pray. Quickly she pushed her chair back.
“Is there anywhere I can sleep?”
“Of course,” the Devil smiled, “a room has been prepared for you for years. The first door on the right up the stairs is for you.”
Eldar took up a handful of grapes and her glass of wine and left the room, hearing Aldin’s laughter follow her. She laid a hand on the polished wood of the banister and mounted the stairs, her feet sinking into the plush red carpet. She wished with all her heart that there was less red and black around, it made the place seem menacing, frightening and evil.
The room that had been assigned for her was decorated in red, the four poster bed with black velvet drapes and the lights in the room were black candles. With a sigh, Eldar stripped off her jerkin, tunic and leggings and washed hurriedly in cold water poured from the black ewer on the chest. A plain black nightgown lay on the red bedspread which she reluctantly pulled over her head. She pinched the candles at the base of the wick to snuff them out and then climbed into the cold high bed and pulled the covers over her head. Hugging her knees in the tent of the coverlet she began to pray for her safety and protection. As her voice fell into the new heavenly language she felt her spirit ease and her body relax and in the middle of a prayer she fell asleep.
It was still dark when she woke with a start, her heart pounding, unsure what had woken her, only knowing that she was scared and aware that the temperature of the room had dropped dramatically. Silently she reached out of the covers and touched her Bible that she had placed on the table beside the bed. Drawing it under the covers with her, she began to recite the 23rd Psalm under her breath. As she prayed she heard a strange squeal that sounded like an enormous rat from within the bedroom and prayed harder. Then she felt scurrying claws dig into the bedspread as some creature ran over her and then an odd sound like a gate opening and closing quickly. As the gate shut the room began to feel noticeably warmer and Eldar felt brave enough to poke her head out from the covers and look around the room. The candles were burning again with a sulphurous smell and a strange wisp of black smoke was seeping away under the door. Eldar shivered and clutched the Bible to her tightly. She had the oddest feeling that she was being watched. As calmly as she could, she lay down in the covers again and closed her eyes deliberately praying again for protection and thanking her Lord for his presence with her. The room stilled and the feeling of being watched vanished. Eldar sighed and prayed again as she tried to sleep.
The following morning Eldar woke with the rosy dawn light that had found a single chink in the black curtains and fell upon her face. She sat up and stretched, yawning. She still felt rather tired after the disturbed night, but at peace. Jumping from the bed Eldar ran to the window and flung open the curtains releasing a shower of dust upon her head that made her sneeze and then laugh. The room, despite its sombre furnishings and dark decoration seemed more bearable in the light of day. Quickly Eldar stripped off the nightgown and washed herself vigorously. The water was hot in the ewer and she sponged herself happily. Looking for her clothes she found that her travel gear had been removed and now a gown of black velvet with red ribbons at the neck and hem awaited her. With a wry smile Eldar stepped into the gown and put the black slippers on her feet. An ebony backed brush waited for her on the chest by the ewer and she swiftly dragged it through her hair and braided the long tresses, tying the ends with crimson ribbon.
Ready at last, Eldar descended the stairs to the hallway below and opened the door to the dining room where she guessed she would find food. She also found Aldin. He was waiting for her at the table and smiled as she entered the room. Eldar’s heart began to jump as she sat down at the table and resolutely gave thanks for the food before she ate.
“Did you sleep well?” Enquired Aldin.
“Well enough, I am protected by my Lord, your attempt to frighten me did not work.”
Eldar spoke calmly as she helped herself to fruit and bread.
“Tell me then, how does your God protect you? How can you be so sure he will not leave you, and let you become mine?”
“He sends His angels to guard His children. And he cannot let me become like you, I can only be like you if I no longer believe and give in to you.”
“Angels,” mused the Devil, “Well, well, tell me more about them. Have you ever actually seen one?”
So the debate continued. When the morning meal was finished, Eldar was led to the study and the talk went on until the late afternoon. By then Eldar was weary with the circles that Aldin ran round her. She had no answers for some of his questions, she could only say what she believed. By the end of the day, Eldar was on the brink of doubting everything in her Bible and everything she had ever heard about Jesus. The Devil sensed her weakness and drew her closer to him so that Eldar found she was agreeing with him because what the Devil said was so logical and made such sense, and her own faith seemed to be like the dreams of a child. Each time she agreed with the Devil Eldar gave up a small part of her soul, her salvation drifting away.
Again she tried to pray but now the words were even slower to come and felt empty in her mouth. She tried again to pray in her special language and no words came. Aldin cackled at her distress and told her,
“Your God even left his own Son as he hung on the cross, he will leave you, what kind of love is that?”
Eldar bowed her head and wept, she could see no way out. With the last of her strength she fell to her knees before the scarlet flames of the fire and raised her hands to Heaven.
“Jesus, you are Lord and Saviour. You are my Lord, I call upon you to help me, save me Lord. I trust in you Jesus, I dwell in the shadow of the Most High and find refuge beneath your wings. I trust in you Lord. My life is yours for ever, I pray that you save me, come Lord Jesus, come in power and glory!”
As her plea ended, the flames shivered and died in the grate. Eldar looked up startled as a sharp wind blew across the room, she looked at the door but it was closed and she wondered where the wind was coming from. Then she heard the voice within her say, do not be afraid, hide your face for I am coming.
Obediently Eldar bowed her head against the growing wind and waited, clenching her eyes shut as the ash in the grate began to swirl in the air around her. In the wing chair beside the fire where Eldar knelt, Aldin stared at her in raging anger, his eyes glowing hot like coals. Suddenly the black candles in the room began to glow brighter, the crimson flames changing into a blazing whiteness. The dazzle grew and grew until the purity of the whiteness that enveloped them caused Aldin to shrink back into the chair, claws clutching the arms of the chair ripping the soft leather into shreds. Then there was a mighty rushing of wind and a loud crack, the room was rent apart like lightning, and Christ was there!
Chapter 9