Liquid Diamond (31 page)

Having climbed a very painful climb, the Elf reached the exit at the top of the pole, only to throw another trip switch to slide the wall open and reveal one more pole leading way, way up the void of the mountain. Clenching his fists to squeeze the blood from his hands and wiping it off on his shirt, the Elf took hold of the pole and locked his feet. Fearing for his life and what the Clique would most assuredly do to him, the Elf held back his cries of pain and did his best to hurry to the very top of the pole that would take him to the top of the staircase.

“
Now we have to do this in perfect step, Natalia,” said Catalyst.

“
Do what?” asked Natalia.

Catalyst reached into a small hollow and pulled, and out shot steps from one side to the other. Now Natalia could see what Catalyst had meant by in perfect step. As the steps came to a stop, Natalia was dreading the funeral that flashed before her eyes – it was hers.

“
That's what we have to do,” replied Catalyst.

“
How are we supposed to do that?” demanded Natalia as she stood with her arms crossed and tapping her toe.

“
Look, it won't be as easy as pole jumping. One wrong step and well...you know,” said Catalyst looking down to the bottom of the void.

“
Catalyst, you’re doing it again. You told me that the poles were the hardest thing we would have to do, and now look where we are! Stop keeping secrets from me,” said Natalia in a calm voice that Catalyst could tell was full of anger.

“
I told you they were a hard part, I didn't say hardest. I’m not keeping secrets from you. I haven't been here in I don't know how long and won't remember most of this until we actually get to whatever it is we need to cross,” replied Catalyst kindly, as he could see and hear the stress of it all was starting to get to her.

“
Just follow me and remember it's every
second
step we need to step on and we need to move in time,” continued Catalyst as he reached into the Hollow one more time and pulled, starting the sequence over again.

“
Step, one, two, three, step, one, two, three, step, one, two, three,” counted Catalyst with Natalia right behind him, repeating the numbers in her head. The second to last step Natalia counted, step, one, two, three, four and slipped. The step pulled back into the wall leaving her hanging on to the last step. It pulled from Natalia’s hands. Before she could even begin to fall, Catalyst had his rope dart out and shot it past her.

“
Grab the rope, Natalia!” yelled Catalyst as he braced his legs against the wall and the lip of the drop. With one good jolt Catalyst barely stopped himself from going over the edge as Natalia hung on to the rope for all she was worth. Her hands were burning from slipping down the rope and tears were running faster than her sweat. Catalyst slowly pulled her up. He took her by the hand and she flipped herself up and over the lip of the drop and was once again standing with Catalyst. Her heart was beating so hard it could easily have beaten its way out of her chest.

“
It's okay. You’re safe now,” said Catalyst as he used his sleeve to wipe away Natalia’s tears. Seeing her hands, Catalyst ripped his shirt and wrapped her burnt palms.

“
Here, let's sit for a while,” continued Catalyst as he helped Natalia to the ground, and with only silence filling the air, he looked at her.

“
So, now that you’re safe, tell me...was it exciting?” asked Catalyst.

“
Yes, a little,” replied Natalia as she tried to laugh off the tears.

“
Good, we should get going now,” said Catalyst as he offered Natalia his hand up.

In spite of what had just happened to her from following Catalyst to begin with, Natalia was happy enough to follow him once again, until he came to a quick stop and she slammed face first into his back.

“
Now what?” she asked.

“
I just need a minute to remember what's here,” replied Catalyst as he stood looking for their next move.
“
Ah, okay, now I remember. We're not short on time here, but we don't have a lot either. If we move as we're supposed to, then we'll have enough time and maybe a few seconds longer, so don't stop, don't look back, just keep your eyes on the handholds and do exactly as I do,” said Catalyst.

“
Okay, I will,” replied Natalia, still suffering from her near-death experience.

#

The Elf had made his very painful climb up the pole to the top of the void and was now making his way back towards Natalia and Catalyst, leaving a trail of blood behind him from his open, pus-filled wounds.

With his knowledge of the traps and puzzles, the Elf had very little trouble moving backwards through them as they were set to work against those corning up through them. Moving faster in his descent than Natalia and Catalyst could move their ascent, the Elf now stood in the shadows on the other side of the puzzle that Natalia and Catalyst now faced. His eye was raging red from his hatred of them both so it was a wonder they couldn't see him.

“
Now watch this, Natalia,” said Catalyst as he stepped onto another stone plate, and then a noise rang through the air as stone blocks that filled the hand and footholds started sliding in and out. They moved in sequence, opening and closing a path along the wall, moving across, then up, then across, then down and across, all the while closing the path behind itself until it reached the other side and reversed its sequence, leaving only one way to go, the wall’s way.

The sequence carne to an end and with a nod from Natalia, Catalyst stepped on the plate once again and carefully climbed through the puzzle with Natalia only a few handholds behind. Looking to his left and straight ahead to his right, Catalyst caught sight of the Elf as he stood in the shadows staring him right in the eye.

“
Go back! Go back!” yelled Catalyst to Natalia as he started to climb back across.

“
Thought you could get away from me?” screamed the Elf standing at the other end of the handholds and letting Natalia know exactly why Catalyst was in such a panic.

Rushing to get back across, Natalia lost time with the puzzle and her hands were pushed out of the holds, forcing her off the wall. Dropping and grabbing two handholds beneath her, Catalyst could see she wasn't going to last much longer.

Jumping off the wall towards Natalia with all his strength, Catalyst grabbed her by the waist with one arm and the lip of the drop with the other.

“
No!” screamed the Elf with rage and disgust as he watched them pull themselves to safety.

Knowing there was no way he could make the jump from one side to the other with his half-foot and damaged hand, the Elf winced as he took hold of the handholds and started crawling across the wall just in time to follow the end of the sequence.

“
Here he comes! What are we going to do?” demanded Natalia in a panic, squeezing Catalyst’s arm hard.

Very calmly, Catalyst pointed to his feet, gave Natalia a little smile and waited.

As the Elf climbed through the middle of the puzzle, too far from either side to jump to safety, Catalyst simply stepped off the stone plate starting the puzzle sequence again and waited.

“
Ah!” cried the Elf in pain. Catalyst stepped out of the way so Natalia could see what was happening. He stood smiling as he watched Natalia’s eyes light up with relief. She watched the vile, evil, rotten old Elf hanging against the wall with both his hands caught underneath the stone blocks that filled the handholds. Natalia started to worry as she realized the Elf was now hanging in the middle of the wall they needed to cross.

“
Now what are we supposed to do, Catalyst? The Elf is blocking our way,” said Natalia.

“
Not really, see all the blocks and where they’re stuck? Now we can just climb around him,” replied Catalyst cheerfully.

Looking at the wall, Natalia could see that with the hands of the Elf lodged the way they were, it threw the whole sequence out of order. Smacking Catalyst while she smiled was really the only thing she could do.

“
Let's go, Catalyst. This time I'll lead the way,” said Natalia.

Sure, why not. After all, the hard part is done,” replied Catalyst jokingly as he followed Natalia.

Laughing at the Elf as they went passed, the Elf raged in turn.

“
I’m going to boil you! I’m going to devour you!” screamed the Elf as he suffered humiliation at their hands once again.

Landing on the other side without a problem, Natalia turned to the Elf and laughed again.

“
Hey, Elf, the only thing you’re going to do is lose all your fingers trying to get out of that,” replied Natalia.

“
Come on, Natalia, I don't want to see that,” choked Catalyst as he continued up the staircase, and with one last look at the Elf, Natalia followed.

As the Elf hung from the handholds, the blood that ran from where his fingernails used to be began seeping into the crevasses of the stones and little by little the blocks began to slide back.

#

“
How much further, Catalyst?” asked Natalia, sounding fed up with the stairs.

“
Look, see that landing up there? That's where we have to go, but first we have to get across this part,” replied Catalyst pointing up to the landing and holding out his arm to stop Natalia from walking any further.

“
Why are you waiting? Let's go,” said Natalia as she looked at the large cobbled floor that lay in front of them.

“
Not so fast, Natalia. Some of these stones are only hanging on by a thread. Step on the wrong one and you will fall to your death. And since I can't remember where to step, here's what I need you to do. Lie down and look over the edge and underneath the floor, and tell me which ones to step on to cross, okay?” said Catalyst.

“
How am I to know which ones you need to step on?” asked Natalia.

“
Just lie down and look – you'll see,” replied Catalyst.

“
Okay,” replied Natalia, doing as she was asked and getting the added bonus of seeing the Elf still hanging where they left him.

“
Now tell me, what do you see?” asked Catalyst.

“
I see stone pillars holding up parts of the cobble and a stupid upside-down Elf,” replied Natalia.

“
Good. Now tell me, where's the first pillar? How many cobbles is it over from where you are?” asked Catalyst.

“
Oh, right. I see what you want,” said Natalia shifting to get a better point of view.

“
Now as I go I'm going to mark an X on each of the cobbles you'll need to step on to cross, all right?” said Catalyst.

“
Are you ready?” asked Natalia.

“
Yes,” was all Catalyst said as he took a deep breath, hoping that Natalia could count as well as she could swing.

First row, from your left to right, fourth stone,” yelled out Natalia, not wanting to be misunderstood in her directions.

“
Okay, but why are you yelling?” asked Catalyst standing only three feet away from her.

“
Perhaps you'd rather not be sure of what I'm saying as I'm saying it,” replied Natalia.

“
No, no, that's okay, yell away,” said Catalyst after considering for a second.

“
Okay then, as I said: First row from your left to right, step on the fourth stone,” yelled Natalia as she looked over the landing to make sure Catalyst was where he was supposed to be. Then she continued:

“
Second stone straight in front of you...now one to your left. Now only the second stone to your left...now third stone straight in front of you. Now two stones to your right.” Checking to make sure Catalyst was all right, Natalia continued:

“
Now look at the one in front of you and step on the one to its right...now two stones straight ahead...now one to the right...one stone straight ahead and you should be on the other side,” yelled Natalia as she stood up, looking to make sure Catalyst got the directions right. There on the other side stood Catalyst, safe and sound.

“
I've left an X marked on the cobbles you need to step on when you cross, okay?” yelled Catalyst.

“
Okay,” yelled Natalia as though she couldn't see the X's already.

#

As the Elf hung from the wall with his fingers trapped under the blocks, his right hand was bleeding heavily from having had its last nail ripped off while tearing open the pus-filled wounds of the other three fingers. The oozing grossness filled the cracks and allowed the block to slip a crooked inch. The blood from his left hand meant the block holding that now had enough lubricant that it pulled itself free, returning to the back of the handhold and taking all four of the Elf’s fingernails with it.

As the feeling returned to his fingers, the Elf let out another cry that echoed yet again throughout the void, sending chills up and down Natalia’s and Catalyst’s spine.

Hanging against the wall with the fingers of his right hand still trapped, and the blocks no longer moving, the Elf knew what he had to do.