At first, the thoroughly down-to-earth trio of cavers had seemed sceptical, but Trask's talent occasionally worked both ways: he not only read the truth but the truth was read in him. This was one such occasion. Gradually his demeanour and tone of voice got through to them, so that as the party sloshed its way upstream they heard him out without comment. In any case, they'd seen the cavern of the Gate - and what it contained - following which . .. Trask's explanation seemed as good as any. And when finally he was finished:
'But didn't Miss English say that those CMI people wouldn't want any witnesses?' The caver spokesman's voice echoed in the cathedral-like acoustics of the place, and in the light of powerful torches his face told of his fears. 'Well, we're not just witnesses, Mr Trask. Those were our colleagues, friends who died back there! And what about us? Do we get to enter this other world, too? Or will you leave us down here to face whatever's coming?'
Trask looked at him, then at Nathan, and said, Things have moved too fast. I haven't had time to think it out. I can't say what will or won't work.'
They can come through with us,' Nathan answered. They're sending me home, and carrying my weapons, after all. I wouldn't want them to come to any harm. And anyway, Lardis will be able to put them to good use; he'll be needing good weapon-training instructors.'
'And when it comes to coming back home again?' This from one of the other cavers.
But Nathan could only shake his head, shrug and say, 'I can't make any promises. If you knew the Wamphyri like I do, you wouldn't make any either.'
'But there's a chance?'
'Better than a chance. There is a way back for all of you, but for the moment it's blocked. And anyway, we can't be sure of the reception you'd get at this end. But later, if there's to be a later, I can always take you back to the Starside Gate, yes.'
The cavers looked at each other. And in a moment: Then it looks like we're coming with you,' their spokesman said.
Which coincided with a muffled roar like distant thunder from far back along the way they'd come. And: There goes the airlock,' Chung groaned.
By now they were waist-deep in blackly swirling water, heading for a dry ledge to one side of the watercourse. Behind them, they towed a pair of light-weight rubber dinghies with tiny but powerful outboard motors, and a long buoyant rubber sausage fitted with zipper pockets. At a push, the dinghies could take three passengers; the sausage was a floating transporter: Nathan's weapons and other goods had been stowed in its pockets.
'Seven of us,' the caver spokesman said. 'Six in the dinghies, and one hanging on behind the sausage. I'll kit-up.' And as they climbed on to the ledge: This is where we lose our pursuers, for now anyway. There are spare dinghies and air-tanks in the Refuge, but if they want to follow us beyond this point they'll have to go back for them.'
There were six prop-assisted aqualungs on the ledge, and Trask found himself feeling a little claustrophobic just looking at them. But as the caver spokesman struggled into a wetsuit vest, again he reassured Trask: Tor the final leg of the trip. A sump some fifty feet end to end, but totally submerged. We'll assist you through, of course. And believe me, we're lucky. The water-table has never been this low. Any other time, we'd have been swimming long before this.'
From back along the course they'd followed, as they got carefully into the dinghies and started the motors, they could hear echoing sounds of splashing and hoarse voices; these were left far behind as they lowered their heads and entered a long lake of black water, where the ceiling came down to only a few feet.
And feeling the weight of the Carpathian foothills miraculously suspended overhead, as they followed a string of luminous bobbing corks into an apparently endless darkness, each and every one of the seven fell silent. And it was as much as they could do not to hold their breaths . ..