his more recent memories would give him any clue to what he should do next. Had he missed a word, maybe a sign or a symbol in Merlin’s instructions? The secret meeting that began this adventure was still clear in his mind.
Merlin had come to Sir Patrick’s ready to send Elam out on a great journey …
Sitting on a stool in the dim compass room, Merlin laid a strap over Elam’s shoulder and patted the bag that hung at the bottom. “Water, bread, and a special device that might come in handy. It’s a spyglass that my ancestors passed down through many generations.”
Elam dug the spyglass out of the bag and looked through the lens, extending the telescopic cylinder to its maximum. He pointed it at the rectangular hole in the ceiling and gazed at the crescent moon peeking through a thin cloud. Then, turning it to the old portal screen, a shimmering window in the outer wall, he focused on the junglelike trees on the other side. Rain dripped on the undergrowth, ferns, and vines that disguised a field of bones. “Does it do anything special?”
“I’m not sure. I found no use for it other than viewing things at a distance.” Merlin pointed at an etching on the dark, metallic side. “But this Hebrew script tells me that it could have other attributes.”
“It says, ‘Enoch.’” Elam rubbed his finger along the etching. “You mean this belonged to Enoch the prophet?”
“It did indeed, but in my brief encounter with him, I never thought to ask him what it does beyond the obvious.” Merlin pointed at the portal window. “But it might be useful when you cross the field of the second circle. The grassland is so vast, at times you won’t be able to see anything but grass and flowers all the way to the horizon.”
“Is there a path?” Elam asked. “Markings? Landmarks?”
“Only one. You’ll have to follow the trail of blood—the red flowers. Then enter the Forest of Molech and look for Glewlwyd, the gatekeeper.”
Elam walked up to the portal window and touched it. The solid barrier sent a tingle through his fingers. “What does this gatekeeper look like?”
“I wish I could tell you precisely,” Merlin replied, rising from his stool. “He is somewhat invisible.”
Elam spun around. “Invisible? How can I possibly find someone who’s invisible?”
Merlin joined him at the window. “Actually, I think semi-transparent is more accurate. If he moves, you will see him, like flowing water. So walk carefully or you might stumble over him while he is sleeping, and he can be quite irritable if he decides not to like you.”
Elam collapsed the spyglass to its original state. “When I find him, then what do I do?”
“First, beware,” Merlin said, raising a finger. “The forest is haunted by the Caitiff—the spirits of those who abused or murdered children during their lives on Earth. They wander there in hopelessness, waiting for the judgment of God. They know their penalty will be sure and severe, an eternal damnation that will make them suffer beyond all others. So, they are desperate and cruel, both to each other and to any lost soul who ventures among the perverse.”
Elam shivered. “Why would the gatekeeper be in a place like that?”
“The forest serves as a barrier to those condemned souls who might try to leave the Circles of Seven. At the center, there is an unusual gate that serves as the only dimensional exit that an unqualified person could possibly use, and Glewlwyd guards it. His transparency keeps him safe from the Caitiff, and he acts as a guide if a worthy seeker of the gate enters the forest, as Acacia and Paili did not long ago.”
“So what do I say to Glewlwyd when I find him?”
“Tell him you are seeking Heaven’s lower altar, and ask him for passage to the Bridgelands. He will likely test you in some way to prove who you are, but I cannot predict what the test will entail. Just answer his questions. If you pass, he will allow you through the gate.” Merlin stroked his bearded chin and sighed. “Unfortunately, that’s only the beginning of your trials. Since even Glewlwyd can be deceived, once you go through the gate, there will be another battery of tests you must pass before you get to the altar. These will examine the character of your soul rather than the cleverness of your lips, so all deception will be purged along the way.”