she said at last. ‘Nothing to lose really.’
Rendal shook his head, ‘Well that’s something I guess. Come on.’
He led her down the hill under the cover of trees. As they walked, Maisey wondered at the bond that was growing between herself and Rendal. It seemed to be a long time since she had trusted anyone and she knew it was his help and kindness that told her deep inside that he cared. He helped her down a steep embankment to the bottom of the hill. Bending, he pulled back shrubs to reveal an opening in the rock.
‘This is where your journey begins. I must leave you but if you need advice, ask and the answer will come. Remember also that this is the land of Id and the general thought is logical. At school you’ve been taught to use logic to solve mathematical and scholarly problems but with life’s problems there may be many answers that have nothing to do with logic. These are the answers that come from the heart and this is how you must solve Id’s problems. You must forget logic in this land where ego rules.’ Rendal patted Maisey’s hand. ‘Don’t look so worried.’
CHAPTER SIX
Maisey watched him go with great reluctance. Only when he was completely out of sight did she begin her quest. Squeezing between the rocks she pulled herself through the darkness to a damp cave. A glow opposite marked where a trail wound upward and seemed to be the only way to go, other than from where she had entered. The sound of dripping water broke the silence as she let her eyes adjust to the dimness of the cavern.
Water ran down the moss covered walls to land in puddles on the rock floor. As well as the dripping, Maisey could hear a faint scuffling. Proceeding toward the sound she got down on her hands and knees and felt the floor in the darkness. The scuffling sound seemed to be nearer and crawling she edged cautiously toward it. Her head hit something sharp and she had to use her hands to try to work out what it was. She felt along the lower wall of the cavern but with nowhere else to go she sat back on her haunches and listened. There it was again, the scuffling, though now she felt as if she were right on top of it. There were no apertures in the rock walls and as her eyes grew further accustomed to the darkness she carefully ran her hands along the floor. Ah. There was a small gap, merely a crack in the earth where the floor met the wall and as her hands felt out its circumference she found a thin mossy vine that grew from the wall and down into the crack. She pulled it upward and it seemed heavy to her hand, where she had expected it to come away easily. Then slowly she pulled it right up and out of the hole. Something was caught on the end and she almost tossed it back down but remaining calm, she broke it off the wall and holding it away from her, crawled back to the light of the larger cavern. It looked like a ball of wet mud as she held it out but a slight movement made her jump quickly back. As it dropped to the floor it unrolled. Cautiously she nudged it, at which it groaned and rolled over revealing itself to be a small mouse covered in mud. Her fear was gone, and she lifted its tiny body and cradled it to her.
In the light, Maisey made out puncture marks encrusted with blood that covered the partly conscious creature. Pulling out her hanky, she cleaned dirt and blood from the mouse’s face and at her ministrations it opened its eyes. Languid green, they seemed to reach down into Maisey’s body and tug at her heart strings.
‘What happened to you?’ she asked.
‘I was attacked by Doubt soldiers. I escaped and ran in here to hide but I didn’t see the crack until I was falling and lucky for me there was a vine to break my fall. I thought I was history till you found me. Thank you.’ He smiled gratefully. ‘My name’s Noil, what’s your name?’
‘Maisey.’
‘What are you doing here?’
She explained her quest to find the Rock while she fed him biscuit crumbs from her pocket.
‘Maybe I can help you in your quest,’ said Noil. ‘You see, I’ve been stuck in this land for quite some time and know its ways.’
‘How did you get here?’ asked Maisey.
‘The land where I come from is called Fortitude. Everyone that lives there must, at my age, travel here in order to find themselves before they may return and dwell in peace.’
‘How do you find yourself?’ asked Maisey.
‘I’m not really sure but others have done so but the way is secret to the uninitiated. So you see, I’m stuck here till I find out what it is.’
Maisey was thoughtful. Rendal had said that this was her journey when she had wanted him to come with her. Surely, having a mouse along was an altogether different thing. So she asked the question before she thought about it for too long.
‘Would you like to come along with me?’
‘I’d love to,’ said Noil and the girl knew within her heart that she had made the right choice.
After Noil recovered he rode high in the girl’s sweatshirt pocket, his head poking out. The first break to the winding trail came when the path was blocked by a solid wooden door. Pausing before it, Maisey felt apprehension wash over her but turned the handle, pushing hard to move the rusty hinges that held it. Her heart slowed its frantic pace as she encountered another straight trail that seemed more like a corridor stretching ahead. Linoleum below her feet gave squeaks as she walked. The walls were painted white, reflecting the overhead fluorescent lighting which created a hospital feel. Reaching another door, the girl pushed and it swung back easily.
The smell of disinfectant bit hard into her memory and with great reluctance she ventured into the sterile room. A small child sat huddled in the corner, knees drawn up, arms hugging them as her body shook with sobs.
‘This is the Hall of Despair,’ said Noil.
‘Makes sense,’ replied Maisey as she touched the child on the head, though the child, who seemed unaware of their presence, broke out in a fresh bout of crying.
‘Leave her,’ said Noil.
Windows gave a view of a room beyond and walking to its door, Maisey entered and flicked on a switch to light the interior. A bed lay in the centre of the room, upon which lay a still figure. Machines hummed with wires that ran from them to the unconscious form. Gazing at the figure Maisey was shocked to see that it was her own mother.
The beating of the machines stopped and a nurse entered the room from a corridor beyond. Seeing the flat line of the machine she called for a doctor and arriving a second later, he checked for a pulse. Finding none, he wrote on a chart while the nurse unhooked the machines and pulled a sheet over the body.
‘Don’t do that,’ Maisey called as the pair left the room. ‘She’s not dead.’ She tried in vain to move the sheet. In confusion she turned, pressing her face to the window and let out a pained cry. It felt like despair was pulling her down as Noil’s voice broke in.
‘Look! Look at the child.’
The child raised her head to wipe at her swollen tearstreaked face.
‘It’s me,’ said Maisey. ‘But how can it be?’
‘Let’s go, please,’ begged Noil. ‘You can’t gain anything by staying here. You must pass through it.’
Maisey felt dizzy and weak. Noil’s voice seemed to come from far away. Climbing from her pocket he
