Marchan paused as his eyes adjusted to the new light level. He turned and could see his companions just fine. They seemed to glow in their own light. He slowly took a look around the cavern they were in. It was huge. He could see old scaffolding on a far wall with ladders allowing passage from one level to the next. There were large boulders here and there strewn throughout the cavern. His companions started to make noises of uncertainty and Trevor spoke up.

'So, can we move forward, it's really weird not being able to see a thing.'

'Careful,' said Marchan. 'The ground just in front of you is rough, and uneven. One step at a time. That's it. High steps will look after everything that's just here. Oh, feel that? The breeze has died down again. You may be able to light your torch again, Pedro.'

Pedro pulled out his matches and tried to light the torch, but it would not light. There was still too much air movement. Marchan walked them several more steps forward up to one of the boulders. When they were in its lee, Pedro was able to light his torch again. The four of them looked around the cavern from this vantage point. They could see nothing that looked like gold. Marchan decided to try his luck looking around the cave without his companions, while they went around the cavern with the torch. Marchan from time to time found seams of mineral in the mine, but it lacked the liveliness of gold. The others searched for some time, but eventually had to give up since Pedro said he was sure the storm would be starting soon after they returned to the surface. Marchan grabbed a few pebbles and stones from the floor of the cave and after leading them back through the breeze waited for Pedro to relight his torch and then followed him out of the cave.

Before they reached the surface, the wind started to howl in the cave and blew out the torch, but there was enough light from the entrance that they didn't need Marchan's help. When they finally got out of the cave, the light seemed queer, like a very heavy storm cloud blocked the sun. They hurried as best they could but barely made it back to the lean-to before the storm hit them. They were trapped back in that house.

************

Months of life in the Capitol had passed. The King had brought court on behalf of Dana and returned her Duchy to her. Richard had asked for her hand and she had accepted. The time was good, except that Dana missed Marchan more than she believed she could. She felt it worse when she looked at the chess pieces he had made for her. She admired them for they were truly wonderful craftsmanship, but that was not why she treasured them. They were the best for reminding her of her son.

Month after month went by and winter came on. She would not visit her estates until spring, and in the meantime there was a wedding to plan. So much work to do.

Peter had been released relatively quickly and had become an assistant to the Duke out of gratitude for Richard's work in getting him released. Peter proved to be quite able to take on the largest tasks, though sometimes he didn't know his way around either the city nor how the beaureaucracy worked. The Duke often kept him up at night talking of calculus and genetics. One day the Duke mentioned to Dana that he hoped Peter would be able to engineer a power station on his estates and Dana had had to admit to him that she did not remember what a power station was.

"You've seen a water wheel? It turns as water flows past it and it turns cranks and gears which might for instance turn a miller's wheel. Well, if instead of turning a miller's wheel, we could turn something called a turbine, we can produce electricity, like the Ancients had.'

'Electricity?' Everyone knew about electricity, it was what caused lightning and thunder in the clouds and the Ancients had mastered it in the Ancient world. Could mere mortals master it as well? 'Do you think you can?' Dana asked. 'It's a very dangerous thing. I've heard the Great Enemy Chloris tortures his slaves and prisoners with it.'

'I dare say he does,' said the Duke. 'But that's not what I'm going to do. I want to use it to make some of the things the Ancients had. Peter is very knowledgable in many of the things the Ancients had. I'm sure with some good work we can build some of their devices. He's even mentioned to me that they had ways of talking long distances nearly instantaneously. If that's so, think of how that would help my King!'

'Do you think you could do that?' Dana asked. 'Maybe I could talk to Marchan again, wherever he is...'

'Well, from what I understand we would have to get one of the devices to him, but I guess it's possible,' said the Duke. 'I'm going to go talk to the King about some of these ideas. He asked me to bring you along if you were up to it.'

'The King asked for me?' Dana was surprised.

'Yes, as a matter of fact, he told me that you brightened up his day when we visted him in the garden back in the Autumn.'

Dana glowed. She could feel the blood coming up into her face.

They entered the Duke's carriage and set off for the King's Palace. The winter was reasonably mild, but still cold enough that the snow crunched under the wheels. They rode in silence for a while, and then the Duke spoke:

'I am glad to have you on this trip. My King is a very demanding man. And, unfortunately, he's coming near the end of his life. Don't look at me like that. He's been King for a very long time. He's must pass on at some point. His son and heir has already done so, and even his granddaughter is so old that she's unlikely to hold the throne for any amount of time if our King should pass on first. I love my King and would prefer he remain for many more years, but all men and women must eventually approach the Throne of Judgement and either receive Mercy or not. The King has asked me and my son, your fiance Richard, to become executors of his estate when he does that. He should see who else will be carrying the weight of that. His heir, whether his granddaughter or great-grandson will become the next Monarch, but we will have the burden of seeing this King's wishes carried out.'

'The burden?' Dana looked at her future father-in-law wonderingly.

'Yes, he's started giving me instructions, his will if you will. I'm reasonably sure that they will often come into conflict with his successor's. But I am sworn to execute my King's will. It is only by his orders that I can do anything. The really interesting part is that by the constitution of the kingdom it's only by the executor's sayso that the next Monarch is crowned. But no Monarch has ever seen it like that. And you married to my son, who's foresworn the same as I have, will also put you in the middle of any and every conflict. It won't ever be easy, hearing a Monarch saying nasty things about your husband.'

'You're scaring me,' Dana said in a whisper.

'I know,' was the reply. 'And that's why I'm telling you all this now. You love my son, but you do still have the option to pull out of the marriage if don't think you can handle it.'

'And abandon him?' Dana became fierce. 'Never!'

'That's what I wanted to hear. Now, also the King will have some things to say to you as well. I'm not sure what all he will say. Ah, here we are.'

And they were.