The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey Page #2

The seam, the pit...

In my dream, we were tunneling

through to the farthest part of the Earth.

Your head in the clouds again, Griffin?

Leave him. There's signs within dreams.

He's been right before.

The blight on last year's corn.

The vein of copper at the pit.

Have you forgotten?

Do we make the journey,

then, Linnet?

Right. I'm with you, then.

It's our only chance.

- Con!

- And Griffin comes too.

So I carry the cross, eh?

Why's it always me

has to carry the weight?

Connor, Connor...

Where's Ulf? Ulf?

There's a church

at the far reaches of the Earth, Mother.

It's the greatest in the world.

The pilgrims take gifts there.

And that's the place for the little Virgin.

And God willing, I'll put it there myself

for you, Mother.

Ulf?

- Ulf!

- I'm coming, Searle!

Don't go! Don't go without me!

Wait! Wait!

Hey, keep the fires burning!

We'll be back soon!

Ulf, come on, hurry up.

Always too far in front

and too far behind.

What is it?

It's what I told you before.

We're tunneling through the Earth.

All of us.

We're using an engine.

The engine's got a shaft

for breaking the rock and dirt.

It's the engine, you see,

that makes us go fast enough

to be there

before the moon turns full.

The moon's struck you daft.

No, it's true. I saw it in the dream.

And I keep seeing it.

And I'm sure that big black hole

is there too.

Over here! Come on!

Hurry!

What the hell?

I think you've got us

all sleepwalking, son.

But I've... never been down here

before. You know that, Con.

So... it's just like in your dream.

To the other side of the world.

We follow the torch.

It's blown by the wind which comes

from the other side of the Earth.

We use the machine to tunnel.

Let it go!

Here, take it! Take it, quick!

Right, back up! Back up!

It's too dense. Back up!

Keep it going! Keep it going!

- Now wind her back up!

- Wait...

She bucks! Bloody rocks!

Dig! Drill! We must keep moving!

Faster than the moon!

It's not yet risen on the underside.

But hurry! We can't slacken!

We've got to get there or we're lost!

The village is lost!

But, Griffin, you'd fall straight

through to the other side of the earth

after just two days digging.

Into the sky...

Why, you'd have to cling like a tick.

'Twas further than we'd thought.

Three times the length

of your rope, Arno.

No, all of six times that length.

Before we struck the last hard rock

between us

and the far side of the world.

Come on now! Come on!

- Heave it up!

- Fire!

Go, Arno!

Go again!

Oh, look!

- Something dead.

- What's that smell? That stench?

It's tunnels.

Tunnels for the night soil.

Only great cities have them.

Underground sewers where

every household can empty its bucket.

My God, it's huge.

Whatever city's up there

must be... vast.

- I'll go!

- Hold your horses.

Not, it's alright.

I'll be able to tell where we are.

Connor, put the rope to him,

just to be safe.

I mean, you never know...

About falling off, I mean.

Your air bladder, Griffin, till we find out

if the air is poisonous or full of contagion.

Godspeed.

Griffin? Griffin!

Griffin!

Griffin... Griffin!

Griffin!

I can see sky! Stars!

All the stars at once!

We're here!

We're there... We're there!

We're here!

Come on, let's go up.

Searle, Searle...

Searle, I'm afraid.

I'm afraid.

It's alright, good brother. Come on.

It's like it's on fire.

A hundred thousand fires.

Torches.

Think how much tallow you'd need

for all that.

That's the city.

The one I've been seeing in my dreams.

Lights, water, trees, grasses.

Something sticks it all to earth.

God's goodness!

It makes sense.

Anything flat's got two sides,

and if the evil was our side, then surely

God's goodness is on this one.

Oh, it'll be God's city, alright.

Can you see his great church?

- No.

- No? What do you mean, no?

I can't see it.

But nothing's higher than a church spire.

Surely you'd see it.

Searle, in big cities battlements are

higher than a man can see over.

But the boy surely must know

where it is.

Come on, Searle. Let's go.

Just remember, Con,

there's a run of ill fortune

struck our family these past years.

Me and Ulf, we have to take care.

But... it must be God's city.

There's so much light.

Where is Ulf? Ulf!

I'm over here.

Don't leave me behind.

I've always had to stay at home.

So I'm glad to get the chance

to journey out a bit.

You see, I've got something special.

- A lady in wood.

- She was my secret!

The little Virgin our mother gave us

before she passed on.

I'll put her in the cathedral

for her myself.

Can you see me placing her

as an offering for my mother, then?

I'm sure I keep remembering things

as we go along, you know.

Searle, come on.

Let's just get on with it.

So pretty.

So pretty.

- Ulf!

- Ulf!

You get back across here, by God!

Get back across here!

Ulf!

Don't go anywhere!

I'm coming, brother, I'm coming!

I'm coming!

- Come on, brother!

- I can't!

Come on, Ulf!

Give me your hand, man!

Get in here, by Christ!

I've lost the little Virgin! I've lost her!

- Griffin, do we cross that?

- I don't remember.

- We go as crow flies. Griffin?

- Yes.

Come on, then. Everyone together,

then we're strong. Are you ready?

Searle?

The little Virgin.

Halt!

Go!

Wait, wait, wait!

Look out! Keep going!

Back, Searle!

Go, go!

Come on, go, go!

Hurry!

Run!

Ulf!

- Santa Maria!

- Ulf? Where is Ulf?

- Ulf!

- You're supposed to come with us!

By Jesus, Ulf, listen to me!

There's nothing on your side!

You get to the middle,

I'll take you from there!

I'll kill the bastards

if they try to stop me. I'm going!

- Get him up!

- Get him back first. Come on.

- Searle...

- It's alright, Ulf. Stay right back!

Con...

Godspeed, Griffin.

We separate here.

I'm going to go on to the cathedral.

We'll never have time to rig the spire

if we stay together.

I'll travel faster if I'm alone. I can have

rigging done by the time you arrive.

- We'll not leave my brother.

- It's Ulf or the village, Searle!

You take charge here, find a foundry,

get that spike cast

and get it to the cathedral.

Come on, let's everybody

just do what they have to do.

Connor, no!

Take charge? Find a foundry?

In this place?

All you have to do is use your nose.

Even in big cities

you can smell a foundry.

Gauge the wind, steer a course.

But you take care of the boy, Searle.

Connor!

You promised.

- You swore you'd never leave.

- Stay away from me.

Connor's gone.

He could be lost.

The city is so big, Martin, so queer.

Don't fret, Griffin. He only wants

what's right for all of us.

And however big the city,

there's only one church.

He... hit me.

Ulf!

Wait for me!

I'll come back for you, I swear it.

Do you hear me, Ulf?

We'll come by on the way back!

Don't leave me.

Griffin, if there are things

in your dream that can help us,

keep us out of danger, you've got

to make sure we know about them.

If we could've kept Ulf

from walking into that...

I didn't know!

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