Part 53

The floor was cold. The metal of the frame was colder; it drank the heat from his body through the thin white cloth.

David chewed at the gag. He doubted that screaming would help, nor did he want to try. His father wasn't in sight, but David had no doubt that he would appear to swat him across the face if he started making noise. Even in his numbed condition, he didn't want that. But he did wanted to be free of the filthy rag in his mouth. The women had cleaned almost every inch of him, but they'd left that piece of his father's shirt that kept him from talking.

Maybe... maybe the voice would come again. Maybe they would put him somewhere else, and the voice with the colors would come back. If it did, he wanted his voice. He needed it. The voice needed to know-

The door at the far end of the hall opened. Someone leaned in... David couldn't see who it was. The voice was as familiar as all the rest:

"Honor and Tribute!"

The men in gray sprang into action, assembling themselves around the metal frame. Two stood by David's feet. Two stood at the other end, by David's head, and another two halfway along the frame's length.

"Told you he was in a hurry," said one of them.

"Quiet, you," the gruff voice from earlier said. Then it barked: "Down!"

The men lowered themselves in unison, each grabbing the side of the frame.

"Up!"

The men stood, raising David along with them.

He was flying again. Like magic. But not the kind of magic that David liked. There was nothing of the colors and illusions and wonder here. This was something else. David could feel it around him now... an oppressive darkness... a hunger. It had been there the entire time, overwhelming his own emotions as it washed over him. Touching him.... tasting him...

It was close. It was everywhere, yes... but it was CLOSE! It was...

...on the other side of the metal door.

A flash of fear stabbed through the blanket of numbness. Fear, and anger. His hands curled into fists. He chewed harder at the gag.

David looked up at the men, but none of them looked back down. They held the frame steady.

"MMM!" He shouted. Then he growled. "MMMM!"

The men didn't look. They didn't move.

"MM-"

A sound tore the silence... a sudden metallic stoke, like a gong. Only louder, and deeper. The echoes clawed at the walls, and went on for much longer than it should have. David flinched in his bonds. The men tightened their grips on the edges of sacrificial frame.

Then there was another sound: The low grinding of metal on stone.

The door was moving... swinging open to reveal a black mouth carved into the stone wall.

The men in gray started forward.