The Crystal Clipper by B. Roman

just as another message comes from Ishtar, strangely premonitory.
    “David, if you should hear the sounds of chanting, do not let them entice you. Stay away from the Temple.”
    “Too late. I think I'm there.”
    In a loft above the Altar of Initiation, David views the Temple interior below him. Jaycina is once again officiating over some bizarre ceremony. Seeing her this closely, David can feel her captivating power.
No wonder Ishtar was bedazzled by her.
The temple, with its sleek white walls and modernistic architecture, are a confusing contrast to the Gothic ambience of Ishtar's cave and the eccentric clothes he and Dorinda wear. Even more contradictory is the crystal chamber's futuristic holographic console, juxtaposed with the primitive beliefs that such a ritual represents.
    Jaycina gestures dramatically with her crystal scepter, then turns to the image of the Serpent Ruler high above the Altar. Hundreds of subjects kneel on the crystalline steps and, at Jaycina's prompting, they chant their mantra, “Hail! Hail! Ruler of All. King of all. Hail!” The Temple musicians play a spirited tribute, while the Temple dancers whirl about the Altar and lay flowers and gifts beneath the Serpent's image.
    “Holy cow,” David says, audibly. But the din drowns out his remark. “This is unreal. They'll never believe me back home.”
    “David! David, get out of there, now!” Ishtar's command bellows in David's ear and he is shaken out of his enraptured state. Reluctantly, he leaves the loft and returns to the Palace corridor.
    “Ishtar,” David calls softly. “I'm just outside the Temple. I have to look around some more. I want to know what's going on. I have to know if Sally's here.”
    “I must warn you against it,” Ishtar says forcefully. “It's too dangerous. The longer you are there the more distorted your perception will become. Once you know the way to freedom, you must go back for Saliana and get out as fast as you can.”
    But David is a brother determined to find his sister. “I'll be careful, I promise.” He presses his hand on the Moldavite as though to secure it even more snugly in place in his tunic. “As long as I can keep in touch with you, I'll be fine.”
    Further on, David comes to a chamber door. Feeling adventuresome, he enters, not as cautious as he should be at this juncture. The chamber is a mini-maze of illusion, with mirrored panels of every color reflecting everything in the room dozens of times, including David himself. He looks around the chamber, squinting out the prismatic glare, and discovers what appears to be the door to a closet. Feeling for an edge, and finding it, David opens the door. The closet is filled with ceremonial gowns, jewels and headdresses eerily set on mannequin forms, which look like faceless Jaycinas.
    “This must be Jaycina's chamber. What luck.”
    He closes the closet door. Startled to see the reflection of someone beside him, he spins on his heels and faces Jaycina square on.
    “What luck, indeed,” she says, wearing her Cheshire cat grin.
    David's stomach churns wildly. Fear burns a hole in his chest. But he attempts to be cavalier.
    “Uh - oh - Hi, there. Guess I'm in the wrong room. Well, I'll be leaving now.”
    “So soon?” Jaycina slinks toward him. David shrinks back. “Why, you've just arrived. Please stay and let me demonstrate my hospitality.”
    David clears his throat, but the words squeak out in an adolescent tenor. “Uh - yeah. Well, that's a very tempting offer, but I'm late for an appointment.”
    “What could be more important than being here with me? I promise you it will be an experience you will long remember.”
    “I'll bet,” David remarks under his breath.
    “David! Get out. Now.” Ishtar's alarmed plea bellows in David's ear. David's hand goes up instinctively to shroud the sound.
    Jaycina circles David slowly, as though examining him from head to toe. The room begins to move in quivering waves. David begins to see double and