The wind was propelling the silver ash in diffuse drifts now and the black sand was kicked up. Elliot looked ahead to a four-way intersection of sandstone walls. He saw it again, walking behind the edge of the passage that crossed theirs.
Hey! Elliot pointed at the vanishing figure.
What? Sheila returned.
How could they not see it? As they neared the intersection Elliot stopped and turned to follow.
Sheila reached out. Elliot, what are you doing? The wind’s going this way.
I’ll catch up, Elliot telepathed.
Elliot! You’re going to get lost!
I’m going to get unlost. He did not bother to turn and find they had moved on. The wind was silenced and he was relieved to have it out of his mind. The passage ended a few feet ahead and jutted to the right.
Elliot found it stopped, facing a sandstone wall of the passageway. The solidity of the creature stood out among them. It was huge and bulky, twice as wide as a man with thick, dingy brown hair. Its height was less than Elliot’s with a tattered gray tunic wrapped around it as it lurched toward the wall with a hunched back. The tunic looked like it had been passed through a million owners but still held up. It clenched an iron chisel in its hand, pulling it against the rough wall. Elliot looked closer to find it removing carvings from some foreign script as if rewinding time to undo the engraving. Fragments of sandstone appeared and filled the crevices.
What are you doing? What are you doing, DAMNIT. I know you can hear me.
It turned. A huge single eye strained into Elliot so hard that he felt it. Words came from its lips in gruff, physical sound. “I live here,” It said in defensive earnest. “You won’t stay long.”
What are you doing?
“Have you looked carefully at these walls?” The creature asked, removing more of the script.
No.
“You should have begun by examining your surroundings more closely. What do you know of these walls?”
They’re old. They hold us in. They weren’t put here by us.
“Yes,” it agreed. “Old walls, not put here by us, holding us in—the perfect definition of any great mystery passed from one generation to the next. I have been in this place forever. The last delegates of dying civilizations have always come here, to the edge of physical space to ask me their questions and I have dutifully carved them all over these walls and carved over their carvings with their new questions.”
Why?
“In the nature of all questions is the answer to any question.”
What’s the—
“What’s the meaning of life?
“What’s the meaning of death?”
Is there an—
“Is there an afterlife?
“Is Heaven a place you can visit and loot its treasures like a conquistador? That is why you’ve come here; isn’t it?”
It was an accident. The Illious malfunctioned.
The creature’s huge eye appeared to look into Elliot, knowingly. “You still don’t know? Elliot, this place is here for you. Do you see how I tire? Do you see the tatters of my robe? Do you see that I choose to look at you now with this only one, large, pained eye? There are no accidents. Accidents and malfunctions are the products of minds incapable of witnessing their full inner workings. You wanted to come here. You all wanted to come here. Ultimate science is ultimate vanity. Do you know why I live? Do you know why I exist here?”
For the promise of a new question?
“Yes.” It lost itself in excitement and stepped toward him as if to embrace him but lowered its arms disappointedly as they passed through Elliot’s vaporous form. “Yes,” it continued, “Yes, that is why I live. Ask me! Ask me! Ask me something new—a new question. Puzzle me. Make my mind work. Send me someplace new.”
Elliot thought for a moment before it struck him: Is Sheila in danger?
“Excellent! A great question!”
No. Honestly, what will happen—
“Perfect. A glorious question. Glorious.”
Tell me! What will happen if Vance touches her?
“Yes! I will record it right away. An excellent question. I should have seen it coming. I know the place to engrave it. These walls here are much too full. I know of an excellent place. I should have seen this in advance!” He began walking backwards toward the wall and his body began disappearing into sandstone.
Wait. How—?
“Your question will be recorded for all of time,” the creature said as its brown, human mouth disappeared beneath the sandstone.