The walk was now far slower due the uneven ground and lack of orientation, but Auddier persevered. The gas-powered torch was difficult to hold with all his gear, and it's light flittered back and forth disjointedly. Then, out of nowhere, the ground started to feel softer, less resistant, as if the grains of stone had been reduced to powder, and a look of perplexion spread across his heavily shadowed face. Had he reached some sort of well-trodden path or soft, marshy soil? No... it couldn't be. Neither peat nor loam would usually be found at these altitudes and temperatures. He took a few more steps while directing the torch at his feet. The ground was still pale grey, no soil or plantlife to be seen.

  But then, suddenly and without warning, he sank quickly - so quickly it felt as if he were pushed from a height, and he realised in a moment what was happening. A fallgate, he'd stumbled accross a fallgate! Fool! He'd never encountered one before but he should have recognised the signs. Children of Oros were warned of them from as early as five:

  "When climbing in the mountains, always be weary of the quickstone patches, lest the mountain will catch you and gobble you up."

  Auddier was sliding quickly on his back, silty grains of grey sand enveloping him. He somehow managed to steady the torch in his clenching hand, and could see a black hole growing at the centre of the crater. It seemed to move with intention like a distending mouth. He twisted and dug his arms into the pliable sand, trying desperately to gain purchase. He slid for a few feet more before slowing to a stationary position. The breath was stuck sharply in his lungs, cold sweat now saturating his undershirt. Around him, the whispering sound of sinking sand played it's nightmarish tune as he tensed each muscle in an attempt to remain as still as possible.

  In the melee, the auger had also tumbled into the sinkhole, and it now lay propped against Auddier's chest. The sharp metal blades of the screw were pressing painfully into his right calf and his lungs were struggling against the weight compacting inwards from all sides. The primary concern was the perdu fish though, as Auddier couldn't seem to locate the tank. He carefully looked to his right with just his eyes, and then breathed a shallow sigh of relief when he could make out in the darkness a few inches of one of the corners poking through the fine quickstone.

  The weight of the auger was becoming unbearable. He could feel its heavy handle splintering the fibres of his sternum, bending his rib bones. At the pace of a snail, he retracted his hands from their pockets in the quickstone, and placed them at the base of the square head of the drill. The fine bedrock all around him was slowing its descent now, and the hole of the abyss that lay just a few metres ahead of him had ceased its expansion, but he was still far from safe.

  Slowly, Auddier lifted the auger with all his strength, and held it aloft while breathing freely once more. Then, he threw the heavy head to the side, and yelped, tragically, out in pain as the drillblades slashed at his calf again. The cumbersome undara-powered ice drill landed with a blunt thud in the quickstone, disturbing it, causing both Auddier and the machine to once again slide towards the beckoning maw at the centre of the crater. He dug his hands and legs in as deeply as he could reach, causing him to stop just a few feet from the fall. The auger continued though, and teetered on the edge, before falling silently downwards. He listened for the crash, hoping beyond hope that the drop might be survivable, but he heard nothing. The empty abyss must've run deep into the heart of the mountain.

  The straps of his pack, which now lay deep within the quickstone beneath him, were still secured over Auddier's shoulders. He started the dance again, unlocking his hands from the silt, and, inch by inch, twisted his arms and shoulders out of the pack. The gas torch was long gone, and he could barely make out his surroundings, save for the pure darkness that was the hole just beyond his feet. Luckily, through the use of his sense, he could tell he hadn't moved any further after removing his pack. He twisted over on to his front in a gradual roll, reaching out his right hand blindly in the dark until it landed on the corner of the tank. Then, he dug under the tank, and with his knees and left arm, crawled up the bank of the crater, pushing the tank up with him.

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  It took Auddier what he estimated to be a full hour to reach the edge of the quickstone crater and over the lip to safety. He sat there, the tank at his side, for a long time, for he was too exhausted to stand, and he had to fight to stop himself from collapsing into sleep for fear that he would freeze to death before waking. He eventually stood up, arduously heaving the tank into his arms. He peered into the water, hoping beyond hope that only trace amounts of the quickstone had made it inside.

  By the time he had found his way back to the lab, the summer sun was already illuminating the boundaries of the horizon behind the mountains. He hobbled up the stony forecourt in the cool quarter-light of morning, and opened the door to warmth and soft amber glow of the central function room. When he entered, he immediately saw Dr Castleven sitting at a desk, wringing her hands as she often did when she was nervous. Or at least that's what Auddier assumed; she was usually fidgiting in his presence so it was difficult to tell.

  'Professor!' She cried. 'I was worried those soldiers had taken you somewhere!'

  She stood and paced over, her heavy boots thudding on the wooden floor. She pushed the small wireframed glasses back over her eyes. 'Why are you covered in dust? Where is your equipment? Are you okay?' She looked him up and down.

  'I fell into a quickstone pocket.' He replied tonelessly. He lifted the tank and handed it to her. He could feel his ribs throbbing; he was sure he'd cracked at least a few. 'Take this. It's a perdu fish, grab a net and carefully, very carefully, lift the fish out to check if it's perished.'

  'Yes... ah... okay.'

  Dr Castleven took the tank from him and stepped into the aquatics room of the laboratory, with Auddier following slowly behind her.

  She placed the tank tentatively on the desk in the centre of the room. In the bright light, Auddier could make out that the water was noticeably cloudy from silt, and tension struck the muscles surrounding his skull. He sat, wincing.

  'Are you okay?' Dr Castleven asked again, as she gathered a clean net from a cabinet.

  'You shouldn't have told those soldiers where I was.' Said Auddier, ignoring her question, 'remember not to do that next time, please.'

  Dr Castleven nodded as she unsnapped the copper clasps of the tank and lifted the lid. She delicately lowered the net into the tank and, after feeling around for a few seconds, lifted it out again. Auddier sank in his chair, relieved, when he witnessed the thrashing tail of the perdu fish lift out of the water, the rest of its body still perfectly invisible within the tank.

  Dr Castleven looked dumfounded at the sight. 'Blimey.' She said.

  'Transfer it to another tank,' ordered Auddier, 'quickly. The silt can't be good for it.'

  His assistant did as he said in diligent silence.

  'We're moving our operations, back to Attekant.'

  'What?'

  'Sodorin is reinstating the Beast Warfare Project, and I'm to return as director. It seems they're sensing signs of war. We'll need to pack and be ready to move in three days.'

  'But we've been here five years now, they can't expect us to just uproot. What of the lab?' She gestured around her.

  'We'll lease it to some rich industrialist looking to retire.'

  'But I've moved my family here. We're settled. Happy. They- they love this place... the Fledgling Mountains...' Dr Castleven was now sat in a chair herself, level with Auddier.

  Auddier sighed wearily. 'They'll learn to love Attekant again.'

  Could I stay here? I could manage the lab, keep it running while you're away?'

  He chuckled. 'Manage what? I'm taking everything with me. I don't imagine you could afford to maintain the running costs all by yourself.'

  'I... can't move my family again.' Said Dr Castleven, imploring Auddier with a soft tone.

  'Then I'm afraid that marks the cessation of our work together.' Auddier stood. 'You're contractually mandated to assist with the move still, then it will be terminated in three days time. I'll provide some severance reimbursement.'

  'But I've worked for you for fifteen years now!' She said, shocked, 'Most of my adult life. I've sacrificed everything for this job.'

  'Not everything,' said Auddier, 'that's the problem. It's a shame, you've showed good promise thus far. Nothing overtly special, but reasonable. Start arranging transport for the kelpie and the marionettes, they'll need most attention, oh and the devil web. I'm going to get some sleep.'

  And with that, Auddier limped out of the room and upstairs to bed.