Black and White (Revised) - Part Four

III

The rise and fall of my chest was its own melody in the grand concert of the universe. Beside me, an accompanying tune played in unison with mine. Together, we performed an air of a dream come true to the background of a primal, thundering chorus. Though our song would end, our music would continue forever.

After departing from Alexandria, Seth and I had granted ourselves an hour of respite on the jet before making the necessary arrangements to facilitate our exploit. He had handled the logistics, as usual, while I had focused on the details of our plan. We agreed that a helicopter was the only way to reach Victoria Falls after dark, since no bus or train would allow us to visit the attraction after night had fallen.

Upon landing in Zambia several hours later, we had booked into our hotel and visited the waterfall as soon as possible. Not only had it given me the freedom to express my wonder at the awesome sight as a regular tourist, but it had also allowed Seth and me to explore the area and inspect Livingstone Island for the most suitable area to land.

Our timing really was fortunate, as the light of the full moon made navigation infinitely easier than it would otherwise have been, even taking into account Seth’s impeccable skill in aviation. Landing without incident, we had quickly moved to the cliffside. Seth was anxious to have the final part of our plan be under way, but I had begged him to allow me to enjoy the vista. We’d spent almost two decades hunting the fountain, so surely one final delay wouldn’t hurt? Complaining about how he couldn’t bring himself to deny me anything, he’d relented.

And so I stood at the edge of the largest waterfall in the world and drank in the sound. The sight was certainly magnificent too, but I had imagined something akin to a ubiquitous spray filling the air, with a “moonbow” visible in the mist. Instead, the resounding white smoke was concentrated at the bottom of the gorge and hugged the other side of the chasm. I had observed every possible detail even so, for I wanted to etch the scene into my memory.

Once I was convinced I would never forget the stunning panorama, I had simply stepped back and closed my eyes. I let the Zambezi invade my senses until there was nothing else but the river. The water rushing past me was like the grandiose violin sections of a symphony orchestra, leading and guiding the other instruments. The torrent crashing below imitated the booming timpani and the boisterous brass winds, and if I listened closely, I could hear the occasional gurgling of water rising from the pools just before the drop, like cellos playing the bass on which the foundation of the melody rested.

The subtler elements of the aural experience I likened to the woodwinds. Softly hissing sprays of water were like the plaintive yet tranquil sounds of the clarinet and oboe, while sheets of false rain resembled the energetic bouncing of the bassoon. Impossibly serene streams of trickling water, unaffected by the passion all around it, mimicked my beloved flute.

Sometimes the aqueous orchestra slowed its pace ever so slightly, as if some divine conductor indicated a ritardando, but then it would accelerate and swell to a crescendo of unimaginable volume. And as if raised on a stage above it all, Seth and I played a duet with the sounds and rhythms of our heartbeats and expirations.

‘Are you ready?’ An uncertain quaver, almost inaudible above the powerful roar.

I filled my lungs to full capacity one final, happy time and blew out a steady breath. A fitting coda. ‘Yes.’ Opening my eyes and stepping forward, I raised the wand above the water and called, ‘Fountain of Youth, divine source of life-giving nectar, show us the way to your sanctified waters!’ A low rumbling briefly joined the harmonious thunder before subsiding. I grinned in delight.

‘One would think you, and not me, had almost exhausted your supply of honeyed words yesterday,’ Seth remarked sardonically.

I rebuked him with a glance. ‘There is no harm in showing respect where it’s due.’

He rolled his eyes, but made no further argument. We had each brought along a backpack full of exploration gear and emergency supplies, and though I personally thought Seth had taken the phrase “precautionary measure” to the extreme, I was nevertheless grateful to stash the wand away in a safe place. We lifted the backpacks above our heads and waded through the pools to reach the land just before main falls. As promised, a staircase protruded from the gorge.

Seth and I slung our packs over our shoulders and began the precarious descent. The “stairs” were really only pieces of rock jutting out of the side of the cliff. They were slippery and too narrow to be suitable footholds in some instances, but at least they were numerous.

The lower the crisscrossing staircase lead us, the more the waterfall’s spray became a problem. It obscured our vision and made gripping the cliff-face more difficult than it already was. ‘How much farther?’ I called, unwilling to risk looking down at Seth.

‘I think I see a ledge below me!’ A moment later, he confirmed it.

Seth waited for me to find firm footing on the ledge before continuing. I edged after him, keeping as close to the cliff as I could. Our perilous climb finally ended when we stepped onto a large, rocky outcropping normally hidden from view by the tremendous sheets of water. The entrance to a cave loomed before us.

‘Almost there,’ Seth said and clapped me on the shoulder.

We produced our flashlights and boldly strode into the bowels of the earth. The cave initially seemed immense, but soon narrowed into what was barely a slit, forcing us to shove our backpacks past us to continue. The narrow passage extended for what seemed like forever, and as the thundering grew distant, I found myself wondering how the Sphinx could possibly fit through it. My leg got stuck at some point and I panicked, but once Seth had calmed me down a bit, I managed to pull it free.

When we reached the passage’s end at last, my relief turned to awe. The cavern itself was of moderate size, but its beauty lay in the galaxy of glow-worms that covered its walls and ceiling. Tiny gossamers hung from the delicate cocoons, each a fragile piece of art. I spread my arms before me and studied my hands, as if I expected the soft cyan light to become tangible.

‘Ross…’

Seth’s disappointed tone woke me from my reverie. I looked up and felt my heart break to see my friend so crestfallen. When I followed his gaze, I understood why.

By virtue of being called the Fountain of Youth, I had expected something akin to a small spring. Instead, when I went to Seth’s side and looked down, I saw a pool twice as deep as I was tall. The dimensions made the utter lack of any water even more depressing.

‘It must need a trigger,’ I said thoughtfully.

‘What do you mean?’ Seth asked, daring to hope.

I unslung my backpack and knelt down, placing it beside me. ‘It’s a perfect oval, with sides equally smooth all around. And look at the rim; it’s rounded and raised just above the cave floor, as if to prevent water from spilling out. The water can’t drip from the ceiling or anything like that, since this cavern is dry and at room temperature, which shouldn’t be possible. None of this is natural, so we shouldn’t assume it functions through ordinary means.’

‘So it has some sort of mechanism we need to activate?’

‘I don’t know,’ I said, bending forward to examine the sides. ‘Probably. But look at this. The stone shaping the pool is different from the surrounding rock. It’s… sparkling slightly? It looks like a thin layer of dense, grey coating.’ After rubbing it to no effect, I rummaged in my pack for a multi-purpose tool. Finding it, I attempted to chisel away some of the covering. ‘If this is what I think it is, I’ll—’

I felt Seth’s hand on my back. Before I could wonder why, I tumbled forward, my head hitting the inside of the basin as I fell. I threw my arms in front of me and clenched my eyes shut just as I hit the bottom, striking it with a heavy thud that expelled all breath from my lungs. Gasping for air, I tried to make sense of what had just happened. Seth’s hand… Had he pushed me? No, that couldn’t be possible. He wouldn’t kill me now just to ensure I didn’t stop him from revealing the fountain’s location to the world.

A burning sensation abruptly intruded into my thoughts. My eyes fluttered open and I looked at my left arm, which had softened my head’s impact. The light was too dim to make it out properly, but scratch marks scored the area just above my wrist. If the sides were smooth, how had I gotten those?

The building pressure in my chest drew my gaze to my other arm, which was folded beneath me. Terror seized me as I realised I still gripped the tool in my fist. The chisel was buried in my chest, wedged between two ribs. Unthinkingly, I pulled it out and immediately regretted my decision. Blood poured forth in a continuous stream.

‘Ross, you damned fool!’ Seth shrieked, flipping me onto my back and immediately pressing both hands against the wound. I flinched and stared at him blankly. ‘Why did you have to pull it out?! You never pull an embedded object from a puncture wound!’

I tossed the tool aside and raised my head to look at the damage it had caused. Of course, Seth’s hands blocked it, and all I saw was my blood flowing between his fingers and staining his ring. ‘What happened?’ I asked, bewildered.

‘You leaned over too far and fell!’ he cried, tears of anguish streaking his cheeks. ‘I tried to grab your shirt, but I couldn’t get a proper hold, and your arm slipped out of my grasp. I lost my balance and fell in after you.’ He wept freely.

I lowered my head and stared at the glowing ceiling. How could our lifelong adventure end in tragedy? ‘I think my lung’s collapsed.’ I coughed up blood, unintentionally proving my suspicion.

Between sobs, Seth said, ‘I know! Blood will pool before spreading to your other lung, after… after…’

I coughed again, wincing as searing pain racked my body. ‘After which I’ll either bleed to death, or drown in my own blood.’ At that, he wept more vehemently. I grimaced, but then a sound caught my attention. ‘Seth… is the fountain reacting?’ The cavern had been quiet before then, the waterfall a distant memory, but I heard the unmistakeable sound of trickling water.

His head jerked up. ‘Yes! Water is bubbling from the stone bottom itself! But it’s on the other side of the pool… why?’

‘It must be deeper on that side,’ I mumbled, suddenly very tired. ‘I think it…’ Blood filled my throat beyond my capacity to swallow it, sending me into a fit of more violent coughing. When it subsided, my entire body ached and it felt like I hadn’t cleared my throat at all. ‘I think it needed a blood sacrifice.’

Scowling in disgust and agony, Seth said, ‘Yes, your blood is seeping into the stone. Is… is this what the Sphinx meant when she said there were things she couldn’t tell us?’

I didn’t know what to say. Along with my blood, the fountain was probably absorbing the very essence of my life. ‘Ask her.’

Seth’s face contorted and his tears flowed anew. ‘No, we’ll ask her! You just need to hold on a while longer. The water is almost here.’

Even while dying, I knew he was lying. ‘Won’t…’ I struggled to finish my sentence. It took all of my willpower to add, ‘…reach in time.’

His voice broke completely. ‘No, it will! It will! Don’t say that!’ I wanted to respond, to reassure him, but speaking any further was simply beyond my abilities. I had too little energy. My eyelids drooped. He pressed down with more force. ‘No, Ross, stay!’ he moaned. ‘Stay! Don’t leave me! I didn’t mean what I said on the plane. Please, don’t leave! You can read everything I’ve ever written for you!’

His words echoed in my head. My breathing grew shallower with every passing second. I didn’t even have the strength to cough out the blood filling my lungs.

He disappeared from my field of vision. So. He finally accepted I was gone. But then… why were his arms beneath me? I groaned as he pulled me backwards. I wanted him to stop.

‘There!’ he shouted, unceremoniously dropping me and flipping me onto my stomach. Water splashed against my face. ‘Drink! For all the love in the world, Ross, drink!’

I vaguely understood what he said and touched my lips against the water. It felt cool. I took a sip.

‘Yes, that’s it!’ Seth encouraged, lying with his arms beneath him and his face next to mine. ‘Another!’

His words spurred me on, so I took another sip. Nothing had ever felt as invigorating. ‘Sweet…’

Tears of joy mingled with tears of sorrow on his face. His voice a little less unstable, he urged me, ‘That’s right! Go on!’

I did, and after a few more sips, I drew my arms closer and cupped the water near my mouth. I drank on and on, yet still, I never felt full, and still, the water came. I gradually felt my strength return — my blood stopped flowing, my lungs could inflate to their full volume again, and my flesh mended. At some point, Seth rose shakily and stepped back to give me some space. He watched in silence as I continued to drink from the fountain’s bubbling water.

For an eternity I lay there, swallowing mouthful after mouthful of the admittedly delicious water. Only when all pain had been driven from my body, did I dare to stop. It was then that I noticed the grey stone had dissolved to reveal the transparent, glittering true floor. My intuition had been correct; the Fountain of Youth was made from diamond after all. I would have whooped for joy had I not just been pulled back from the brink of death.

‘Ross…?’

I pulled my knees underneath me and propped myself up on my arms. Though it felt like lead, I lifted my head and gazed at Seth. His one arm hugged his chest, while the hand of the other covered his mouth. My lips parted in a pathetic smile. ‘I stayed.’

He remained perfectly still, as if I was an illusion that could be shattered by even the slightest of movements. After a while, he very slowly lowered his hand from his mouth. ‘You’re… not leaving?’

I shook my head. ‘Not ever.’

He walked backwards, away from me and the water, until his back came up against the fountain’s edge. There, he stopped and sank down, sitting with his back against the side and resting his head against his knees. To my alarm, he wept softly.

I pushed myself to my feet and staggered towards him. I caught myself against the side and quickly turned around, collapsing into a sitting position on his left. He leaned closer to me and I put my arms around him, cradling him as he cried onto my shoulder. Neither of us minded the blood or water soaking our clothes.

‘I thought I’d lost you.’

Hoping to cheer him up, I searched my thoughts for something witty. In the end, I went with, ‘Of all the things you could say, you chose something as unoriginal as that?’

He laughed weakly and laced the fingers of his left hand with those of my right. ‘I’ll have all the time in the world to impress you with fancy words later.’

I scoffed. ‘Only one of us is immortal at the moment.’

‘Both our backpacks are still up there, and the sides are too high and smooth for us to climb out on our own. We’ll have to wait for the water to rise before we can get out, so there’s no rush.’ He drew my hand closer and held it in both of his after pulling his left hand free. ‘I haven’t decided yet anyway.’

Frowning, I asked, ‘What do you mean you “haven’t decided yet”? What possible reason could you have for turning down the—?’

‘You.’ He straightened and looked me in the eyes. ‘I didn’t mean to fall in love with you. When I went through high school, I looked at girls just as eagerly as you and most of the other boys. But you know what circumstances at home were like, and nobody wanted to date the unhappy rich kid. Even my “friends” eventually deserted me until only you remained. And I was so self-absorbed, I didn’t stop to consider that you needed a friend too.’

I started speaking, saying, ‘Seth, you know I…’ but trailed off when he shook his head and lowered his gaze to look at my hand, which he still held.

‘I took you for granted. I was selfish.’

‘You were depressed.’

He looked back to me again. ‘After we graduated, you chose to study geology and history instead of music. I mocked you for pursuing a childish fantasy so passionately. It proves just how little I really knew about you.’

‘But you changed that!’ I protested. ‘You even offered to share an apartment with me.’

Seth nodded, but grimaced in shame. ‘I did that to get away from home.’ He shifted his gaze to the rapidly growing pool of water and squeezed my hand. ‘But you’re right. After I moved in with you, it’s as if I discovered for the first time what a charming, excitable, empathetic person you were.’ His eyes turned sad. ‘I loved being around you. And then… I realised I loved you.’

I squirmed. Seth misinterpreted my confusion for discomfort and let go of my hand, also removing my arm from around him. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’ I asked, trying to save the moment.

He played with his ring. ‘Why would you be interested?’ he asked quietly.

I cast my eyes about in frustration before focusing on him again. ‘You just said I wasn’t like everybody else! If I’ve always stuck by your side, what would make you think I wouldn’t be interested?’

‘I… don’t know.’ Seth wrung his hands. ‘I didn’t want to risk losing you. You’ve always had this romantic idea of love, and I didn’t think I would fit that.’ He looked me in the eyes. ‘I just wanted to be close to you, even if we were only friends. It’s why I agreed to help you search for the fountain when you asked me.’

I waved my hand at the cavern. ‘Look around you, Seth. We’re at the Fountain of Youth. And whether you meant to tell me or not, I know how you feel about me now. So why would you suddenly change your mind?’

‘I’m ashamed, all right?!’ he shouted, his eyes glistening. Turning away, he added, ‘Even my name mocks me. I can live like this for the rest of my life, but not for the rest of time.’

Folding my arms across my chest, I replied, ‘No, I don’t accept that answer. You don’t get to make my choices for me.’

‘…What are you saying?’ he asked, silent tears rolling down his face.

My expression softened and I embraced him. ‘I’m saying that if I had known before the Sphinx’s trial, I would have stayed with you in the stormy ocean.’

His breathing accelerated for a few seconds, but then he calmed and tentatively rested his head on my shoulder. The fountain’s water finally having reached us, he reached out to touch it and marvelled at the floor’s sparkling transformation. ‘Diamond represents love.’

I felt my expression break into a grin. ‘You should scribble something about it,’ I teased. ‘And speaking of which, didn’t you say earlier that I could read everything you’ve ever written?’

Seth snorted, and though I could see he tried hard not to, he grinned along. ‘I remember phrasing it differently.’ He hesitated, but then sighed resignedly and smiled. ‘…But yes, Ross, I suppose you may. And I’ll write for you as much as you like.’