Finally, after what must have been a thousand stairs, there was a pool of smoke and dull light, and before they knew it the group were walking through the outskirts of a massive dancefloor. Loudspeakers the size of houses started looming out of the fog, their combined amperage echoing through the tunnels to produce acoustics which could only be called sublime. Tree-high torches lined the perimeters of the dancefloor, lasers scanned the dusty air above. There was also a bit of hologram activity in one distant corner, prototype guns bursting from walls, firing green bullets into the crowds of unhappy nutters.
<<Down, down>> the MC said. <<This is the way to go down!>>
Well, they were already a long way down. Looking up, Croon noticed a wide shaft high in the further eastern wall; it slanted upwards and, far above, a small square patch of blue sky could be seen. The light of the shaft fell directly on the DJ's stage: a simple oblong block, about two metres high, upon which was laid a great slab of white stone. Engraved deeply on the slab was a series of Nordic runes.
Cassius Croon spoke 14 languages including Afrikaaner and Bahasa Indonesia. Unfortunately, he does not know one word of Nordic rune.
CASSIUS CROON and other characters
