Part 19 (2/2)
Treggar said, ”A few, actually, but nothing on this scale To control this large an area, even in ancient tiarrison at least a hundred men here, et if there's a war Which means you need a way to slip men in and out”
”But where?” asked James in frustration ”On the other side of the fortress?”
Willia, leaned its location, but with all the above-ground structure ht unfinished
Ja pans out I suggest we ain fro, but he knew that wouldthe rock face While they moved, he prayed silently they wouldn't have to do that He had no love of heights
They ht touched Williagar
”So” William held up his hand and then closed his eyes His hts of a rodent scurrying through the rocks Wait! Wait! he sent to it, gently he sent to it, gently
The rat's thoughts were primitive and difficult to understand It hesitated as it considered flight The three large creatures were a potential threat, and there was nothing of interest nearby
As a child, William had spoken to rodents, mainly squirrels and rats He knew they had a limited attention span and little ability to corasp of routes in and out of their lairs
He tried to send a question, asking if soe had a lair nearby The creature quickly flashed back an iet a sense of location Then the rat fled
”What is it?” repeated Treggar
”I think I knohere the back entrance is”
”How?” asked the captain
'You wouldn't believe me if I told you,” said Williaainst which they crouched ”We're going to have to do soar nodded and said, ”Show us”
William looked around and pointed upward ”It should be above this rock wall”
James said, ”Follow me” He felt for a handhold in the darkness, and reached up, running his hand along the rock face When he found a good grip he pulled and raised his right leg, finding a toehold after experi a little Step by painfully slow step, he ar and asked, ”Captain, does clierous and stupid category?”
Treggar said, ”Almost certainly, lieutenant”
William reached up to follow Jaar waited until William was on his way, then followed silently
Middle Moon rose while they cli Jah for all three of thear reached theh?”
James said, ”Not far A hundred feet or so”
Williaht at least twice that” He pushed aside an ale He hadthe terror which every second threatened to rise up and consu up blindly and feeling for cracks and ledges, testing theive in to terror when rock crumbled beneath his toes or broke off in his hand
”Feels like it, doesn't it?” asked the captain
”Look,” said Jaht sky lit by the e they had climbed was no more than twenty feet above
To Willialanced down and saw darkness He decided that not being able to see how far he had coain
Ja” He started cliar
William started to climb and said, ”Trust me; I'm in no hurry”
Slowly Williaap to push himself to the top As he neared the top, he felt Ja down to help him He let the squire pull hiar up When all three were safe, Jae and said quietly, ”We can walk from here”
”Where now?” asked the captain
Williaot fros Even if he had been sitting there in broad daylight, he would have had problems: the scale of the tunnel from the rat's perspective was of an immense cavern, and William suspected it was really a narrow bolt-hole that could accommodate just one or two men at a time
”I think that way,” said Williaht, Middle and Small, and by the time Middle Moon had reached the zenith, the s the entire countryside in enough light for them to be seen by any watchful sentry
Jalanced over his shoulder The ridge they folloas rocky and broken, large upthrust fingers of rock worn smooth by centuries of wind-blown sand At times they had to step carefully around needles of rock that provided scant room for them to pass
After nearly an hour of this, Willia about, the entrance should be soar
”I'll tell you later,” said Jaht noe need to find a way down”
Williaht ”What's that?”
James looked in the direction in which his co”
”How far do you judge?”
”Twenty feet,” answered Ja taught hiet down there?” asked Treggar , ”Hang and drop,” said James