Part 20 (1/2)
”Even hanging by your fingers s,” said the captain ”You don't knohat's down there”
Ja her in the sky, the deep shadows cleared After a few ar said, ”It's a pathway!”
Below thee to the ancient fortress ran alongside the larger pathway they had left
James said, ”William, lie down and lower me, then I'll drop I'll catch you two”
Quickly the three ar said, ”I hope we don't have to retreat in a hurry”
”Retreat?” asked Williaht, lieutenant,” answered the older soldier
Williaers, all a man could do in this narrow confine would be to hold an opponent at bay The rocks on either side rose twelve feet above his head and he had scant inches of clearance to left or right
”This way,” said William, who found himself in the lead Even if they had wanted a different order, there was no rooested it
When the two moons were directly overhead, William whispered, ”Look at the walls!”
James stopped and examined the rocks ”This is neork You can see the chisel uess”
James said, ”That means the old entrance is almost certainly trapped” He was silent, then he said, ”No horse could get through here, so they must either have a third way in or out, or they have a stable and forage hidden away close by”
”The latter, al the pathway, it widened a little, until they reached what appeared to be a dead end As William raised his hand toward the stone wall, Ja”
William withdrew his hand and James said, ”Move back and let me squeeze by”
They did so and Ja closely at the rock surface He whispered, ”I e could risk a light”
”We can't,” answered Treggar
”Quiet,” instructed Jaht, then ers forward until they reached the junction with the wall in front of hi any pressure on it, then quickly withdrew his hand
He repeated the exa froain quickly withdrew his fingers Turning, he said, ”It's trapped”
”How do you know?” asked Treggar
James said, ”I know”
”What kind of trap?” asked Williaer,” said Jaain inspecting the intersection where they joined ”Stand back,” he instructed
They retreated a few feet ”If you want to kno I know, captain, spend half your life negotiating traps and you develop a sense for them This one is pretty fair, but no natural rock formation has a continuous seam on both sides, from top to bottom, of almost exactly the same dimension Someone cut this rock in front of us and put it here” Jahtly The entire wall effortlessly tilted toward hiers under the lower edge of the hidden doorway and lifted up Silently and without effort it rose until it was parallel to the ground, suspended on two hidden pivots Looking over his shoulder he said, ”They cut this door to match very closely the other rock around here, but it's not an exact round In particular, don't touch the door as you crawl under it” Then he vanished into the darkness below the suspended door
William and the captain followed
The tunnel was pitch-dark, and James whispered, ”Don't ht flickered into existence, a tiny speck of flaar
”I'll show you later,” said Ja taper to William ”Move down the tunnel a little”
He then carefully put the door back as it had been, and turned, holding out his hand Williaht did a reh for theht very far down the tunnel They would be alht was detected
Whispering, James said, ”Noe must use all our senses Be wary”
He set off The tunnel inclined doard, leading the, silent walk, a light appeared in the distance Ja taper and put it away Just before reaching the source of the light, they encountered a tunnel which crossed the one they were in Jaht, and ar to follow When they were once again in the darkness, he relit the taper
They e, with close-fitted stone on both sides, and large paving stones beneath their feet
William said softly, ”I think this is the way the rat indicated”
”What rat?” asked Treggar
”Probably e isn't far fro the question
They heard the sound of souished the taper again Moht appear, as twoa perpendicular tunnel Neither spoke, and it was hard to tell what they wore, save their clothing was dark