Part 24 (1/2)
Ja like an acrobat ”Now,” said Jao,” instructed Jaht vanish from his shoulders After a ht up with your hands outstretched now and I'll pull you up”
Williaht his wrists and pulled hi, stooped over, in a low and shallow space above the rock ceiling, William said, ”What is this place?”
”I don't know,” said James ”Sometimes stone has flaws Water leaches holes”
”Water would have to come from somewhere, and last tiion,” said Treggar
James spoke: ”We're below the surface, and o I don't know But at soave way, and here we are”
William said, ”There's close to fifty feet of rock between this level and the surface There ht be some upper chambers”
”But you said you didn't find any stairs,” said Treggar to James
”There are those two rooms we found at the west end of this place, with the rockfall Maybe those hid stairs?”
”What now?” asked Williaar
A few h the hall, and light could be seen Men hurried along beneath the black arht up the rear, ore the robes of a priest
When they had passed, the three fugitives could hear the until the sounds of the searches grew faint
James said, ”I saw some loose stones above us when those torches passed by”
Willia up?”
”Old habits,” said Ja around in the sewers or up on the roof at night, if a light suddenly appears you look away, to avoid being blinded”
Ja the surface above him ”These are man-made,” he said ”They're each a foot and a half square”
”Sounds like we're under a floor,” said Treggar
”Help me push this,” said James, as he experiar duck-walked two steps and sidled up to James He reached up and they pushed Mortar and dust rained down as the stone moved upith a crack Jah the hole ”It's a room,” he said
The other stones were set far ot two h James said, ”Step this way I don't think those stones directly above where we hid would support our weight”
The air was musty and stale The darkness was total
James added, ”Don'tthis chaar stood still, while Jah the darkness His tread was light, but in the silence of the roohly where he moved ”I've found a wall,” he said after a fewfro along the wall,as he went ”The floor feels solid, except where we broke through,” he said absently
Williaht This darkness is tedious”
Jaet used to it Ah!”
”What?” asked Treggar
”A door Wooden Closed”
A few seconds later, a spark was struck ”We have light,” Ja an old torch he had found in the wall-sconce Putting away his flint and steel, he said, ”Let's see e have here”
The room was forty feet square and the walls were lined with empty weapons racks Two racks stood in thespears that had once waited there for a call to action
”If the armory is below” mused James aloud
”Then this is where they kept spare arar
James returned the torch to the wall-sconce, and went to the door ”This should lead to theyard above”
He tried the door ”It's jaes”
Williaers and worked at the ancient iron hinges ”If we had soet soar
”Down there,” said Ja back toward the hole in the floor
”You're ar
”Probably,” answered Jaht
After he had left, Williaar looked at one another and sat down to wait
Time passed slowly, then suddenly James's voice sounded in the dark ”Givehis hand through the hole After a couple of misses in the darkness, Ja a jar to William ”Oil” William said, ”I didn't even hear you until you spoke” James replied softly ”You weren't supposed to A couple of disagreeableto findup here”