Part 20 (1/2)
”Even hanging by your fingers means a fall long enough for you to break your legs,” said the captain. ”You don't know what's down there.”
James glanced at the rising moon. ”Wait a few minutes.”
As the moon climbed higher in the sky, the deep shadows cleared. After a few minutes, Treggar said, ”It's a pathway!”
Below them, between two walls of stone, a narrow pa.s.sage 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 men made their way down to the narrow pathway, and Treggar said, ”I hope we don't have to retreat in a hurry.”
”Retreat?” asked William.
”No room to fight, lieutenant,” answered the older soldier.
William realized he was correct. Even with daggers, 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 room, save to climb over one another. No one suggested it.
When the two moons were directly overhead, William whispered, ”Look at the walls!”
James stopped and examined the rocks. ”This is new work. You can see the chisel marks.”
Treggar said, ”Our friends, I guess.”
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, almost certainly,” suggested Treggar.
As they moved along 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, James said, ”Don't touch anything.”
William withdrew his hand and James said, ”Move back and let me squeeze by.”
They did so and James stood motionless for a time, looking closely at the rock surface. He whispered, ”I wish we could risk a light.”
”We can't,” answered Treggar.
”Quiet,” instructed James.
He reached out to the wall on his right, then moved his fingers forward until they reached the junction with the wall in front of him. He touched the surface lightly, barely putting any pressure on it, then quickly withdrew his hand.
He repeated the examination with his other hand, starting from the left wall to the wall in front of him, and again 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 William.
”A very nasty one, I wager,” said James, as he knelt. He examined the ground before the wall, again inspecting the intersection where they joined. ”Stand back,” he instructed.
They retreated a few feet. ”If you want to know how 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.” James reached down and pushed slightly. The entire wall effortlessly tilted toward him for an instant, then swung back. He put his fingers 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 match. Now, don't touch anything but the ground. 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 move.”
A few painfully slow moments pa.s.sed, then a light flickered into existence, a tiny speck of flame ignited by James.
”How did you do that?” asked Treggar.
”I'll show you later,” said James. He handed a tiny burning 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. William gave him back the taper. The tiny light did a remarkable job of illuminating the area around them, just enough for them to see where to step, but not casting light very far down the tunnel. They would be almost upon anyone before their light was detected.
Whispering, James said, ”Now we must use all our senses. Be wary.”
He set off. The tunnel inclined downward, leading them deeper into the earth.
After a long, silent walk, a light appeared in the distance. James extinguished the burning taper and put it away. Just before reaching the source of the light, they encountered a tunnel which crossed the one they were in. James turned right, away from the light, and motioned for William and Treggar to follow. When they were once again in the darkness, he relit the taper.
They moved down the corridor. It was clearly a manmade pa.s.sage, 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 means the kitchen or food storage isn't far from here,” replied James, ignoring the question.
They heard the sound of someone moving a few yards ahead. James quickly extinguished the taper again. Moments later, they saw a light appear, as two men crossed before them, from right to left along a perpendicular tunnel. Neither spoke, and it was hard to tell what they wore, save their clothing was dark.
”What now?” whispered William.
”We follow,” said James.
Treggar said, ”Remember our way back. One of us has to reach the Prince and tell him of this place.”
Neither James or William answered.
They moved carefully to the intersection, then turned to the left to follow the two men.
A hundred yards down the corridor, they could hear voices murmuring. As they neared the light, they saw men standing before the entrance to a large, well-lit gallery. Their backs were to the three invaders.