We estimated the total passage to be about 100 meters assuming it ran straight to the Keep. About 50 meters in we reached the sooty "X" on the ceiling which marked the spot the only prior reconnaissance had stopped. From here forward we would be doubly cautious.
A dozen or so paces down the corridor we encountered something suspicious. Dhars signaled the others back and pointed to the floor. We were still beneath the salt, yet here a ragged line a bit darker than the surrounding area crossed the corridor at right angles. We moved back and hunkered lower and brought the hammer ends of the probe into play. . . nothing. We chipped away at the line with the pry bars but found nothing.
"See how smooth the walls are on each side near the floor. The finish to the wall is much finer here than in other parts of the passage" Dhars said as he made a sweeping gesture with the end of his staff near the floor on each side.
The smoothed area was about two meters long. We waited while two of Nukor’s soldiers hurried back to find heaviest objects available.
We did not want to alarm the others or put them on edge by making them wait unnecessarily but for the sake of caution we decided that a few minutes delay was acceptable.
In a few minutes the two returned. One carried a large stone from the area where the rock of Voquira met the salt. The other carried what appeared to be a corroded cask of small metal parts that had been abandoned in the looting of a captured ship.
We moved forward on hands and knees. "It looks like this might rotate along it length" I whispered to Dhars.
"I think so Petar, see how some of the scratches in the salt appear to begin at the bottom of the wall and fade as they exit the top of the smoothed area."
To test this we began placed the keg as near as we could to the center line just beyond the dark line which split the corridor. Using borrowed axes for tools we gradually moved it toward the left hand wall. As we did the nature of the trap became evident. A rectangular portion of the passage floor about 2 1/2 meters long rotated along its axis. Dhars pressed against the right side of the hidden panel with the haft of his ax to keep it from spinning completely over.
The trap's location had been cleverly planned. It occupied a place in the passage where the ragged right wall jutted into the tunnel a half meter or so. Anyone crossing the area would naturally move to the left causing the floor beneath to rotate and drop them into the pit below below.
We dropped a clump of salt into the opening. There was a long “One Mississippi, two Missipp. . . .before it hit bottom.
I braced the panel on one side while Nukor did so on the other. Dhars stepped briskly across taking care to remain along the longitudinal axis. In this manner all crossed safely.
We placed the keg in the middle of the corridor as a marker of the spot on the way back. Two similar pitfalls were detected as we moved forward. That made three, all in the floor.
"Dhars, finding these had been a little too easy. I wonder if they aren't going to try something very different and trickier next time."
By now we were out of the salt. The corridor floor was rough hewn from the bedrock or Voquira. That fact that it was laced with natural faults and flaws made the detection of seams or man made openings all the more difficult. Every inch of the walls had been roughly worked. The mere presence of carving in the rock was no clue to what was dangerous and what was not.
Using our staffs we tapped and probed ahead of each step. This close to the Keep we wanted to avoid any noise that might carry through the rock to the Ixtet inside. We used only the faintest of taps.
To my right a large crack opened, wide enough to admit a man. It led deep into the rock. As we passed in front of it. I heard a sound, like something huge snoring or sighing. The air drifting out of the crack was dank and acrid, not just “stale” as it had been near the entrance. I called for a lantern and moved two paces along the crack before opening its shutters to illuminate the interior. The warm yellow light was lost before it reaching the corners of the chamber beyond. Still, it revealed the source of the smell. I once visited a restaurant where over the years patrons had covered every interior surface with business cards. Here every inch of the chamber was covered with large flat creatures which reminded me of rubbery sole or flounder. But they were not fish. They were attached to the walls and ceiling, perhaps by adhesive or suction. I had no idea what they were of if they were dangerous. So far they had taken no notice of the light of of my presence. I signaled for Dhars. "What are they?"
"They are "fleen" Petar. Rare in our part of the world. They live on the small plants and animals which grow on rocks or in soil. Their meat is delicious if properly prepared but their bite poisonous, painful, and sometimes even fatal”.
They must have a way to exit through some cracks in the rock above. Perhaps if it were day we could see how they get out. For now we should pass by quietly and hope that they do not notice us.
We backed out of the cleft in the rock and began tapping slowly down the corridor like blind men on an unfamiliar street. We had gone but a few meters when a piercing noise reverberated along the corridor behind. (I was later told that one of the crossbowmen had briefly rested by leaning against a wall. Doing so triggered a hidden switch. When we examined the mechanism later we found that a weighted cylinder hidden in the wall was the release. As it lowered it forced air through a series of small whistles creating a din.)
The "fleen" stopped snoring and were echoing the same piercing squeal. They were extremely aggitated. Behind me our troops were stomping and stabbing at something in the dim light. A female soldier with copper hair ran toward us. She fell t our feet. A half dozen fleen fastened to her legs and arms.
The din continued. On the floor, the walls, the ceiling, the fleen were flopping forward to attack any warm body. Stabbing at them was useless. There were thousands more in the crack behind.
The troops fought them as best they could. Some fleen were smashed, stomped flat before they could attach themselves. It didn't matter, others dropped from walls and ceilings. Perhaps 1/3 of our force was already down and the rest would not last long.
I saw Nukor near the center of his troops. I shouted to him, waving my lantern to catch her attention: "Use the bodies to block the crack". Dhars heard me and turned to brush a fleen from my back before it had time to attach. I stomped it flat and picked up the body of the soldier who had run past us. Holding her over my sholder, an umbrella of human flesh still warm enough to attract the falling fleen, I moved back to the cleft in the wall. The light in the passage flickered, dimmed and gyrated wildly as the lantern bearers fought and died. I flung the body of the young woman into the crack atop fleen that were still trying to flop through. Dhars was behind me with another. As the others saw what we were doing and joined in. The fallen comrades were all flung into the breech.
The flow of new fleen was halting. I helped two soldiers hoist the last body to the place where it would fill the last gap in the wall of flesh blocking the cleft. As we pushed it into place I saw it was Nukor. He’d been a good person and a fine commander but there was no time to mourn now.
The din of the hidden whistles faded and in a couple of seconds ceased entirely. The fleen still attached to corpses quieted as soon as the whistling ceased. They no longer appeared aggressive. . .we killed them anyway.
"Open the lanterns wide" I called to those still able to respond. Without being told they systematically set about killing the 200 or so fleen flopping about the floor, walls, and ceiling of the passage way.
The whole battle with the fleen had lasted perhaps three minutes. Our group was now reduced to 19.
CHAPTER 30
All the officers were dead. Dhars and I had been spared the initial onslaught due to our location ahead of the rest. After that we were spared because we were lucky, because it was not yet our time to die. The survivors were badly shaken and to my surprise they were looking to me and to Dhars for guidance. We knew some from the slave pens where our role in the escape may have led some to think we sh
ould lead them now. Who knew?
Dhars and those nearest us huddled. He began, "The element of surprise was very likely lost when that whistle blew. If the Bugs were roused they will be waiting for us. If they find the passage they can collapse it, block it, or keep it so well guarded that we will never get in. Just as bad, they may find a way to use it, rush out, burn the ships or attack from the rear."
A young soldier reminded him "We are less than two vann now. If they are waiting our mission is already lost. We will all die before we could reach the walls. We may accomplish nothing". His comments were a realistic scenario.
I added, "They may have heard the whistle but not yet located the source of the sound. If we attack now we still stand a better chance than if we wait for a larger force to attack later. It is true the odds are against us but if we don't take the Keep all our fellows in arms will die soon. I value my life but I want this standoff ended."
As I scanned the eyes arrayed around me most signaled assent. "Then we go on".
In less than three minutes the passage ended in a wall of solid stone. I waved men forward with more light. Had we come this far and paid so many lives for a tunnel leading nowhere? No!. . .it couldn't end like this. No one went to this much trouble to build something that went nowhere. This passage had wiggled and curved slightly but it ran mostly true for a hundred meters beneath the salt then through the black rock that was Voquira.
Dhars and the two nearest soldiers squatted over a patch of loose salt that had collected in a depression in the rock. With the end of my dagger I sketched a crude map: "The pit, the mine entrance, the compound around the fortress, the location of the Keep, the entrance to the passage, and the course of the passage as best we can chart it." The old man had said "She came from behind the tapestry. That suggested a passage hidden behind a wall, but three of the walls opened on to the court yard. The fourth was built into the rock. It would roughly parallel the line of the passage not intersect with it at right angles.
What if our natural assumption, that the entrance to the Keep lay at the "end" of the passage, was mistaken?" I asked them. "What if the "dead end" to the passage had been just another deception to keep enemies out? What if the entrance was concealed in the wall of the passage behind us?"
"Spread out along the passage. Tap with your fingertips touching the next soldier's. Now search the wall and floor of the passage immediately in front of you very carefully. Pass the lanterns along as needed."
There was need for haste. There was need for quiet. There was need to caution against more traps. Still, the surviving members of the squad responded valiantly, working quietly, tapping gently where absolutely needed. They had soon searched the last 15 meters the passage.
Alaphira, whom I knew from the mines, discovered it. "Here Petar" she called. See this neck of rock has a seam around as if it could be turned. . .and listen. . .". She began softly tapping left to right across the rock face with the hilt of her dagger. The high pitched "ting" of the solid rock gave way to a lower, more hollow sound.
"Get Ready" I advised those gathered about "but stand well clear until the way is opened. This could be another trap".
Dahrs stepped forward and assisted as I worked to turn the horn of rock counterclockwise. With his hands atop mine we strained to move it. Nothing.
We reversed direction and were rewarded with a soft squeak and the sound of rock grating on rock. The horn rotated perhaps 90 degrees then stopped. We stood waiting for a moment holding our breath. Had we triggered another cursed trap? Still nothing. Together we pushed gently and a doorway sized slab of the passage wall began to swing outward. The air beyond was warmer, interlaced with a half dozen unidentifiable odors. There was a passage beyond leading off at right angles to the one we occupied. A rectangular patch of light roughly 1.5 meters high and perhaps 1 meter wide could be seen ahead.
I signaled with two spread fingers to my eyes and then shuttered the lamp I had been handed. The others followed and we sat waiting for our eyes to adjust to the darkness. When I had counted 300 beats of my pulse I signaled the advance.
The 4 or 5 meters of the side passage became one of the longest distances I had ever covered. I slid along feeling my way forward with my feet, hoping to avoid a last deadly trap that might end my life or sink the mission. In a few seconds I reached the dim rectangle of light and found myself mildly surprised to be still alive and breathing. My hand contacted rough fabric, warmer than the cold stone of the walls. "The back of the tapestry" I commented to myself.
"Maintain silence" I ordered, then waited as the whispered command was passed back along the line. When the last whisper faded I pushed into the heavy fabric, noticed more light to the left and moved that direction. Like an actor desperate to get on stage for a curtain call I sought the opening in the tapestry. I imagined Ixtet warriors beyond the tapestry waiting to stab through the fabric and kill us.
As I cleared the edge of the tapestry I bumped a tall stand supporting an ornate ceramic urn. As it fell I was just able to catch it with both hands and restore it to an upright position. I scanned the darkened hall but saw no sign it was occupied. I paused long enough to drag the urn and its stand away from the edge of the tapestry. I folded back the edge to admit more light and signaled the others to emerge. Dhars stepped out quietly and held back the edge for the next. As the remaining 17 stepped into the hall I signaled again for quiet and waved them alternately into groups at the right or left.
I took the arm of the last Thretanin the file and turned him back with instructions to make the best safe speed back through the tunnel and return with reinforcements. That done I spun back to examine the room.
In the center of the room a large bucket hung from sturdy ropes that passed through an opening in the ceiling. On this level there was a similarly sized opening protected by a waist high high circle of dressed stone. The opening lead to total blackness. This was the deep well that supplied Voquira's only fresh water. Two ramps spiraled upward from each side of the circular hall.
We knew the Keep rose about 20 meters above the courtyard. If they maintained the plan used in other parts of the fortress each floor would be about 3 to 4 meters high. That meant we would have to ascend several levels before reaching the parapet. Our best hope would be to throw open the draw bridges at the level of the fortress walls. If that proved impossible we could lower ropes from the very top of the Keep to allow access for Alexia’s waiting troops.
Beyond the Keep our friends would have silently occupied attack positions for a half hour or more. They now waited for first sign they might enter. We would be the only ones to could let them in. I thought carefully before deciding to divide our force already reduced by half, but the advantages seemed to outweigh the risks. Should one group be cut off by a superior force 7 or 8 more fighters would not matter for long. With two groups operating independently one might prevail if the others were defeated.
I motioned Dhars to the right then signaled my group to the left. In unison we began the ascent toward the second level. The lower floor had been a single large hall, vacant save for a few badly done paintings, the tapestry and some heavy furniture. Here and there were piles of strange boxes and bundles that appeared to be goods belonging to the former pirate occupants as well as to the Ixtet. The latter were the sources of some very strange odors.
I supposed we were still below ground level, This lower chamber had no windows, not even an arrow port. These would be on the higher levels that gave out to the courtyard. The ascent to the second level was longer than I had anticipated. The second floor would be where the guards were likely quartered and where the equivalent of the gatehouse would be located. Our group had mounted less than half way when we heard the clash or weapons.
We hurried upward to see a dozen or more Ixtet guards rushing--weapons drawn-- toward the other ramp. As yet they had not seen us. My first inpulse was to rush them immediately to relieve Dhars and his party, but that was not our mission. I turned instead to lead the group to
ward the small drawbridge that would open onto the fortress walls. The lone Ixtet on guard was temporarily distracted by the sounds of battle across the chamber. S/he turned as I approached. In a stand up fight I would have died, but I took it by surprise landing my ax squarely in the top of its chitinous head. S/he sank twitching to the floor. I pushed it aside and turned to the bridge mechanism.
The device for lowering the bridge was there. . .behind a grid of metal bars fastened to the stone work with a lock the size of a soccer ball. If the Ixtet had been so kind as to stand aside and let us hack away at the grate for the next six hours we could not have made a dent in either lock or bars. Without the key there was no access here.
The situation took a few seconds to absorb. My heart sank a little. I turned with the others to aid Dhars. The main body of the Ixtet guard had not seen us. The sounds of the fighting suggested that they were pushing Dhars' group back along the ramp. The 8 others and I raced across the chamber and fell on the Ixtet from the rear. Two Ixtet lay dead, slain by Dhars' forces. Four more fell before they realized they were under attack. On the narrow ramp only two could fight abreast. The curve was gradual enough that the crossbows could be brought into play. By the time the second volley had been fired it was over but our party of 16 had been reduced to 11. Blood ran freely from a gash or Dhar's upper arm. One man was down, alive but mortally wounded. We could not stop. Count us a party of 10.
The noise of the fighting had roused the Keep. We could run back for the tunnel but with the Ixtet in pursuit would die before we reached the open salt. Instead, we pushed on hoping the confusion of the moment would carry us through.
Turning to ascend once again I scooped up a rope dropped by a fallen man and motioned the survivors upward. Speed was our ally now. I also grabbed a crossbow whose owner died before discharging it.
The Ways Between Worlds: Peter Cooper Page 26