I must say that this ladder was quite different from the previous, wooden, carved and varnished. New was a stone, worn with narrow steps, and gave the impression of a very, very old. Sighing, I locked the door on the ground, not wanting to leave unwanted marks and took the first step in the dungeon.
I must say that this new descent, was quite profound. I counted fifty steps already given their approximate height of twenty centimeters, it turned out that I have fallen for a dozen meters below ground. And this is not including some of the original floor descent, the wooden stairs. Realizing that over my head no less than thirteen meters from the ground, I immediately felt a lack of fresh air. No, of course I did not suffer from claustrophobia, at least pronounced symptoms of a not notice, but I must say, he felt at this moment is extremely uncomfortable.
Fortunately, making another round of a ladder over to another site with a massive arched doorway. Pulling their pocket a true key, I opened it and without the slightest difficulty.
And then he closed, praying all the existing gods of this world that it does not creak. Which opened my eyes on the corridor, fortunately, his back to me, slowly walked a woman in a maid! It was the first living person met me in this spooky house.
Again a little slightly opened the heavy door, I began to watch her actions in the crack. Suddenly stopped, the woman turned to the right, apparently, in some sleeves, and disappeared from view. In a few minutes, I heard a strange creaking, like a rotating wheel or gear under load, metallic clang. A minute later the noise died down, and around again silence reigned.
Having decided, I slipped into the corridor and shut the door to the next. Staying again carefully listened. Quiet. Obviously, the maid left the room through another way, perhaps equipped with a lift, judging by the sounds.
Making sure that the new one, I was able to calmly look around.
I must say that the place where I got the impression of a rather old, if not more. Although I really have not yet been able to see anything in the house upstairs, but I doubt that it is so old. Immediately, it seemed, all breathed a thousand years of dust. Paul laid basalt slabs, walls are made of gray hewn stone.
Looking around, I realized that the only thing that might interest me, was another extremely heavy arched door, this time not only deaf, but with a small window. Obviously, this woman out of here and back, when I saw her in the hallway longer watch it no matter what.
Parted to start viewing window sash on the door, I froze for a moment, shocked by what he saw, and then, clumsy, trembling hands, began frantically pulling from his pocket a key, which, unfortunately, caught on the lining. For a few moments, the quiet click of the lock, which in silence sounded to me like a clap of thunder, and now I'm standing in the middle of the room, looking around in confusion, feeling the horror icy wave rises on his feet.
The room was full of people. Here are just a quick glance through the tiny window he did not give me the opportunity to fully appreciate the spectacle, which is now open in front of me. Quite a large area, no less than our dining room at the shelter, and even more, has been busy standing teenagers. I knew many of them, after all, a time of my life we spent under the same roof, but some part was unfamiliar.
That's just never, not one of them was like that, stretched out at attention, motionless, even, it seemed, not breathing, looking straight in front of glass eyes fixed stare. And whether they are alive?
I reached out, took a few strokes in the face standing next to me fair-haired boy of about ten. I remembered his face - he was one of the few who are not teased Donny and in the dining room sometimes sat beside him. Now the boy was more like a wax doll than a human being. Approaching and look carefully, I did not notice even a slight shake of eyelashes or the movement of the pupils. Overcoming the second fear, I reached out and touched his cheek, instinctively fearing to meet under the fingers of corpses cold or intractability of wax. However, I felt the living warmth and a sigh of relief.
It turns out that with the children until everything is in order, they simply are controlled. That was good news. Perhaps I can bring them out of this state and help to escape, because the way I got here, was opened, and a certain share of luck you could walk again.
I said some? When a huge share of luck! And then we have somewhere else to hide a kind of crowd. I looked around the crowd of guys ... and girls? Oh my God! In the most distant, dimly lit corner of the room, just the same, stretched motionless columns, stood a few girls. All in the room, there were about fifty teenagers facing very tight, almost shoulder to shoulder.
Hmm. Withdraw quietly all will be difficult, even if they will somehow lead to consciousness.
Returning to look svetlenkie boy, I took his hands on the shoulders and shook. I do not see any results after a few seconds I was shaking him like a pear. No reaction, the same lifeless eyes, only his head wobbled from side to side on a thin neck. Mentally, the boy asked for forgiveness, I weighed him two hefty slap in the face, so hoping to revive him. Nothing.
The task is much more complex. To tell the truth, it turned into the impossible. How do I bring out the people who are in a stupor, and on what does not react? Ask for help? But who? Detective can not be trusted. Miss Emily - woman, not sure of it would be a good judge. Donnie - too timid and inexperienced, Mr. Jobson - old. It turns out that we must act alone ...
Suddenly, I was struck by an idea, check that no difficulty, but if successful, it could be the key to the successful release of children. Boy stopped shaking, I pulled out from his pocket amulet. Tooth Dakuvangi. Whoever this Dakuvanga, but I would be very grateful to him, if it worked. Still, three units of resistance - it's a lot, very much hope that this will be enough to wake up at least someone from that terrible torpor.
The sound of the rotating gear, slightly donesshihsya from the corridor through the door is not completely closed, made me freeze in place with her hands raised to her neck. In the basement someone down, and since no other doors there was no more, then most likely, he was just here.
I darted around the room in confusion. Apart from the crowds of children crammed into it like sardines, there was nothing else, no way to escape. Maybe I still have time to slip out of the second door, the one that leads to the stairs? I rushed to the door. Clanking and squeaking stopped, now I clearly heard a muffled male voices and muffled bellowing. Sounds approaching. Panic was setting my head, making it difficult to concentrate.
Not thinking about anything, rather more automatically than consciously, I'm trying to move quickly and quietly closed the door and locked it from the inside.
No, I did not expect that unexpected guests will not be able to open it and they will go away. Just open the door to them clearly alarmed, and my chances of success, already low, would have been completely miserable.
After locking the door, I instantly retreated into the crowd blankly standing children, moving quickly, but at the same time as carefully as possible, so as not to push, because I was not sure of my careless actions of teenagers do not lie on the floor like bowling pins.
A moment later, the castle shifted key, and the door opened. My eyes involuntarily widened, and I had to make a tangible effort to keep from crying out. Two men rather brutal kind, whether similar to longhorn, whether on the longshoremen, both - the owner of the tiny blunt eye and huge unkempt beards, held under the arms, on the weight of the associated red-haired teenager. His face was not visible, head hanging on his chest. The boy apparently was unconscious.
So they were looking for someone, not me!
He threw the prisoner on the floor, on an empty seat near the door, with his head leaned back and could see the face of one of the bandits is quite kicked him in the ribs with the toe of his boot.
- shit. Flee even after you at night ...
- Jory, leave him alone. He needed to Mrs. alive.
- Well, he is alive and will, for the health, no one did not! - The man who was called Jory, kicked the boy again. He groaned softly and indistinctly through the protruding m
outh gag. - The more that it is necessary, and some nothing at all, to lend a few hours, and then and so die.
- Come on, we still have to follow the preparation of the hall, while Mrs. resting before the ritual.
- Exactly. And he would like all these idiots are not confused. Oh, sorry yet that Mrs. had to pay the police old man, he has all these things went better.
- Well, it's none of our business, and we can not discuss her decision. But now there is a good ally of Ms that can solve many problems, and it is not necessary to spend a lot of forces in control.
- It is, yes. In general, I think we should be friends with the police!
Laughing as if he had heard a great anecdote, the men went out into the corridor and shut the door.
Waited until moved away and ceased their steps, and then fell silent skrezhetnul and lift, I ran to the boy lying on the floor. When he saw his face up close, I was once again convinced, that vision did not fail me - it was none other than Irwin, the boy who helped me with the design of my mehanoleta.
I quickly untied the cloth that held the gag got it. With a rope around his arms and legs had to tinker. Then there really afraid that the boy will run away again, or just in anger, but not enough that the shackles were tightened so tight that the limbs have already started to turn blue, even the hosts themselves were imposed is clearly excessive. Broken himself in the blood of all the nails, in some places, and helping himself with his teeth a key, I was finally able to untie them.
Just a couple of minutes it took to rubbing bruised hands until they were brought to normal. All that time Irvin was unconscious. Starting already fear that he has can not come, I began, gently at first, then more and more, whipping his cheeks and rub whiskey. My efforts were not lost in vain, and, after a few sluggish movements and protest moo, the boy opened his eyes.
- You? - it was the first thing he said.
- I.
- And ... how are you then turned out to be? Oh! - to try to sit back, Irwin disturbed bruised side and contorted face of it seized.
- I was looking for you. And that's how you were here, and why in this way, and you're not?
- And I do not know ... Well, not quite sure. I honestly do not remember much.
- Well, tell me what you remember.
- I remember the lights out, and then I went to sleep. Fast asleep, and I had a dream - if I get up and go somewhere, but this I do not want. And such a strange feeling that I definitely need to wake up, otherwise there will be something bad. I'm going for some streets, I was cold and wet, I'm trying, trying to wake up, but instead of falling into some kind of black. And then I ended up here.
- And you woke up and ran away?
- Not right away. For a while, I just dreamed of this place, I'm standing here and I can not move. And then suddenly again, and I woke up! Only a dream is not over, it became a reality.
- How do you run away, the door is locked?
- At first we were not here, not in this basement. I do not know where this place is, I have long walked out the top. But it was not locked, a huge room, more of this. I came there and tried to wake up at least someone, but could not. Then I ran away, - a state of shock, obviously beginning to pass, in the voice of Irving began to slip tearful and hysterical. - Sherlock! What will become of us, we all die?
- So easy! Everything will be fine! I have everything under control - of course there is no "good" was not, but I had to keep the guy from panic. - Nobody is going to die. Better tell me more about how you choose next?
- Yes, I really do not remember, just went ahead, sometimes climbing the stairs. And when crawled out of the cellar, then, seeing the very first window smashed him with a chair and jumped out. And further already run that is forces.
Noticing that Irwin calmed and distracted, I got to thinking about the future plans. It was clear that to take the boy with him was impossible. Judging by the way he groaned and winced, simply by changing the position in space, far away it is gone. The idea of an attempt to stir up the children one by one with the help of my amulet, I thought, too, dismissed. It would require too much time. If you believe the burglar, the live prisoners was no more than a few hours. And I do not know, a few - three, seven, eleven? Therefore, the only option remained. I hope I can convince Irwin what other choice we simply do not.
It turned out that while I was leaving in thought, the guy said something and was now looking at me, waiting for an answer.
- What you said? I'm sorry, I thought.
- I tell you what he was like here? You also were not with us?
- I? Well, it's a long story. In short, I was looking for the person who is to blame in all of this - I had to do this formulation. It seemed wrong to tell the child that I was going to shoot this "man" like a mad dog.
- So you would not be caught? You yourself have come here?
- Well yes.
- Come on, I do not believe. Only a complete idiot would do it. You're lying.
- No, why would I lie to you?
- What would you show what you are good and noble. All you people, the rich, pose yourself! Yes, for sure you were caught, or he came, like the rest, otherwise how could you have passed the locked door ?! - Irwin's voice again rang hysterical.
Realizing that this is just a reaction to the mentality left over fear, I did not answer anything. Approaching the door, I took out a key from his pocket, and looking straight into the widened Irwin's eyes opened the door.
- And so it went. Also, as in any other door in this house. This is a universal key, it opens up any of them.
- But ... - all the excitement and aggression Irvine disappeared, as if by hand. He suddenly shrunk, fell silent, visibly relieved. - Can you let me out of here?
It was a difficult question, I did not know how to answer it, to make sure we do not destroy everything.
- I mean, Irwin ... Theoretically, I can open the door to you, and you come out in the same way that I came here. But the problem is that there still remain a lot of guys that I can not withdraw. I came here to find the culprit, and try to save them all, you understand me?
- Yes, - Irwin paled posted on pretty solid. - You do not want to take risks for me alone.
- It is not a risk. I'm not afraid of getting caught. I'm afraid that I will not work and die all.
- And the police? I can give the police! They povyazhut criminals and all released. Yes, we can even go together, we believe it's faster!
I shook my head. Well, as I quickly explain that the police we are now does not help? But, it turned out, it was not necessary. Innate suspicion and mistrust of yesterday's street children have played a role.
- Are they together?
I nodded, giving Irving the opportunity to build version, and myself as it convincing.
- Just as I thought ... - He was silent for a moment, look borer floor, then he looked up. - Good. I'll stay here and wait for you. But just try not to go back!
- I will definitely be back - stretching her lips into a fake, rubber smile, I wanted at least half to be confident in their own words.
Again coming in dimly lit corridor, I locked the door and walked in the direction from which came the sound of the lift. After about twenty meters, corridor abruptly swerved to the right and another five meters, rested in the open cockpit of a primitive elevator - lift.
Carefully inspect the cockpit, I must confess I did not understand how it was set in motion. Electricity was not invented in this world. Pairs? Well, I do not even know, in theory, possible. However, most likely, a lift powered by a simple manual winch.
There are no controls in the cab was not only out of a hole in the ceiling hung a short rope with a knot at the end. Apparently, for it had to pull to command the rise.
Well, the other option was not there. Well, no, of course, it would be possible to do so, as I saw in one of the old movies, when the hero broke the roof of the elevator and out of the mine, and crawled on the ropes thirty floors. That's just it, and it looked doubtfully, and sugges
ts that this can do I, but still fine with my strength and endurance? That's just funny!
Therefore, mentally wishing myself good luck, I pulled the rope, waiting for what you want the result. However, nothing terrible has happened, apart from the fact that there was a sickening grinding of metal rubbing on metal, and the cabin, making the leap, slowly crept up. Looks like I'm guessing, assuming that this miracle-working elevator with manual drive. He rose very unevenly, with jerks and pauses, as if the man pulling the rope, then tired, then again going with the forces.
After about half a minute, the elevator reached the ground floor and, without stopping, he moved on. Well, I do not! You never know who is waiting for me up there. I strongly jumped out of the cab, lifted already a meter above the floor. Despite the fact that the purpose of my trip is clearly somewhere above, I'd better get there another way, less eye-catching.
I must say that that part of the house in which I was now, more than like a living. Although there was dim, as located on the walls of the long gallery gas lamps shone through one and heating the floor, but were clearly visible and stucco and gilding on the walls, and a semi-circular, covered with silk screens, and draped cloth tiny alcoves with small sofas . I immediately imagined ladies and gentlemen, strolling arm in arm after the ball, occasionally sits down on the couch to talk or flirt without prying eyes.
So, stop! That's for sure I'm not here to indulge in fantasy. Mentally scolded myself for being too relaxed, I cautiously moved forward.
Long Gallery entered the broad marble staircase, which was crowned with a huge room, the ceiling of which, even in such darkness could posverkivanie giant crystal chandeliers. Yeah, well, that's ballroom. On the central staircase in the opposite direction, he took the start of another gallery, obviously, a mirrored copy of the one from which I had just left.
There's obviously nothing I do, but the staircase, which is clearly the center of the huge house, just what you need. Rising to the second floor, it is divided into two wings, which are passed into the balcony along the perimeter of the central hall.
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