Dash wished mightily he could get loose of this work gang, scout around, and find out what was going on, but the reality of the situation was that any man who wasnt an invader was a slave. Whatever Dashs father had been thinking, it would have made more sense to have sent along one of the men who had traveled to Novindus with Erik von Darkmoor, someone who spoke the language and had a fair chance of passing for one of the men from the continent across the sea.
Even if he got free, Dash knew his only hope was to get beyond the wall, blend into the populace there, and find his way to the East, where he was certain his father had other agents waiting for sight of either brother.
Dash was certain his father had sent other agents into the city, and throughout the surrounding countryside. It would be unlike him not to. Besides, thought Dash as he helped hoist a large rock up to the battlements, the ghost of Duke Aruthas father, Lord James, would haunt him if he didnt. As Dash bruised knuckles on the harsh stone and began putting mortar into place, he thought that his grandfathers ghost would be welcome about now. Certainly, if anyone could puzzle out what was happening in Krondor it would be the legendary Lord James.
Jimmy cursed in the darkness as he bruised his shins against an unexpected stone. Is the young gentleman certain he hasnt lost his way? came Malars voice out of the blackness.
Jimmy said, Keep quiet. Its certain were not the only ones down here. And yes I know where we are, he said. We turn right and another dozen paces on the right should be the place were looking for. As if to prove the point, he turned to the right and moved into a small passage. Malar kept both hands on the right wall as he awkwardly followed.
After a few minutes they moved slowly through the gloom, then suddenly Jimmy said, Were here.
Where is here, sir? asked Malar.
One of the many hiding places for A sound of rustling, as if something was being moved, came from where Jimmy stood. Then Malar shielded his eyes as a small spark was struck, blindingly bright after the long time spent in the dark.
The torch was dry and caught at once, and Jimmy said, Lets see what we have here. He rummaged through the contents of the hiding place, a false stone in the wall at waist height.
How did you know where to look? asked Malar.
My grandfather had reason to spend some time in the sewers. He glanced at Malar. He was a city employee.
A sewer worker?
At times, said Jimmy. Anyway, he told me that from whatever thieves entrance into the city, you move to the first intersection, then to the right, and about twelve paces to the right, a cache would be found. Seems the Mockers wanted to make sure that if they got chased down into the darkness, they could find light and some tools. He waved at the cache. Observe. He patted each item as he named it. A good length of rope. A large breaker bar. A water skin. A dagger, torches, or a lantern.
A lantern with a shutter would prove safer, said Malar.
True, agreed Jimmy, but as we dont have one, we must settle for what is at hand. There may be other caches still intact, and perhaps we can find a lantern there.
He glanced around in the murk and said, Gods!
Malar said, What? concern obvious in his tone.
Look at this mess.
Sir, its a sewer, replied Malar, irritation in his voice.
I know that. But look at the walls and the water.
Malar saw then what Jimmy meant. While expecting moss-covered stones and brackish water, he didnt expect to see every surface covered in soot. He glanced at his own hands and said, Sir, I think we must bathe once we get above, else we shall surely be noticed.
Jimmy glanced at his servant and said, If Ive scratched my chin as much as you, it is certain I look like a chimney sweep.
Malar said, Youre filthy, sir.
Jimmy said, Well, no one said this would be easy.
As he set off, he heard Malar mutter, No one said it would be impossible, either.
Dash nodded and Gustaf jumped. He landed behind the big stone they were attempting to move, and ducked out of sight of the guards. He held a piece of broken crockery he had secreted in his shirt two days before and quickly sawed at a key rope in the net used to haul the stones.
The rope net was a clever device that could be placed around the stone, fitted under the corners as men used levers to raise them. Once hoisted aloft, a quick pass of two ropes beneath the stone put on a second lifting net, and once above the intended destination, the two ropes were removed, and the stone lowered a few inches as the webbing loosened, dropping the stone. Dash knew a practiced crew of stone masons could do this with a tolerance of a mere fraction of an inch. With Dashs crew, they were happy to get the stone within an inch of ideal tolerance. The only masons in Krondor were Dukos engineers, and there was a severe language problem with most of the workers.
Gustaf stepped around from behind the stone, nodding to Dash. Haul away, he shouted.
Dash stepped back as two men readied the ropes to be passed under the stone, and watched. The stone lifted two feet in the air, then suddenly tilted as a loud snap sounded. The strand Gustaf had cut had parted, and now the stone hung a few feet off the ground, spinning slowly. The two men with the support ropes backed away.
Get it down! shouted a voice from below, and suddenly the rock was dropped.
No! said the foreman, too late, as men who should have slowly lowered the stone released the rope. Instead of settling quietly to the ledge, the rock bounced a bit then teetered, as Dash had hoped, then slowly started to fall.
Look out! cried a man near Dash as men started scrambling out of the way.
Come on, Dash said to Gustaf as confusion erupted.
They hurried past a guard standing still in fascination as the rock slid outward, overhanging the parapet, slowly moving to balance a moment in the air, then start its dramatic fall to the cobbles below.
Dash, Gustaf, and some other men hurried down a flight of stone steps, as if intent on helping those below. But at the base of the wall, Dash moved quickly to his right, into what appeared to be a slight gap in the stones. The others ducked into the gap after him.
The ancient wall of Krondor was hollow in places, storage sheds used to house grain, water, and weapons against siege. Many of the old storage rooms had been used during the last war, but several had been left empty, like these along the easternmost wall.
Dash had waited a week to find this one, an ideal exit from captivity if he had judged correctly. Either there was a sewer entrance here, or a passage to another abandoned storage area that had one. The only danger would be if they were caught ducking into this room, or if the passage to the next room was blocked by fallen masonry. They would be missed at the head count done each meal break and that was only an hour off.
In the gloom, it was difficult to find the entrance, but Dash managed. Below a heavy layer of ash and dust lay a wooden pallet, used to keep grain off the damp stones. Below that was a man-sized hole, covered with a simple iron grate. Dash whispered, Give me a hand, and two other men stooped next to him.
In the faint light coming in through the broken wall, Dash could make out the profiles of Gustaf and Talwin. Gustaf was what he appeared to be, but Talwin had Dash concerned. Yet here he was risking broken fingers to get the grating up, without any hint of betrayal.
The grate came up and was moved out of the way. Dash started to lower himself down, and said, Its going to be difficult, dropping into the dark, but you should hit water about seven, eight feet below you, so expect that. Face the same way I am and move to your right. You wont see a thing, but I know my way around down there.
He let go, which was among the most courageous acts of his life, as every fiber of his being screamed to hang onto the stone and not fall into darkness. For a brief instant it felt as if he had made some terrible misjudgment, for it seemed as if he fell through blackness for a long time, yet only a moment after letting go his feet struck water. He bent his knees and hit the stones under the water and lost his balance. He fell forward, his head going completely under the foul water, and he came up, blowing hard to keep anything in that sewer out of his nose and mouth. His grandfather had warned him about that, claiming that many thieves had fallen in the sewer only to later sicken and die from it.
He quickly stepped to his right, and a moment later another man fell through the hole into the darkness. Here, said Dash, and the man moved toward him in the blackness.
Then two other men came through, and Dash said, Whos here?
Gustaf, said the second man down.
Talwin, said the next voice.
Reese, said the third, and Dash remembered the tall quiet man with whom Talwin spoke from time to time. I saw you three move and took the moment. No sense standing around like sheep.
Dash doubted that; he was certain Talwin had alerted Reese something was afoot, but he didnt care to debate that now. Good, he said aloud. We can use all the help we can getting out of here.
Now what? said Gustaf. Were in the darkest pit Ive seen and the foulest smelling, and what are we to do next?
Dash said, This is part of the old sewer under the wall. If we keep moving back toward the city center, well find a way out of Krondor.
Why not just move away from the city if were under the wall? asked Reese.
Because thisDashs hand struck the stone next to which he stoodis the outer limit of the sewer. To get on the other side of the wall you better be able to chew rock.
Damn, said Gustaf. I thought wed slip out under the wall or something when you told me of the sewers.
They never connected the sewer in the foulbourgh with the inner city. It would make it too easy for an invader to slip in. Dash muttered, As it is, a good crew of sappers could still get in within weeks if they knew this was here. Theres one breach to the other side of this wall, but we must go into the city to eventually get there.
Well, which way do we go? asked Talwin.
Glancing up at the faint light of the hole above, Dash oriented himself. Get over here.
The men gathered near him. Gustaf, put your right hand on my right shoulder. He felt the mercenarys strong hand take a grip of his tunic. Talwin, do the same to Gustaf, and Reese bring up the rear. Listen for my instructions. Dash put his right hand on the wall and said, Lets go, slowly. And if you lose your grip, sing out.
They moved off into the gloom.
Jimmy turned suddenly and put his hand over Malars mouth as he let the torch fall to the stone walkway next to the sewer. As he hoped, the torch began to fail and flicker, allowing Jimmy to step on it, putting out the light. Malar had the presence of mind not to be too shocked by the move, and he endured standing there with Jimmys hand over his mouth.
When Jimmy removed it, Malar heard what Jimmy had, men moving cautiously down another tunnel, nearby. Whispering as quietly as possible, Jimmy said, Someones coming.
Malar nodded.
They stood motionless, listening to the faint sound of men moving slowly. Then one spoke. His voice was muffled and distant and nothing of what was said came through, but Jimmy would have bet a purse of gold they were invaders on patrol. Something about the quality of the speech hinted at an accent. They waited until the sound died out, as the strangers moved away.
Jimmy knelt and felt around in the dark until he located the torch. It was still hot to the touch. He struck a spark with flint and got the flame going again and said, We may have to lose this if we run into another patrol.
You mean walk around down here blind! said Malar, obviously upset at the thought.
I know my way around here pretty well, said Jimmy, expressing a confidence he didnt feel. Besides, if were apprehended by the invaders, were either dead men or prisoners, and Id rather take my chances retracing our route back to the other side of the wall than those two choices.
Agreed, yet your words fill me with little confidence, young sir.
Jimmy said nothing, but glanced around the corner, making sure that no one had quietly snuck up on them. This way, he said, leading Malar toward a large yawning tunnel entrance that opened up across from where they stood. This required them to step down into the filthy water. They slogged through the slowly moving mass of floating char, and less savory debris, and entered the blackness.
Dash felt fingers dig into his shoulder as the sound of men echoed from a distance. In the blackness they couldnt tell from which quarter the sound originated. Nerves were frayed and Dash was concerned one of the three men would panic. Gustaf seemed solid, if nervous, Talwin was quiet, but Reese was given to blurting out pointless things, either questioning how much farther theyd have to move in the gloom, or expressing his apprehensions.
There were places along the way where light came down from above, faint cracks in the street above, or a broken culvert admitting some illumination. Dash was always surprised how bright these areas looked after complete darkness, but knew it was an illusion. He could only see a dozen yards or so on either side of a source of light, and once past, they fell back into a gloom darker than any night he had endured.
The first place he had hoped to find some torches or a lantern according to his grandfathers description had provided no secret cache of useful items. If there had been a secret stone in the corner he couldnt find it. Not the least bit immodest, Dash knew it wasnt there, for if it had been, he would have found it.
The second location was already empty. Someone had emptied it. Dash didnt know if it had been stripped of its contents during the fall of the city or days, even hours before he reached it.
He was leading the men northward as much as he could, knowing his best chance for escape was around the area formerly known as Fishtown. It was one of the few places in Krondor you could enter the bay and with a little swimming find yourself outside the walls of the city. Dash didnt know if the other men could swim, and for the most part he didnt care. While he wanted to see these three men to safety if possible, hed willingly sell them out to get his information back to the Prince.
Keeping one hand on the wall, he led them deeper into the darkness.
Jimmy motioned toward the faint light. Malar nodded, whispering, A way out, young sir?
Perhaps. Boost me up on your shoulders so I can take a look.
Malar knelt, and when Jimmy put his left boot on the servants shoulders, Malar stood, grabbing Jimmys ankles to support him as he was lifted to a point just below the light. Jimmy fought for balance a moment, but Malar kept his motion steady, and Jimmy kept his position as he grabbed a support in the floor above him to keep from falling.