CHAPTER 24
Once my eyes had adjusted to the darkness I saw that a thin line of light ran along at shoulder height on each side of the tunnel. The floor was smooth and hard, as were the walls when I brushed my fingers against them. We walked in silence for some time until we came to a cross tunnel.
“No talking now! Breathe silently-do not stir,” one of our guides whispered. “Back against the wall.”
We stayed that way for long minutes. I saw that there were glowing numerals on the walls where the tunnels crossed. I added to my store of useless knowledge the data that we were in tunnel Y-82790 at the place where it crossed NJ28940. I leaned against the wall, and was thinking seriously about going to sleep, when I heard the thud of marching boots from NJ-28940. I woke up and remained silent and unmoving as a squad of about twenty men exited from the tunnel on our right and marched straight across and into the same numbered tunnel on the left. When the sound of their footsteps had almost died away we moved out to the whispered command.
“Turn left, after them. Quiet as you can.”
This was apparently the only dangerous part of our journey, because once we had left this tunnel for another our companions whispered together again. I wondered if Fido teas still with us.
“Don’t bark,” I said as softly as I could. “But if you are still there, man’s best friend, and hearing this with your super hearing, a tiny growl is permitted.”
A guttural grrr sounded from somewhere around my ankles.
“Great. A double growl now if you are reading the tunnel numbers and memorizing same.”
A quick grrr-grrr reassured me. So I did not have to keep track of our many turnings. After this we marched in silence for a tiresome period; my strength still wasn’t what it should be. I was more than grateful when I saw a glow of light ahead; almost ran into our new companions when they stopped.
“Silence!” Dreadnought whispered. Floyd and I silenced and listened-then heard the running footsteps as well. They thudded close, then stopped suddenly.
“The sounds of deadly battle-” the newcomer said.
“Echo with the cries of the dying,” Dreadnought answered. Password and countersign. Pretty depressing though. “Is that you, Irredeemable?” Dreadnought asked.
“It is. I was sent to warn you. A message was passed on from you-know-who that you were detected exiting and reentering the tunnels. Search parties are out and you must avoid them.”
“How?” Indefatigable asked. With just a touch of hysteria to his voice.
“I do not know. I was sent only to warn. May the God of Battles go with you.” With this blessing the footsteps thudded again into silence as he ran back the way he had come.
“What do we do?” Dreadnought asked unhappily. His companion was just as assertive. “I don’t know . . .”
I swear that I could hear their teeth chattering. Whatever else they were, these two young men were not plotters or planners. Time for a pro to step in.
“I will tell you what we must do.” Speaking as an unhumble old plotter and planner.
“What?” They spoke the word together.
“If they are searching the tunnels-then we must leave the tunnels.”
“Wonderful,” Floyd muttered. It may have seemed pretty obvious to him but these lads welcomed the idea as they would have orders from the God of Battles himself.
“Yes! Leave-before they find us!”
“Out of the tunnels!”
Good so far, I thought. When the silence lengthened, and I realized that was the end of their contribution, I asked the vital question.
“Out of the tunnels, right. But where do we go? Above ground again?”
“No-all exits will be watched.”
“Only one other way,” Dreadnought said, with rising enthusiasm. “Down, we must go down!”
“To the Cultivastings!” his companion added, just as filled with enthusiasm.
“Let’s do it,” I said wearily, not having the slightest idea of what they were talking about. “The God of Battles wants it that way.”
They double-timed and we followed. Around the bend into the next tunnel where a glowing outline revealed that there vas a metal door inset into the wall. Neither of our hosts tugged at the handle so there was a good chance that it was locked. Indefatigable stepped forward to face the illuminated keypad set into the wall beside it.