‘Unless the mage has conditioned them not to be or uses magic to overcome their
natural fear. The magic spiders won’t pay any attention to the flame.’
She thought that it was all very uncertain, but she did not comment.
He bent down and peered at the stone floor just beyond the doorway. He turned.
‘Here. Your young eyes are better than my old ones. Can you see a thread or
anything like it raised above the floor just beyond the door?’
She said, ‘No, I can’t.’
‘Nevertheless.’
He threw his torch through the doorway. At his order, she got, down with her
cheek against the stone and looked against the flame.
She rose, saying, ‘I can see a very thin line about an inch above the floor. It
could be a cord.’
‘Just as I thought. An old Sharranpip trick.’
He stepped back after asking her to get out of the way. And he leaped through
the doorway and came down past the cord. She followed. As they picked up their
torches, he said pointing, ‘There are the mechanisms. One is the time-delay. The
other releases the door so it’ll fall behind the first who enters and trap him.
Anyone following will be crushed by the slab.’
After telling her to keep an eye on the rest of the room, he examined the array
of wheels, gears, and counterweights and the rope that ran from one device
through a hole in the ceiling.
‘The rope is probably attached to an alarm system above,’ he said. ‘Very well. I
know how to actuate both of these. If you should by any foul chance come back
alone, all you have to do is to jump through and then throw a torch or something