soldier drew nearer, he breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized Ganry, dressed in a soldier’s uniform.
Ganry moved into the bushes and passed Artas a pile of clothing. “I think he’s your size. Get your clothes off,” Ganry ordered. “This one should fit you,” he told Daphne as he passed her a uniform too.
They both quickly changed. The uniforms were not a perfect fit, but they should pass anything except a close inspection.
“The way is clear to the stables,” Ganry said, after looking them over. “Most of the guards, it seems, are sleeping in the barracks, and only a few patrol the area. They’re little complacent for my liking, but that should work to our advantage.”
They made their way quietly to the stables. Artas was surprised, despite Ganry’s words, that they saw or heard no one on their journey. It seemed odd to Artas. These were the Emperor’s protectors, surely they guard their leader better than this?
The stable was also empty, not only of people but horses too. This was just one more puzzle to add to the others. Ganry entered an empty stall and began to tap at the wooden panels at the back. After a few moments he was satisfied he had found the right spot and was soon sliding away the wall to reveal a dark tunnel. Turning to the others, he stuck up his thumb just before disappearing through the hole.
“Follow me,” he instructed. “It’s a bit cramped in here, but there’s enough room if we go single file. I’m afraid it’s not very high either, so you’ll have to crawl.”
Artas and Daphne looked at each other, sighed, and once again they followed after Ganry, neither of them entirely sure what to expect.
11
It seemed they were in the tunnel for hours, in the dark, cramped and very warm atmosphere. Artas's leg was beginning to ache, but he struggled on, silently. Ganry had gone on ahead, but there was no chance of taking a wrong turn because there were none. Just one singular tunnel that seemed to continue on, relentlessly on and on. Finally, just when Artas felt he could go no further, he could see a light up ahead. In a few moments they were out of the tunnel and in something that looked like a laundry room.
Artas sat down and stretched his leg to loosen the joints and relieve the aching pain, grateful for the rest. Though it did not last long before Ganry was leading them out of the room and into the passageways of the palace.
Making their way around the palace was easy, for Ganry knew all the secret passages and doors. As a boy, he and Porteus, General Jeon’s son, had been left to run around freely in the palace. The Emperor had been fond of bumping into them both, unexpectedly. He genuinely enjoyed watching them play and encouraged them to go anywhere they liked within the palace walls.
Being back in the palace reminded Ganry of his father, who would come here with him whenever he had an audience with the Emperor. Ganry’s father was a political man, and influential in the circles of power. He wondered what part, if any, his own father was playing in this strange affair. His father was a great supporter of the Emperor. It would be unlikely that he would do anything to harm the royal family.
He didn’t have time to ponder on the political stance of his father. Right now, all three of them were wedged in the narrowest of passageways. It had seemed much wider when he was last here, still, he was a young boy then. This passageway, if he remembered correctly, led to the Emperor’s bedroom, and Ganry had traveled its length many times in the past. He hoped that the Emperor would be in his bedchamber, and that he might find the opportunity to speak with him.
Eventually, they came to the end of the passageway. The exit to the room was disguised and covered by a huge mirror on the wall, but this was no ordinary mirror. It was possible to see through the mirror without being seen from the other side. What use it served he had no idea, but it gave them a perfect view into
Ganry moved into the bushes and passed Artas a pile of clothing. “I think he’s your size. Get your clothes off,” Ganry ordered. “This one should fit you,” he told Daphne as he passed her a uniform too.
They both quickly changed. The uniforms were not a perfect fit, but they should pass anything except a close inspection.
“The way is clear to the stables,” Ganry said, after looking them over. “Most of the guards, it seems, are sleeping in the barracks, and only a few patrol the area. They’re little complacent for my liking, but that should work to our advantage.”
They made their way quietly to the stables. Artas was surprised, despite Ganry’s words, that they saw or heard no one on their journey. It seemed odd to Artas. These were the Emperor’s protectors, surely they guard their leader better than this?
The stable was also empty, not only of people but horses too. This was just one more puzzle to add to the others. Ganry entered an empty stall and began to tap at the wooden panels at the back. After a few moments he was satisfied he had found the right spot and was soon sliding away the wall to reveal a dark tunnel. Turning to the others, he stuck up his thumb just before disappearing through the hole.
“Follow me,” he instructed. “It’s a bit cramped in here, but there’s enough room if we go single file. I’m afraid it’s not very high either, so you’ll have to crawl.”
Artas and Daphne looked at each other, sighed, and once again they followed after Ganry, neither of them entirely sure what to expect.
11
It seemed they were in the tunnel for hours, in the dark, cramped and very warm atmosphere. Artas's leg was beginning to ache, but he struggled on, silently. Ganry had gone on ahead, but there was no chance of taking a wrong turn because there were none. Just one singular tunnel that seemed to continue on, relentlessly on and on. Finally, just when Artas felt he could go no further, he could see a light up ahead. In a few moments they were out of the tunnel and in something that looked like a laundry room.
Artas sat down and stretched his leg to loosen the joints and relieve the aching pain, grateful for the rest. Though it did not last long before Ganry was leading them out of the room and into the passageways of the palace.
Making their way around the palace was easy, for Ganry knew all the secret passages and doors. As a boy, he and Porteus, General Jeon’s son, had been left to run around freely in the palace. The Emperor had been fond of bumping into them both, unexpectedly. He genuinely enjoyed watching them play and encouraged them to go anywhere they liked within the palace walls.
Being back in the palace reminded Ganry of his father, who would come here with him whenever he had an audience with the Emperor. Ganry’s father was a political man, and influential in the circles of power. He wondered what part, if any, his own father was playing in this strange affair. His father was a great supporter of the Emperor. It would be unlikely that he would do anything to harm the royal family.
He didn’t have time to ponder on the political stance of his father. Right now, all three of them were wedged in the narrowest of passageways. It had seemed much wider when he was last here, still, he was a young boy then. This passageway, if he remembered correctly, led to the Emperor’s bedroom, and Ganry had traveled its length many times in the past. He hoped that the Emperor would be in his bedchamber, and that he might find the opportunity to speak with him.
Eventually, they came to the end of the passageway. The exit to the room was disguised and covered by a huge mirror on the wall, but this was no ordinary mirror. It was possible to see through the mirror without being seen from the other side. What use it served he had no idea, but it gave them a perfect view into
Similar Books
