the study at the end of the hall. He leaned over and pried at a loose board. It clattered to the floor when he tossed it aside, and then he pulled at the edge of the hole, revealing a set of narrow stairs descending into the dark.
Morgan clicked the button on the torch in his hand and a small flame sprang to life. The reflector at the end of the tube-like light cast a narrow but effective beam. They all followed him down the stairs as he said, “This is just a cellar, like any other, but there’s no external entrance. The old man we bought the place from was quite a paranoid bastard, so we’re guessing he’s the one who built the false wall down here.
Morgan reached his hand into a dark square on the wall and fumbled at something. After a short time, there was a click and the sound of a bolt sliding across stone. “There’s a handle on the other side.”
“Thank you,” Charles said as he reached out and shook Morgan’s hand.
“Good luck.”
Morgan, Lottie, and Drakkar stayed behind. Jacob couldn’t be sure, but he thought Drakkar may have remained because Charles didn’t fully trust Morgan and Lottie. They seemed like good people to Jacob, but he’d seen good people do terrible things. He clenched his fist, remembering how someone in Dauschen had leaked information about Archibald’s spies. It had cost several lives.
Charles lit his lantern when Morgan climbed back up the stairs and disappeared into the dim light above. “No sense delaying this further. We make for the intersection on the map. If everything lines up, we’ll split up and plant our bombs along the two western supports.”
“I still think we should do the closest supports first,” Samuel said.
Charles shook his head. “We go to the far side tonight. You won’t fit in the nearby smaller passages. We’ve been over this. It will give us a good idea of travel time and let us map out any potential hazards along the way. It’s the best strategy at this point.”
“It’s your show,” Samuel said.
Charles nodded. “Follow me for now. We’ll make the decision when we reach the northwestern support.
“Good luck, Atlier.”
Charles turned his head up to Morgan’s voice, echoing from the chamber above, and nodded.
Jacob watched as the silhouette disappeared and the hatch closed behind them. The only light came from the brass lanterns clipped to each of their vests.
“Let’s get this done,” Charles said as he pushed ahead, into the darkness of the passage.
* * *
Jacob wasn’t sure how long they’d been walking, but he knew it had been a good while. It was Samuel who finally broke the silence.
“Can we trust Lottie and Morgan?”
“They are Steamsworn,” Charles said as his boots scraped against a rise in the stone pathway.
Samuel adjusted the lantern hooked on his vest. “I know.”
It was odd to see the Spider Knight without his armor, even if it was the smart thing to do to stay hidden. Jacob didn’t see how they could stay much more hidden than being underground, but Charles insisted that Samuel stay out of the armor. The Spider Knight clearly wasn’t happy about it.
“I don’t even have a halberd,” Samuel muttered.
“A halberd?” Charles said, his voice rising. “What in the hell are you going to do with a halberd in close quarters? A knife or a gun in close quarters, always.”
“I’m better with a halberd, that’s all.”
Jacob tripped on the same elevated stone he’d heard Charles’s boots scrape on.
“Careful,” Charles said.
Jacob thought about arguing, but then he remembered the multitude of explosives strapped to his back. There wasn’t anything he should be but careful, and dry.
The darkness, as close as it had been with the rough walls, dropped away from them into a seemingly infinite pool.
“We’re here,” Charles said as he unclipped the lantern from his vest and raised it toward the ceiling. “Gods but that’s huge.”
The light glinted on the steel
Morgan clicked the button on the torch in his hand and a small flame sprang to life. The reflector at the end of the tube-like light cast a narrow but effective beam. They all followed him down the stairs as he said, “This is just a cellar, like any other, but there’s no external entrance. The old man we bought the place from was quite a paranoid bastard, so we’re guessing he’s the one who built the false wall down here.
Morgan reached his hand into a dark square on the wall and fumbled at something. After a short time, there was a click and the sound of a bolt sliding across stone. “There’s a handle on the other side.”
“Thank you,” Charles said as he reached out and shook Morgan’s hand.
“Good luck.”
Morgan, Lottie, and Drakkar stayed behind. Jacob couldn’t be sure, but he thought Drakkar may have remained because Charles didn’t fully trust Morgan and Lottie. They seemed like good people to Jacob, but he’d seen good people do terrible things. He clenched his fist, remembering how someone in Dauschen had leaked information about Archibald’s spies. It had cost several lives.
Charles lit his lantern when Morgan climbed back up the stairs and disappeared into the dim light above. “No sense delaying this further. We make for the intersection on the map. If everything lines up, we’ll split up and plant our bombs along the two western supports.”
“I still think we should do the closest supports first,” Samuel said.
Charles shook his head. “We go to the far side tonight. You won’t fit in the nearby smaller passages. We’ve been over this. It will give us a good idea of travel time and let us map out any potential hazards along the way. It’s the best strategy at this point.”
“It’s your show,” Samuel said.
Charles nodded. “Follow me for now. We’ll make the decision when we reach the northwestern support.
“Good luck, Atlier.”
Charles turned his head up to Morgan’s voice, echoing from the chamber above, and nodded.
Jacob watched as the silhouette disappeared and the hatch closed behind them. The only light came from the brass lanterns clipped to each of their vests.
“Let’s get this done,” Charles said as he pushed ahead, into the darkness of the passage.
* * *
Jacob wasn’t sure how long they’d been walking, but he knew it had been a good while. It was Samuel who finally broke the silence.
“Can we trust Lottie and Morgan?”
“They are Steamsworn,” Charles said as his boots scraped against a rise in the stone pathway.
Samuel adjusted the lantern hooked on his vest. “I know.”
It was odd to see the Spider Knight without his armor, even if it was the smart thing to do to stay hidden. Jacob didn’t see how they could stay much more hidden than being underground, but Charles insisted that Samuel stay out of the armor. The Spider Knight clearly wasn’t happy about it.
“I don’t even have a halberd,” Samuel muttered.
“A halberd?” Charles said, his voice rising. “What in the hell are you going to do with a halberd in close quarters? A knife or a gun in close quarters, always.”
“I’m better with a halberd, that’s all.”
Jacob tripped on the same elevated stone he’d heard Charles’s boots scrape on.
“Careful,” Charles said.
Jacob thought about arguing, but then he remembered the multitude of explosives strapped to his back. There wasn’t anything he should be but careful, and dry.
The darkness, as close as it had been with the rough walls, dropped away from them into a seemingly infinite pool.
“We’re here,” Charles said as he unclipped the lantern from his vest and raised it toward the ceiling. “Gods but that’s huge.”
The light glinted on the steel
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