bloodied his fingers. He sank again into dark, endless waiting. Eilonwy did not return.
Chapter 7
The Trap
FROM THE CORRIDOR
, a faint sound grew louder. Taran hastened to press his ear against the slot in the portal. He heard the heavy tread of marching feet, the rattle of weapons. He straightened and stood with his back to the wall. The girl had betrayed him. He cast about for some means to defend himself, for he had determined they would not take him easily. For the sake of having something in his hands, Taran picked up the dirty straw and held it ready to fling; it was a pitiable defense, and he wished desperately for Gwydion's power to set it ablaze. The footsteps continued. He feared, then, they would enter the other cell. He breathed a sigh of relief when they did not stop but faded away toward what he imagined to be the far end of the corridor. Perhaps the guard was being changed.
He turned away, certain Eilonwy would not be back, and furious with her and her false promises. She was a rattlebrained fool who would undoubtedly giggle and take it as a great joke when the Cauldron-Born came for him. He buried his face in his hands. He could hear her chatter even now. Taran started up again. The voice he heard was real.
“Must you always sit on the wrong stone?” it said. “You're too heavy to lift.”
Taran jumped up and hurriedly cleared the straw away. The flagstone was raised. The light from the golden ball was dim now, but enough for him to see that Eilonwy looked pleased with herself.
“Your companion is free,” she whispered. “And I took Melyngar from the stable. They are hidden in the woods outside the castle. It's all done now,” Eilonwy said gleefully. “They're waiting for you. So if you get a move on and stop looking as if you'd forgotten your own name, we can go and meet them.”
“Did you find weapons?” Taran asked.
“Well, no. I didn't have a chance to look,” Eilonwy said. “Really,” she added, “you can't expect me to do everything, can you?”
Eilonwy held the glowing sphere close to the stone floor. “Go first,” she said. “Then I'll come down after, so I can put the stone back in place. Then, when Achren sends to have you killed, there won't be any trace at all. She'll think you disappeared into thin air--- and that will make it all the more vexing. I know it isn't nice to vex people on purpose--- it's like handing them a toad--- but this is much too good to miss and I may never have another chance at it.”
“Achren will know you let us escape,” Taran said.
“No, she won't,” said Eilonwy, “because she'll think I'm still locked up. And if she doesn't know I can get out, she can't know I was here. But it's very thoughtful of you to say that. It shows a kind heart, and I think that's so much more important than being clever.”
While Eilonwy continued to chatter away, Taran lowered himself into the narrow opening. The passage was low, he discovered, and he was obliged to crouch almost on hands and knees.
Eilonwy moved the stone into place and then began to lead the way. The glow from the sphere showed walls of hard packed earth. As Taran hunched along, other galleries opened up on either side.
“Be sure you follow me,” Eilonwy called. “Don't go into any of those. Some of them branch off and some of them don't go anywhere at all. You'd get lost, and that would be a useless thing to do if you're trying to escape.”
The girl moved so quickly Taran had difficulty keeping up with her. Twice he stumbled over loose stones in the passage, clutched at the ground, and pitched forward. The little light bobbed ahead, while behind him long fingers of darkness grasped his heels. He could understand why Achren's fortress was called Spiral Castle. The narrow, stifling galleries turned endlessly; he could not be sure whether they were making real progress or whether the tunnel was merely doubling back on itself.
The earthen ceiling trembled with
Chapter 7
The Trap
FROM THE CORRIDOR
, a faint sound grew louder. Taran hastened to press his ear against the slot in the portal. He heard the heavy tread of marching feet, the rattle of weapons. He straightened and stood with his back to the wall. The girl had betrayed him. He cast about for some means to defend himself, for he had determined they would not take him easily. For the sake of having something in his hands, Taran picked up the dirty straw and held it ready to fling; it was a pitiable defense, and he wished desperately for Gwydion's power to set it ablaze. The footsteps continued. He feared, then, they would enter the other cell. He breathed a sigh of relief when they did not stop but faded away toward what he imagined to be the far end of the corridor. Perhaps the guard was being changed.
He turned away, certain Eilonwy would not be back, and furious with her and her false promises. She was a rattlebrained fool who would undoubtedly giggle and take it as a great joke when the Cauldron-Born came for him. He buried his face in his hands. He could hear her chatter even now. Taran started up again. The voice he heard was real.
“Must you always sit on the wrong stone?” it said. “You're too heavy to lift.”
Taran jumped up and hurriedly cleared the straw away. The flagstone was raised. The light from the golden ball was dim now, but enough for him to see that Eilonwy looked pleased with herself.
“Your companion is free,” she whispered. “And I took Melyngar from the stable. They are hidden in the woods outside the castle. It's all done now,” Eilonwy said gleefully. “They're waiting for you. So if you get a move on and stop looking as if you'd forgotten your own name, we can go and meet them.”
“Did you find weapons?” Taran asked.
“Well, no. I didn't have a chance to look,” Eilonwy said. “Really,” she added, “you can't expect me to do everything, can you?”
Eilonwy held the glowing sphere close to the stone floor. “Go first,” she said. “Then I'll come down after, so I can put the stone back in place. Then, when Achren sends to have you killed, there won't be any trace at all. She'll think you disappeared into thin air--- and that will make it all the more vexing. I know it isn't nice to vex people on purpose--- it's like handing them a toad--- but this is much too good to miss and I may never have another chance at it.”
“Achren will know you let us escape,” Taran said.
“No, she won't,” said Eilonwy, “because she'll think I'm still locked up. And if she doesn't know I can get out, she can't know I was here. But it's very thoughtful of you to say that. It shows a kind heart, and I think that's so much more important than being clever.”
While Eilonwy continued to chatter away, Taran lowered himself into the narrow opening. The passage was low, he discovered, and he was obliged to crouch almost on hands and knees.
Eilonwy moved the stone into place and then began to lead the way. The glow from the sphere showed walls of hard packed earth. As Taran hunched along, other galleries opened up on either side.
“Be sure you follow me,” Eilonwy called. “Don't go into any of those. Some of them branch off and some of them don't go anywhere at all. You'd get lost, and that would be a useless thing to do if you're trying to escape.”
The girl moved so quickly Taran had difficulty keeping up with her. Twice he stumbled over loose stones in the passage, clutched at the ground, and pitched forward. The little light bobbed ahead, while behind him long fingers of darkness grasped his heels. He could understand why Achren's fortress was called Spiral Castle. The narrow, stifling galleries turned endlessly; he could not be sure whether they were making real progress or whether the tunnel was merely doubling back on itself.
The earthen ceiling trembled with
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