Read Online The King in Reserve by Michael Pryor - Free Book Online Page B

to the riding beasts for a lantern. With its light, Adalon and Simangee found the young king a stone's throw away down the tunnel, which sloped away into the distance. He was buried up to his waist in dirt, snapped roots and fragments of paving stones.
    'How did you end up here?' Simangee demanded.
    Gormond didn't seem particularly discomforted. 'I landed on some springy stuff. Plants, I think. Then I was swept along by all this stuff.' He gestured at the debris. 'I suppose I was lucky not to be buried upside down.'
    Gormond's eyes were bright in the lantern light as Adalon and Simangee pulled him free. 'This must lead right under where the A'ak castle was,' he said. He slapped dirt from his rich garments. 'We must explore.'
    'No,' Adalon said. 'It's not safe. We must leave.'
    Simangee nodded, but her face was wistful.
    Gormond shook his head with impatience. 'We can't forgo a chance like this. Think what we could learn.'
    At that moment the ground rumbled, shifting underfoot as if it were alive. Adalon flung his arms wide, trying to keep his balance, but stumbled against the wall of the tunnel. He hissed with pain, and it was only his Clawed One agility that kept him from being thrown off his feet – but it wasn't enough to save the lantern. It crashed against the wall, its metal housing ringing like a bell, then it went out and all was dark.
    For an instant, Adalon stood motionless in the blackness. The tunnel groaned, and from behind them came the sound of earth collapsing. 'Targesh!' Adalon cried, but choking dust caught in his throat and made him cough.
    The rumbling noise of the collapse lessened. Adalon waited, then steadied himself and groped for the tinderbox at his belt. With trembling hands, he struck a flame and his legs almost gave way with relief when the lantern lit at his first try.
    Through stinging eyes he saw Simangee curled up on the floor of the tunnel, knees tucked up and almost touching her chin, arms wrapped around her crested head. Gormond was on the floor as well, almost in a complete ball, the time-honoured method Plated Ones used to escape danger.
    They were safe enough, but Adalon was afraid for Targesh. If the ground collapsed, he had a long way to fall . . .
    He peered back up the tunnel to see Targesh staggering through the dust toward him, groping and coughing, rope still looped around his shoulders. His battleaxe was strapped on his back.
    Adalon grasped his friend and steadied him. 'Are you all right?'
    'The ground fell in. No way out back there.'
    Gormond uncurled and lifted his smiling face. 'Now we'll have to explore,' he said brightly.
    Targesh snorted and cleared his throat. 'Spare us from foolish kings.'

Fifteen
    As they pushed on through the tunnel, the darkness stole in and wrapped them up. The relit lantern did its best, but the shadows were thick, clinging, hard to dispel. After their adventures in the past year, Adalon felt that he should be accustomed to underground explorations, but he still couldn't shake off his uneasiness as they crept into quietness. He rapidly tapped his thumbclaw and the claw on his forefinger together in a nervous rhythm that was even faster than his racing heart.
    Adalon held the lantern and led the way, with Gormond directly behind, constantly treading on his heels in his excitement. Simangee's chuckles followed Gormond and Targesh was at the rear.
    The tunnel led down sharply. Adalon's disquiet grew and he slowed their progress. He scanned every inch of the stone floor, alert for poor footholds. And traps, he reminded himself, suspicious that the A'ak may have wanted to discourage intruders.
    A short distance along the tunnel, the lantern flame began to waver. Adalon halted.
    'What is it?' Gormond asked.
    'A draught,' Simangee said. 'Can't you feel it?'
    'If air can get in, we can get out,' Targesh said.
    'But what's that noise?' Gormond asked.
    Adalon cocked his head and listened. He realised that the noise had been growing for some time. In fact,