Theobald lifted the lamp, and wild light dragged the rock walls.
They couldn’t run, because they couldn’t see that far, but Hink sure as hell wished they would get moving a bit faster.
The blast sounded like the world cracked itself in half. Rocks rattled down from the ceiling and a huge push of warm air and dust rushed into the tunnel, turning the lantern light muddy.
Hink covered his head and pushed his back up close to one wall.
It took a while, but the crackle of stones rolling to the ground eventually quieted.
“Everyone okay?” Hink asked.
“I think so,” Miss Dupuis said, coughing. “Otto?”
“Right here, Sophie. And apparently still in one piece,” he said.
“Joonie?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” Miss Wright said. “And the wolf, Wil, is it? He’s next to me and seems uninjured.”
“Can’t go back,” Cedar said, peering through the dust the way they’d come in. “Sealed off.”
“What do we do, Mr. Hunt?” Miss Dupuis asked.
Cedar walked past Hink, past Theobald and Miss Dupuis. “We go forward.”
“To where?” Joonie asked. “The bottom of this mountain? Shouldn’t we just wait until dark and dig our way out the way we came in?”
“Don’t think so,” Captain Hink said. “Men with guns are gonna camp right on the other side of that rock pile waiting to shoot anyone who sticks their nose out. Old Jack ain’t gonna ask if you’re friend of foe, he’s just gonna kill you.”
Hink pushed off the wall where he’d been leaning to take some of the weight off his bad leg and started after Cedar Hunt. “We got any other light besides the one?” he asked.
“Might be something up here,” Cedar said from a ways down the tunnel. “A couple crates here on the wall.”
“Still got that ax on you, Mr. Hunt?” Captain Hink asked.
A crack of steel breaking wood was answer enough. “Could use the light, if I may,” Cedar said.
Theobald handed the lantern to Miss Dupuis, and she handed it up until Hink took it and stood next to Cedar, peering down into the crate.
“Canteens, buckets, blankets,” Hink said. “No food. Pans, though. Bust open the other one.”
Cedar took a few steps down the tunnel and broke the next crate.
Hink looked over the contents. “Lanterns.” He picked one up, gave it a shake. “It’s got oil. Looks like there’s three of them. Light them all just to make sure they’re wicked proper, then take what supplies we can carry. Mr. Hunt, do you think Wil can do some scouting for us?”
“He already is.”
Hink glanced off where he had seen the wolf just a second ago, but he was gone, silent as the night. “He have a good nose for fresh air?” Hink asked quietly.
Joonie might be worried about being trapped, but Hink was more worried that the air would run foul.
“Yes. And he’ll find daylight, but it could take time,” Cedar said. Then, to the others, “If anyone else has a way, or device we might use to track out of the tunnels, now would be a good time to suggest it.”
“I have a compass,” Theobald said.
“You have paper and ink to record our headings in case we need to backtrack?” Hink asked.
“A man in my line of work always keeps paper and ink,” Theobald said cheerily.
“What line of work is that exactly?” Hink asked.
“Oh, I’m a man of many trades, but mostly I am a speaker and man of politics.”
He got busy digging in that bag of his, and produced a journal, a fountain pen, and a compass, which he strapped to his wrist like a watch.
“Everyone have a light?” Hink asked.
“Yes, Captain,” Miss Dupuis said. “I believe we are all ready.”
Cedar started off down the tunnel, moving easily over the sandy floor littered with stones, at a pace Hink could match. Except for Theobald calling out change of headings through the twists and turns, they didn’t talk for a long while, each of them busy minding feet and head.
Wil showed up after a bit.
“Any luck?” Cedar asked.
The wolf couldn’t speak, or so Hink supposed. But somehow, Cedar seemed to understand what the animal was trying to say.
“Branches off up here,” Cedar said. “Be careful.”
Hink was starting to really feel the leg wound. Each step was a little harder than the last. He knew he couldn’t walk these tunnels all night. He’d need a rest soon.
They took the left branch of the tunnel where Wil waited patiently for them. Then there was more walking. Some uphill, some down, and enough turns and branches that Hink was very glad Theobald was keeping close track of their meandering.
Just when Hink was about to tell Mr. Hunt his leg was going to completely give out on him, a gush of cool air washed into the tunnel.
Wil was some ways down that tunnel, whining softly.
There wasn’t any light up ahead, but the breeze had to come from some kind of opening to the outside.
“We’re facing east,” Theobald said.
“East sounds good to me.” Hink was going through his memories of flying over Old Jack’s mountain.
Not a lot of ships traveled here, and Old Jack had the guns to keep it that way. Still, he’d drifted the
“If we’re any sort of lucky,” Hink said between the brief moments of putting weight on his bad leg, “we’ll be somewhere near a clearing. Plenty of valleys between most of these peaks.”
“And then what?” Theobald asked.
“I’ll signal for the
“You have a signaling device on you, Captain Hink?” Miss Dupuis asked.
“All airship crewmen carry one. Or should.” He grunted up the uneven floor. “They’ll be looking for it.”
And then the light from outside, even though it must be late evening, carved a blindingly white hole in the tunnel ahead and just slightly above where they stood.
It hurt to look at it, and Hink covered his eyes until he could bear the sight. Pretty soon he lowered his fingers and looked at the pile of stones that appeared to be the only way to climb out.
The tunnel opened wider here. Big enough you could drive two Conestogas and their teams of oxen side by side through it if you had the mind to.
Cedar stood at the bottom of the rock pile, his hands on his hips, his face tipped up, the wolf pacing silently behind him. He was thinking a route up those rocks.
“I’ll climb it first,” Cedar said. “Then I’ll help anyone up who might need it.”
Hink looked around and found himself a rock of suitable size for sitting. “Sounds like a plan to me.” He pulled the flask out of his jacket and took down the last swallow of bourbon. It didn’t do much to ease his pain, but it cleared the dust out of his mouth.
Cedar clambered up the stones, reached the top in short order, then threw his shadow across the bright as he looked out to see where they’d ended up.
Didn’t take him much time. Not nearly enough for Hink to catch his breath. But he’d rather be breathless and out in the open sky than stuck down this bunghole.
Cedar retraced his route down the rocks and brushed off his hands as he walked over to where they were waiting.
“It’s a clearing. A valley,” Cedar said. “Sky’s clouded, but no rain. I didn’t hear anything in the air, but I didn’t wait very long.”
“The
Hink stood and cleared the groan out of the back of his throat. “Go on up ahead of me. The leg’s going to
