needed for other tasks, as yet unseen, between here and Dusk-Door.'
Quietly the Squad set about to carry out Shannon's plan. The hole was covered with Perry's cloak, and lanterns were dimly unhooded. Ursor cast the dead Ruck into one of the wide cracks in the floor as the rest of die Squad searched for and located three places to take cover: one on a ledge high on the west wall, the other two behind boulders along the east wall. And Perry, Anval, and Borin made sure that they could quickly get concealed in their selected hiding places: Borin on the ledge, Anval and Perry behind the boulders. Then a trio of toppling ropes were tied to the great slab up high, Borin clambering to do it. That done, the lanterns were hooded, and Perry made one more trip through the hole and down the cleft, this time with his sleeve well buttoned. When he returned he reported that the maggot-folk showed no sign of moving on.
'Then we must delay no longer,' declared Lord Kian, and he turned to Anvai and Borin. 'We have come far together, and it saddens me that we are to be sundered. Yet the mission is our first concern and makes this separation necessary. In my heart I believe we will meet again.'
Then Lord Kian knelt on one knee before Perry and placed a hand on each of the buccan's shoulders. 'Friend Waerling, though we have known one another but a brief time, I value your friendship. Take care and guide well.' He embraced the Warrow and men stood.
Shannon and Ursor in turn said a simple 'Fare you well' to the Dwarves and the Warrow. Perry was too overburdened with emotion to say anything, and Anvai and Borin managed to say only, 'Shok Chdkka amonu.'
Lord Kian stepped forward and took up one of the toppling lines, and so did they all: Borin assumed a stance behind Kian on that line; Ursor, and behind him Shannon, took up the second tine; and Anval with Perry grasped the third and last line, At Kian's quiet command, they all hauled back; the
ropes grew taut as the Squad pulled, yet the stone yielded not. Again Kian gave the command, and all put forth maximum effort: grips tightened, arms knotted, backs straightened, and legs strained; still the rock remained stubborn and did not move. 'Enough,' panted Kian, and released his grip.
Dejectedly, Perry dropped his end of the rope and sat down with the others, rubbing his forearms. 'Now what do we do?' asked the Warrow.
Borin glanced at the top of the slab. 'When I fastened the lines,' he recalled, 'I saw a notch high up behind the rock. I deem a Chak could climb into it and use his legs to lever the stone. Anval, you are strongest. Climb to the cleft, brace between the rock and the wall, and give it enough more of a push with us pulling to o'erbalance it.'
No sooner did Borin speak than Anval swarmed up the slab and into the notch. He then placed his feet on the rock and braced his back against the stone wall. The rest of the Squad took up the ropes: Borin, Kian, and Ursor on the three separate lines, Shannon behind Kian, and Perry behind Borin.
At Kian's soft command, again they pulled: Perry leaned into the rope with all his might, straining to his uttermost limits. Borin's great shoulders knotted, the muscles becoming iron hard as he hauled on the rope. Kian and Shannon threw all their weight and strength into their line, their arms rigid and their legs trembling with the effort. Giant Ursor had braced his feet against a fissure in the floor, and his body leaned almost level, his mighty thews drawing down hard on his rope.
But it was Anval who proved to be the key: He summoned all of his power into pushing against the slab; perspiration beaded his brow; ligaments and tendons and blood vessels stood out in bold relief on his arms, neck, and forehead; his teeth ground together; and his face distorted with effort. His fingers clawed into their hold on the stone of the notch, and his arm muscles knotted. His back and shoulders braced hard against the wall, and his thigh muscles trembled with the strain. He emitted a low moan as the stress became nearly unbearable, and then slowly, slowly his legs began to straighten as the massive slab inched away from the cleft.
Ursor's great legs, too, began to uncoil as the slab gradually stood upright, and the Baeran's mighty back straight102
Oef1MI5 L
ened. Perry's foot slipped, and he fell to one knee, but he quickly recovered and threw his strength back into the struggle. Bonn, Kian, and Shannon felt the rock pulling away from the wail and strained mightily to haul with all their strength for just a moment longer.
And then the rock passed over center to fall to the cavern floor with a thunderous CRACK!
And the black fissure into the Bottom Chamber stood open before the Squad, lighted by a lantern at this end and by far-off burning brands at the other.
Momentarily the Squad slumped back, drained of al! energy. Then Kian struggled upright. 'Quickly!' he gasped, 'we must act now.'
As Perry retrieved his cloak, Anval dropped down from the cleft, and he and the Warrow limped to the crannies behind the boulders while Bonn wearily scaled up to the high ledge. Kian, Shannon, and Ursor, their strength returning, unhooded three lanterns and fled back down the cavern. A shout came from the chamber, and the slap of running Rucken boots could be heard. Perry scuttled behind his boulder. He could see through a crack between rocks. Torchlight shuttered down the notch, and a large Hlok-led band of Rucks burst through the mouth of the cleft and into the cave. From far off Perry heard Shannon Silverleaf call, 'Hai, Rucha!' and two arrows whined into the enemy, felling two Rucks. Then two more arrows hissed through the air to thud into another pair.
The Rucks quailed back, but the Hlok snarled, 'Ptang glush! Sklurr!' and cracked the thongs of a cat-of-tails. Most of the Rucks leapt forward in pursuit, but the Hlok shouted more orders, and ten of the maggot-folk stayed behind while the leader sprang after the others, torches pursuing lanterns. Soon the sound of the chase was remote, and the notch-warding Rucks fell to squabbling among themselves.
Perry was dismayed. This is awful, he thought. They've left behind a rear guard, to the ruin of our plan, Now we can't get through. Oh, why did this have to happen? Hey! that's a fair question. Why would a rear guard be left behind? Are they waiting for something? If so, what?
As Perry pondered the questions, he glimpsed Anval behind the other boulder; and the Dwarf made shushing, stay-where-you-are hand signals at the Warrow. Perry nodded his
understanding and leaned back against the stone wall behind, waiting.
An hour went by, men another, and another. Perry cautiously shifted about uncomfortably; it seemed, no matter where he moved, there was always a rock or a hump or a lump in the wrong place, and it ground into his back or thigh or seat. He wondered what AnvaTs plan was, and then he could see that the Rucks were nodding off, one by one. How did Anval know that they would sleep? Perry wondered; then: Perhaps it is the nature of the maggot-folk to shirk duty at every opportunity.
In another hour all the Rucks were asleep, including the one who was supposed to be standing guard.
Anval cautiously signalled Perry, Go quietly-and they slowly and soundlessly crept from behind their boulders as Bonn silently descended from the ledge. Both Dwarves held their axes in readiness, and Perry unsheathed blazing Bane. On tiptoe they threaded their way among the sleeping Spawn. As they passed the guard, Bonn's foot rolled a pebble that went clattering toward a crevice in the floor, sounding to Perry as loud as thunder itself. The three froze, and Perry held Bane ready to slay the slumbering watch, the sword point poised steadily over the Ruck's heart. Restlessly, the sleeping guard moaned and shifted his weight, while the pebble rattled to a stop down in the crack to leave silence behind, broken only by the snoring of the maggot-folk. None of the Rucks awakened, and the Dwarves and the Warrow passed into the cleft.
As they emerged into the Bottom Chamber, Perry sheathed Bane's light and led the way toward the arch over the stream. Swiftly they crossed the floor, passing over the bridge and beyond the running water. But before they could reach the west corridor, they saw light coming down the passageway toward them.
Quickly the trio dived behind a low parapet of delved stone off to one side. A large company of Spawn loped into the Chamber. This is why ten Rucks were left behind: to meet this gang, thought Perry, and he watched them lope to the center of the Chamber and halt. 'We got out just in time,' the Warrow breathed to Bonn. 'They've got the way we came stopped up like a cork in a bottle.'
As the three looked on, several of the notch-warding Rucks trotted out of the crevice and spoke with the newly arrived Hlok leader, but Perry and the Dwarves were too far away to hear what was being said. To the dismay of the three, however, the Hlok snarled orders, and Rucks jumped up and ran to guard each of the entrances and exits of the Bottom Chamber, including the west portal. Then runners were dispatched: one east, one west, and one south. 'He sends messages to other Hroken leaders,' hissed Anval. 'No doubt, Gnar also will be
