“Don’t worry, I think I’ve sussed it, look-”
Alex took one step forward and felt the strangest sensation. The air blowing past him suddenly whirled around and twisted upward. He was in the middle of a wind dervish. Just standing there had affected the flow of air in the tunnel in the most ingenious fashion and started it in a new course up the tower. A low, reedy hum was first heard, and then other notes rising in a cacophonous chord that threatened to deafen them all.
“It’s the horn!” Alex shouted in delight, looking upward again at the holes in the wall that the wind blew against. “The tower itself is the horn! That’s why the knights awakened! The yfelgopes did it just by entering the room!”
The noise tapered off and Alex turned to continue his descent down the stairs. Then he leapt back in surprise. The knights had already awakened and were mounting the stairs toward him, weapons drawn and ready.
“Ecgbryt, do you want to talk to them?”
“Knights of Ennor,” Ecgbryt called out from the top of the staircase. “Rise up now to fulfill your secret oath and complete your sacred duty. A brother knight calls to you-the time has come to awake.”
The knights looked at each other and then at the strange pair standing at the entrance to the tower.
“Is it time?” the knight at the front asked. “Truly, is it time?”
“It’s past time,” Alex said. “Come on, grab your gear. We’re offski.”
CHAPTER SIX
I
“We call ourselves the leafleas. That means ‘The Doubtful.’ My name is Argument.”
Daniel blinked. “Argument?”
“I am told it is my dominant trait.”
“You would find it hard to believe how long it took us to convince him of that fact,” the leafleas behind him said.
Daniel swayed. His body was weighed down by exhaustion, but he could feel his heart beating quickly. The left side of his body was throbbing, issuing waves of heat at every swell. He looked at the band of yfelgopes in front of him; they appeared as ugly and hostile as any other group of the creatures. Could he trust them? Was it possible he was so tired that he was delirious? Could he even trust himself?
He would have to trust his instincts. And right now they were. . vague. He was getting an impression, but it was hard to fit into words. The yfelgopes-or the leafleas, as they called themselves-were. .
“Sticky,” he said to himself.
“What?” asked the yfelgop in front of him.
“You look sticky-I think you’ll stick,” Daniel said decisively. They were leading him through the cells and up and around a spiralling back entrance. The ground had a tendency to lurch beneath him like the deck of a ship. He wished he still had his jacket and that it wasn’t back in the Langtorr’s foyer.
“You’re the right length,” Daniel said, trying to clarify. That might be misunderstood, he reflected, but. . well, he knew what he meant. Do I have a concussion? Daniel wondered. Well, what could be done about it if I do?
Argument nodded. “Then come. We will take you east and east by northeast, through an untravelled and unwatched route out of the city and into the wild caves beyond.”
“What then?” Daniel asked.
“Then we look for Godmund and the other resisters,” a leafleas behind Argument said.
Daniel laughed. “Of course.”
“Shh! More quiet, please. It is funny?”
“No, not really. I think I’ve just worked it out.”
“You know where Godmund and his band are?”
“Hah, no. That’s still. . sort of. . purple. No, I just-never mind. Go ahead and get me out of here.”
Daniel followed them, a smile tugging at the right side of his face. They wound through dark corridors, and he was amazed at how calm and relaxed he felt, despite the situation. He felt he had a secret weapon, an advantage-the knowledge of what was really going on.
They came out through a cavern near a wide pool of water. Daniel wondered if there were fish in it, and if those fish had eyes. Maybe, maybe not, he thought and then stumbled slightly.
“Try to be quiet. Each sound we make may draw suspicion.”
Annoyed, Daniel was going to tell the yfelgop-leafleas, whatever-that he should worry about his own feet and not his, but had trouble framing the sentence, and then the moment passed. It’s still the right length, he told himself, and anyway, he had his pocket-his secret in his pocket-and that put him at ease again. But there was another thought floating around his head: Length, sticky, pocket? Who talks like that? There was something going on in him that didn’t make objective sense. Well, there was nothing to do for it now-he just had to stay the course. Push through, even if it was only by sheer bloody-mindedness.
After another fifteen minutes of walking, they came to a group of yfelgopes seated around five Ni?ergeard lamps with shutters on them, letting out only the dimmest light.
“Who approaches, and from what direction?” one of the yfelgopes from the other group challenged.
“It is Argument. I approach from the south: one hundred and twenty-nine steps north, one hundred and thirty-three steps east. How long have you waited?”
“We have stayed this ground one hundred and thirty-nine minutes. How long did your journey take?”
Argument began a response. “What’re they doing?” Daniel asked the leafleas next to him.
“It is our way of identifying members of our group. Those numbers hold significance.”
“Doesn’t he recognise him? Like, by his face or length?”
“Yes, but it is well to make sure.”
Daniel nodded and listened to a few more exchanges.
“Is this he?” asked the interrogative yfelgop, finally satisfied with the responses.
“Indeed,” said Argument, with a good measure of selfsatisfaction.
“Hi, Daniel Tully. Pleased to meetcha!” Daniel said, extending a hand and grinning carelessly.
The yfelgop standing in front of Daniel looked at his hand expressionlessly.
“This is Certain Doubt,” said Argument, behind him. “He is the most senior of us.”
“I used to be called Eddik,” Certain Doubt said peevishly. “It is time we left. We should not have stayed so long.”
“I don’t suppose anyone managed to pocket my things?” Daniel asked.
“We did not,” said Certain Doubt. “Your items would have been noticed missing before you were. We did, however, bring you this sword.” He signalled to one of the other yfelgopes, who stepped forward, carrying a large bundle. Daniel took the sword that was resting on top of it. “It is not yours, but it is of the nearest dimensions we could find at the time. Also, here are clothes, to keep you as warm and dry as possible.”
Daniel had been counting, and there looked to be about twenty-five of them altogether. He pulled the sword partway out of its scabbard to inspect it and then pushed it back in with a snap.
“Are you tired? Do you need rest?”
Daniel’s head bobbed upward. “What? Sorry, what?”
“Sleep! Are you tired-do you need rest? It is of the utmost importance that we move swiftly, but if you need to rest, then we will stop here for a moment.”
“No, no, I should be fine,” Daniel said, fitting the sword belt around his waist and shaking out the travelling cloak he’d been given. It didn’t seem to have a pocket. “Ready when you are, captain. Stretch on.”
“I am ready. We all are ready. I am no captain.”
Daniel nodded, with an apologetic expression that he then wished no one had seen. He had to be careful. He couldn’t stretch it, or they’d tumble that he was on to them. He couldn’t stretch it. It had to stay the right length. Otherwise it wouldn’t stick.
Stick. Sticky. Stretch. Stick.