'I didn't think we could be in anymore poo given the current situation,' she thought, 'but I so very nearly was. When this is all over, I'm going to have the biggest and longest bath in the world.'
Mind back on the task at hand, she turned around towards the control panel and the maze of different sized pipes that ran alongside and above it. Checking each one, it took her a while and some yoga-like twisting of her body to find what she was looking for. Exactly as Flash had described, there was a gap. But it was infinitesimally small. So small in fact, she had a hard time believing that even her lithe little body would fit through it, let alone that of either Flash or the king. But she hadn't come all this way for nothing, and so with nightmarish thoughts of what her friends were currently going through plaguing almost every waking moment, she ducked down on her back and, head first, began pushing herself through the darkness by her toes, managing to scoot along only a metre at a time. It was painfully slow going, as well as blindingly uncomfortable. But after thirty or so metres, the claustrophobic gap opened up into more of a duct, giving her almost enough room to crawl. Stopping briefly to catch her breath, instinctively her hand brushed against the hilt of the dagger, making sure it was still there. Of course it was (she could feel the cold metal nestled against her back) but it felt reassuring just to touch it. Continuing on, the duct remained the same size, providing just enough room to crawl, but not enough to sit up or get even remotely comfortable. Rounding a sharp bend, a giant notice on her right hand side stood out. It read, "Section 312b." Odd that she hadn't seen any other notices, but she figured this one had a purpose, just as the ex-Crimson Guard had explained. Pulling herself along until she was level with the sign, rolling over, she turned to face the opposite wall... no mean feat given her confinement. Running her fingers along the smooth metal, she felt some small imperfections progressing vertically off to one side. Forcing the edge of her thumbnail into the biggest one, she gently tried to lever the metal. Surprisingly, a small panel about the size of a human hand popped off, revealing a dark recess. Reaching in, all she could feel was fabric. Whilst Flash had told her about the secret entrance and the concealed cubby hole, he hadn't disclosed what was in it, only that she might find it incredibly useful. Grabbing a handful, carefully she began pulling out what turned out to be a black as night cloak. In that instant all her hopes were dashed. She was wearing a cloak... alright, not quite as dark as the hidden one. But she'd hoped for something much more, something that would give her an edge in what was to come. To say that she was disappointed didn't really do the situation justice. Lying on her side, spreading the cloak out as much as the space would allow, she wondered why Flash had made such a fuss. It was so unlike him... at least she thought so; the gaps in her memory, whilst fading slightly, were still very much there. About to disregard the newly found garment, it was then that she felt it, or rather not. As she'd pulled the fabric across her arm, something very strange happened. A coarse, cold numbness passed across her, only it wasn't so much physical... more in her mind.
'Odd,' was all that she could think. Slipping off the dark brown cloak currently shrouding her, she clumsily managed to slip on this new black as night one. Pulling the hood up and wrapping the front right across her body, suddenly she understood exactly what it was, and just why her friend thought it so important.
'It's imbued with laminium! It can stop anyone from sensing me.' Memories from her early days in the nursery ring flooded back, particularly one class discussion which had centred on magical objects rumoured to be at large. One such rumour focused on a cloak very much like the one she'd just discovered. It was believed to have existed centuries earlier, but had been mislaid during the course of a dragon battle. If what it could do was true, and she was quite sure it was, then it might let her get unbelievably close to the action without anyone knowing she was there. Silently she thanked the ex-Crimson Guard, wishing him well in whatever endeavour he currently found himself caught up in.
22
What Would Admiral Ackbar Say?
Ironically, not seven miles away, Tank and his merry band of renegade dragons were experiencing almost exactly the same smell as the one Richie had so recently discovered, whilst trudging through a fetid river of waste deep beneath the Buckingham area of London. Janice and Hook were appalled at the almost motorway sized sewer that they found themselves on the edge of, deep beneath the underground dragon city. It was much too dangerous to do anything other than stick to the perimeter, as they'd been told the waste in the middle could be anything up to thirty feet deep. Scary enough you'd think, but the smell... oh the smell! Janice had nearly passed out on climbing down here. It was all she could do not to be sick. One of the other dragons had cast... now what was it called? Oh that's right... a mantra, on all her clothes, making them smell like a fresh summer's meadow. It had helped, that's for sure. Hook though, being the tough rugby player that he was, just sucked it up (not literally) and carried on regardless, wading through God knows what (well, he knew), mind focused on his backpack and how best to use it in the forthcoming confrontation.
Tank was doing his best to lead. It wasn't easy, and to say he had his doubts was nothing short of understating everything that currently swam around his head. It hadn't been his idea to come down here, but once suggested, it did seem like the obvious solution to the problem of how to get within range without being spotted. And so while he plodded through the dragon excrement and goodness knows what else, his mind drifted off towards his friends, near and far, wondering exactly how they were doing, and if he'd ever see them again.
Whispered words echoed in the darkness over the bubbling, steaming river of slurry. Steadily the line of beings drew to a halt, the dragon in front of Tank turning around to face him.
"It appears we've reached the nearest dragonhole cover. What do you want to do?"
Signalling for those behind him, Janice and Hook included, to remain where they were, Tank waded out further into the ever-moving conveyor of waste, skirting past those dragons further down the line until he reached those at the front, crouching down below a huge circular dragonhole cover the size of a car. Ancient words adorned the circumference, most unreadable and caked in filth.
"As far as I can tell, this is the nearest cover to the council building from this particular sewer. There are others, but I would think there's a much greater chance of being discovered if we were to try and get much closer. This one comes out about a block away from the square that sits directly outside the council building, and is located in a secluded alley that runs along the back of a line of shops. I can think of no better place for us to exit."