But would it be of use in any case? The widening hole around Fury’s cage would not help Barda break out of his prison. The hardened clay around the big man’s arms and legs was untouched.
Then Lief felt something. The clay that cloaked his own left hand was being tapped strongly by something hard and sharp.
Lief guessed what it was, but did not let himself believe it until Kree’s beak broke through the clay and stabbed his wrist.
Never had Lief felt pain so joyously.
Another two taps and the clay covering his hand had cracked away completely. Violently Lief scrabbled at the edges of the hole, making it larger. Then, as Kree began work on his other hand, Lief felt even more vibrations—a scratching and scraping near his foot.
‘Lief!’
With wild joy, Lief recognised the whispering voice. Jasmine was crouching by his right side. He could not see her, but he could feel her dagger chipping at the hard shell that imprisoned him.
Jasmine was alive! Kree must have rushed to free her as soon as the grubs left her to defend Barda’s cone.
‘As soon as you feel my dagger against your boot, begin to kick,’ Jasmine whispered. ‘We may not have much time.’
Lief felt movement near his chin and, squinting downward, saw a small grey shape. His fur spiked with mud, Filli was nibbling and clawing furiously at the clay that swathed Lief’s neck.
Lief felt the point of Jasmine’s dagger against his foot and began kicking towards it, feeling clay crumbling away. He felt her start work on the other side. He felt clay crack from his right hand and wrist as Kree’s sharp beak broke through.
His left arm was already free to the elbow. He could bend it. And, thanks to Filli, he could move his head from side to side once more.
He struggled desperately, his eyes fixed on the squirming mass of grubs at the base of Barda’s cone. Absorbed by their struggle with Flash, the grubs still had not noticed what was happening behind their backs.
But at any moment, surely, one of them would turn and give the alarm. Then all would be lost.
Lief closed his eyes and took a deep breath, summoning up all his strength. He imagined the clay as an egg, enclosing him. Then, with every muscle in his body, he pushed outward, willing the shell to crack.
5 - Hopes and Fears
There was a long moment of tension. Then, suddenly, the clay shell simply shattered, falling in great chunks to the ground.
The grubs at the base of Barda’s cone turned, huge blank eyes staring. They remained absolutely still for a single moment, then reared up, twisting and turning, heads bobbing. Some began scrambling rapidly towards Lief.
Lief staggered, off-balance. His left foot was still trapped. He kicked violently, fumbling for his sword.
‘Lief! Cover your face! They will try to spray you again!’ he heard Jasmine shout.
Lief glanced around, sword in hand. Jasmine, her mouth and nose covered by a scarf, was scooping Filli from the rubble. Covered in clay dust, chattering frantically, Filli leaped to her shoulder and dived under her collar.
Then Jasmine was darting away without a backward glance, lunging towards Barda. Three grubs reared up, blocking her path. She dodged aside, covering her muffled face. The grubs sprayed yellow mist after her, but did not attempt to give chase.
The grubs approaching Lief had also stopped. It seemed to have been decided between them that all their energies should be devoted to protecting Barda, their remaining, and finest, prize.
With his free hand, Lief snatched at the hem of his cloak and dragged it up, winding the cloth around his face so that its dusty folds covered his nose. He kicked away the last of the clay and staggered forward.
Flash was taking no notice of the panic around her. She had completely uncovered Fury’s cage now, and the two spiders were trying to fight through the bars. The cage was swinging violently, chipping away more clay every moment. Lief could clearly see Barda’s jacket, his belt buckle—even the hilt of his sword.
The grubs had stopped trying to mend the gap. Now they were concentrating on Barda’s face, no doubt aware that the sooner he was dead, the sooner they would be left in peace.
Barda’s eyes were open. He was staring straight at Lief.
Lief knew what those eyes were saying.
Leave me. Take the boat and go. You cannot help me.
Lief shook his head violently. He took another step.
Too close. A grub reared up at him. He jumped away, pressing his cloak hard against his face to avoid the burst of spray that would make him a prisoner once more.
Dagger in hand, Jasmine was warily circling Barda’s cone, keeping a good distance from the thrashing grubs that guarded it. Lief ran to her side.
‘Kree and I cannot get near him, Lief,’ Jasmine muttered. ‘They spray as soon as we try. If only we had a tool with a very long handle. Then, perhaps, we could smash the clay from a distance. But we brought nothing like that with us, and the boat’s paddles are far too short and frail to be of use.’
Lief ran over the contents of the boat in his mind and reluctantly decided that Jasmine was right. There was nothing of use in the boat. Nothing but food, water, sleeping blankets, baling buckets, rope …
Buckets! Rope! An idea struck him like a bolt of lightning.
‘There is another way to break the clay,’ he said, gripping Jasmine’s arm. ‘Come with me.’
He told her his plan as they raced to the boat. They snatched up a coil of rope, and the buckets used for baling. They filled the buckets with water, hurried back to the place where Barda stood, and dashed the water onto the base of the cone.
The grubs there reared and hissed, but did not retreat. Flash and Fury, their hard, spiny bodies wet and glistening, fought on as if nothing had happened. The water streamed off the hardened clay and sank quickly into the softer earth beneath.
‘Quickly!’ Lief gave Jasmine one end of the rope, keeping the other end in his own hand. They set off rapidly in opposite directions, their arms held high, circling the cone once, twice, like children playing a game. Loops of rope tightened around the cone, just above Fury’s cage. Confused, the grubs hissed at the loops, and began running up and down, trying to cover them with clay.
Jasmine and Lief came together on the shore behind the cone.
‘Now!’ Lief breathed. And pulled his end of the rope with all his strength.
He heard Jasmine groaning with effort as she, too, heaved with all her might. He heard the blood pounding in his ears. He heard Kree screeching above his head.
And then, at last, he heard the sound he had been waiting for—a sucking, squelching sound, as the soggy earth beneath the cone released its hold. Slowly, the cone began to tilt towards him.
He shouted in triumph, and heard Jasmine’s voice joining his own as together they ploughed backwards, the lines of rope straining between the cone and their aching hands.
Then, quite suddenly, the cone was toppling. The grubs were scattering in confusion and panic. And Lief and Jasmine were staggering back, falling, sprawling, as the cone fell crashing to the ground.
Lief scrambled to his feet. Dust hung in a low cloud above the ruins of Barda’s prison and the bodies of crushed and dying grubs. Barda himself lay groaning amidst the rubble. Rearing and twisting frantically, the surviving grubs were coming out of hiding and hurrying towards him, yellow vapour already puffing from the tubes below their eyes.
Lief and Jasmine ran to Barda and dragged him to his feet. Dazed, confused, he stumbled between them towards the boat.
Lief saw, to his amazement, that Flash was still clinging to the cage attached to Barda’s belt. Covered in dust, almost as dazed as Barda himself, the spider had stopped fighting with Fury, and was hunched like a bundle of sticks against the cage bars.
‘Make haste!’ Jasmine urged, glancing behind her.