"We should use torches as well," Tungdil told them. "If we get too accustomed to the darkness, we'll be dazzled by the least bit of light. What happens if there's a cleft in the rock? Even the tiniest chink of sunshine would blind us."
Boпndil, always the intrepid explorer, disappeared through the opening and took a few paces along the rail. Tungdil read the inscription chiseled into the wall.
"It leads to the firstling kingdom," he announced for the benefit of the twins. He was beginning to understand how the underground network had worked.
Four of the rails carried outgoing passengers away from Ogre's Death, and the other four were for wagons returning home. The wooden barriers and straw sacking served to absorb the impact in case the brakes failed.
He turned the matter over in his mind and paced along the row of doors. "Look at this," he exclaimed, stopping suddenly. "There's even a tunnel to the thirdling kingdom!" Maybe the folks were more united back then. Why else would they build a tunnel to Lorimbur's dwarves?
"It's probably so we could attack them," boomed a hollow voice inside the tunnel. "By the beard of Vraccas, it's pretty tight in here," cursed Boпndil. "No more than a dwarf's breadth either side of the wagon, I reckon."
Tungdil ignored Boпndil's typically warlike explanation of the tunnel's purpose and chivvied him along. "It's time to get going!"
"Hang on, I'm nearly at the end and…Whoa, the tunnel goes straight down! We'd better not tell Goпmgar or he'll die of fright." Boпndil's muffled laughter grew louder as he finished his reconnoiter and returned. "Look at the state of me!" He was covered from head to toe in spiderwebs, the desiccated corpses of countless insects sticking to his beard. He fished the cobwebs from between the rings of his tunic and dusted his whiskers.
"There's obviously plenty of wildlife in the tunnels," observed Tungdil, reaching for the lever to close the first door.
Boпndil sighed. "And all of it totally harmless. Still, any spider more than so big," he said, measuring out a space the size of his head, "belongs to me!" They all laughed.
Before they made their way home, they put out the fire beneath the cauldron and locked the door by reciting the verse. Without the sun to guide him, Tungdil wasn't sure how long it had taken to climb the hundreds of steps from the bustling heart of the kingdom to the forgotten hall, but it seemed from his rumbling stomach that they had been walking for some time.
They were sweaty and tired when they finally joined the other delegates in the dining hall. Ignoring the curious glances cast in their direction, they sat down wearily at the table.
"We won't show them the tunnels until tomorrow," Tungdil told the twins. "The last thing we need is for Gandogar to rush off and get ahead. We'll have our work cut out racing him to the Gray Range as it is."
"What are you complaining about?" grinned Boпndil, cutting a slice of fungi about the size of his plate and sprinkling it with pungent cheese. "You've got the best warriors, haven't you? Nфd'onn's days are numbered, just you wait and see."
"Boпndil's right," said his twin, "although there is one thing that bothers me. Remember the description of Keenfire?"
"Which part?"
"The purest, hardest steel for the blade, stone for the spurs, precious metals for the inlay, not to mention diamonds for the bit," Boлndal reeled off.
"We'll take everything with us," said Tungdil, guessing the nature of his concern. "I asked Balendilнn to supply us with ingots and gems. He said that our task was important enough to merit a donation from the secondlings' hoard. He's giving us everything we need."
"Gold, silver, palandium, vraccasium, tionium, and a handful of diamonds…Vraccas almighty! Every bandit in Girdlegard will be after us!"
"Don't forget the steel, granite, victuals, and other provisions," Boпndil reminded them. "I know we've got sturdy legs, but not even an ogre could carry that much."
"If everything goes to plan, we'll be traveling by wagon so we won't need to worry about transporting the materials. And if we're forced to leave the tunnels, we'll buy a pony to carry our valuables. It'll be fine; you'll see."
The twins said nothing and focused on their supper, but Tungdil knew from their silence that they were unconvinced.
"Fine! What do you propose we do? Quarry the ancient mines of the fifthling kingdom for precious metals and steel?" He sighed and reached for a morsel of cheese.
"We could take some extra diamonds and buy the precious metals on the way. In fact, we could buy the metals once we get there," suggested Boлndal.
"Too risky," ruled Tungdil. "What if we end up with no tionium? We'd be missing a vital component of the ax."
He raised his fourth tankard to his lips and emptied it in a single draft.
"The decision stands: We're taking everything with us." He stood up briskly, cursing himself for drinking too quickly as the beer rushed to his head. "We'll manage," he said encouragingly and left the hall in the direction of his chamber, swaying slightly as he walked. Feeling rather too full and somewhat light-headed, he stretched out on top of his bed and fell to thinking about the small silhouette that had darted past the door. He was sure he recognized it from somewhere.
Suddenly he was assailed by doubts. I hope we'll really manage. What have I let myself in for? Tired from hours of walking, he fell asleep in his clothes.
Tungdil was roused from his dreams by a vigorous shake of his arm. He sat up blearily and groaned. I thought dwarven beer wasn't supposed to give you headaches?
"They've gone!" he heard Balendilнn saying. "Tungdil, are you listening to me? They've gone!"
He opened his eyes. The high king's counselor was standing at his bedside, with Bavragor, Goпmgar, and the twins in the background. They were clad in their mail and looked ready to leave. "What are you talking about? They're behind you," murmured Tungdil, struggling to move his tongue.
"Not them! I'm talking about Gandogar. His party has left." This time Balendilнn's voice was louder and sharper. "You'll never catch them if you don't leave now."
Tungdil slid out of bed. His body and mind were in no fit state to embark on a high-speed journey in the dark. "Don't worry," he said soothingly. "They'll take forever to reach the Gray Range. Ask Goпmgar how long they needed to get here!"
"They're not traveling on foot," Boлndal broke in. "They've all vanished except Bislipur, and no one knows where they've gone."
"They didn't go through the gates," added Boпndil.
Suddenly it dawned on Tungdiclass="underline" "Sverd!" In an instant he was wide-awake. Bislipur's gnome had followed them and eavesdropped on their conversation until Boпndil had scared him away. Which means Gandogar knows exactly how to operate the rails. Sverd was every bit as devious as his master.
Tungdil wriggled into his leather jerkin and pulled on his mail, leather breeches, and boots. At last he was ready for the adventure to begin. He told Bavragor and Goпmgar to follow the twins through the disused passageways and light the fires beneath the cauldrons.
"I want the wagons to be on the rails by the time I get there. I've got a thing or two to say to Bislipur first."
He asked Balendilнn to accompany him. "I see you've chosen your mason," the counselor remarked.
"Not exactly." Tungdil sighed. "Bavragor volunteered himself and I fell for it. It's too late to go back on my word, but I wouldn't mind knowing why everyone is so against him. Is his drinking really that bad?"
Balendilнn drew breath. "Either he's sober, in which case he's bitter and rancorous; or he's tipsy, which means he won't stop singing and playing the clown-the merry minstrel, they call him. As far as his masonry is concerned, he's past his peak."
"You mean he's not the best mason?"
"Oh, he's the best, all right. You only need look at the parapets, halls, and passageways to convince yourself of that. But Bavragor hasn't used his chisel for ten cycles or more. Thanks to his perpetual drinking, his hands can't be trusted to do what his mind commands. No other mason has ever come close to rivaling his art, so yes, he's the best." He pursed his lips. "I didn't want to recommend him because his mood is unpredictable and he may not be as skilled as he was. Either way, it's not worth dwelling on now."