The Poisoned Garden by Phill Featherstone

Author:Phill Featherstone [Featherstone, Phill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781739745554
Publisher: Opitus Books

25

OVERHEARD

By the time Peglar started back up the hill towards the Memorial Garden it was raining hard, with sullen drops slapping the road. Within a minute there were streams running down the gulleys. He pulled his cloak over his head. His sandals were soon soaked and his tunic drenched.

He assumed that Vancia and Forta were well ahead of him and was worried they might lock the door at the rear of the obelisk. He was relieved when it opened easily on well-oiled hinges. He was glad to get out of the downpour, and stood for a moment dripping on the steps. The torch was still burning and that was a relief too. He’d been imagining having to grope his way through the passage in the dark and he’d not been looking forward to disturbing the spiders, but he couldn’t re-enter the house by the gate. It would raise questions about how he’d managed to leave unnoticed, and about where he’d been.

He went down the steps and walked quickly along the passage. He was about half way when he noticed a small door he’d not spotted before. It was low, waist height, narrow, and in the darkest part of the tunnel. That was why he’d not seen it before. He hesitated; what might be on the other side? He eased it open and cautiously peered into… nothing. Blackness. But it must go somewhere because he could feel a draught on his face.

He lifted the torch from its sconce on the wall. It wouldn’t last much longer because the flame was dying and it had started to smoke, so he’d have to hurry. He got down on his knees and held the torch out into the space. It looked to be another passage, smaller than the first one and twisting into darkness. His fear of enclosed spaces plucked at him. What would happen if he got stuck in here? Nobody knew where he was. He’d be lost. He’d starve to death in the dark. He took a deep breath, told himself not to be soft, and squeezed through the opening.

This new tunnel was much narrower, and too low for him to stand up. The roof was uneven and protruding lumps of rock had to be dodged. He didn’t duck low enough for one of them and the result was a painful blow on the top of his head. There was an opening directly ahead where this tunnel met another, even lower and even more cramped.

He could make out a dim glow coming from the roof a little way along. He moved a few paces towards it, and became aware of a noise. It was scarcely there, just a faint, insubstantial murmur. He felt a sudden shiver. Ghosts? Invaders from the River Settlements threading their way under the Palace? As he moved the sound grew louder and he thought it seemed like someone talking but he couldn’t make out what was being said. His heartbeat increased. Were there other people down here in the dark?

He stood still, trying to work out where the noises were coming from.

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