The cage fell free into the darkness beneath me, and I yelped in pain when its full weight found the end of the falling chain and nearly jerked me clean off the ladder into the air. The chain slipped quickly through my fingers for seven or eight links, then slowed as I tightened my grip, and finally stopped with Yipes dangling back and forth below me.
It took every ounce of strength I had not to let go. Murphy jumped from the cage and held on to the ladder as the chain started slipping slowly through my fingers again. Yipes was dangling high above the ground, and I was close to dropping him.
I watched and listened as things unfolded out of my control all around me. The secret door was still wide open, revealing us to anyone who might look my way. Grindall and the ogres were about to turn the corner, but I couldn’t close the door — I held the ladder with one hand and the cage with the other. I was helpless to conceal our escape. At the same moment that Grindall came around the corner, Murphy reached the top of the ladder. He jumped to the trapdoor — which swung free inside the tunnel — then pushed with his tail against the wall. Murphy held on to the back of the little door, and when he pushed with his tail the door swung shut. I watched through the last crack of light as Grindall and the ogres came fuming around the corner.
I tried desperately not to make a sound, but the chain was starting to dig into my hand as it kept sliding slowly through my fingers. I was left with about a foot of chain links yet to go as Yipes hung four or five feet below me. I could hear Grindall and the ogres cursing and yelling in a terrible fury, trying to figure out what had happened. Yipes was gone, and an ogre was dead outside. It gave me some pleasure and renewed strength to think of how angry Grindall must have been as he looked at the scene before him.
“What’s happened?” he screamed. “I don’t understand!”
He was yelling into the night sky through the window. I’d never heard him so completely outraged.
“It’s that girl. It’s Alexa,” he said, his raging replaced by a malevolent, slow drawl. “But how?”
I couldn’t hold the chain any longer. It began to slip through my fingers faster than before, only inches left until it slid out of my hand entirely and Yipes fell with a crash that would surely alert Grindall to the secret door.
“Hold on, Alexa,” whispered Murphy. “Only a little longer.”
“Search this library!” shouted Grindall. “Tear it all down book by book if you have to. If you can smell them they must be hiding in here somewhere.”
I was at once relieved and heartbroken as I heard the shelves start to fall, books flying everywhere, the ogres tearing my wonderful library to pieces. As I finally lost my grip on the chain, I listened to it free-fall through the air, a light clanging in the air around me, and then a great crash as Yipes hit the dirt floor and the chain rattled behind the cage like a dinner bell.
“Stop!” yelled Grindall. I was already moving down the stairs, quietly making my escape with Murphy perched on my shoulder. The sound of ogres walking around above was like a terrible, thundering sky, their weight almost too much for the old wooden floor of the library to hold.
“Stop moving, you fools!” said Grindall. “I heard something.”
All was quiet above as I reached the bottom of the ladder and held the lamp over the cage. Yipes was still locked inside, though the cage itself was badly bent on one corner.
“That hurt,” whispered Yipes.
“Shhhhhh,” said Murphy in response, and the three of us sat with only the sound of our breath between us.
“Back to work with you! Keep looking.” Grindall had tired of listening, and the ogres were tearing at the shelves once more.
“We’d better get moving,” said Murphy.
I set the lamp on top of the cage and took hold of the chain, dragging Yipes on the floor. It was hard work — very slow going — but it wasn’t long before the sounds of the library being torn apart were only a whisper somewhere behind us.
“You’re heavy for such a little man,” I said, huffing as I stopped to rest. Yipes had his fingers through the cage to hold the lamp so it wouldn’t topple over. I noticed then that Murphy was doing his best to push the cage from behind.
“Thank you for the help, Murphy,” I said. It was unlikely that he was actually doing much good, but I had to commend his effort.
“You saved me,” said Yipes, tears welling up in his eyes. He was looking back and forth between the two of us.
“Think nothing of it,” said Murphy. “It was quite a good time we had doing it.”
I smiled and allowed myself a moment of peace knowing that Yipes — although locked in a cage I couldn’t get him out of — was unharmed and in good spirits. My fingers were small enough that I could easily fit them into the cage, and I poked them in. He touched his tiny fingers to mine, and we both knew the gesture was — at least for now — the closest thing to a welcoming embrace we would be allowed.
“We have to get out of here as fast as we can,” I said. “I fear Grindall won’t stop until he’s found this place.”
As I took hold of the chain and began pulling again, something occurred to me — even if I could drag Yipes all the way to the ladder that led to the outside, I wouldn’t be able to get Yipes up and out of the tunnel. This was beginning to seem like a typical day — Yipes in a cage, the library ripped apart, the fate of Armon, my father, and Pervis unknown … and a long, hard journey ahead of me.
CHAPTER 12
ESCAPE FROM
THE TUNNELS
I hadn’t been down this particular tunnel in a long time, and I’d forgotten what a difficult walk it was. The first lengthy stretch was not level — it was uphill, and pulling the cage with Yipes in it was backbreaking work. When I’d traveled here before, on my first trip outside the walls, I’d managed the entire walk in about twenty minutes. Tonight it would take hours, and even then I’d be stuck at the bottom of a tall ladder with no way to lift out the cage.
At the top of the ladder would be the wooden door that Yipes had once guided me through. It would be out in the open, but far enough from Bridewell that we wouldn’t be seen as long as we reached it before light. From there we would need to travel carefully into the forest and find the place where the forest council was held, the place where Ander the bear made his home. He would be some help to me if only I could make it that far.
I wondered how Armon, Odessa, and Nicolas were faring, but mostly I thought of my father and hoped he and Pervis were safe in Bridewell. My great fear was that they were still within the walls looking for me, thinking I’d found myself in trouble and putting their lives in danger even as I’d already escaped with Yipes. Still, if they had gotten free of Bridewell, it was better that they weren’t with me. There were many dangerous paths to come, and I had a terrible feeling that anyone traveling with me was putting his or her life in grave danger.
An hour passed, and then another. Yipes chattered on to keep me company as I stayed quiet, conserving my energy and focusing on the task of getting us at least as far as the ladder. I was spurred on by the thought of ogres tearing their way through the wall that held the secret door and chasing us down the tunnels until we were overtaken and returned to Grindall.
“I think we’re getting close,” said Murphy. He darted ahead in the dark, and I realized then that the lamp wasn’t providing much light. Yipes saw me looking at it.
He shifted his weight in the cage and stared up at the lamp. “I turned it down as far as it would go to save fuel. It’s nearly out.” As if on cue, the light began to sputter and shrink even more. A moment later it went out entirely, and we were left in complete darkness.
“Is it just me, or does it seem as though things are getting more difficult all the time?” I asked.
“Just don’t get turned around and head in the wrong direction,” answered Yipes. “If you keep going straight ahead we should be to the end soon.”
Murphy scuttled up beside me and brushed my feet, startling me as he always did in the da
rk.
“Sorry about that,” he said. “I really must learn to let you know I’m coming.”
“How much farther?” I asked. I was so tired I wasn’t sure if I could pull the cage much more.
“It’s just up there a little, maybe five minutes if you really put your back into it,” Murphy replied.
Five more minutes of dragging the cage in the dirt sounded harder than climbing to the top of Mount Laythen, but I put the chain over my shoulder and started pulling again. Every muscle ached, and my hands stung with blisters from gripping the rough chain for so long. I stumbled into a wall and lost my grip on the chain, picked it up, and kept going in the dark. I felt as if I was sleepwalking, aimlessly trudging along in a nightmare that would never stop.
Thankfully, only a few minutes later my journey came to an end. I dropped the chain and felt the welcome rungs of the ladder and the cool earth of the walls around it. I sat down and rested, and it crossed my mind then that I could have taken the Jocasta out of its hiding place and used it for light.
I decided to pull it out and look at it, something I hadn’t done in quite a while.
The moment it was out in the open air, the space we were in grew sharp with orange light. It was like a fire in my hand shooting flames on every wall. The light sped so far down the tunnel it scared me. It was as though the light were made of liquid and would travel like a wave all the way back into the library until Grindall saw it outlined against the secret door.
“That is quite the Jocasta,” said Yipes. “Maybe you should keep it hidden in such a dark place.”
I fumbled with the leather pouch and put the Jocasta back inside, but I left the top of the pouch open. The orange glow was contained, and I could point it wherever I chose in a way I’d never imagined. I pointed up the ladder to the door above and stood up.
“I’m going to leave you here and see if I can find help somewhere above,” I said. “I hope I’ve grown enough since the last time I was here to lift that door and get out.”
I was drained of so much energy that I had to stop every few rungs and rest, making sure my footing was solid as I went. When I finally reached the top, I took hold of the pouch around my neck and pulled. The leather string tightened around the Jocasta, and darkness returned.
“Okay, Alexa,” I said out loud. “You can do this. One big push is all it will take.”
Murphy had ridden up with me on my shoulder, and in the darkness I heard him leap from his perch and stand on the top rung of the ladder. I bent down my head and put my shoulder against the big door. Then I pushed with all my might.
It moved — only a little at first. But when I saw faint light creeping into the tunnel, I pushed even harder,until the opening was big enough for me to fit through. Murphy darted into the opening and hopped uncontrollably, yelling for me to keep pushing. I gave one last thrust, and the door jumped off my shoulder a few inches while I leaped for the opening.
I was hoping things wouldn’t get any worse, but my strength wasn’t enough to carry me all the way through to the outside. The door crashed back down and landed firmly on my back, pinning me between two worlds. I yelped but did not scream, the weight of the door not enough to really hurt me. I squirmed and tried to get free, but I had reached the end of my strength. My legs dangled behind me, and I laid my head on the cool earth, completely exhausted.
‘'How’s it going up there?” It was Yipes yelling from somewhere far below in the tunnel. “I see a bit of light creeping in. Dawn is coming.”
His words startled me back to life. I tried to look behind me and see the walls of Bridewell in the distance.
“Murphy, do you see the walls?” I asked.
“I do, and there are ogres at the towers. I don’t think they can see this far, but I can’t be sure. Stay still.”
Murphy ran away into the nearby trees, and I lost sight of him. The best thing I could do was to remain still, so I put my head back down and hoped the light of day wouldn’t come on too quickly. I moved my head as close to the opening in the door as I could and tried to talk to Yipes.
“I’m stuck, Yipes, and the sun is coming up. I don’t know what to do.”
“Oh,” replied Yipes. “That’s very unfortunate. Are you hurt?”
“No, not really, but I can’t get free.”
There was a long silence from below, and I wondered what Yipes was thinking. I heard rustling in the underbrush near a stand of trees outside, and a moment later Murphy was back … and he had someone else with him.
“It really is her! I can’t believe it.” It was a rabbit, one I’d met before.
“Malcolm, is that you?” I asked.
“Yes, ma’am. It’s a pleasure to hear your voice.” He hopped back and forth over my back and then came back around and sat in front of me. “Hmmmm. This is a problem, isn’t it? We need someone bigger to help us.”
“That’s very smart of you, Malcolm. It’s getting heavier on my back, and it’s starting to really hurt. Can you find someone to help me?”
Malcolm seemed to stew on the thought for a moment. He was a very clever rabbit, but I was worried he would take too long in figuring out a way to get me free.
Finally, his eyes brightened. “Yes! There is someone. It won’t take but a moment to fetch him. Just wait here, and I’ll come back.”
Malcolm and Murphy darted off into the trees like two giddy dogs chasing a stick. “Hurry!” I called after them.
When they returned a few minutes later, the sun was coming up fast, and it was almost fully light outside. There were three of them now. Murphy was the smallest, then Malcolm. My face must have given away my despair at the sight of the third.
“Not big enough for you?” said Malcolm, an air of defeat in his voice. He had found Beaker the raccoon, who stood before me lolling from side to side, assessing the situation. The three of them put together were no match for the door, and it was starting to feel even heavier on my back.
“What’s going on up there?” Yipes hollered from below. Malcolm and Beaker scattered into the underbrush until I told them it was only Yipes. This seemed to excite them even more as they talked among themselves about how to free me.
“This is hopeless,” I said. I hung in the morning air, my breathing becoming harder and harder as the weight of the door worked against my back. I was getting weaker as the day was getting brighter, and I felt certain we were about to be discovered.
“How long were you planning to hang around up here?”
It was a voice from the ladder behind me, and it startled both me and the animals. Malcolm and Beaker were darting in every direction looking for cover — bumping into each other as they dashed from side to side — but Murphy just stood there and spoke a wonderful word that put a smile on my face.
“Pervis?”
“What?” I said, trying to swing my head around to where I could see.
“It’s Pervis Kotcher!” cried Murphy.
“Are you hurt, Alexa?” It was indeed Pervis, standing below me on the ladder, pushing my feet and legs aside so that he could get right up close to the door that pinned me firmly on the ground.
“I am so glad to see you,” I answered. “How did you find us?”
“Never mind about that. I need to know — are you hurt?”
“Only my pride,” I answered. “Although this door is quite heavy, and I can’t get free of it.”
Pervis sighed in relief, then took a moment to decide how he would proceed.
“You said you wouldn’t leave the tunnels. See what happens when you disobey?”
There was a silence then, and I thought he was looking below, trying to figure out what we should do.
“But you did rescue Yipes, and I must say I find that completely unbelievable. How do you do these things, Alexa Daley?”
I stammered, trying to think what to say, but he didn’t give me a chance to answer. Instead, he pushed ahead with a plan to get me free of the door.
“We’re going to have to take a
chance and make a run for the trees. I’ll lift the door enough for you to get out, then you run with all your might for the grove. Don’t look back until you’re safely hidden away.”
“What about you and Yipes?” I asked, not wanting to leave them behind in the tunnels.
“I don’t have the tools we’ll need to get Yipes out of the cage,” he answered. “I’ll have to lift him out and then carry him to safety.”
Pervis paused for a moment as Malcolm and Beaker came bouncing back to the door and skittered around nervously.
“Do you have your spyglass, Alexa?” asked Pervis.
I nodded.
“When you get to the stand of trees, use it to survey the walls of Bridewell. I’ll bring up Yipes and hold him here until I see Malcolm come darting out into the open. That will be the signal.”
“All right — but you’ll need to run as fast as you can with that cage. I don’t think you’ll have much time to reach the grove.”
Pervis nodded and started down the ladder.
“Pervis?” I said.
He stopped and looked up at me. “What?”
“Where’s my father?”
It was a question I had been afraid to ask.
“I don’t know, Alexa. We split up after we entered Bridewell. He was going for the smoking room and I went around the courtyard. When I heard all the ruckus in the library, I just knew you’d used that secret door. I thought maybe I’d find you down here.”
He sighed deeply and touched me on the leg.
“He can take care of himself, Alexa. Right now we have to get you and Yipes out of here.”
“Before we go on you have to promise me something,” I said.
“What’s that?”
“You have to go back and find him.”
Pervis seemed to mull over my request before answering.
“All right, I’ll do it. As long as I have you safe in the trees and away from Grindall and the ogres, I’ll go back for him.”
I felt relieved — not only would he go back and find my father, but he would be safe from traveling the dangerous road that lay ahead of me. Pervis inched up a little farther on the ladder and put his shoulder into the door.