Trail of the Gods_ The Morcyth Saga Book Four - Brian S. Pratt [78]
“Illan, if you will take this,” James says as he picks up the broken piece of the door jamb he used last time. Handing it to him, he points out the double circle on the ceiling. “After Uther presses the circle by the stairs, you press that double circle on the ceiling. Then I’ll step on the triple circle on the floor and the door should open.” Glancing around at everyone, he says, “Got it?”
When he gets a nod from Uther and Illan, he says, “Okay Uther, press your circle.”
Uther presses his circle and then nods to Illan. Illan then raises the broken door jamb and presses the double circle in the ceiling. Once he’s begun lowering the broken door jamb, James goes over and steps on the triple circle in the floor.
From where the secret door is located, they hear a soft grinding noise as the door slowly begins to open. To Jorry, James says, “Take that piece of wood you brought down here and lay it in the doorway to keep it open. You’ll need it open if you are to come back this way.”
Jorry picks up the wood and goes over to the door where he wedges it in to prevent the door from closing.
James waits a minute for the door to begin to close, but the piece of wood successfully keeps it open. “Good,” he says. “Through there is a narrow passage which should be wide enough to carry the boat through sideways. After that is a cavern with ample room.”
“Okay boys,” Illan tells the others, “You’ve got the boat.”
Yern, Fifer, Uther and Jorry all take a side and lift the boat off the ground. Jiron moves into the passage with James right behind. “There’s a bundle of old torches here,” he hollers back to Illan. “Grab a couple to use on your way back.”
“Good idea,” he says.
With a groan, the four guys flip the boat on its side as they move to the opening in the wall. It’s quite a tight fit, but they manage to maneuver the boat through the opening and shuffle with it down the passage. From the rear, light flares up indicating Illan has found the bundle of torches and has lit one.
When they at last exit the narrow passageway and are in the cavern, they flip the boat back upright again. Moving the boat through the stalagmites rising from the floor and the pools of water is much easier than it had been getting it through the narrow passage.
Jiron, who had been scouting ahead with one of James’ orbs of light, comes back. “There’s a broken down bridge ahead, spanning a very deep chasm,” he tells them.
“I know,” says James. “That’s the way we’ve got to go.”
“How in the world are we to get that boat across?” he asks.
“What do you mean?” interrupts Uther from where he’s carrying the boat. “What bridge?”
“You’ll see,” replies Jiron.
Shortly, the light from James’ orb illuminates the beginning of the rickety bridge hanging precariously across the chasm.
The guys carrying the boat stop and set it on the ground. “It’ll never hold us carrying the boat across,” states Fifer. “It’ll collapse!”
“I never said we’d be carrying it over,” he tells them.
“Then just how do you propose to get it over there? Magic?” asks Uther.
Shaking his head, he says, “No, I’ll need all I have for a little bit later on. Somewhere in one of the packs are three large eye rings. We need two of them now.” They rummage through the packs and produce the two eye rings.
James takes out the long rope from within his own backpack. After making sure it’s long enough, he hands one end of it to Fifer. Taking the other end, he gives it to Jiron and says, “Take this over to the other side.”
Nodding, he ties the rope around his waist before beginning to cross the bridge. As he makes his way over, James turns to Yern and says, “You take one of the eye rings and sledge hammer over across the bridge after he’s cleared the other side. Then you and Jiron need to hammer it into the stone securely.”
To Fifer he says, “Tie the other end of the rope to the forward section of the boat.