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.'Gatekeeper, the Great Hall is closer than you think.'CHAPTER FORTY FOUR'Hairstreak's sister?' Henry exclaimed.'Why would the Purple Emperor go off and marry Hairstreak's sister?' Quercusia was quite good-looking for an older woman, but not that good-looking.A thought struck him.'She's a Faerie of the Night, for heaven's sake.'The endolg made that curious rippling movement that seemed to be a shrug.'That's exactly why he married her - because she was a Faerie of the Night.And Hairstreak's sister.Politics, pure and simple.Apatura Iris thought an arranged marriage with somebody in Hairstreak's family might help bring the Faeries of the Night and the Faeries of the Light closer together.She might be a bit of a wagon, but it was better than civil' war.Besides, he didn't know she was bonkers when he married her.'This was bad.This was very bad.This was very, very bad.Things had happened in the Realm that were almost impossible to believe, all of them bad for Pyrgus, all of them bad for Blue.(And all of them bad for Mr Fogarty, now Henry thought of it.) But at least they were still alive, although it sounded as if they'd only just survived; and if there was ever a time they needed him it was now.He couldn't quite get out of his head the vision he'd seen of them lying on a forest floor.'There must be some way out of this cell,' Henry moaned helplessly.'Oh, there is,' said the endolg.The creature had climbed halfway up one of the walls and was clinging there like a tapestry.Henry looked across at it.'Pardon?''There's a way out,' the endolg repeated.Henry sniffed.'Yes, through the door, except they forgot to leave us a key.''I don't know why you're taking that sarcastic attitude,' said the endolg airily.'I assumed it was a straightforward question and I gave you a straightforward answer.' It anchored itself more firmly to the wall and closed its eyes.'I'm sorry,' Henry said at once.'Is there really a way out? Where? How?'T don't think I'll tell you,' said the endolg.'I don't react well to sarcasm.'If it had had a throat, Henry would have strangled it.'Sorry,' he said again.'No, honestly, I'm sorry.I didn't mean to upset you.I'm sorry.Sorry.It's just - well, you were here before me.I'd have thought if there was some way out, you'd have taken it, that's all.Sorry.''I said there was a way out.I didn't say I could use it.I'm not strong enough.But you are.At least I think you are - you look a sturdy boy to me.Sturdy and sarcastic'Henry contained himself with a superhuman effort.'Won't you please tell me? You've been a huge help up to now.' A thought occurred to him and he added, 'If I get out, I'll take you with me.If it's somewhere you can't go, I'll carry you.'The endolg's eyes opened again.'This is one of the oldest dungeons in the palace,' it said.'Hasn't been repaired for centuries and wasn't all that well-made to begin with.See that little grating in the middle of the floor.?'The grating was the one prisoners peed into.There was a smallish, brown-stained hole beside it.Henry's nose wrinkled involuntarily.'Yes.''Comes up if you pull it hard enough.'Henry stared at the grating.It was six inches across at most.'I couldn't get through that.''The flagstone comes up with it,' said the endolg patiently.'What's underneath?' Henry felt the first hint of a mounting excitement.He didn't want to get his hopes up, but.'There's a drain.It's a bit mucky and it'll be a tight fit for somebody your size, but you'll probably get through.''Probably?' Henry echoed.'Well, if you lift the flagstone, you can judge for yourself,' the endolg said.'If you're not prepared to take my word for it.''OK, OK, you think I should manage it.Where does the drain lead?''My guess would be the palace sewers,' the endolg said.'Don't take that as truthspeak, but I once saw a map that showed the whole underground system.I think that must be where it drains to.''What about the sewers?' Henry asked.'Could I get through them all right?'The endolg snorted.'Get through them? You could hold a party in them if it wasn't for the smell.They're enormous.''What happens if I can't find my way out? Out of the sewers?''Oh, come on!' said the endolg.'I'm telling you how we can get out of here - you want a scale map and a signed guarantee as well?''Sorry,' Henry said again.'If it makes you feel any better, I'll be sticking with you.Don't fancy facing the bilgerats on my own.''There are bilgerats down there?' Henry shuddered.He'd only ever seen a live rat once, but they gave him the creeps.'Big as horses, according to some reports.But I wouldn't take that as truth speak either.' The endolg started to climb down slowly off the wall.'With luck we won't meet any, but if we do, it's still better than rotting in here, isn't it?''Yes,' Henry said uncertainly.'Well, what are you waiting for? Get the grille up.'Henry walked hesitantly to the middle of the floor.The stench seemed stronger than it had been, and not just the smell of pee now either.The grating was stained by years of use and had some unpleasant encrustations.'Are you sure you couldn't get this up yourself?''Definite.Endolgs are smart, but we're not that strong.You should do it easily.'Henry looked at the grille.'I don't have any gloves.''Just my luck,' sighed the endolg.'Twenty million people in the Realm and I get locked up with a wuss.'Henry took a deep breath, reached down to grip the grille (with his bare hand - yuk!) and pulled.He felt it move slightly and discovered the endolg was right - the surrounding flag moved too.But it was a long way off coming up easily.'Use both hands and brace yourself,' the endolg suggested [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]