Chapter 8
1499 Words
8
Both of us crawled through the hole one at a time and Erik led us upward. We reached the Old Den a few minutes later. I never thought I’d be glad to see those worn cobblestone and those dreary gray walls.
Greg waited for us at the end of the tunnel. His face showed his usual composure, but in his eyes I could see his relief. He smiled and bowed to us. “I hope things went well down there?” he commented.
I snorted and patted him on the shoulder. “Where have you been the last couple of minutes?”
“Awaiting your return,” he replied.
“How severe was the earthquake felt here?” Erik asked him.
Greg smile slipped off his lips and he stepped aside. He gestured to the wall behind him and I saw that there was a huge crack in the stones. “Rather well, I’m afraid.”
“So what we do about this? Get a bunch of surgical string and bandages?” I wondered.
Erik stepped up to the wall and placed his hand on the stones. He glided his fingers over the crack and frowned. “The Counsel must be told about what we saw beneath the island, but we must present our case very carefully.”
I tilted my head to one side and frowned. “Why do we have to be careful?”
“Because we have no evidence, and our accusation is against Gethin. We may despise him, but he is respected by others,” Erik explained.
My face fell. “Why the hell is that guy respected by anybody?”
“He is part of the guard, and there is some amount of awe that has been traditionally attached to that office. To some, it would be like we were accusing Teagan of high-treason,” Erik told me.
Greg stepped forward and bowed his head to Erik. “Master, if you don’t mind asking, what happened down there?”
“We found some men under Gethin’s command setting boxes of stolen dynamite in the caves to cause the earthquakes,” Erik revealed.
“And this evidence that pointed to Gethin?”
“Buried in the earthquake.”
Greg pursed his lips. “I see, then might I propose there be an investigation into the matter, and that you volunteer yourself to be the head of it?”
Erik turned to his servant and raised an eyebrow. “What good would an investigation do if all the evidence is buried beneath tons of rubble?”
A sly smile slipped onto Greg’s lips and his eyes flickered between Erik and me. “Perhaps there is more to find on the other islands than can be garnered here.”
Erik folded his arms across his chest and frowned. “What are you up to, old friend?”
Greg clasped his hands behind his back and shook his head. “Nothing at all, my Master. I was merely making a suggestion.”
“You don’t make suggestions without some inside knowledge, now tell me what it is,” Erik ordered him.
Greg bowed his head. “Your humble servant has merely heard rumors from some of the other servants.”
“Gregory, tell me.”
“Very well, if you insist.”
“I do.”
“I have this information from the cook’s cousin’s neighbor’s nephew who resides on one of the outer islands around Market Island. Apparently they’ve seen some unauthorized boats sailing from the direction of Wolf’s Island and towards the very tip of the island chain closest to the island.”
“And this hasn’t been reported?” Erik question him.
Greg shook his head. “No. The nephew works for a fisherman who doesn’t always follow the rules himself, if you understand my meaning.”
“And how is this connected to the earthquakes and Gethin?”
“The boat appeared only a few months ago, and some of the men on the boats have been identified as guards,” Greg explained.
“And is there any chance that this nephew and his fisherman employer have been seen?”
“Doubtful, my Master.”
Erik furrowed his brow and ran a hand through his hair. “Then we may still have a chance to find the connection and the evidence we need to present to the Council our suspicions.”
“That’s all nice and dandy, but what we do right now?” I spoke up.
Erik dropped his hand to his side and sighed. “For now let us go to my father and tell him what we’ve learned and offer our services.”
He led our little group through the maze of passages and to the Council room. The noise of the room reached us before we reached the room.
“What of the Diggers? What have they to say about these earthquakes?” I heard Deacon shout.
“They will say nothing about them to us,” came the reply from Teagan.
We came up to the open doors and found all but one of the Councilmen in various states of panic. The only calm one was the silver haired gentleman. And Lord Greenwood sat stiff but still in his chair. Deacon himself paced the floor in front of the chairs, and several others stood to the side or in front of their chairs, and listened to his questioning. Teagan knelt in the aisle in front of the pacing Councilman. I wondered where Lillian was.
“Do they still continue to refuse you entrance?” Deacon questioned Teagan.
“Yes.”
One of the Councilmen who stood to the side pounded his fists on the wooden arm of his chair. “What’s the point of this talking? Talking won’t stop these earthquakes, and we can’t take another one like that! Several of our villages are already decimated!”
“You won’t need to,” Erik spoke up. All eyes turned to us as we walked down the aisle to the large podium.
Lord Greenwood raised himself in his chair and furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
“I have just come from the underground and witnessed who carried out these attacks,” Erik told them.
“Attacks? Explain yourself,” his father demanded.
“The earthquakes were caused by strategically placed boxes of dynamite recently stolen from a shipment,” Erik explained. His eyes swept over each of the councilmen. I noticed Deacon paled when Erik’s eyes settled on him. “There are two men who sought to create terror for their own ends. We overheard the pair mention that they had only a few boxes left and those were destroyed in this last earthquake.”
The room was deathly silent. Everyone looked among each other. I could see suspicion and fear in their eyes.
Lord Greenwood stood to his feet and one of his hands gripped the arm of his chair. “And did you know these two who sought to terrorize us?”
Erik shook his head. “No. We couldn’t recognize them.”
“And where are they now?”
“Gone. They escaped down a tunnel and ignited the dynamite before we could catch up to them,” Erik revealed.
Lord Greenwood pursed his lips and lowered himself back into his chair. “Then the Diggers were correct in suspecting us, and we must make amends.”
“Not before we capture these men,” Deacon argued. “Who knows whatever other mischief they may concoct. They could reveal our secret to the outside world. I recommend we send out a group of Guards to-”
“I would like to offer my services in finding these men,” Erik spoke up.
Deacon turned to him with a frown. “And how would you be useful in this endeavor?”
“You’ve forgotten that I was the one who discovered them,” Erik countered.
“Perhaps that was just luck.” Deacon narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Erik. “But how did you manage to get into the underground when our Guards could not?”
“That is my secret, but my offer still stands. I would like to see what I might find, if the counsel will give me its permission,” Erik insisted.
“Is anyone else opposed to this idea?” Lord Greenwood asked the men. Several shook their heads or said nothing at all. “And you have our permission to do this, but how are you to proceed? You yourself said you didn’t recognize the men.”
“No, but I have heard rumors from the other islands that something is amiss and will start my investigation there. I will leave this time tomorrow,” Erik told them.
“Very well. Wolf speed to you,” Lord Greenwood replied.
Erik turned and led us back through the doors. We walked in silence for a couple of halls until Greg stepped in front of his master.
“If you’ll excuse me, my Master, but I will prepare the journey for three people,” he offered.
Erik raised and eyebrow. “Three people? Do you intend to come?”
“I may be of some use. In my younger days I lived a few years along the islands I spoke of,” he revealed.
Erik smiled and nodded his head. “Then prepare for three people,” he agreed.
Greg bowed and hurried off to obey his master’s command. I sidled up to Erik and looked into his face. “You really think we’re going to find anything out there?” I asked him.
“We found very little at the Old Den. Searching further afield won’t harm us,” he commented.
I snorted. “It might.”
A small smile slipped onto his lips. “Then you will be there to calm me down.”
I returned his smile with a grin. “And you will be there to get me into trouble.”
Erik leaned down and pecked a teasing kiss on my lips. “I will try my best,” he promised.
I rolled my eyes and pushed him away. “Please don’t. We may not survive.”
I was about to find out how close that survival really was.
- Writer
